After 40 years, the weathered summit cross on the Schafberg has been replaced. With the aid of the SchafbergBahn, the Mondsee chapter of the Austrian Alpine Club safely transported the new landmark to the summit. The result is a new summit cross that will welcome visitors to the Schafberg for many decades to come.
May 30, 2026, could hardly have been a better day for the "New Schafberg Summit Cross" project. Brilliant sunshine, perfect visibility, and ideal conditions accompanied the work at the summit. The new summit cross was transported up the mountain in two sections aboard the SchafbergBahn cog railway. From the top station, a small truck operated by the SchafbergBahn carried the components as close to the summit as possible. The final stretch was completed on foot, with helpers carrying the individual components to their final destination. Around ten volunteers from the Mondsee chapter of the Austrian Alpine Club were eager to assist.
While the new summit cross was being assembled, the volunteers also took full advantage of the day to carry out restoration work on the pathway leading to the Himmelspforte. In addition to the cross itself and the tools needed for its installation, heavier equipment – including a high-powered drill – also had to be transported up the mountain for the trail work. "Projects like this would hardly be possible without the aid of the SchafbergBahn. There’s simply no other way to transport materials all the way up the Schafberg," points out Manfred Hisch, Chairman of the Mondsee chapter of the Austrian Alpine Club.
The summit cross on the Schafberg is also linked to a remarkable family story. The first one – 4.5 meters tall, made of larch – was crafted by Herbert Meindl and bore the inscription: "Many roads lead to God, one of them through the mountains." It was consecrated during a mountain mass on September 27, 1981. Just five years later, however, the first cross was destroyed by a lightning strike. Countess Ruth Almeida subsequently donated the larch timber required for a new cross. August Meindl and his son Herbert built it together, and it was consecrated on August 31, 1986. Now it is that selfsame Herbert Meindl – whose grandfather and father manufactured the first and second crosses – who has designed the new summit cross for the Schafberg. It is deliberately faithful to the design of its predecessor. New elements include artistically crafted stone inlays, which give the cross its own distinctive character.
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Fun fact: unlike most summit crosses, the one on the Schafberg doesn’t actually mark the mountain's highest point. Rather, it stands at its most beautiful one. The site affords magnificent panoramic views across the lakes and mountains of the Salzkammergut region. Not least for that reason, the Schafberg summit cross is one of the region's most popular photographic motifs. Just how popular the location is, became immediately apparent right after it was erected. "Hardly had the new cross been set up than the first visitors were already taking souvenir photos," reports Manfred Hisch with a chuckle.
The new summit cross on the Schafberg is more than just a replacement of a familiar landmark. It also preserves a piece of Alpine tradition and continues the long-standing partnership between the Austrian Alpine Club and the SchafbergBahn. "If everything goes according to plan," says Manfred Hisch, "the new cross should stand for another four to five decades." It will receive its official consecration during the traditional Schafberg Mass on August 16, 2026. The new landmark will then officially begin its role of welcoming countless hikers as well as passengers of the SchafbergBahn on their journey to the summit.
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The oldest documented summit cross in the Alps is believed to be the Confin Cross. It was erected on the Malser Haide in South Tyrol at the end of the 13th century, originally serving as a border marker and regional meeting place.
The tradition of erecting crosses on exposed mountain summits did not become established in the Alps until centuries later.
Summit crosses are primarily a tradition of the Catholic Alpine regions. Many famous mountains outside the Alps – including Mont Blanc, Ben Nevis, and K2 – do not have summit crosses.
The world's biggest summit cross stands on Caraiman Peak in Romania. Including its foundation, it is 39.5 meters tall.
The oldest summit cross in Austria was most likely erected on the Kleinglockner in 1799. Germany's Zugspitze did not receive its summit cross until 1851.
• While summit crosses are typical of the Alps, mountain summits elsewhere in the world are shown in different ways. In the Himalayas, for example, they are often marked with Tibetan prayer flags, while in Great Britain stone cairns commonly indicate the highest point.
The new summit cross will be officially inaugurated during the Schafberg Mountain Mass on 16 August 2026!
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