Ski disaster in Lienz: Hochstein lifts remain closed in 2024

Ski disaster in Lienz: Hochstein lifts remain closed in 2024

In the Austrian Alps, the ski lifts on the Hochstein in Lienz experience a dramatic turn. The winter season 2024/25 will be completely due to delays in maintenance work, which has catastrophic consequences for locals and business owners. Lienzer Bergbahnen AG has decided that the company on the Hochstein cannot take place after the required spare parts are delivered in March 2025 at the earliest.

This decision has made tourism and gastronomy in the region strongly. 80 percent of the hotel guests have already canceled their bookings. The hotelier Reinhold Tiefenbacher from the Hotel Moosalm describes the situation as "a big disaster". Margit Stotter from the GREIBLEHof is also horrified and describes the situation as a "hard club".

lack of security and massive economic losses

The actual problems lie in the safety of the ski lifts. The exchange of armchair clamps on the double lift is urgently required, but the operator faces financial and logistical challenges. In addition, the lower part of the Schlossberg will also be closed, which affects the entire winter season. The Hochstein, once the scene of a world ski cup, is now characterized by a standstill. Nothing remains in operation of the twelve kilometers of slopes.

The message was too late for many companies. Christoph Stotter from the Schlossberg ski school reports that the announcement was a shock for some at the end of September. It is conceivable that many investments in the winter season were free of charge, since they have already spent money on preparing the tobogganing route.

The consequences not only affect hotels; Gastronomers like Christian Schiessl and Heidi Bender from the Sternalm closed a few weeks ago. After a loss of finance last year and high investments in renovations, they were not aware that a lock for the ski lifts was imminent.

economic perspectives and challenges

The supervisory board head of Lienzer Bergbahnen AG, Franz Theurl, defended the decision as a logical entrepreneurial election. "If there is no money from public hands, we cannot maintain the company in the existing form," he explains. The operating costs are increasingly burdening the ski locations, and the Hochstein has been in trouble for years when it comes to the number of skiers and the associated income. A zero-guest number is forecast this year.

The winter season is not only a challenge for the mountain railways, but could also have historical consequences for the entire region, which depends heavily on winter tourism. It remains to be seen how the situation develops and whether solutions can be found. More information about this turbulent development are here to read.