ARLBERG – THE MYTH
THE CRADLE OF ALPINE SKIING
Mountain Massif. Alpine Pass. Region. Arlberg is all that, yet so much more: Social meeting point and famous tourist region, fascinating and legendary. It is regarded as the birthplace and most coveted domicile of international ski sport. As hub of the freeride scene, it is worshipped with cult-like reverence. Arlberg’s charisma will have an even greater and more enticing allure from the winter of 2016/17. The gondolas of the new Flexenbahn cable car will glide over the rugged massif from Alpe Rauz/Stuben to Zürs – which is now Austria‘s largest connected ski resort.
Tourist Boards for the regions of St. Anton, St. Christoph, Stuben, Zürs & Lech am Arlberg
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EUROPE’S ALPINE CENTRE
The Arlberg forms the transition between the western Austrian provinces of Tyrol and Vorarlberg. The altitude of this massif ensures heavy snowfall in winter. The eponymous mountain pass lies at 1,800 metres above sea level; Valluga is its highest skiable peak, at 2,811 metres. Oslo Stockholm
Amsterdam
Berlin
London Brussels
Paris
Vienna Bern
Rome
Madrid Lisbon
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1 90 1 Founding of Ski-Club Arlberg in St. Christoph.
1 90 4 The first ski race to be held in the Alps takes place on the Arlberg.
1 92 1 Founding of the first ski school in St. Anton!
1 92 8 The first legendary Arlberg-Kandahar Race takes place.
HOW IT ALL BEGAN
1 92 0 –1 931
Traversing with hairpin bends –
Several famous ski films are made on the Arlberg, the most famous of which is
was how one used to master the
“Der weiße Rausch – The White Thrill“.
snowy slopes in yesteryear.
1 93 7
At the beginning of the 20 th
The first draglift opens in Zürs, closely
Century, Arlberg ski pioneers
followed by construction of the first
such as Hannes Schneider
cable car in St. Anton.
developed the stem turn, the
1 970 Artificial snowmaking canons are
forerunner of today’s parallel
developed in Lech.
turn. The Arlberg Technique revolutionised skiing, Arlberg ski
2 0 01 St. Anton hosts the Alpine World
instructors taught this style from
Ski Championships.
Japan to America. It has provided the foundations for modern
2 0 1 6 / 20 1 7
alpine skiing ever since.
“Ski Arlberg” merger, making it Austria’s largest connected ski resort.
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M A G N I T U D E I N S TAT I S T I C S
SKIING 88 state of the art lift and cable car systems, 305 kilometres of marked ski runs
„RUN OF FAME“: Arlberg ski circuit, 85 kilometres of downhill runs, altitude difference of 18,000 metres
OFF-PISTE ca. 200 kilometres of freeride and deep powder slopes
CROSS-COUNTRY SKI ca. 70 kilometres of cross-country ski trails for both classic and skating style
WINTER WALKING TRAILS Over 100 kilometres of groomed winter walking trails
LEISURE CENTRES ARLBERG-well.com; arl.rock Sports Centre and sport.park.lech
COMPETENCE Around 1,000 ski and snow sport instructors
BROTHERHOOD The charitable Brotherhood of St. Christoph with over 20,000 members worldwide
FA S C I N AT I O N O F T H E A R L B E R G
MELTING POT OF SKI INDIVIDUALISTS
The fascination of the Arlberg unites people from all over the world. It is the reason why guests from over 50 nations visit this alpine region every year. Successful fashion or movie stars are to be found equally amongst the visitors as young mavericks from the off-piste community. Their common denominator: the quest for finding the - 12 -
perfect line.
MODEL OF WHITE SPLENDOUR
Even meteorologists raise their eyebrows: Levels of snowfall amount to around nine metres during a classic Arlberg winter.
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I N V I G O R AT I N G A LT E R N AT I V E S
THE ALL-UNIFYING WINTER
Even those who have never heard of things like stem turns or outer ski, know and appreciate the Arlberg. Especially when they take a peek behind the scenes of this great ski sport stage, where there are invigorating alternatives to discover: Cross-country ski trails, toboggan runs, winter walking trails. Some lead to alpine lodges, whose architecture and menus underscore the sheer cosmopolitanism of the entire region.
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T H E A RT O F T R AV E L L I N G R I G H T
Exclusivity, nature and unadulterated tradition: The Arlberg is one of the Alpine Classics. One that is particularly appreciated by individualists.
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PLEASURE ON TOP
VISIT AWARD-WINNING CHEFS WEARING A BOBBLE HAT
Gourmet lunches in ski boots? Not an extravagance, but matter of course at the Arlberg. The Arlberg boasts of the highest concentration of awardwinning restaurants in Europe. The Arlberg page of the latest “Gault Millau Guide“ lists 19 awardwinning restaurants. A traditional dining culture, which culminates not least with wine cellars of international repute.
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SUCCESS FOR ETERNITY
More than 80 medals at Olympic or World Ski Championships. SkiClub Arlberg’s track record speaks volumes. From Hannes Schneider to Mario Matt – each of the past decades has produced its own Arlberg champion. Sporting ambitions burn brightly to this day.
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S T. A N T O N A M A R L B E R G
SPORTING WINTER CLASSIC
St. Anton am Arlberg is the home of ski legends and pioneers, such as Hannes Schneider, who validate Arlberg’s status as the “Birthplace of Alpine Skiing”. Sporting history was also made with hosting the Alpine Ski World Championships and Interski Congresses. State of the art cable car systems, exclusive hotels and international bars combined with chocolate-box village charm – visitors from around the world appreciate St. Anton for these special qualities and characterise its cosmopolitan f lair with their presence alone.
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S T. C H R I S T O P H A M A R L B E R G
EXCLUSIVE T O P-S P O T
St. Christoph, the highest and smallest village on the Arlberg, has the longest tradition in hospitality. A hospice for weary travellers and pilgrims was established at this 1,800-metre high mountain pass in the 14 th Century, where six enthusiasts founded the legendary Ski-Club Arlberg in 1901. New techniques, such as parallel turns, that originated in St. Christoph soon spread throughout the world. The effects can be felt to this day, in that visitors now have an incredible choice of holidays.
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STUBEN AM ARLBERG
IDYLLIC H O L I D AY D E S T I N AT I O N
The romantic village Stuben is a pleasant nest on the west side of the Arlberg. This mountain village ist still modest and idyllic, however the opportunities it holds are even more spectacular. Such as delving into the world of pristine backcountry terrain. Or using the inviting Mount Albona as a bridge – to discover the sheer epicness of the newly merged Arlberg ski area.
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ZÜRS AM ARLBERG
PROMINENT S K I-H I D E AWAY
White slopes, excellently suited for off-piste skiing, starting point for heli-skiing tours, inviting, luxurious charm. The 150 inhabitants of the mountain village of Zürs know exactly what the discerning guest desires. Which is why they return time and again. International celebrities in particular appreciate the two most valuable assets Zürs has to offer: vastness and discretion.
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LECH AM ARLBERG
STYLISH ENJOYMENT
Mountain village, world gourmet destination, host of philosophic discourse: Lech has many attractive sides. And it is steadfastly stylish. It is with good reason that “Europe’s Most Beautiful Village” features strongly on the holiday map for European aristocracy. Enthusiasm for ski sport, however, is a privilege not only reserved for the royals. No less than 1,000 participants feel like “Snow Kings” as they line up for the start of the iconic “The White Ring – the Race“.
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IMPRINT
Publisher and responsible for contents: Arlberg Marketing GmbH, Dorfstrasse 8, 6580 St. Anton am Arlberg
Concept, design & image editing: West Werbeagentur GmbH, www.diewest.at
Texts: Polak Mediaservice, www.polak-mediaservice.at
Photos: Cover: Josef Mallaun, Page 04/05: Josef Mallaun, Page 06: David Payr, Page 08/09: Tourist Board Archives, Page 10/11: Ski Arlberg panorama map, Page 12: Josef Mallaun, Page 13: Christoph Schöch, Page 14/15: Josef Mallaun, Page 16/17: Christoph Schöch, Page 18/19: Left: Christoph Schöch, Centre: Josef Mallaun, Right: Christoph Schöch, Page 20: Christoph Schöch, Page 21: Christoph Schöch, Page 22/23: Josef Mallaun, Page 24: Wolfgang Burger, Page 25: Left: Christoph Schöch, Right: Wolfgang Burger, Page 26: Josef Mallaun, Page 27: Left: Christoph Schöch, Right: Christoph Schöch, Page 28: Alex Kaiser, Page 29: Left: Christoph Schöch, Right: Christoph Schöch, Page 30: Alex Kaiser, Page 31: Left: Hanno Mackowitz, Right: Josef Mallaun, Page 32: Lisa Fail, Page 33: Left: Christoph Schöch, Right: Josef Mallaun, Page 34: Schöffel (Michael Müller, KME Studios)
Print:
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Buchdruckerei Lustenau GmbH, www.bulu.at
Friedrichshafen 130 km
Munich 230 km
Vienna 600 km
Zurich 200 km Innsbruck 100 km
Altenrhein 100 km
Milan 330 km
St. Anton am Arlberg: +43 (0)5446 22690 . St. Christoph am Arlberg: +43 (0)5446 22690 . Stuben am Arlberg: +43 (0)5582 399 Zürs am Arlberg: +43 (0)5583 2245 . Lech am Arlberg: +43 (0)5583 21610 WWW.ARLBERG.NET