History Of Sölden
The Early Days
Sölden was initially documented in the historical records of the Holy Roman Empire in the year 1271, under the name “Sultans”. Originally a small community with twenty buildings mostly consisting of agricultural facilities and mountain cottages, the village was It was at the meeting point of the Venter Ache and the Ötztaler Ache rivers. The only surviving structure that has retained the old Sölden’s traditional architecture and ambiance is the hotel and restaurant Berghof.
The village fell under the authority of the Tyrol county, which was run under several dynasties over ages including the Meinhardiner, Habsburg, and Wittelsbachs. Mostly functioning as an agricultural settlement, Sölden specialized in the wool, cheese, and butter production. Apart from farming, the residents engaged in hunting, fishing, and logging; they also traded with surrounding areas.
The Rise of Tourism
Sölden acquired autonomy in 1809 when Austrian Emperor Francis I assigned it the label of a market town. This gave Sölden more freedom and rights, including the ability to tax and plan fairs. Because of its proximity to Wildspitze, the highest mountain in Tyrol, Sölden has also grown to be a popular spot for mountaineers. Leander Klotz, a local guide and innkeeper, and Vienna-based professor Joseph Anton Specht effectively finished the first ascent of Wildspitze in 1848.
The mountain road to Sölden was built in 1903, so enabling more visitors to the area by easier access. Having to negotiate steep hills, tight bends, and extreme weather, the road was an amazing engineering feat. The Sölden road was used for military operations during World War I and saw heavy fighting between the Italian and Austro-Hungarian armies. Once the road was later improved and extended to include the Rettenbach and Tiefenbach glaciers, Sölden became the only municipality in Austria with two glacier ski sites.
The Ski Resort
Sölden’s ski resort opened in 1948 when Josef Riml, a well-known local businessman and trailblazer in the winter sports industry, built the first ski lift. Driven by an automobile engine, the lift was a basic rope tow meant for skiers from the village to the lower slopes of the Gaislachkogl mountain. Later, modern and comfortable chairlifts and gondolas replaced the lift to create a large ski area spanning more than 140 kilometers of slopes linking the villages of Hochsölden and Geislachkogl.
As more hotels, restaurants, stores, and entertainment venues were built to satisfy the rising demand, Sölden saw an explosion in tourism during the 1970s. Built in 1974 to link Sölden with the sunlit slopes of the Giggijoch mountain, the 4,500 passenger capacity cable car known as the Giggijochbahn Furthermore, the ski resort now runs its activities including the glaciers of Rettenbach and Tiefenbach, so offering an opportunity for year-round skiing and snowboarding.
The World Cup and Beyond
Every October the first World Cup races of the season take place on the Rettenbach glacier in Sölden. Along with the world’s best skiers, the races—which comprise a men’s and a women’s giant slalom—draw in lots of viewers and media officials. The races provide a forum for showcasing the most recent developments in fashion and ski equipment as well as present trends. Since 1993, Sölden has hosted the World Cup and has become to be among the most prestigious and demanding venues on the circuit.
Rising to 2,830 meters above sea level, Sölden is known for its Ötztal Glacier Road, the second highest asphalted road in Europe. Along with access to several hiking and riding paths, the road offers breathtaking views of the nearby mountains and glaciers. < The Ötztal Glacier Marathon, an annual 42-kilometer race run in July that tests participants’ endurance and stamina, starts along this road.
Sölden also boasts close proximity to the archeological site where Ötzi, the well-known ice mummy, was found. Discovered frozen in the Similaun glacier in 1991, Ötzi was a 5,300-year-old man. Among the most ancient and well-preserved human remains found thus far, he provides important new perspectives on Copper Age culture and way of life. Right now, Ötzi is on show at Bolzano, Italy’s South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology. At the Ötzi Village in Umhausen, which is a few kilometers from Sölden, visitors can see a replica of Ötzi and get additional understanding of his life.
