Anniversary Hike 20 Years of Europe Cross

On Friday, 10 July 2026, a special anniversary was celebrated at Feuerkogel: For 20 years, the European Cross has stood on the 1,707-metre-high Alberfeldkogel as a visible symbol of peace, solidarity and European unity.

The anniversary celebration began with a joint hike from the mountain station of the Feuerkogel cable car to the European Cross. Numerous hikers as well as representatives from politics, tourism and education made their way to the summit together.

Upon arrival at the European Cross, Monsignor Alois Rockenschaub, parish priest of Ebensee-Roith, celebrated a dignified mountain mass. The Gruab-Musi ensemble of the Altmünster brass band provided the musical accompaniment.

During the ceremony that followed, Rupert Schiefer, Managing Director of OÖ Seilbahnholding GmbH, welcomed the guests. He emphasised the special importance of the European Cross as a year-round destination at Feuerkogel and thanked HTL Wels, the Ebensee Friends of Nature association and everyone who has helped to maintain the cross over the past two decades.

Markus Achleitner, Upper Austria’s State Minister for Economic and European Affairs, explained the symbolism of the artwork in his speech and highlighted the importance of the European Union for peace, prosperity and Upper Austria’s economic development.

The approximately five-metre-high European Cross was created in 2006 by more than 100 students from HTL Wels to mark Austria’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union. Its equally sized cubes represent the equality of the European member states. Each cube contains a stone from the respective country.

In 2025, stones from Bulgaria, Romania and Croatia were added to the European Cross. Today, all current EU member states are represented. A 2.5-metre-high replica of the European Cross is also on display at the Messner Mountain Museum at Sigmundskron Castle near Bolzano.

Another highlight of the anniversary celebration was the presentation of the “European Cross Oscar”. State Minister Markus Achleitner honoured former HTL students Jonas Arzt, Matthias Kreuzmayr and Raphael Ölsinger for their commitment to the technical extension of the European Cross. The work was carried out under the direction of Manfred Hinterberger.

The anniversary hike impressively demonstrated what the European Cross has represented for the past two decades: community, diversity and peaceful coexistence. At the same time, it remains one of the most popular hiking destinations at Feuerkogel, offering impressive views of Lake Traunsee, Lake Langbathsee and the mountains of the Salzkammergut region.