Ropeways in Harz – Preserving Attractiveness, Developing Attractiveness

Inspired by the emerging successes of the Wintersport-Arena Sauerland master plan, an attempt was made as early as 2003 to transfer these successes to the Harz mountains. The Harz Tourism Board commissioned the Masterplan Alpinsport Harz. In contrast to the Sauerland, however, significant investments in the infrastructure of the cable car and ski lift companies were largely missing as a result. Thus, 20 years later, the Harz, whose tourism has developed enormously well overall in recent decades, is in a worse position than it was then in terms of winter sports-specific offerings.

This is the result of the stocktaking carried out within the framework of the new master plan for the cableways in the Western Harz. The master plan was commissioned by the Kurbetriebsgesellschaft Die Oberharzer mbH. Project partners are the Harz Tourism Board and the town of Braunlage.

In the study, Christoph Schrahe not only looks at the current situation of the cable cars in the Western Harz, but also investigates the causes that have led to the fact that what has been successful elsewhere does not work in the Harz, and what consequently needs to be done differently this time.

Based on the diagnosis resulting from this, the master plan develops treatment options for the "patient" of the Harz cable cars. Wherever possible, concrete measures and solutions were developed for the continued existence of the alpine ski areas. Based on well-founded data and facts, the master plan is also a plea to preserve the Harz ski areas with all their positive effects on quality of life, tourism, economic growth, and physical and psychosocial health for future generations in Lower Saxony, so that they can continue to have the opportunity to learn and practice alpine skiing close to home.