Fichtel Mountains - New cable car on the Ochsenkopf goes into operation
A new cable car will be put into operation on the Ochsenkopf in the Fichtelgebirge on Friday (December 22). The new cable car will enable visitors to reach the 1024-metre-high mountain more comfortably, quickly and barrier-free, said a spokesperson for the Bayreuth district administration. The installation on the north side of the Ochsenkopf near the municipality of Bischofsgrün (district of Bayreuth) comprises 40 ten-passenger gondolas.
This allows around 2000 people per hour to reach the Ochsenkopf, according to the Fichtelgebirge vacation region. The gondolas can also transport families with baby carriages and people in wheelchairs. Construction work on the new cable car began in March 2023. Its predecessor, a double chairlift, was 32 years old and, according to the Fichtelgebirge vacation region, could only transport a quarter of the future capacity of up to 500 people per hour up the Ochsenkopf.
The cable car had been renewed "to strengthen tourism in the Fichtelgebirge and to play an even stronger role in year-round tourism", said the spokesperson for the district administration. The Fichtelgebirge is a skiing, hiking and recreation area in the north-east of Upper Franconia and the north-west of the Czech Republic. At 1024 meters, the Ochsenkopf is the second highest mountain in the region after the Schneeberg (1051 meters) and a popular excursion destination. The Ochsenkopf owes its name to its characteristic shape.
According to the Bayreuth district administration, the construction of the cable car on the north side of the Ochsenkopf cost around 25.6 million euros. The Free State of Bavaria contributed just under 7.7 million euros. In spring 2024, a new cable car will also be built on the south side of the mountain to replace the current cable car from 1997. The new construction on the south side of the Ochsenkopf is set to cost 15.6 million euros. According to the Bayreuth district administration, the Free State of Bavaria is funding the construction of the southern cable car to the tune of 4.67 million euros.
The Landesbund für Vogel- und Naturschutz(LBV) appreciates the new cable car. "We have always been committed to the touristic use of the Ochsenkopf," says Oliver Thaßler, head of the LBV's Upper Franconia district office. As long as the hiking area is well signposted and there are enough rangers to guide the flow of visitors, there is no objection to the modernized facility from a nature and species conservation perspective.
One point of contention between the association and the district authorities, however, is the Kornberg in the north-east of the Fichtelgebirge. "We are very annoyed that a bike park is to be built there," said Thaßler. The LBV is appealing to the Bayreuth Administrative Court against the construction of the park. The agreement between conservationists and the authorities has always been that the Ochsenkopf should be used for hiking and winter sports - while Schneeberg and Kornberg should be spared from the masses of tourists. The Kornberg is a habitat for rare animal species, including wolves, lynx and wildcats.
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Source: www.stern.de
