History Bergbahnen Wagrain

Wagrain’s pioneer time with tourists began with the disastrous market square fire in 1927. The whole village very nearly became a victim of the huge fire – and poverty spread. But the Wagrainers played their most important trump card during this time : the typical Waggerl mentality : “Something will turn up.”  

In 1928 the Winter Sports Association of Wagrain was set up along with the tourist office in Wagrain.
Karl Heinrich Waggerl was responsible for marketing and with his skilful descriptions he succeeded in attracting some guests. 

In the 30s, ski races were held from Wagrainerhaus right down into the market square in Wagrain. The winner was quite simply the quickest person who made it, down whatever route he chose, into the village. The first mountain accommodation for skiers was the Kogelalm. The Wagrainerhaus opened in 1931, and this was, for those times, a very modern building – it even had central heating! Along with the ever-rising number of winter tourists, it was also used by the Austrian national ski team with  Bubi Bradl for their training for the 1936 Olympics in Garmisch-Partenkirchen.

The 1000 Mark barrier limited the development of tourism in Wagrain considerably, but attempts were made to overcome this dilemma with international marketing. Despite everything there were good potential earnings for locals in the tourist branch. Carrying luggage up to the Wagrainerhaus was lucrative work for strong young men for example!

Tourism took second place during the Second World War, of course, but then slowly picked up again.  
After the war a general spirit of optimism broke out all around. The birth of the ski lift company was in 1947 with the setting up of the Berglift Wagrain Ges.m.b.H (Wagrain Mountain Lift Ltd.). The first lift, the „Berglift“ from Kirchboden to Nazbauer, had wooden pylons and a capacity of 180 people per hour. It was opened on 20 February 1949.

Further investments followed and in the late 50s the Höllenstein Lift Association was founded and the Höllenstein lift on the Grafenberg was built.

In 1963, after Rupert Baumann took over the management of the Berglifte GmbH, a real development boom began. With the construction of the single chairlift to Hahnbalzköpfels and the Mulde lift, the lift revolution had begun!

The seal for the future was set with the fusion of Berglift GmbH and Grießkarecklift AG, and then when Grießkarecklift AG and Höllensteinlift merged to become Bergbahnen AG. For Christmas 1971 the double chairlift and the drag lift on the Grafenberg were opened. The first interconnected ski area in Salzburg province – together with Flachau – came into being in 1973. This concept was made even more attractive with the construction of the Grießkareck double chairlift.

The Sonntagskogel and Hachau lifts led to the expansion of the Grafenberg ski area which, combined with new lifts in St. Johann, also enabled these two ski areas to be connected. Thus the three areas -   Flachau, Wagrain and St. Johann – became Austria’s first 3-valley interconnected ski area.

The Tauern Motorway, the guaranteed snow, and the long downhill runs all resulted in more guests and in 1979 the Wagrainer-Höhe lifts were built. A double chairlift went up from the valley floor, and from Daarmoos guests could get on the then longest 3-person chairlift in Austria. 
 

The following year, Bergbahn AG Wagrain began its Grafenberg Cable Car Project, which was finally realised 5 yearslater. A further milestone was set in 1988 with the establishment of the joint price and marketing grouping „Salzburger Sportwelt Amadé”. The Sportwelt Amadé consists of the ski resorts Altenmarkt/Zauchensee, Eben, Filzmoos, Flachau, Kleinarl, Radstadt, St. Johann and Wagrain. In the same year the second gondola was built in Wagrain, the Grießkareck II gondola, and the technical reformation of the ski area could begin.