25 Years of Austria's Best Summer Mountain Lifts
Honouring 25 years of quality, innovation, and sustainable mountain experiences in Söll and Westendorf
News | 23.07.2026
For 25 years, Söll and Westendorf have been among Austria's Best Summer Mountain Lifts. To mark the anniversary of the quality initiative, both founding mountain lift companies received a commemorative certificate at the members' conference in Montafon, from the Austrian Federal Association of Cable Car Companies within the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber. The award recognises their long standing commitment to quality, innovation and sustainability in Austria's alpine summer tourism.
With their pioneering spirit, Söll and Westendorf have helped shape summer tourism, and played a key role in developing outstanding mountain experiences across Austria.
25 years of certified quality in the mountains
For a quarter of a century, Austria's Best Summer Mountain Lifts has stood for trusted quality and memorable experiences in nature. The prestigious quality seal is awarded only to mountain lift operators that meet strict standards and successfully complete recertification every three years. Söll and Westendorf have been among the initiative's pioneers from the very beginning.
Hexenwasser Söll has been inspiring everybody for more than two decades
The story of modern mountain adventure parks began in Söll. Hexenwasser Söll Hohe Salve became the very first mountain theme park in the Alps. It officially opened on 16 June 2002, bringing fresh momentum to summer tourism at a time when visitor numbers had begun to stagnate.
What started as a 450 metre discovery trail with 30 interactive stations has grown into an extensive mountain experience featuring more than 60 stations, new hands on attractions, and changing annual themes. Today, Hexenwasser welcomes more than 200,000 visitors every year, between May and early November.
Long before mountain adventure parks and playgrounds became a popular across Alpine resorts, Söll introduced a completely new way to experience nature in summer. Walk barefoot along Austria's longest barefoot trail, explore more than 60 discovery stations, enjoy interactive water experiences, and follow the Sundial Walk to the summit of Hohe Salve. Every step invites you to discover the power of mountain water and the beauty of the Alpine landscape through all your senses.
The concept has received numerous awards, including the Austrian State Prize for Tourism, the theALPS Award 2013 and the Austrian Tourism Innovation Award 2016. Hexenwasser remains a benchmark for nature based mountain experiences and continues to inspire similar parks throughout the Alps. Constantly evolving, it reflects the innovative spirit and close collaboration within SkiWelt Wilder Kaiser – Brixental, helping establish Söll and Westendorf as leaders in Austria's summer tourism.
Alpinolino Westendorf: bringing families closer to nature
Westendorf has also played an important role in shaping summer tourism in the Kitzbühel Alps. The Alpinolino theme park on Talkaser mountain has become a benchmark for family friendly mountain adventures. Along the Himmelsteig trail, at the Adlerhorst viewing platform, and on the Spoggolino marble run, children and adults discover the region's alpine wildlife and plant life through fun and interactive activities.
The award recognises this long term commitment.
Growing together into the Alps' largest natural playground
What began 25 years ago in Söll and Westendorf soon developed into an outstanding regional success story. Over the years, the summer mountain lifts in Ellmau, Scheffau, Brixen im Thale, Hopfgarten, Itter and Going also joined the quality initiative, each contributing its own certified mountain experience.
Today, 1 ticket gives you access to 14 summer lifts and 7 mountain theme parks. Together, they form the largest natural adventure playground in the Alps. The attractions continue to grow through ongoing investment, modernisation, and new experiences. Their close partnership shows what can be achieved through shared quality standards and a commitment to innovation.
Looking ahead
The certificate also recognises the continuous focus on quality, innovation and sustainability. Modern mountain lift facilities provide outstanding comfort, while supporting resource efficient operations, sustainable local mobility and the protection of the sensitive Alpine environment.
The 25th anniversary of Austria's Best Summer Mountain Lifts highlights the growing importance of summer tourism for Austria's cable car industry. With a strong commitment to innovation and quality, the mountain lift companies of the Wilder Kaiser-Brixental region continue to shape the future, creating memorable, innovative and sustainable mountain experiences throughout all 4 seasons.
