Gaißau Hintersee

The praise belongs to the past tense. While the lifts still ran, Gaissau-Hintersee had a solid name as a family and beginner area: gentle slopes, an industry award as a top area for first-timers, and figures that made it one of the safest ski areas in the Salzburg region. People came for what the big resorts cannot offer - no crowds, no rush, a wide Alpine panorama. Today the terrain lives on through ski touring up the Anzenberg.

The criticism now is that the resort has effectively ceased to exist. Experts complained even in the good years that nothing here was demanding, with a single short difficult run in the whole area. But the central grievance is simpler: the lifts do not run. The operator went through insolvency three times, rescue attempts failed including a deal with a Chinese investor, and costs stopped matching revenue. The owners have applied to dismantle every lift.