Suche
Mein Konto
Fichtelberg suspension railway before sale: historic ski area before change!
Investors are planning to buy the Fichtelberg suspension railway to secure Saxony's largest ski area. City council decision on Tuesday.
Fichtelberg suspension railway before sale: historic ski area before change!
The Fichtelberg Schwebebahn (FSB), a popular tourist destination in Saxony, is facing a significant sale that could affect the region's largest alpine ski resort. A private investor plans to pay more than ten million euros for the historic suspension railway, which is seen as crucial in the context of the planned renewal of the worn-out lift systems. The Oberwiesenthal city council will decide on Tuesday about the sale to the Oberwiesenthal lift company (LGO), which is the second largest lift operator in the Fichtelberg area. An external report has set the purchase price at 10.4 million euros, with the LGO being backed by the Gläß family of entrepreneurs, who also run a hotel on the summit of the Fichtelberg and have made a corresponding fortune through a software company.
The decision represents a challenge as many of the existing lift systems are very outdated and this requires considerable investment. A project that has already been planned envisages the construction of a new lift on the Himmelsleiter, which would require additional funds in the double-digit million range. The FSB itself is over 100 years old and transports tourists to the 1,215 meter high mountain peak, making the ski area attractive in both winter and summer.
Public opinion and political reactions
Mayor Jens Benedict von Oberwiesenthal was relieved after the city council meeting, as many residents saw no other option for preserving the ski area. A well-attended residents' meeting was held to discuss the issue, reflecting the public interest in the sale. Citizens agree that private investors must be involved in order to maintain the popular ski area.
However, there are also critical voices. State parliament member Rico Gebhardt from the Left described the planned sale as “irresponsible”. He fears that relying on a single family could be problematic for the future of the ski area. Gebhardt also criticizes the district's planned sale of the entire Fichtelberg plateau and demands that the highest mountain in the Free State of Saxony should not be transferred into private hands, but rather into the property of the Free State.
In December, the decision will also be made on the sale of the Fichtelberghaus, for which a purchase offer has already been made. The political and social debates surrounding the sale of the Ficthelberg suspension railway make it clear how important the preservation of this infrastructure is for the region and its tourism.