Arlberg - Albonabahn I Opens

The Arlberg, especially Stuben, is considered the “cradle of alpine skiing”. The new Albonabahn I was opened there on January 26th. During the celebrations, State Councilor Christian Gantner emphasized the importance of mountain tourism and thus also the cable car industry for Vorarlberg. “Cable cars lead up to the skiing and hiking areas and to the most beautiful viewpoints in our country. A modern, high-quality cable car infrastructure therefore contributes to the high quality of life and, above all, to the attractiveness as a tourist destination,” said Gantner.

With the new Albonabahn I, a modern single-cable gondola with closed eight-person gondolas replaces the “old” two-person chairlift, which has more than served its purpose after 40 years of service. The route takes the existing route from Stuben am Arlberg over 440 meters up to the mountain station, which is around 200 meters below the previous one. The Albonabahn I is the entrance to the largest ski area in Austria, Ski Arlberg, which extends to St. Christoph and St. Anton in Tirol, on the Vorarlberg side to Zürs and Lech and to Warth-Schröcken.

State Tourism Councilor Christian Gantner emphasized the importance of the Arlberg as one of our country's tourism flagships and pointed to its role as the “cradle of skiing”. “Without the Arlberg – and especially Stuben – skiing wouldn’t be what it is today,” says Gantner. This was not only helped by the fact that people were skiing on the Arlberg as early as 1885, but the construction of the first Albona chairlift in the 1950s was also an important milestone. In 1983, a two-person chairlift was put into operation, which has now been replaced after 40 years of operation. This long-term nature speaks for the value of sustainability. Gantner says: “If a chairlift runs for 40 years and is then replaced by a sensible investment, that is a very sustainable development and a conscious use of resources. There are not such long operating times everywhere. In Vorarlberg, skiing and (winter) tourism treat nature sustainably, carefully and consciously.”

The current winter season has so far been a successful one for the Arlberg. In the months of November and December 2023, there were 282,400 arrivals (+8.0% compared to the previous year) and 850,500 overnight stays (+2.3%) nationwide. The Arlberg region even exceeded these increases with an increase in overnight stays of 3.1%. “We would like it to continue like this. The new Albonabahn I will contribute to a successful winter tourism,” concluded Gantner.

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