Mariazell is famous as a place of pilgrimage and for the beautiful nature of the Mariazell region. But for all those for whom the word heaven also means outer space, Mariazell has another sight to offer.
High above the town, on the Stehralm at 1,008 m above sea level, lies the Mariazell Observatory, one of the most modern observatories in Austria.
In Austria, you can count "private" public observatories on your fingers. One of these rare observatories is located on the Stehralm in Mariazellerland. Main reason: Günther Eder, policeman and amateur astronomer. His interest in looking into space, observing the past - light years away, has always been his passion. His own house with an observatory dome on the roof is an impressive testimony to this.
Günther Eder was not alone with this passion. And so he found like-minded people who founded the association "Astroteam Mariazellerland".
The result of this association of people interested in astronomy is the observatory on the Stehralm. It was built with a lot of own initiative in several stages and is one of the most modern observatories in Austria.
Nightly guided tours at the computer-controlled 40 cm Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope into the depths of space with a look into our "past" and during the day a look at the sun through the solar telescope can be booked by appointment at +43 676 52 33 070.
Admission: by tel. reservation +43 676 52 33 070
The visit of the observatory is possible only by appointment.