Hochstein in Lienz: Ski lifts remain closed in 2024/25 - a disaster for the region

Hochstein in Lienz: Ski lifts remain closed in 2024/25 - a disaster for the region

In the Austrian Skiort Lienz, a catastrophic decision has been made that affects the winter season on the Hochstein. While the ski lifts are in full company in other areas, the ski area on the Hochstein will be closed this year due to considerable delays during maintenance work. This message meets the hotels and restaurants in the region hard because 80 percent of the bookings have already been canceled.

The Lienzer Bergbahnen AG has announced that the necessary spare parts for the double lift will only arrive in March 2025, which fully endangered the 2024/25 ski season. The entire ski operation on the twelve kilometers of slopes is suspended, which is a disaster for locals and tourism in the region.

What does that mean for the operators and hotel owners?

The effects of this lock are enormous. "It is a big disaster for us," said Hotelier Reinhold Tiefenbacher. Margit Stotter, the operator of the Grulbelhof, describes the situation as a "hard club". Information transfer to the gastronomy and tourism industry did not take place until the end of September, which would provide many entrepreneurs with major problems. "You took my existence in one fell swoop," complains a skiuler whose investments were for free.

The situation is not only alarming for the hotels. The Sternalm also closed due to the failure. Christian Schiessl and Heidi Bender finally had to close their goals due to the constant financial burden. Her previous renovation, which cost 100,000 euros, was not sufficient to master the economic challenges. "We would never have come up with the idea that the cable car would not drive in winter," said Schiessl.

an economic setback for Lienz

The supervisory board head of the Lienzer Bergbahnen, Franz Theurl, said that the decision on the closure also made out of business considerations. Since the operating costs for the small ski area are high and the number of skiers is not sufficient to cover these costs, the future of the highest is questionable. "If there is no money from the public sector to cover these departures, we cannot continue the operation in the form," emphasized Theurl. The number of guests on the Hochstein will probably fall to zero this season, which is an unprecedented problem for the entire region. The decision also shows the fragile structures that characterize many ski areas in Austria, and of course the dependence of these places on a functioning winter season.

For more details on this critical situation, readers read here .