Photogallery of Saalbach, Austria

Saalbach's history is inextricably related to Alpine skiing. Despite the fact that people lived on the settlement territory for hundreds of years, it was a small and generally poor village until the end of the 19th century. This place was one of the most unsightly in the whole district of Salzburg. According to local legend, everything changed in 1898. Josef Wallner gave skis to Mr. Bachmann, a Saalbach resident, that year. However, he was not happy with the gift. Just because he had no idea what those strange pieces of wood were for. Fortunately, his acquaintance Peter Hall knew that the hobby of skiing had become fashionable in the neighboring regions of Austria. Three lawyers came to Saalbach from Kitzbühel four years later, in 1903. A company of officers who decided to stay at the Gasthof Neuhaus stopped here in 1904. Owners of the establishment were glad to guests who arrived not in a season. And the locals are even more convinced of the benefits of promoting skiing in the village. The first local downhill competitions were held in the town in 1913. Local teachers Ludwig Ramsauer and Hermann Huter established the Ski club in 1914. It had nearly five dozen participants. Alpine shelter for 80 seats was built on the initiative of the club to promote the resort in 1925. The Maishofen train station began to be called Maishofen-Saalbach in 1927. And the town was named in advertising brochures Das Skidorf - "Ski Village". The surface lift is modern today. It starts in … Read further