Retening of the Alps Arena: A new shine for winter sports!

Retening of the Alps Arena: A new shine for winter sports!

The Alpen Arena in Villach has reopened its doors with a comprehensive general renovation. This important center for Nordic winter sports has been attracting athletes from all over the world since 1995. Over 450,000 athletes from 18 nations have already trained or taken part in competitions here. Prominent names such as Martin Koch, Thomas Morgenstern and Daniel Tschofenig started their careers on these systems. The arena's chairman, Andreas Sucher, emphasized the importance of this renovation for year-round operations as well as for top international events.

High-quality materials were used during the renovation work: a total of 500 m³ of concrete, 3,700 m² of reinforcement mats and 6,500 m² of mats were laid. In addition, 500 linear meters of water pipes were replaced and 300 linear meters of ceramic tracks were installed for year-round operation. Particularly noteworthy are the 3,700 m² of snow retention technology, which ensures stable winter operations. State Governor Peter Kaiser praised the arena's high occupancy rate, which is 90 percent, and city councilor Harald Sobe pointed out the long tradition of the location, which has existed since 1908.

Future developments and events

Another step into the future of the Alps Arena is the construction of a warming room next to the K90 hill in the coming year. This shows the commitment to further expand the location and make even more attractive for athletes and spectators. In January 2026, the women's World Cup takes place in the arena, which is a new highlight in the international winter sports calendar.

The winter sports calendar for the 2025/2026 season is now available and includes hundreds of events, including cross -country skiing, skiing, snowboard, ski jumping, Nordic combination, ski cross and biathlon. Many of these events take place in Austria, Germany, Switzerland and Italy. This variety of sports and events shows the great commitment to winter sports in the region, and the Alps Arena takes on a key position. It remains an integral part of the ÖSV children's hill camp, in which around 150 children from all over Austria take part.

Sports culture in Austria

Sport is an important part of the lives of over 70 percent of Austrians. While popular sports such as cycling and swimming dominate leisure activities, winter sports remain a central aspect of Austrian sports culture. This is particularly evident in the high number of members in sports clubs, which also include skiing. At the end of 2023, there were around 2,000 football clubs and around 1,700 tennis clubs, with football being the most popular sport.

Additionally, the figures show an increase in fitness center members, growing from 990,000 in 2020 to 1.2 million in 2023. This reflects a growing interest in sporting activities, with many doing them between 4pm and 8pm. In view of these developments, it is clear that the Alpen Arena remains not only a place of competition, but also an important part of the Austrian sports landscape. For further information on upcoming winter sports events and results, the winter sports calendar on HDsports can be consulted, while Statista provides comprehensive data on sports participation in Austria.