Sölden Explained

Sölden
Pushpin Map:Austria#Austria Tyrol
Pushpin Mapsize:270
Pushpin Map Caption:Location within Austria
Mapsize:260x260px
Coordinates:46.9667°N 11°W
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name:Austria
Subdivision Type1:State
Subdivision Name1:Tyrol
Subdivision Type2:District
Subdivision Name2:Imst
Parts Style:para
Leader Title:Mayor
Leader Name:Ernst Schöpf
Elevation M:1368
Population Density Km2:auto
Timezone:CET
Timezone Dst:CEST
Utc Offset:+1
Utc Offset Dst:+2
Registration Plate:IM
Postal Code Type:Postal code
Postal Code:6450
Area Code Type:Area code
Area Code:05254
Website:soelden.tirol.gv.at

Sölden is a municipality in the Ötztal valley of Tyrol, Austria.

Geography

At c. 467km2, it is the largest municipality in the country. The population of 3,449 (as of 2003) is outnumbered by tourists, of which 15,000 can be accommodated. With tourist bed nights running at over two million per year, the municipality is third only to Vienna and Salzburg as an Austrian tourist destination. Sölden has lost some of its former small village charm, but other attractions have been enhanced in recent years.

The main village of Sölden is at an elevation of 1368m (4,488feet) above sea level, and the upper village of Hochsölden at 20900NaN0 has 5 four-star hotels. The highest peak is the Wildspitze, at 37680NaN0, the second highest mountain in Austria, after the Großglockner.

The Ötztal Glacier Road is the second highest paved road in Europe. It is the access road from Sölden to the Rettenbach glacier and Tiefenbachferner glaciers in the Ötztal Alps.

The English spelling of the town is "Soelden". One may come across websites and directions using this spelling of the town.

History

Population

Settlement

Primitive tools found near present-day Sölden suggest that the region has been settled for thousands of years. Ötzi, a famously well-preserved mummy of a man who lived between 3400 and 3100 BC, was found in the Ötztal Alps near Sölden.Sölden as we know it today grew out of 20 buildings in the 13th century AD. One of these buildings which still exists today is the Berghof.A building on the site of the Berghof was first mentioned in 1370. In 1588, the Berghof was listed in the records of St. Petersberg Castle as one of the original farmsteads. The house is now used as accommodation for guests.

Ski resort

Sölden is also a popular ski resort and regularly hosts the first World Cup races of the season; a giant slalom for both men and women is usually scheduled for late October on the Rettenbach glacier. The races in October 2016 started at 3040m (9,970feet) and finished at 2670m (8,760feet), a vertical drop of 370m (1,210feet).[1] [2]

External links

Notes and References

  1. http://medias2.fis-ski.com/pdf/2017/AL/5032/2017AL5032RLR2.pdf FIS-ski.com
  2. http://medias2.fis-ski.com/pdf/2017/AL/0032/2017AL0032RLR2.pdf FIS-ski.com
  3. https://www.soelden.com/operational-ski-lifts Sölden Lift plan