Ski World Championships 2025 Will Be A Boost For Saalbach-Hinterglemm

Mountain bikers and hikers currently dominate the townscape in Saalbach-Hinterglemm. But if you look closely, you will see the odd snowflake in the eyes of the locals. That's because preparations for the Ski World Championships in February are in full swing.

The construction work on the necessary infrastructure projects has been giving a direct foretaste of the World Cup in February 2025 for a few months now. Apart from the investments in the Zwölferkogel race track itself, they range from new bus terminals to the emergency route, which can also be used as a cycling and hiking path, to a dedicated press center. This will serve as an event venue and leisure center after the World Cup. One special feature that is already visible here and that connects all of these projects is definitely sustainability.

One mountain, one place, one world championship

Wherever you see excavators and construction workers, there is a sophisticated concept behind it. The people of Saalbach-Hinterglemm have promised a World Cup with short distances and they are keeping their promise. All races will take place on the Zwölferkogel. This means a finish stadium for all medal decisions. Award ceremonies, fan mile, catering and the entire supporting program - everything will be just a stone's throw away from the finish area. As reported, fans will be able to get there by public transport, by car and even on skis.

Haslauer: “Planning for generations.”

For Governor Wilfried Haslauer, it is therefore clear that the 2025 Ski World Championships represent enormous added value for the region, and not just from a sporting perspective: "It also offers the opportunity to make the necessary investments to host such a mega event in such a way that life in the region remains attractive for future generations. And this is possible because the infrastructure projects, from the bus terminal to the press center, are not only planned for the few weeks of the major event, but are designed for sustainable use in the decades afterward."

Examples of sustainability

"Nothing will be built that will not be useful to the town, the citizens and ultimately to tourism. The snow will melt in April after the World Cup, but the infrastructure will remain," says Heinz Fuchs from Saalbach 2025 Projekt- und Infrastruktur GmbH. Here are a few examples of sustainability in action:

• Hinterglemm is getting two new bus terminals with modern infrastructure and toilets. They will make travel by public transport more convenient and attractive even after the World Cup.
• The press center will continue to be used as an event venue and leisure center after the World Cup and can be converted again at any time for future World Cup races.
• The cycle path between Jausern and Hinterglemm will be extended and will serve as an eight-kilometer-long emergency route for emergency services during the World Cup, so that access is always guaranteed. After February 2025, this access will be a wide cycle and footpath with additional leisure activities.
• Public investments at Rennberg are primarily used for piste corrections to ensure the safety of athletes and to improve snowmaking to meet FIS requirements.
• The town center of Hinterglemm will be barrier-free with more space, making it an attractive center for locals and visitors. And: district heating will be taken into account during the renovation and connections will be installed.
• The middle station of the Zwölferbahn cable car will become the home base for the piste workers on the mountain, including a material storage area, meeting room and supply facilities for the hundreds of helpers. This infrastructure will also be available for use in future World Cup races.

Fox: “Everything will be finished!”

A particularly striking and current construction site hotspot can be found in the town center. The village street is being transformed into a barrier-free fan mile. "We will finish all projects by winter and are on schedule, not only in terms of time but also budget," says Heinz Fuchs, confident that nothing will stand in the way of the 2025 Ski World Championships. Around 37 million euros are being invested in these infrastructure projects by the federal, state and local governments. But this is not the only way to create something new and sustainable for the region.

Second feeder to the World Cup mountain

The Zwölfer-Nordbahn is also undergoing a complete facelift and is being completely rebuilt, providing a second, modern feeder to the Rennberg. "Everything that needs to be transported up the mountain - people, helpers and materials - will be handled via the Zwölfer-Nordbahn during the World Cup," says Manfred Bachmann from the Hinterglemmer Bergbahnen. This also relieves the pressure on the Zwölferkogel cable car, which has already been renovated in recent years. All of this means that everyone can enjoy skiing during the World Cup: fans and winter sports enthusiasts.

Twelve-North Railway almost finished

"We are right on schedule with the construction work, the mountain and valley stations are finished and we will soon have the cable pull," says Bachmann. Now it's just a matter of "finishing work", such as the electrics. But the cable car is not the only new feature; a ski bridge over the main road will ensure comfortable and safe access in the future and investments are also being made in the snowmaking systems. The Zwölfer-Nordbahn can transport 2,600 people per hour.

Construction of bus terminal begins soon

Like the Zwölfer-Nordbahn, the infrastructure projects are also being fine-tuned. But one thing is still missing: "We are planning to start next week in Hinterglemm with the East Bus Terminal," says Heinz Fuchs from the project team, who is also confident that the construction site will be completed in the next three months. The East Bus Terminal is the one behind the old mini golf course. The area will be completely redesigned, including a new bridge, and will therefore continue to bring joy to many locals and guests in the future - long after the 2025 Ski World Championships - for example with a large children's playground.