Austrian Ski Resort Faces Permanent Closure as Demolition of Ski Lifts Looms

The ski lifts of Austrian ski resort Gaissau-Hintersee may soon disappear from the alpine landscape for good. On Friday, July 11, the resort’s owners officially requested a demolition notice for the lift infrastructure from the State of Salzburg, marking a sobering end to efforts to revive the small, low-altitude ski area just south of Salzburg.

The request came after a final, unsuccessful search for investment partners. Despite more than a year of negotiations and appeals, the resort’s owners—three local companies and a private investor—failed to secure the estimated €40 million needed to modernize the ski area and restart operations. That sum would have funded extensive renovations, including artificial snowmaking systems, updated lift technology, and year-round tourism infrastructure. The search for investors capable of funding the €40 million redevelopment failed, according to the resort’s current ownership group.

The resort, situated between 750 and just over 1,500 meters (2,460-4,921 feet), has not operated its lifts for several winters. Without artificial snowmaking—now considered essential at such altitudes—reliable winter operations have proven impossible. “Without snowmaking, we might have 30 ski days a year, if we’re lucky,” Hintersee’s mayor, Paul Weißenbacher, said last winter in an interview with Austrian newspaper Krone.

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With three chairlifts, four T-bars, and two conveyors for beginners, Gaissau-Hintersee was never a major ski destination. But it served an important role as a local, affordable alternative for Salzburg residents and school groups. Its slopes were popular with beginners, and the resort formed a part of the social and economic fabric of the surrounding valley. The resort has even hosted FIS Europa Cup events in the past.

The resort’s history has been turbulent. After opening its first lift in 1970, Gaissau-Hintersee changed hands multiple times. It was once owned by the Saalbach-Hinterglemm lift company, later passed to a Chinese investor in 2014, and then again to a local consortium, named GH Projektentwicklung GmbH, in the summer of 2023 after repeated bankruptcies. Each new ownership promised revival; each fell short due to funding gaps, climate constraints, or failed management.

This time, the end appears final. With the lift system deteriorating and its operating permits nearing expiration, GH Projektentwicklung concluded that keeping the infrastructure in place was no longer feasible. The formal demolition request is expected to be processed by state authorities in the coming weeks. Other resorts have already expressed interest in some of the newer lifts, such as the 1996 Latschenalm quad-chair.

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Local officials and residents expressed disappointment but little surprise. Hotelier Albert Ebner, an outspoken advocate for the resort, warned earlier this year that if Gaissau-Hintersee were allowed to close, “it will never come back.” The planned dismantling of the lift system makes that prediction all but certain.

The loss of Gaissau-Hintersee underscores the existential challenges facing small ski resorts across the Alps. As snow becomes increasingly unreliable at lower elevations and the costs of modernization skyrocket, only the most well-funded resorts can adapt. With the looming closure, Salzburg locals will only be left with fond memories of better days.