Mönichkirchen Adventure Alpine Pasture Expands Offerings After €10 Million Investment Over 15 Years

The Mönichkirchen adventure alpine pasture is rolling out a new round of expansions this summer, building on roughly €10 million invested in the park over the past 15 years as it continues its transformation into a year-round destination.

The area of Mönichkirchen in Austria features two distinct, highly-rated outdoor adventure parks that appeal to different styles of adrenaline and family fun: Hamari Kletterpark (a high-ropes climbing forest) and the seasonal Schischaukel Mönichkirchen-Mariensee (famous for mountain carts and hiking trails)

The site has been operated by ecoplus Alpin GmbH since 2011 and is one of five locations in Lower Austria the company has developed for both winter and summer tourism. Speaking at a press conference, ecoplus Supervisory Board Chairman Kurt Hackl pointed to Mönichkirchen as a model for that strategy. "Here you can feel and experience how such a development can succeed," he said.

Hackl, who is also the ÖVP Lower Austria parliamentary group leader, has a personal history with the resort. He recalled visiting as a child on ski holidays with his parents, staying at the Hotel Thier — a version of Mönichkirchen he says bears little resemblance to the destination it has become. "The Mönichkirchen of back then is no longer comparable to the one of today," he said.

Summer business now a quarter of revenue

While Mönichkirchen built its name on winter tourism, summer has become an increasingly significant part of the business. The resort has earned a spot among Austria's best summer mountain lifts, and roughly 25 percent of its total revenue is now generated during the summer months.

The park markets itself as a family-friendly summer getaway, with mountain carts and mountain bikes among its main draws. Food service has expanded as well: in partnership with Mönichkirchen-based bakery Dorfstetter, the resort now offers breakfast and snacks at the chairlift.

A digital scavenger hunt and a new cart track

For Ralf Eisenhut, managing director of the Mönichkirchen Adventure Park, the goal going forward is to think beyond the ski lift as the center of the resort's offerings. That philosophy is reflected in plans for the park's swing trail, which is already usable outside normal operating hours and will soon get a digital upgrade. Eisenhut said visitors will soon be able to follow a QR-code-based scavenger hunt through the trail — part of a €70,000 investment in digitizing the experience.

Also new is the "Almroute" (Alpine Pasture Route), an additional mountain cart track built to ease congestion on the resort's existing single track. That project cost €30,000 and is already operational.

Eisenhut said the park is also looking to expand activities for its youngest visitors, including running its conveyor lifts through the summer season. Specific plans for children's programming are still being developed.

Municipality support cited as key to growth

Both Hackl and Eisenhut credited the municipality of Mönichkirchen as an essential partner in the park's expansion. Mayor Andreas Graf, also of the ÖVP, said he was pleased that the cable car company's leadership "believes in Mönichkirchen."

The municipality has taken steps of its own to support the resort, including establishing a bus stop directly in front of the Erlebnisalm, the park's adventure lodge — a change Graf pushed for. Eisenhut said the impact was immediate. "I recently tested the service myself, and the bus was packed. I've never experienced anything like it before," he said.