Carinthian Summer Lift Co’s: 180 Days Of Diverse Experiences In The Mountain

Colorful and diverse, young and old, are the guests who are looking for enjoyment and variety, airy coolness or sporting challenges and much more in Carinthia's mountains.

News 2024

• CLIMATE TICKET: With the Climate Ticket Austria you can use many of the best Austrian summer mountain railways at a reduced rate. In Carinthia these are BAD
• KLEINKIRCHHEIM, GERLITZEN ALPE and GOLDECK. Here, Climate Ticket Austria holders receive discounts when they present their ticket at the mountain railway ticket offices.
• NASSFELD: New comprehensive hiking and mountain tour offer starting at the Gartnerkofel chairlift mountain station (operating times May 30th - October 13th, 2024). The "Gartnerkofel hiking paradise 1,410 - 2,195 m" offers 16 different tours. For example, a leisurely hike to the Garnitzenalm and further to the summit of the Krone/Monte Corona (1,832 m). Classic to the Gartnerkofel summit (2,195 m). But also ambitious, for example around the Gartnerkofel (12.5 km, 800 meters in altitude). For information, there is a printed hiking map, free of charge for guests of the mountain railways. All tours are also available digitally.
• PETZEN: In addition to the comprehensive range of bike trails (Flow Country Trail, cross country routes and nature trails), new bike beginners' offers will be created near the valley station of the cable car by the beginning of July 2024. The Quellenlift (tow lift for transporting bikers and mountain bikes) takes you uphill. The Shakedown Trail (medium-difficulty enduro trail, 600 meters long) leads through the forest down to the valley. Also new is the Kids Nature Trail (easy, 350 meters long), which also runs through the forest and offers root passages, rocks and stone fields.
• KATSCHBERG: “Katschi's Alpine Playground” near the mountain station of the Aineckbahn will be completed by the beginning of July 2024. Numerous play stations for climbing and balancing, playing with water, a tube slide and much more await. By September, a marble run tailored to the landscape will also be completed.

Attractive range of experiences and numerous new features year after year

"In recent years, Carinthia's summer mountain railways have consistently invested in quality, service and adventure attractions on the mountain," says section chairman Kapeller-Hopfgartner, highlighting the great commitment of his colleagues. Examples of news from recent years include: The establishment of the "Flow Trails Carinthia" mountain bike offer in 2020. The "Kaiserburg Bob", the roller bobsleigh run at the Kaiserburgbahn in BAD KLEINKIRCHHEIM, which has been new since 2021.

Also put into operation in 2021 were the "Dondolo" alpine swing on the Tressdorfer Alm at NASSFELD, as well as the summer tubing track, a wooden ball track and the kids' bike park in the Kanzelhöhe adventure arena on the GERLITZEN ALPE. In 2022, the extremely difficult mountain bike single trail, the "PROlitzen Trail", was added from the Kanzelhöhe (1,470 meters above sea level) into the valley, to the valley station of the Kanzelbahn (530 meters above sea level).

Since 2022, the GOLDECK has been offering sunrise trips (including a voucher for the Seehütte) on several dates during the summer. An architectural and culinary highlight was opened on the PETZEN in 2023: "Oben" is the name of the new panoramic restaurant at an altitude of 1,708 meters near the mountain station of the cable car. Again on the GERLITZEN ALPE, a new children's playground was opened in 2023 in the Kanzelhöhe adventure arena near the mountain station of the Kanzelbahn. It offers slope slides, motor skills courses and a sandpit.

Mainstay of Carinthian summer tourism

"With more than a million guests (in 2023 there were 1.1 million again) during the summer months, Carinthia's cable cars are a reliable and mainstay of summer tourism in the country. As specialists for outstanding experiences up in the mountains, we offer very attractive highlights that enrich your vacation, especially in the pre- and post-season. That is why our importance for the tourism region of Carinthia is increasing year after year," says section chairman Kapeller-Hopfgartner.

Sustainability, biodiversity & energy efficiency in Carinthia’s cable cars

"Mountain railways are the most sustainable way to get up to our Carinthian mountains comfortably, quickly and easily. Our guests - locals and holidaymakers alike - appreciate and love that," explains Manuel Kapeller-Hopfgartner. Sustainability, biodiversity and energy efficiency have been at the forefront of Carinthia's cable cars for years. This commitment has been reinforced by the rise in energy costs in recent years. "This has increased the willingness to work with new technologies and to explore new paths," says the head of the specialist group. "We have actively worked on the cable car vision of the future in workshops, excursions and much more and in 2023 we presented a comprehensive guide that is available to all Carinthian cable car operators," reports Kapeller-Hopfgartner.

The basis for summer operation is successful winter operation

"For us as a cable car industry, summer operations are becoming increasingly important thanks to attractive, specialized offers. Nevertheless, summer operations are only conceivable on the basis of successful winter operations. Because winter is and remains our main business, to which we cannot devote enough energy and attention. After all, we generate 80 to 90 percent of our income in winter," says trade group chairman Kapeller-Hopfgartner, emphasizing the importance of winter.

Carinthia's summer cable cars - THE FACTS

• A total of 14 Carinthian lift co's ompanies with summer operations
• 6 of them are certified as “Best Austrian Summer Mountain Railways” for their outstanding quality of experience. Specifically: Bad Kleinkirchheim, Gerlitzen Alpe, Goldeck, Katschberg, Nassfeld (with all three cable car companies) and Turracher Höhe
• 8 other summer mountain railways: Ankogel, Dreiländereck (unclear whether cable car operation will take place in summer 2024), Heiligenblut, Klippitztörl, Kreuzeck, Mölltaler Gletscher, Petzen and Weissensee.
• Guests (technical term: first-time visitors) in summer 2023: 1,099,253 guests (identical to 2022)
• Review 2022: 1,099,030 guests | 2021: 1,081,394 guests | 2020: 1,011,631 | 2019: 1,123,388 (previous high)