Kaunertaler Gletscherbahnen

What Kaunertaler Gletscherbahnen does

Kaunertaler Gletscherbahnen GmbH is a privately held Austrian tourism and mountain infrastructure company headquartered in Kaunertal, Tyrol. Founded in 1979 and employing 51-100 people, it operates the Kaunertaler Gletscher ski resort, the Bergbahnen Fendels family ski area, the Snowpark Kaunertal freestyle area, and the 26km Kaunertaler Gletscherstraße scenic toll road. The integrated property includes 55+ km of prepared pistes, 36km of freeride variants, and 1,000+ vertical meters of descent, with snow-sure operations from October to May at altitudes up to 3,113m (Falginjochbahn).

The company's core technology stack comprises modern gondola lift infrastructure (Karlesjochbahn at 3,108m, Falginjochbahn at 3,113m, and Weißseejochbahn at 3,044m, the latter two built in 2019 and 2021 respectively), supplemented by the world's first barrier-free PistenBully co-developed with Kässbohrer Austria. Operations are supported by a digital direct-to-consumer ticket platform (shop.kaunertaler-gletscher.at) with up to 30% online discounts, plus remarketing analytics, and a film location services business that has hosted productions including ZDF's 'Die Bergretter' series. Customer-facing infrastructure includes the Gletscherrestaurant Weißsee, mountain huts, and mountain cart activities at Fendels.

The business model is primarily transaction-based through winter lift tickets, summer gondola rides, and glacier road tolls, with subscription-style revenue from season passes and the multi-destination Gletscher Card (covering Kaunertal, Fendels, Rifflsee, and Pitztal Glacier). Ancillary revenue streams include F&B, voucher sales, accommodation commissions via Booking.com and kaunertal.com, and B2B film location services. Customer segments span winter sports enthusiasts, freeriders, families, summer nature visitors, professional athletes (ÖSV national team training), and film/media productions. The company is managed by Mag. Beate Rubatscher-Larcher and operates core partnerships with the Tiroler Gletscher group (Pitztal, Rifflsee) and ÖSV.

Name

Kaunertaler Gletscherbahnen

Legal name

Kaunertaler Gletscherbahnen GmbH

Website

https://www.kaunertaler-gletscher.at

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Kaunertaler Gletscherbahnen GmbH operates a Tyrolean glacier ski resort with 55+ km of pistes, three cable cars to 3,113m, the 26km Kaunertaler Gletscherstraße scenic toll road, and Bergbahnen Fendels, serving winter sports enthusiasts, families, and professional athletes.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Alpine Ski Resort & Glacier Tourism

NAICS

Skiing Facilities (71392), Recreational Goods Rental (532284), Tour Operators (56152)

SIC

Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000), Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro primary industry

Integrated Ski & Mountain Resorts (Lift-Served Skiing/Riding) (THAAAJAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Mountain & Ski Luxury Resorts (THAGACAB), Winter Adventure Experiences (Ski Touring, Snowshoeing, Dog Sledding) (THAJABAH), Snow & Mountain Unique Stays (Chalets, Ski Cabins) (THAMADAL), Winter & Mountain Guides (Ski, Snowshoe, Avalanche, Ice Climbing) (THAAALAF)

Keywords

• Glacier ski resort
• Cable car operations
• Alpine winter tourism
• Scenic mountain road
• Summer mountain recreation

Headquarters

HQ city

Tirol

HQ country

Austria

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Lift Ticket Sales: One-time transaction-based revenue from winter ski passes, single ride tickets, and summer gondola tickets. Online tickets available with discounts up to 30%.
2. Season Passes: Annual season tickets for winter skiing, providing recurring revenue from repeat customers.
3. Glacier Road Toll: Toll charges for vehicle access on the Kaunertal Glacier Road scenic route (26km, 29 hairpin turns).
4. Gletscher Card: Multi-destination summer card including 6 mountain railways plus the glacier road, plus Fendels, Rifflsee, and Pitztal Glacier including Austria's highest coffee house at 3440m.
5. Food & Beverage: Restaurant and mountain hut operations including Gletscherrestaurant Weißsee with regional cuisine in wooden architecture.
6. Accommodation Booking: Commission from booking partner platforms for lodging referrals.
7. Voucher/Gift Shop: Online voucher sales for gift occasions.
8. Film Location Services: Revenue from film and commercial shoots on the glacier. The site has hosted ZDF series 'Die Bergretter' and numerous advertising productions. Teams have years of experience with film productions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Kaunertaler Gletscherbahnen operates the Kaunertal glacier ski resort in Tyrol, Austria, selling winter ski lift tickets, summer gondola and scenic road access, and on-mountain food and beverage at the Gletscherrestaurant Wei\u00dfsee. The core offering is a snow-sure alpine experience from October to May across 55+ piste kilometers and a glacier road open 365 days a year. Complementary services include film location access, accommodation booking referrals, family activities at Bergbahnen Fendels, and a barrier-free PistenBully experience.

Product overview

Kaunertaler Gletscherbahnen operates as a glacier and nature park region offering multiple interconnected products: the core Kaunertaler Gletscher Skigebiet (ski resort with over 55 km of pistes and glacier access up to 3,113 m), the Kaunertaler Gletscherstraße (26 km scenic toll road open year-round), Bergbahnen Fendels (family-oriented satellite area), Snowpark Kaunertal (freestyle area), and various add-on tickets including Sommer Gletschercard for multi-destination summer access. The products are unified under the Kaunertal nature park and glacier experience, with online ticketing connecting all offerings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Bergbahnen Fendels: Ski area and summer mountain activity destination operated by the company, featuring family-friendly activities including mountain carts, hiking, and children's attractions.
• Snowpark Kaunertal

Products and services

• Kaunertaler Gletscher Skigebiet The main glacier ski area with 55+ prepared piste kilometres, 36 km of freeride variants, and snow reliability from October to May at altitudes above 3,000m. Targets skiers and snowboarders seeking guaranteed snow and uncrowded terrain.
• Bergbahnen Fendels Family-oriented ski area and summer mountain destination featuring mountain carts, hiking, an adventure playground, and the Rieder Badesee lake. Targets families and mixed-ability visitors.
• Snowpark Kaunertal Snowboard and freeski playground at the Kaunertal Glacier, typically open in spring, with obstacles and features for freestyle skiing. Aimed at snowboarders and freeskiers.
• Kaunertaler Gletscherstra\u00dfe (Glacier Scenic Road) 26-kilometre scenic toll road from Feichten to the glacier at 2,750m, with 29 hairpin turns crossing 6 vegetation zones, open 365 days a year. Sold as both a driving experience and as access to hiking and nature.
• Winter Skipass / Online Tickets Online lift ticket purchasing for ski passes (single-day, multi-day, season) at the Kaunertal glacier ski area, sold via shop.kaunertaler-gletscher.at and ltibooking.com with discounts up to 30% vs. on-site pricing.
• Sommer Gletschercard Summer multi-destination season card providing unlimited access to Kaunertal, Fendels, Rifflsee, and Pitztal Glacier railways plus the glacier road, including Austria\u2019s highest coffee house at 3,440m.
• Karlesjochbahn Dreil\u00e4nderblick Cable car to 3,108m offering barrier-free access to the Three-Country View (Austrian-Italian border) for summer sightseeing visitors.
• Gletscherrestaurant Wei\u00dfsee & Mountain Huts Mountain restaurant at the glacier with regional Tyrolean cuisine in wooden architecture, alongside additional huts and alms providing on-mountain food and beverage for skiers and summer visitors.
• Film Location Services Commercial filming location service offered by the resort to TV broadcasters, advertising producers, and content creators. Includes on-site support team experienced with film productions (e.g., ZDF 'Die Bergretter').
• Voucher / Gift Shop Online gift voucher sales for lift tickets and resort experiences, purchased as gifts for various occasions.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 55 prepared pistes plus 36km freeride routes
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Las Leñas (Argentina)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 201310-year partnership with the Argentine ski resort Las Leñas, initiated through Swiss ski Olympic champion Marie-Theres Nadig. Mutual exchange and collaboration between the two glacier resorts.
• Pitztal GletschercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of the Tiroler Gletscher group. Joint Gletscher Card product includes access to Pitztal Gletscher and Austria's highest coffee house at 3,440m. Also joint 'Spuren des Eises' (Traces of Ice) glacier awareness initiative for UNESCO International Year of Glacier Protection 2025.
• RifflseeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIncluded in Gletscher Card summer product providing access to Rifflsee mountain lake destination.
• Bergbahnen FendelscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSubsidiary ski area and summer mountain operation. Family-friendly destination with mountain carts, adventure playground, and hiking. Part of Kaunertaler Gletscherbahnen group.
• Kässbohrer AustriaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint development partner for world's first barrier-free PistenBully (snow groomer). Kaunertaler Gletscherbahnen contributed the concept, Kässbohrer Austria built the specialized vehicle.
• Tourismusverband Tiroler OberlandminorGTM or Marketing PartnerRegional tourism board partnership for marketing and promotion of Kaunertal region. Member of tourism organization.
• Naturpark KaunergratminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership with local nature park for environmental initiatives and nature-based tourism promotion.
• Booking.comminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThird-party accommodation booking platform integrated for lodging referrals.
• ÖSV (Austrian Ski Federation)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHome to ÖSV training camps. Professional alpine skiing and snowboard teams train at glacier, including Olympic champions. Provides high-altitude training facilities for national team.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Pitztal Glacier (Pitztaler Gletscherbahn): Direct peer and strategic partner via the Tiroler Gletscher group and joint Gletscher Card. Both operate Tyrolean glacier ski resorts at similar altitudes (3,000m+) with overlapping summer and winter offerings, sharing marketing and distribution through the joint card product.
• Hintertuxer Gletscher (Hintertux Glacier): Austria's only year-round glacier ski resort and most direct operational peer. Competes with Kaunertal for glacier-ski demand, also offers 365-day skiing and summer glacier activities to a similar Austrian and international customer base.
• Dachstein Glacier (Dachsteiner Gletscherbahn): Austrian glacier ski area with year-round skiing operations, similar high-altitude glacier model. Competes for the niche of guaranteed-snow Austrian glacier skiing and offers comparable summer glacier tourism experiences.
• Mölltaler Gletscher (Mölltal Glacier): Carinthian glacier ski resort offering snow-sure skiing. Direct operational peer in the Austrian glacier ski category, though serving a different regional catchment (southern Austria) than Kaunertal.

Broad incumbents

• Sölden (Bergbahnen Sölden): One of Austria's largest and most commercially successful Tyrolean ski resorts. Competes for international ski tourism in the same region with a much larger piste and lift network, operating at the Rettenbach and Tiefenbach glaciers.
• St. Anton am Arlberg (Arlberger Bergbahnen): Major Tyrolean destination ski resort with broad international brand recognition. Competes for winter destination travel demand in the same broader Austrian Alps market, though at lower altitude without glacier skiing.
• Ischgl (Silvrettaseilbahn AG): Premium Tyrolean destination resort famous for its après-ski and international clientele. Competes with Kaunertal for premium winter tourism in the Tirol catchment, with significantly larger marketing scale and brand reach.
• Kitzbühel (Bergbahn AG Kitzbühel): Iconic Tyrolean ski destination with strong premium positioning. Operates a major lift network in the Kitzbühel Alps and competes for high-end Austrian and international ski demand.

Regional players

• Mayrhofner Bergbahnen (Mayrhofen / Zillertal): Major Zillertal ski area operator with extensive lift network and the famous Penken snowpark. Competes for Tyrolean ski tourism with a broader family and freestyle orientation versus Kaunertal's glacier-focused offering.

Emerging players

• Las Leñas (Argentina): Argentine ski resort with an established 10-year partnership with Kaunertaler Gletscherbahnen. Comparable as a glacier-style destination ski resort in the Southern Hemisphere, useful as a seasonal counterpoint (winter vs. summer operations) for year-round ski tourism.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/kaunertaler.gletscher
• Instagraminstagram.com/kaunertalgletscher
• Xx.com/Kaun_Gletscher

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Kaunertaler Gletscherbahnen