Hochkar Celebrates 60 Years Of Skiing History
The Hochkar ski resort in the municipality of Göstling is celebrating its 60th anniversary. To mark the occasion, a jubilee celebration was held today, Thursday, at the "Latschen Alm" mountain hut. Governor Johanna Mikl-Leitner spoke of a "success story that is also a mission for the next 60 years. 60 years of Hochkar – that brings to mind the pioneering spirit of the Geischläger family and the state of Lower Austria. This pioneering spirit is still palpable and tangible here at Hochkar."
The people of the region have always been the driving force behind this ski resort, the governor continued. Its success story began with the construction of the Hochkar Alpine Road. "Then, step by step, everything else was created," she said, referring to the construction of the ski lifts and slopes, as well as the development of accommodation and restaurants. "A whole world has been created here."
The involvement of the state of Lower Austria in 2012 was a "good, important, and correct step," and since then, "an incredible amount has been accomplished." Mikl-Leitner: "I'm thinking of the renovation of the Hochkar Alpine Road, the modernization of the sports hotel, right down to the ski school, the sports center, and the snowmaking facilities. A great deal has been achieved, so that Hochkar is now a year-round destination." The goal is to remain a reliable partner for the region and to continue investing in the future to further develop the year-round destination in harmony with nature and the local population.
Georg Schöppl, spokesperson for the board of the Austrian Federal Forests, offered high praise to "everyone who has done and continues to do such great work here." He noted that a "truly wonderful sense of community" thrives in the region – within the municipality, the region, and with all the people who live there. Helmut Miernicki, managing director of the economic development agency ecoplus, emphasized that they are active in five ski resorts in Lower Austria and see themselves as a development agency there: "Hochkar is our prime example, therefore, progress at Hochkar will and must continue."
Ecoplus-Alpin Managing Director Markus Redl thanked the Geischläger family for their "extraordinary pioneering work" that led to the establishment of the ski resort. Today, the state of Lower Austria is the sole owner and therefore handles operations. Veronika Nutz, Managing Director of Hochkar & Ötscher Tourismus GmbH, described her personal connection to Hochkar: "Every day when I come up here, my heart leaps. You're in the snow in an instant and at the same time see the tasks that await you here." She expressed confidence in a successful future and announced plans to further expand year-round tourism. "We need ideas for how we can operate a tourism business throughout the year. And we need solutions for ski tourers and cross-country skiers, whom we also want to professionally support in the future."
Entrepreneurs Johannes Putz and Elfi Kronsteiner, chairwoman of the tourism association and operator of the "Latschen Alm" mountain hut, also provided information on current gastronomic developments at Hochkar. Thomas Geischläger, grandson of the founder, offered insights into the history of the ski resort. Hannes Nothnagel from the Mürzzuschlag Ski Museum spoke about the development of skiing. Heinz Huber, the long-time Hochkar operations manager, shared anecdotes from his daily work.
Other guests included Federal Councillor Karl Weber, Member of the Provincial Parliament Dominic Hörlezeder, District Governor Johann Seper, Mayor Fritz Fahrnberger, Lower Austrian Ski Association President Wolfgang Labenbacher and Vice President Michaela Dorfmeister, as well as former ski racers Kathrin Zettel and Thomas Sykora.
