In Wagrain, in the heart of the Salzburg region, access to the Grafenberg side is preparing to turn a new page for winter 2026/27. A new ten-person gondola lift is set to take the place of three historic lifts at once, replacing the old 1985 Grafenbergbahn as well as both sections of the Grafenberg Express. Presented by the lift operator among its flagship projects for the new winter season, the installation redesigns the uphill gateway to one of the resort’s two signature mountains.
Anyone who has skied in Wagrain knows the distinctive geography of the village, nestled in the valley that separates the Grafenberg from the opposite slopes of the Grießenkar. Spanning the air between the two mountains is the spectacular G-LINK aerial tramway, beyond which the runs toward Flachau open up. The new Grafenberg gondola was specifically engineered to connect seamlessly with this hub: along the climb from the valley floor, a mid-station has been custom-positioned to make boarding the G-LINK effortless. Skiers setting out from Wagrain in the morning will thus be able to choose naturally whether to continue all the way to the top of the Grafenberg or branch off mid-mountain to cross the valley toward the Flying Mozart and the Flachau sector.
The full ride to the summit will take ten minutes aboard 120 cabins with a transport capacity of 3,400 passengers per hour. Equally important is the reorganization of the base terminal, where ticket offices, ski depot, and guest services are brought together in a single building with completely step-free level access, eliminating stairs and elevation changes to navigate in ski boots. Wherever technically feasible, the project also chose to reuse and adapt the existing station buildings, while the eight-person Grafenberg Express gondola dismantled from this line will enjoy a second life in nearby Eben, where it will be reinstalled as the base access lift on Monte Popolo.
Wagrain’s role across 210 kilometers, twelve peaks, and five valleys
Streamlining the climb up the Grafenberg means upgrading the very center of gravity of Snow Space Salzburg, the ski area uniting Wagrain, Flachau, and St. Johann-Alpendorf. Since the Panorama Link connection between the Grießenkareck and the Shuttleberg of Kleinarl-Flachauwinkl entered service in the 2020/21 season, the entire ski domain has formed a circuit of 210 kilometers of slopes spread across twelve peaks and five valleys, complemented by the Zauchensee sector reachable via a short ski-bus link at Flachauwinkl.
Within this extensive network, the famous 12 Peaks Tour can become the goal of a full day of point-to-point skiing or be savored in stages over several days, following a sequence of blue and red runs that always makes it possible to bypass the steepest black pitches. Skiers who prefer a more relaxed pace can instead focus on the wide slopes of the Grafenberg and Grießenkar, using the G-LINK and the new mid-station to switch aspect and scenery throughout the day.
On the calendar front, Snow Space Salzburg has set the start of the ski season for Saturday, November 28, 2026, while the full opening of the 12 Peaks interconnected network is scheduled from Saturday, December 5, 2026, with closing set for April 4, 2027. Over the course of winter 2026/27, the new Grafenbergbahn will make its debut on the snow, transforming three older lifts into a single modern, high-speed axis above the rooftops of Wagrain.
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