Economy Of Maria Alm am Steinernen Meer

Maria Alm am Steinernes Meer lies between the Salzburg Shale Alps and the Steinernes Meer mountain range, in the valley of the Urslau stream, a tributary of the Saalach river. The region welcomes many visitors all year round due to its rich natural and cultural past. The three main industries are tourism, agriculture and forestry.

For Maria Alm, especially in winter, tourism is the main source of income. The commune is the largest alpine ski area in Europe and is part of the Ski Amadé network, which includes 28 ski areas. One of the members of its network is the High King Mountain ski area. In addition to downhill skiing, Maria Alm offers mountain biking, climbing, hiking, tobogganing, cross-country skiing and golf. Popular in summer, the Sommerstein swimming pool has child-friendly swimming and play areas as well as a 40-metre water slide. The hamlet also hosts other sporting and cultural events, including the Almer Wallfahrt pilgrimage, the Hochkönigman trail festival and the Maria Alm jazz festival.

Maria Alm’s traditional activities, including forestry and agriculture, have shaped the region’s environment and way of life. Within the municipality there are more than 150 small family farms whose main activity is the production of dairy products, meat and cereals. Farmers also practice mountain pasture and graze their cows in mountain meadows in summer. Another important sector is forestry, which provides buildings, heating and wooden furniture. The municipality maintains its 3,000 hectares of forest sustainably, according to the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC).

Maria Alm has a fairly young and educated population of over 2,200 residents. At 3.4%, the unemployment rate in 2019 was lower than the national average of 7.4%. The town has a good infrastructure with a public school, kindergarten, health center, library, fire station and police station. Under the leadership of Mayor Alois Gadenstätter, the local government is committed to improving the quality of life for residents and visitors as well as the surrounding area. Among the most recent projects are the renovation of the parish church, the extension of the sewerage system, the solar panel installation on public buildings and support for electric transport.