Certificate of Honour for the Westendorf Mountain Railways
25 years of ‘Best Austrian Summer Mountain Railways’
High praise for the Westendorf Mountain Railways: As part of the 25th anniversary of the ‘Best Austrian Summer Mountain Railways’ quality initiative, the Westendorf Mountain Railways were awarded a certificate of honour by the Austrian Cable Car Economy Association of Austrian (WKÖ) . This recognises the company’s long-standing commitment and outstanding contribution to the promotion and continuous development of the Alpine summer season in Austria.
As one of the very first mountain railways to join the scheme, Westendorf is among those operators that have remained loyal to the quality seal for a quarter of a century. To be awarded the seal, operators must meet strict quality criteria and undergo recertification every three years – a standard to which Westendorf has adhered from the very beginning.
Alpinolino: The benchmark for a family-friendly summer in the mountains
With the Alpinolino mountain theme park at Talkase mountainr, Westendorf has set the standard for family-friendly mountain activities. Between the Himmelsteig trail, the Adlerhorst view point and the popular ‘Spoggolino’ ball track, kids learn a lot along the way about alpine flora and fauna in a playful way. Over the years, the theme park has been continuously expanded, modernised and enhanced with new stations. It’s a concept that’s proving a success: Alpinolino is now one of the most popular family destinations in the Kitzbühel Alps region.
“This certificate of honour is wonderful recognition of the work put in by our entire team over the last twenty-five years. Our aim has always been, and continues to be, to do more than just promise quality; we strive to demonstrate it every day on the mountain for people of all ages,” says Managing Director Stefan Grafl, delighted with the award.
A strong neighbourhood, a shared journey
Westendorf shares this pioneering spirit with the Söll mountain railways, which, with the Hexenwasser Söll-Hohe Salve in 2002, created the very first ‘Mountain theme park’ in the Alps and were also honoured with a certificate of honour. Together with the partner mountain railways of the SkiWelt in Ellmau, Scheffau, Brixen im Thale, Hopfgarten, Itter and Going, the parks have grown into the largest natural playground in the Alps: 14 summer mountain railways and 7 unique ‘Mountain theme parks’ – all accessible with one single ticket.
Quality, innovation and sustainability as our foundation
The certificate of honour explicitly highlights the company’s ongoing commitment to quality, innovation and sustainability . Bergbahnen Westendorf’s modern infrastructure not only ensures the highest level of comfort, but also consistently prioritises resource-efficient operations, sustainable local transport and the protection of the sensitive Alpine habitat. Building on this foundation, Westendorf looks forward with optimism to the next 25 years – as a highly successful year-round mountain railway operating throughout all four seasons.
