Continual War, Dynastic Conflict and the Occasional Tourist…..
Sankt Anton am Arlberg is a village in Tyrol, Western Austria, with a population of c. 2,800 in the summer and around 20,000 in the winter. The dramatic influx of residents is due to St. Anton’s prominence as a ski resort. Situated at 1,304 m above sea level in the Tyrolean Alps, St. Anton lies on the Rosanna River, and is on the main East-West rail line between Austria and Switzerland. It is well known around the world as the host of the Alpine World Skiing Championships in 2001 and as one of the world’s most famous international winter resorts.
The history of Tyrol reflects the history of Austria – a drama of almost continual war and dynastic conflict, interrupted by intermittent periods of peace. All the famous names are here – the Habsburgs, Napolean, Leopold of Babenberg, Metternich, Hitler…..
Incorporated into the Southern part of the Duchy of Bavaria during the Early Middle Ages, the region fell under the rule of Duke Rudolph IV of House of Habsburg in the 1369 and from that time onwards, Tyrol was ruled by various lines of the Habsburg family. Following their defeat by Napoleon in 1805, the Habsburgs were forced to cede Tyrol back to the Kingdom of Bavaria. The Tyroleans, who had no great love for their neighbors the Bavarians, rose up and succeeded twice in defeating Bavarian and French troops trying to retake the country. Tyrol remained divided under Bavarian and Italian authority for another four years before being reunified and returned to Austria at the Congress of Vienna in 1814. Integrated into the Austrian Empire, from 1867 onwards it was a Kronland (Crown Land) of Austria-Hungary.
It at this time that tourism on the Arlberg began in earnest and the Tyrol became more than a chess piece in the games played by Europe’s dynasties. The tunnel to Switzerland was built during the 1880’s and with the tunnel came the train and on the train were the Brits with their skis. St. Anton became the first truly international ski destination in Europe because it was on the route of The Orient Express. The Tyrolean’s contribution to skiing includes the first chair lift ever built, the first tram, the first ski school and the concept of Apres Ski (more on this later).
This evolution of the sport of skiing was interrupted periodically by the occasional regional conflict. The onset of World War I saw the heavy fighting centered along the historical border of Tyrol with this front becoming known as the “War in ice and snow”, as troops occupied the highest mountains and glaciers all year long. Twelve metres (40 feet) of snow were a quite normal occurrence during the winter of 1915–16 and tens of thousands of soldiers disappeared in avalanches. (The remains of these soldiers are still being uncovered today.)
The Italian Alpini, as well as their Austrian counterparts (Kaiserjäger, Standschützen and Landesschützen) and the German Alpenkorps occupied the mountain tops and carved extensive fortifications and military quarters, drilling tunnels inside the mountains and deep into glaciers. Guns were dragged to the tops of mountains reaching 3,890 m (12,760 ft). The forces that had occupied the higher ground were almost impossible to dislodge, so both sides turned to drilling tunnels under mountain peaks, filling them up with explosives and then detonating the whole mountain to pieces, including its defenders. Welcome to the neighborhood.
The 1930’s saw little respite from conflict. Although the Treaty of Versailles and the Treaty of St. Germain had explicitly forbidden the unification of Austria and Germany, Nazi troops entered Austria in March of 1938 and became a part of the notorious Third Reich. As a result, Austria ceased to exist as an independent country.
Life has improved in the Tyrol since the end of the war. Few resorts in the world can match this place when it comes to expert terrain, off-piste, and trail variety. This resort has trails facing every exposure of the compass, allowing skiers to chase the sun for the entire day and never see a shadow. Cruisers delight in the over 4,000 feet plus of vertical on numerous top-to-bottom runs, and an ultra modern lift system has eliminated most of the lines for which the resort used to be notorious.
St. Anton is part of the Arlberg alliance of ski resorts—a region that includes the ski areas of St. Anton, Lech, Stuben and St. Christoph. In all there are more 82 cable cars and ski lifts, 260 km (160 miles) of groomed pistes and 184 km (114 miles) of deep-snow runs. Expert terrain includes less frequently groomed ski routes such as Schindlerkar and Mattun, and the backside of Valluga (2,811 m) down to Zürs, which is for experts and then only if accompanied by a guide. The overall area measures 50km² – think Whistler or Vail and then multiply it by two.
Skiing has a long history in this village: even before World War I, the first skiing teachers were employed at St. Anton, home of the world’s first ski school. Further contributing to the reputation that the region enjoys today as a winter sports centre was the Arlberg Ski School founded by Hannes Schneider after WW II. Schneider was one of the foremost figures in the early days of skiing and developer of the “Arlberg Method”; the first uniform method of ski instruction. Legend has it that one day, Schneider , after taking a couple of particularly nasty falls, finished the rest of his run in a deep crouch. This, of course, had the effect of lowering his centre of gravity, and no more falls resulted. He tried the crouch again the next day, and this time discovered what was apparently a new way to turn.
This resort is not a quiet place. It boasts a nightlife and is a meeting place for some of the greatest skiers on the planet. Most of them can be found at the Mooserwit located a few hundred feet off the main run. It packs in hundreds of skiers and snowboarders drinking beer and schnapps. The music is Euro remixes and dance tracks. One of my Austrian remarked that Mooserwit is one of the top 100 businesses in the country. That doesn’t say much about Austria, but it does give you a sense of scale. The fun doesn’t stop at Mooserwit. There is the Krazy Kangaroo, Scottys, Underground, Amadeus, and many more.
The role Apres Ski plays in St. Anton is illustrated by the advertisements for Billy Boy condoms, lingerie and JagerMeister (the local alcohol of choice) which line the trams and gondolas. There is a certain coherence here. And the three advertisements juxtaposed next to each other does kind of set the mood.
There are a number of lodging options from very upscale hotels to more modest family owned hotels. At Christmas we stayed at the Hotel Parseierblick, a traditional Austrian ski lodge run by Lilo Stolz (www.parseierblick.at). The accommodations were clean and cheerful and the Hotel Parseierblick is located about 30 feet from one of the new high speed gondolas, so it was very convenient. The real pleasure, however, was the Strolz family. They were warm and extremely hospitable and made us feel very much a part of St. Anton.
Last month we returned and stayed at a more traditional, upscale hotel – the Ski Hotel Galzig. A relatively new and modern hotel it was also very well located and very well managed. But for all of the modern amenities, it lacked the warmth and genuiness that we had come to associate with St. Anton.
