Summer Conference of German Lift Co's 2026 Held

Fresh snow in the summer? That’s exactly what greeted around 70 industry professionals at this year’s summer conference of the Association of German Cable Cars and Ski Lifts (VDS), hosted by the Wurmberg cable car company right here in Braunlage.

The two-day event brought together member companies from across Germany and 11 members of the sponsoring association to tackle the changing landscape of alpine tourism—punctuated by a highly ironic, unseasonal dusting of winter weather on day two.

Transforming into Year-Round Destinations

The 37th working session focused heavily on how traditional winter resorts are adapting to a changing climate. As winters become less predictable, operators are heavily investing in family-friendly, weather-independent, year-round activities.

Key topics of discussion included:

• Mountain Adventure Worlds: Developing themed playgrounds and interactive trails to keep families engaged during the summer months.

• Bike & MTB Parks: Capitalizing on the massive boom in mountain biking by building dedicated trail networks.

• Operational Logistics: Navigating complex permitting processes and implementing modern parking management models.

VDS Managing Director Birgit Priesnitz and Jörg Wilke, Head of the Summer Cable Car Working Group, presented updates on current sector challenges. The program also featured targeted case studies, including Fabian Brockschmidt’s presentation on how the Wurmberg cable car itself successfully transitioned into a year-round attraction, and Joachim Jeßberger’s insights into the rising tourism appeal of mountain carts (all-terrain tricycles designed for gravity-fueled mountain descents).

Welcomes and a Winter Surprise

The conference opened with warm welcoming remarks from VDS President Henrik Volpert, Braunlage Mayor Wolfgang Langer, and Cathleen Hensel of Braunlage Tourism Marketing GmbH, all highlighting Braunlage's growing footprint in the summer tourism market.

However, nature stole the show on the second day. During a technical excursion to inspect the Wurmberg cable car’s infrastructure and mountain adventure zones, the summer conference was interrupted by an unexpected winter greeting, covering the Harz Mountains in a layer of fresh snow.

For a sector dedicated to balancing both winter sports and summer recreation, the dusting of snow served as a poetic—and very literal—reminder of the unpredictable environments these operators manage year-round.