The three ALPIN-CARD premium regions Kitzsteinhorn, Skicircus Saalbach Hinterglemm Leogang Fieberbrunn and Schmittenhöhe are opening the 2025/26 winter season with sustainable innovations, special anniversaries and future-oriented developments.
With 121 cable cars and lifts and up to 408 kilometres of slopes, the ALPINE CARD-Ticket association as a pioneer for future-oriented mountain tourism – and this is also reflected in the following initiatives: The Kitzsteinhorn will start its season this year on Saturday, October 11, 2025, and will celebrate its 60th anniversary with extensive modernization. Skicircus Saalbach Hinterglemm Leogang Fieberbrunn celebrates three important anniversaries – 80 years of Saalbacher Bergbahnen, 75 years of Hinterglemmer Bergbahnen and 10 years of merger with Fieberbrunn – and the Schmittenhöhe looks back on 10 years of EMAS certification and also opens its own company kindergarten.
Digital and sustainable: Modern solutions for contemporary mountain sports
This year, the premium regions of the ALPIN CARD ticket network are focusing on innovation with a 100% digital smartphone ticket, making them pioneers in the field of digital ski passes. Winter sports enthusiasts can simply purchase their smartphone as a KeyCard alternative in the online shop, load it into the app, and proceed directly through the turnstile with Bluetooth enabled. SKIDATA's modern BLE technology ensures reliable operation with minimal battery consumption, making the mountain experience not only more convenient but also more sustainable.
Since May 2025, guests have also benefited from the new Guest Mobility Ticket: All overnight guests in the premium ski regions receive free access to all public transport throughout Salzburger Land – from convenient arrival to exploring the entire region. This digital ticket enables a relaxing, car-free winter holiday and thus makes an important contribution to environmental protection.
Kitzsteinhorn: 60 years of glacier pioneering with new highlights
Austria's first glacier ski resort will celebrate its 60th anniversary in 2025. Since December 12, 1965, Gletscherbahnen Kaprun AG has been shaping alpine tourism in the Salzburg region. Just in time for the anniversary, the new Gletschermühle restaurant will open at 2,450 meters. It blends harmoniously into the high alpine landscape and offers regional specialties as well as spectacular views of the Kitzsteinhorn summit. The modernized Gipfelbahn cable car, with new cabins, reaches the 3,029-meter summit station, ensuring an even more impressive mountain experience. "As Austria's first glacier ski resort, we have been pioneering for 60 years and setting standards for glacier tourism. This experience enables us to offer our guests reliable piste conditions of the highest quality from October to June," emphasizes Thomas Maierhofer, CEO of Gletscherbahnen Kaprun AG.
With the development of the glacier in 1965, not only was a new chapter in Austrian cable car history opened, but also a leading tourism business was created that continues to shape the region today. Numerous milestones—from the commissioning of the summit cable car in 1966 to current investments in catering and infrastructure—demonstrate the high commitment to continually offering guests new and contemporary highlights.
Skicircus Saalbach Hinterglemm Leogang Fieberbrunn: Triple anniversary and sustainable innovations
This year, three milestones are being celebrated: 80 years of Saalbach cable cars, 75 years of Hinterglemm cable cars, and 10 years of the merger with Fieberbrunn. The success story that began in Saalbach in 1945 continued impressively in 1950 with the construction of the first drag lift in Hinterglemm. Since then, the Saalbach and Hinterglemm cable cars have been a key driver of the development of the ski area, which, since its expansion to Fieberbrunn in 2015, is now one of the largest ski areas in Europe with 270 kilometers of slopes and 70 lifts.
The highlights include several groundbreaking projects: In Fieberbrunn, a new 6-seater chairlift replacing the Maiskopf drag lift will make waiting times on the way back down to the valley a thing of the past. Particularly innovative: key components of the former Sassgalun cable car in Ischgl will be reused for this purpose – a flagship project for resource-efficient mountain railway infrastructure. At the same time, work began this summer on expanding the reservoir on the Schattberg, which will enable even more efficient snowmaking starting next year. In addition, a new funcross course at the Schanteilift in Leogang expands the range of activities for all age groups.
Schmittenhöhe: Sustainability pioneer with a family focus
Schmittenhöhebahn AG is celebrating a special anniversary this year with its 10th anniversary of EMAS validation. As the only cable car company in Europe to have been validated according to the European environmental management system (EMAS) for so long, it is taking a pioneering role in alpine tourism. On the Schmittenhöhe, all cable cars are powered by 100 percent green electricity, while photovoltaic systems provide additional energy from renewable sources. Ecological piste management and modern snowmaking technologies ensure the highest quality with the lowest possible use of resources. A social milestone is the new company kindergarten, Kunterbunt, which is the first inter-company childcare center in Pinzgau and offers space for 48 children. It supports families in the tourism industry with flexible opening hours.
Starting this winter, ski schools and young skiers can also look forward to a new children's restaurant at the areitXpress mountain station – a place to enjoy, laugh, and warm up. The colorful, child-friendly restaurant offers a child-sized buffet with healthy dishes prepared fresh daily, including regional favorites. While the children are well looked after, adults enjoy the relaxed atmosphere and culinary offerings of the AreitLounge or AreitAlm.
Right next to the valley station of the areitXpess, the new beginners area “Schmidolin’s Magic Carpet” offers Ideal conditions for beginners. The 120-meter-long, covered conveyor belt and the newly designed 10,000 m² area allow for comfortable and safe learning in the snow. A modern lift building with restroom facilities and two wide slopes round out the offerings for families. “As the only EMAS-certified cable car company in Austria, we consciously take a pioneering role, because our goal is to preserve this unique living and leisure space and at the same time provide an unforgettable nature experience for future generations,” explains Dr. Erich Egger, CEO of Schmittenhöhebahn AG.
In addition to its ecological and social achievements, the Schmittenhöhe is also investing in improving the quality of the slopes and the enjoyment of skiing. The widening of the popular Tannwald run provides noticeably more fun for all skill levels. Particular attention is paid to the careful treatment of nature and the landscape, which is ensured, among other things, by ecological monitoring planning.