Often no operation

Lungau hoteliers are angry about a bland June for mountain railroads

St. Michael's Sonnenbahn was largely at a standstill in June, there was no operation in the entire district on Wednesday and Thursday

(Bild: Holitzky Roland)

On two days of the week, there was no summer operation at all in Lungau for a month. This is no longer in keeping with the times, say critics. Yet summer tourism is clearly in the fast lane.

In some places in Lungau, the number of overnight stays in summer already rivals those in winter. Tourism without business in the warmer months is no longer conceivable.

Hoteliers and innkeepers are all the more surprised about June in Salzburg's smallest district: the five summer mountain lifts Grosseckbahn, Sonnenbahn, Aineckbahn am Katschberg and Co. were not open at all on Wednesdays and Thursdays. Regardless of the European Football Championships in Germany, this did not exactly attract the tourist masses to Lungau. A bland June for mountain railroads, so to speak.

We're still lagging a little behind Enns-Pongau in terms of tourism offers. But demand in summer is increasing, things will improve. We are aiming for full summer operation at the Aineck from 2026.

Josef Bogensperger jun., Besitzer Katschbergbahnen

Instead of an open lift, there will be a cabin
"People want to go up the mountains, regardless of whether the huts are open or not," says hotelier Leonhard Löcker from the traditional Löckerwirt in St. Margarethen: "We are not blessed with attractions in Lungau anyway. The whole region simply has to make more of an effort in June!"

In principle, everyone from Zederhaus to Ramingstein agrees that the gap between guest demand and tourist offerings needs to be narrowed. However, observers say that there is still a lack of joint efforts. A proper mountain bike route, for example, is missing.

Nevertheless, Josef Bogensperger Jr, boss and owner of Katschbergbahnen, wants to tackle the Aineck. "We are planning to replace the triple chairlift with a cabin. We are aiming for full summer operation in 2026."