Tourism In Flachau
Famous for its ski resort, Snow Space Salzburg, which has 210 kilometers of slopes, 69 contemporary cable cars, and 10 entry points, Flachau is a little hamlet in the Salzburg region of Austria.Along with 760 kilometers of slopes and 270 lifts spread over five areas, Flachau is a member of the Ski Amadé network. For families, hikers, cyclists, and environment enthusiasts, Flachau is a summertime haven as well as a winter resort.Attractions in Flachau include the Flachauwinkl swimming lake, the Flachau parish church, the Flachau Heritage Museum3, and the Lucky Flitzer toboggan hill. Flachau offers guests a restful and thrilling vacation where tradition and modernity coexist and cultural and historical legacy are preserved.
Flachau Tourism Statistics
The two primary tourist seasons in Flachau are winter and summer. The best season is winter, when Flachau is renowned for its fantastic skiing conditions and activities. In 2022–2023 Flachau had 1,026,000 overnight stays, up 3.2% from the same period the year before, according to Salzburg Tourism Statistics. At 66.9% occupancy, the typical stay lasted 4.1 nights. Moreover, the winter season brought in 62.8 million euros in tourist income, a 4.1% rise over the prior winter season.
Even if summer is the off-season, Flachau still has a lot to offer tourists, including hiking, bicycling, rafting, golfing, and cultural events. Flachau saw 312,000 overnight stays in the summer of 2023, a 1.9% decline from the same period the year before, according to Salzburg Tourism Statistics. At 36.2% occupancy, the typical stay lasted 3.8 nights. In terms of tourist income, the summer season brought in 15.6 million euros, down 2.3% from the summer before.
Accommodation Occupancy Rates
Visitors can stay in hotels, guesthouses, flats, chalets, and campsites among other places in Flachau. 10,900 of the 16,800 beds in Flachau were in commercial buildings and 5,900 were in private lodgings, according to the Salzburg Tourism Statistics. The average occupancy rate for residential lodgings was 44.2%, while that for commercial places was 54.9%. Seasons affected the occupancy rates, as the table below illustrates:
| Season | Commercial Occupancy Rate | Private Occupancy Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Winter 2022/2023 | 74.5% | 53.7% |
| Summer 2023 | 35.4% | 18.7% |
Economic Impact of Tourism
For Flachau and the surrounding area, tourism provides a substantial source of employment and revenue. As per a research by the Austrian Institute of Economic Research, in 2022 tourism accounted for 78.4 million euros, or 28.4% of Flachau’s GDP overall. In addition, tourism provided 1,600 jobs in Flachau—57.1% of all employment there. Indirect and induced impacts of tourism, including the money and jobs created by suppliers and users of products and services associated to tourist, were also calculated by the research. In 2022, the entire economic effect of tourism in Flachau was 131.1 million euros in GDP and 2,300 jobs created, or 47.5% of the GDP and 82.1% of the total employment in the town.
Evolution of Tourism in Flachau
Over the years, Flachau’s tourism industry has changed and innovated a number of times to meet the evolving demands and tastes of both the market and tourists. Remarkable instances include:
- Flachau joined the Ski Amadé network of ski areas in 1991, which boasts 760 km of slopes and 270 lifts and is one of the biggest and most varied ski regions in Europe. This made Flachau more appealing and reachable to skiers and snowboarders of all abilities and tastes.
- The Alpine Ski World Championships were a major and prosperous event held in 1997 in Flachau that presented the region’s excellent skiing facilities and friendly locals to a worldwide audience. Since then, Flachau has staged a number of major ski events, including the woman’s Audi FIS Alpine Ski World Cup, which has taken place annually since 2010.
- Therme Amadé spa admittance is free, ski rental, ski school, and ski passes are all less expensive, and guests may utilize the ski bus for free. Flachau introduced the Flachau Card in 2004. The Flachau Card seeks to improve the worth and calibre of the Flachau tourist experience.
- Flachau launched the minus20degree art and architecture biennale in 2012. This distinctive and avant-garde event turns Flachau into a wintertime venue for modern art and architecture.Winter, snow, ice, and landscape are the subjects of exhibitions, installations, performances, and seminars by local and international artists and architects during the biennale. The biennale seeks to enhance Flachau’s tourist offer’s cultural and artistic component.
Overview of Tourism in Flachau
Flachau is an Austrian municipality located in the state of Salzburg, in the St. Johann im Pongau region. Its 117.15 square kilometer territory is home to around 2,700 people. Flachau is situated 920 metres above sea level in the Enns river valley. Encircling Flachau are the mountains of the Dachstein massif and the Radstädter Tauern, which provide breathtaking vistas and varied hiking and skiing terrain. About 70 kilometers south of Salzburg, the state capital and Mozart’s birthplace, Flachau is conveniently reachable by car, rail, or bus.
Worldwide tourists flock to Flachau, particularly from Germany, the Netherlands, the UK, and Scandinavia. Being the birthplace of the renowned alpine skier Hermann Maier, who won four World Cup championships and two Olympic gold medals, Flachau is well-known for its winter sports. Among the many international ski competitions held at Flachau are the FIS Alpine Ski World Cup and the FIS Freestyle Ski World Cup. Cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, sledding, ice skating and snow tubing are some excellent activities in Flachau.
Summertime brings a range of outdoor pursuits and adventure seekers to Flachau. Hiking routes in Flachau span more than 150 kilometers and take hikers from casual strolls to strenuous climbs to picturesque vistas, alpine meadows, and mountain lodges. Along the river and linking Flachau to several nearby communities is the Enns Cycle Path, one of the more than 500 kilometers of cycling lanes in the area. Along with paragliding, zip-lining, and climbing at the neighboring Adventure Park, Flachau is a hotspot for rafting, canoeing, kayaking, and fishing on the Enns River. Visitors to Flachau may also swim, sunbathe, or play beach volleyball on the lake, the Badesee Flachauwinkl.
Sport and leisure abound in Flachau, but so do culture and history. Flachau has a lengthy and complex history that begins in a record from the fourteenth century as “Flachowe.” At first a mining and farming community, Flachau subsequently developed into a hub of trade and commerce. Among the many historical structures and monuments in Flachau are the 16th-century Flachau Castle, which housed the local nobility, the 18th-century Flachau Parish Church with its baroque altar and Gothic tower, and the Hermann Maier Museum, which houses the skier’s medals and mementos. Flachau is a lively cultural and traditional place as shown by its festivals, music, food, and costumes. Flachau has a number of annual celebrations including the Carnival, the Christmas Market, the Harvest Festival, and the New Year’s Eve Party. Together with its regional specialties, including Flachauer Schnitzel, Flachauer Nocken, and Flachauer Krapfen, Flachau is well-known for its folk music, particularly the accordion and harmonica.
Key Attractions and Features
Many of the qualities and attractions of Flachau make it a special and alluring travel spot. Principal features and attractions include:
- Snow Space Salzburg: The ski area in Pongau known as Snow Space Salzburg comprises Flachau, Wagrain, and St. Johann. At 210 kilometers of slopes, 69 cable cars, and 10 ski area entrances, Snow Space Salzburg is one of Austria’s biggest and most contemporary ski resorts. Snow Space Salzburg offers family runs, snowparks and funslopes in addition to slopes suitable for skiers of all skill levels. Additionally a member of the Ski Amadé network, Snow Space Salzburg offers access to 270 cable cars and 760 kilometers of slopes spread throughout five districts of Salzburg and Styria.
- Lucky Flitzer: This toboggan slope is open in the winter and the summer. At 1,100 meters, the toboggan lift whisks guests up to a thrilling 1.1-kilometer-long track where they may travel at up to 40 kilometers per hour. For all ages, the toboggan course has curves, jumps, and tunnels.The toboggan run is also a component of an amusement park that provides both adult and kid entertainment, sports, and activities.
- Flachau Parish Church: The principal church of Flachau, situated in the town center, is called Flachau Parish Church. The church is honouring St. Nicholas, Flachau’s patron saint, and was constructed in the eighteenth century. With a Gothic tower, a green roof and a yellow façade, the church is built in the baroque style. The church has an organ, a pulpit, and an altar in addition to paintings, sculptures, and frescoes.Concerts, marriages and other events are also held in the church.
- Flachau Castle: Flachau and its environs were held by the Counts of Kuenburg, who constructed this fortress in the sixteenth century. The Renaissance-style castle has a square plan, four towers, and a courtyard and is perched on a hill overlooking the hamlet and the valley. Emperor Maximilian I and Archduke Ferdinand II were only two of the many illustrious visitors to the castle, which served as a home, a stronghold and a court. Currently owned privately, the castle is only accessible by appointment.
- Hermann Maier Museum: This museum chronicles the life and career of Flachau’s most accomplished skier, Hermann Maier. Born in Flachau in 1972, Hermann Maier—also referred to as the “Herminator”—became an Olympic gold medallist and world champion in alpine skiing. He captured four World Cup championships, two Olympic gold medals, and 54 World Cup events. In 2001, he too just avoided death in a motorbike accident and returned to the sport with extraordinary success. Along with pictures and films of his races and accomplishments, the museum has his trophies, medals, skis, helmets, suits, and other memorabilia.
