St. Anton
Encyclopedia
Sankt Anton am Arlberg
is a village and ski resort
in Tyrol
, western Austria
, with a permanent population of approximately . It is situated at 1304 metres (4,278 ft) above sea level in the Tyrolean Alps, with Aerial tramway
s and chairlift
s up to 2811 metres (9,222 ft). It is also a popular summer resort among trekkers and mountaineer
s.
Skiing
has a long history in St. Anton: ski instructors from the area emigrated to America in the 1930s, helping to popularise the sport. St. Anton was the host of the Alpine World Ski Championships in 2001
.
. It is part of the Arlberg alliance of ski resorts—a region that includes 82 cable cars and ski lifts, 260 km (161.6 mi) of groomed pistes and 184 km (114.3 mi) of deep-snow runs.
A pedestrian zone forms the centre of the town. On the western edge of village is the "Galzigbahn" which has been replaced by a Funitel
gondola. The new gondola also includes a first-ever "Ferris wheel": enabling passengers to board the gondolas on ground level, then rotating the gondolas up to the main high-speed cables. The Funitel accesses the Galzig slopes and connects to Schindler and Valluga peaks. On the eastern edge of town, the Nassereinbahn rises to the Nasserein area with connections to the Kapall peak. The Kapall, Valluga, and Schindler peaks provide skiers with close to 1,500 vertical metres skiing (1500 metres (4,921.3 ft)). Slope-side après-ski bars can be found on the Steissbachtal trail just above St. Anton.
Expert terrain includes less-frequently groomed ski routes such as Schindlerkar and Mattun, and the backside of Valluga (2811 metres or 9,222 ft) down to Zürs
, which is for experts only if accompanied by a guide. There are also a large number of off-piste routes in the area that experts can explore with the help of a guide.
Other ski areas are Lech
, Stuben and St. Christoph, a hamlet where in the 14th century the shepherd Heinrich Findelkind built a hospice as a shelter for travellers crossing the Arlberg pass to the Vorarlberg province.
St. Anton was shown in the 1969
film Downhill Racer
, starring Robert Redford
and Gene Hackman
.
St. Anton was also the setting for the film "Der Weisse Rausch", starring Leni Riefenstahl
and local ski instructor Hannes Schneider
. Made in 1931, the comedy film was a fictional account of the skiing exploits of a young village girl, played by Riefenstahl, and her attempts to master the sport of skiing and ski-jumping aided by the local ski expert Hannes Schneider. The film was one of the first to use and develop outdoor film-making techniques and featured several innovative action-skiing scenes. Riefenstahl went on to make Nazi propaganda films and, post-war, subsequently lived in Africa where she continued film-making, but now of life in the African bush. She survived two fatal crashes, a helicopter and a road accident, in the process. Hannes Schneider, post-war, became the world-famous ski instructor of the downhill skiing method known as the "Arlberg technique".
Arlberg
Arlberg is a mountain range or massif between Vorarlberg and Tyrol in Austria.The highest peak is the "Valluga" at . The name Arlberg derives from the tradition of the "Arlenburg," who are said to have once established themselves on the Tyrolean side of the Arlberg passes . Another story derives...
is a village and ski resort
Ski resort
A ski resort is a resort developed for skiing and other winter sports. In Europe a ski resort is a town or village in a ski area - a mountainous area, where there are ski trails and supporting services such as hotels and other accommodation, restaurants, equipment rental and a ski lift system...
in Tyrol
Tyrol (state)
Tyrol is a state or Bundesland, located in the west of Austria. It comprises the Austrian part of the historical region of Tyrol.The state is split into two parts–called North Tyrol and East Tyrol–by a -wide strip of land where the state of Salzburg borders directly on the Italian province of...
, western Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, with a permanent population of approximately . It is situated at 1304 metres (4,278 ft) above sea level in the Tyrolean Alps, with Aerial tramway
Aerial tramway
An aerial tramway , cable car , ropeway or aerial tram is a type of aerial lift which uses one or two stationary ropes for support while a third moving rope provides propulsion...
s and chairlift
Chairlift
An elevated passenger ropeway, or chairlift, is a type of aerial lift, which consists of a continuously circulating steel cable loop strung between two end terminals and usually over intermediate towers, carrying a series of chairs...
s up to 2811 metres (9,222 ft). It is also a popular summer resort among trekkers and mountaineer
Mountaineering
Mountaineering or mountain climbing is the sport, hobby or profession of hiking, skiing, and climbing mountains. While mountaineering began as attempts to reach the highest point of unclimbed mountains it has branched into specialisations that address different aspects of the mountain and consists...
s.
Skiing
Alpine skiing
Alpine skiing is the sport of sliding down snow-covered hills on skis with fixed-heel bindings. Alpine skiing can be contrasted with skiing using free-heel bindings: Ski mountaineering and nordic skiing – such as cross-country; ski jumping; and Telemark. In competitive alpine skiing races four...
has a long history in St. Anton: ski instructors from the area emigrated to America in the 1930s, helping to popularise the sport. St. Anton was the host of the Alpine World Ski Championships in 2001
FIS Alpine World Ski Championships 2001
The FIS Alpine World Ski Championships 2001 were held in St. Anton, Austria, between January 29 and February 10, 2001.-Medals table:...
.
Geography
St. Anton lies on the Rosanna River and is on the main east-west rail line between Austria and SwitzerlandSwitzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
. It is part of the Arlberg alliance of ski resorts—a region that includes 82 cable cars and ski lifts, 260 km (161.6 mi) of groomed pistes and 184 km (114.3 mi) of deep-snow runs.
A pedestrian zone forms the centre of the town. On the western edge of village is the "Galzigbahn" which has been replaced by a Funitel
Funitel
A funitel is a type of aerial lift, generally used to transport skiers. The name funitel is a portmanteau between the French words funiculaire and telepherique. Funitels have not only been used as a means to transport skiers; there is one used to transport finished cars between different areas of...
gondola. The new gondola also includes a first-ever "Ferris wheel": enabling passengers to board the gondolas on ground level, then rotating the gondolas up to the main high-speed cables. The Funitel accesses the Galzig slopes and connects to Schindler and Valluga peaks. On the eastern edge of town, the Nassereinbahn rises to the Nasserein area with connections to the Kapall peak. The Kapall, Valluga, and Schindler peaks provide skiers with close to 1,500 vertical metres skiing (1500 metres (4,921.3 ft)). Slope-side après-ski bars can be found on the Steissbachtal trail just above St. Anton.
Expert terrain includes less-frequently groomed ski routes such as Schindlerkar and Mattun, and the backside of Valluga (2811 metres or 9,222 ft) down to Zürs
Zürs
Zürs at the Flexenpass is a ski resort consisting of only a couple of hotels in Vorarlberg, Austria. Zürs is part of the Arlberg ski region and famous for its skiing, especially its backcountry skiing and its Olympic skiing champions...
, which is for experts only if accompanied by a guide. There are also a large number of off-piste routes in the area that experts can explore with the help of a guide.
Other ski areas are Lech
Lech am Arlberg
Lech am Arlberg is a mountain village and an exclusive ski resort in the Bludenz district of Vorarlberg, in western Austria, on the banks of the river Lech. In terms of both geography and history, Lech belongs to the Tannberg district...
, Stuben and St. Christoph, a hamlet where in the 14th century the shepherd Heinrich Findelkind built a hospice as a shelter for travellers crossing the Arlberg pass to the Vorarlberg province.
St. Anton was shown in the 1969
1969 in film
The year 1969 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* Last year for prize giving at the Venice Film Festival until it is revived in 1980...
film Downhill Racer
Downhill Racer
Downhill Racer is a 1969 film and the first to be directed by Michael Ritchie. A drama about ski racing, it stars Robert Redford and Gene Hackman.Tagline: How fast must a man go to get from where he's at?-Plot:...
, starring Robert Redford
Robert Redford
Charles Robert Redford, Jr. , better known as Robert Redford, is an American actor, film director, producer, businessman, environmentalist, philanthropist, and founder of the Sundance Film Festival. He has received two Oscars: one in 1981 for directing Ordinary People, and one for Lifetime...
and Gene Hackman
Gene Hackman
Eugene Allen "Gene" Hackman is an American actor and novelist.Nominated for five Academy Awards, winning two, Hackman has also won three Golden Globes and two BAFTAs in a career that spanned five decades. He first came to fame in 1967 with his performance as Buck Barrow in Bonnie and Clyde...
.
St. Anton was also the setting for the film "Der Weisse Rausch", starring Leni Riefenstahl
Leni Riefenstahl
Helene Bertha Amalie "Leni" Riefenstahl was a German film director, actress and dancer widely noted for her aesthetics and innovations as a filmmaker. Her most famous film was Triumph des Willens , a propaganda film made at the 1934 Nuremberg congress of the Nazi Party...
and local ski instructor Hannes Schneider
Hannes Schneider
Johann "Hannes" Schneider was an Austrian Ski instructor of the first half of the twentieth century.He was born in the town of Stuben am Arlberg in Austria as a son of a cheese maker. In 1907 he became a ski guide at the Hotel Post in St. Anton, Austria where he began work on what became known as...
. Made in 1931, the comedy film was a fictional account of the skiing exploits of a young village girl, played by Riefenstahl, and her attempts to master the sport of skiing and ski-jumping aided by the local ski expert Hannes Schneider. The film was one of the first to use and develop outdoor film-making techniques and featured several innovative action-skiing scenes. Riefenstahl went on to make Nazi propaganda films and, post-war, subsequently lived in Africa where she continued film-making, but now of life in the African bush. She survived two fatal crashes, a helicopter and a road accident, in the process. Hannes Schneider, post-war, became the world-famous ski instructor of the downhill skiing method known as the "Arlberg technique".
Statistics
- Elevation: Base/Village: 1,304 m (4,278 ft); Top: 2,811 m (9,222 ft). Stuben: Base: 1,407 m (4,616 ft); Top: 2,600 m (8,530 ft)
- Vertical: 1,507 m (4,944 ft). Stuben 1,207 m (3,960 ft)
- Longest run: 10.2 km (6.3 mi), Valluga to St. Anton
- Terrain: 262 km (162.8 mi) of groomed slopes in region; 36% beginner (blue), 42% intermediate (red), 22% advanced and expert (black), plus 184 km (114.3 mi) of deep snow runs
- Lifts: 120+ (Arlberg ski area)
- Types: 10 gondolasGondola liftA gondola lift is a type of aerial lift, normally called a cable car, which is supported and propelled by cables from above. It consists of a loop of steel cable that is strung between two stations, sometimes over intermediate supporting towers. The cable is driven by a bullwheel in a terminal,...
; 38 chairlifts (one 8-passenger, seven 6-passenger, 11 quads, 4 triples, 15 doubles); 34 T-bars - Lift capacity: 123,600 persons p/h
- Ski season: Late November to late April or beginning of May
- Cross countryCross-country skiingCross-country skiing is a winter sport in which participants propel themselves across snow-covered terrain using skis and poles...
: 37.5 km (23.3 mi) total: Stanzertal 22 km (13.7 mi), Ferwall 10 km, St. Christoph 2.5 km, Ganderau 3 km (1.9 mi); 65 km (40.4 mi) in the region. - Mountain restaurants: 18
- Après-Ski: Ski museum; 15 cafes, 8 ice bars, 3 discos, 8 bars
- Lodging: 8,900 beds; hotels, gasthof, apartments, private pensions in St. Anton, St. Jakob and St. Christoph. Stuben has 300 hotel beds and 340 private beds.
- Transportation: Gateway airports: MunichMunichMunich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
/ZürichZürichZurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...
/Friedrichshafen. Closest Austrian airport: InnsbruckInnsbruck- Main sights :- Buildings :*Golden Roof*Kaiserliche Hofburg *Hofkirche with the cenotaph of Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor*Altes Landhaus...
103 km (64 mi), 1.5 hr by train - By auto from airport: Munich (3.5 hr), Zurich (2.5 hr), Friedrichshafen (1.5 hr), Innsbruck (1.2 hr)
- By train: Munich to Innsbruck, transfer with Arlberg Express to center of St. Anton; Zürich to St. Anton
Activities
There are many activities available in St. Anton, on top of snowsport. There are many sightseeing spots around the village, cycle tracks, a sports centre with pools, whirlpools and a water slide, and during the summer months, one can go cross-country on segways.External links
- St. Anton Tourist Office Website
- Webcams in St. Anton am Arlberg
- Weather, Webcams, Videos, etc. from St. Anton am Arlberg
- St Anton Chalets
- Lux Alpinae Hotel
- Krazy Kanguruh apres ski bar
- The Old House traditional local house
- St Anton am Arlberg, Austria
- St Anton Resort info/Chalets
- Panoramic virtual tours of St Anton
- Information on Skiing in St Anton