Scuba Diving Alp Aquarium Grüblsee
Diving in the Alps? Why not! The alpine aquarium Grüblsee at Präbichl turns into a small paradise for divers in the warmer months. In winter, the artificial mountain lake serves as a water reservoir for the snow cannons in the surrounding ski area. Due to its location, the Grüblsee Dive Center is the highest one in Europe. But what makes diving at Grüblsee so special and why are the fish there are particularly curious? Let me show you:
Let’s dive
After growing up in nearby Leoben, and skiing along the slopes several times in winter on Präbichl, I also wanted to discover the underwater world there. In approximately 30 minutes you’ll reach the dive centre from Leoben. Once you get there, register at the dive centre with Sabine, Robert or one of the staff, pay for the day pass and parking and you are good to go! If you don’t have your own equipment, you can rent everything here.
During the summer holidays, the meadow around the Grüblsee is occupied by divers from all over Austria, Germany and other European countries. That’s why I advise you to be here in the morning to give you a head start.
So, let’s go!
The first thing you’ll notice once you enter the water are two white buoys on the surface that mark a platform that lies below. By the way, the house shark hides underneath it – it usually doesn’t move much, and algae are already growing on it.
Since it is an artificial lake, there wouldn’t be much to see down there. So the owners of the dive centre sunk quite a lot of different statues all across the lake. I’m sure I haven’t discovered them all yet! The ones I like most are the knight and the tortoise.
Chilling with the fish
What makes Grüblsee a real alpine aquarium are its more than 1200 employees. Of course, referring to the fish living there. You can make some real friends if you bring one of the yellow surprise eggs filled with fish food from the diving centre. This can turn into a slightly chaotic moment, because the fish already know that it is now lunchtime. As soon as the yellow plastic egg is opened, the party starts: the fish come at the food as if they hadn’t eaten anything for weeks.
Info about the dive site
All information, phone numbers and accommodation in the region can be found on the website of the dive center. You don’t need to bring any snacks as they serve fresh cakes, sandwiches, warm dishes and fresh fish (not from the alp aquarium). During the surface break, it is best to warm yourself with hot cocoa!
Water temperature: 14-19°C during my dives in June, July and August
Maximum depth: max. 7-8m
Equipment: even on quite cool days, a 7mm wetsuit and ice vest with integrated hood are usually sufficient. When diving here I usually wear my Camaro Alpha 7 Pro wetsuit, a Camaro Icevest with hood and 3mm gloves.
Great for: training, fish ID, underwater photography
Hours of operation
May – October
Monday – Friday: 09:30 – 18:00 | Weekend: 09:00 – 19:00
Night dives by appointment only.
Have you read my other blog stories about scuba diving?
- Never get cold again when diving – helpful tips on how to stay warm underwater
- Have you ever seen eels while diving? In the Afritzer See in Carinthia you can visit them
- Here you can find all my blog posts about scuba diving
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