Attersee · Austria · Freshwater
Dixi
A submerged pile-dwelling model that becomes a nativity scene every Advent to Candlemas
Area photo: Florian Prischl · CC BY-SA 3.0
Dixi, on the B152 at Weyregg, centres on an abstract underwater model of a prehistoric pile-dwelling house, one of several curiosities laid out along the sandy slope: a damaged boat at 12 m, tree trunks and root stumps, a bathtub used as a diver bell at 6 m, and, in a rocky ravine 15 minutes in, the wreck of a small sailboat also called Dixi at around 22 m.
Where it is and how deep
47.9165° N, 13.5790° EApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
The entry slopes gently down to an abstract model of a prehistoric pile-dwelling house fitted with information panels, one of the lake's better-known novelty stops and shallow enough for a first look at the site. A bathtub set up as an improvised diver bell sits at around 6 m, and large pike are commonly seen patrolling the 5 m zone near the entry.
Angling slightly right and deeper, divers reach a heavily damaged boat at 12 m, then continue at roughly the same depth over large tree trunks and root stumps toward a rocky, steeply descending ravine. Remnants of a wooden jetty lie along the way at around 17 to 20 m. After about fifteen minutes of swimming, the ravine opens onto the wreck of a small sailboat, also known as Dixi, resting at approximately 22 m; divers on the lake's forums note it can be easy to miss on a first attempt.
From the first Sunday of Advent to Candlemas on 2 February, the pile-dwelling model becomes the setting for an underwater nativity scene, built by the Attersee diving competence centre with students from HTL Vöcklabruck and described locally as unique in Europe. It draws divers to the site specifically for the season, on top of its everyday mix of wrecks and training-friendly shallows.
Background
The underwater nativity scene at Dixi's pile-dwelling model was created on the initiative of the Attersee diving competence centre together with students of HTL Vöcklabruck, and is displayed every year from the first Sunday of Advent until Candlemas on 2 February. Local sources describe it as the only display of its kind in Europe.
Marine life and season
- Freshwater fish
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prime | Prime | Good | Good | Good | Good | Fair | Fair | Good | Good | Good | Prime |
Season follows Attersee: Diving runs year-round; visibility peaks near 30 m in winter, while July and August bring more bathers, boat traffic and sometimes murkier water.
Questions divers ask
What is the underwater nativity scene at Dixi?+
It is a seasonal display built inside the site's submerged pile-dwelling model, created by the Attersee diving competence centre with students from HTL Vöcklabruck. It is set up from the first Sunday of Advent to Candlemas on 2 February and is described locally as unique in Europe.
Is there an actual shipwreck at Dixi?+
Yes. Past a damaged boat at 12 m and a stretch of sunken tree trunks, a rocky ravine reached after about fifteen minutes of swimming holds the wreck of a small sailboat, also called Dixi, at around 22 m.
Sources
- Taucheinstiegstelle Dixi - Pfahlbauhaus unter Wasser und Unterwasserkrippe — Attersee-Attergau Tourismus
- Attersee/Segelbootwrack Dixie — Taucher.Net
- Attersee, Wrack Dixie — Heidetaucher e.V.
In The Logbook
- Diving at altitude: why the rules changeBody & health · 7 min read
- Freshwater diving: lakes, springs and quarriesFreshwater · 15 min read
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