715,000 visits to Lower Austrian ski resorts thanks to artificial snowmaking.

Until mid March  2026, the Annaberg lifts, the Mönichkirchen adventure ski area (accessible via the Panorama cable car in Mariensee), the Lackenhof Ötscher lifts, and the Semmering Hirschenkogel were open for skiing. The Gemeindealpe Mitterbach and the Wexl Arena St. Corona am Wechsel closed for the season a week earlier. This allows preparations for summer operations to begin, with the Wexl Trails opening on Saturday, March 28, 2026. The Hochkar mountain lifts remain open until Easter Monday, April 6, 2026 – a great opportunity for Easter skiing in Lower Austria. The Rax cable car operates daily for hikers until Easter Monday, while the Schneeberg chairlift runs on weekends and holidays.

Governor Mikl-Leitner said "These encouraging visitor statistics underline the regional economic importance of the mountain railways."

“If the ski resorts in Lower Austria record 715,000 visits this winter season, that represents an increase of around 22 percent compared to the average of the three previous winters. This encouraging visitor figure underscores the regional economic importance of the mountain railways. We can be proud of the businesses' achievements and congratulate their employees. They make it possible for guests – from families with young children to competitive skiers – to enjoy snow sports close to home. For many people, this is an integral part of their lifestyle, and it's something Lower Austria stands for,” says Governor Johanna Mikl-Leitner, who is responsible for tourism.

“This winter season, with very little natural snow across Austria, has demonstrated how effectively artificial snowmaking enables ski resorts to operate and meet guest expectations. We project that we will reach approximately 495,000 visits across our five locations – Annaberger Lifte, Erlebnisalm Mönichkirchen, Hochkar Bergbahnen, Ötscherlifte Lackenhof, and Wexl Arena St. Corona am Wechsel – by the end of the season. Compared to the previous three winters, we can offer 12 percent more operating days this year; however, the increase in first-time visitors is significantly higher. The final figures for Wexl Arena St. Corona am Wechsel are already in: more than 62,000 visits represent a new record for the family ski area. We are also eagerly awaiting the final figures for our cross-regional season pass, the ‘Lower Austria Mountain Adventure Pass’ – so far, usage is on track for a record,” notes Markus Redl, Managing Director of the state-owned ecoplus Alpin GmbH.

Michael Reichl, Chairman of the Cable Car Association at the Lower Austrian Chamber of Commerce and Managing Director of the Jauerling Ski Arena, says: “This year’s ski season is certainly one of the better ones, even in the long term. It is particularly noteworthy that we had no spell of warm weather from Christmas until the end of February and were able to offer consistently good slope conditions during this period. When it snowed in the lowlands, the ski resorts were also ready. Shorter visits during the floodlit evening skiing were very popular in this regard, offering a special experience and allowing us to utilize our infrastructure even more effectively.”