What has been practiced in many ski areas internationally for years is now also coming to us to Oberwiesenthal. We're talking about the gradual sale of our ski area, the Fichtelberg. What began with the lifts is now continuing with the popular mountain hotel, the Fichtelberghaus.

I'd like to share a few thoughts on this with you.

First of all, I would like to say that in my opinion it was the right decision. Only a financially strong investor has the opportunity to turn our ski area back into what it once was. I think back to the 1960s, when our region was called the "saxony St. Moritz". Back then, skiing was booming and the ski area and infrastructure around the Fichtelberg flourished. One of the triggers for this boom was the international successes of the alpine ski racers from the Fichtelberg. My father Eberhard Riedel was also part of this "miracle of the Fichtelberg", together with his colleagues Ernst Scherzer, Peter Lützendorf and the successful coach Joachim Loos.

It is clear that the clocks are ticking and ski resorts everywhere are struggling with new challenges. One major issue is climate change, which is particularly noticeable at lower altitudes. That is a fact. Due to the tense snow situation, one cannot blame potential guests if they move to higher and snow-secure areas in winter. As a result, ski resort operators are fighting on several fronts.

On the one hand, the declining number of visitors, and on the other hand, the constant pressure to innovate and modernize. In order to offer a unique vacation and skiing experience, snow must be guaranteed, but lifts, restaurants and hotels must also be in an attractive and modern condition. Every year, investments are necessary, which must first be earned. In addition, ski resorts must reinvent themselves with the changed climatic conditions. In order to survive in the long term, a transformation process must be initiated. From the classic winter ski area to a year-round entertainment mountain with adventure playgrounds, flying fox, trampoline park, summer toboggan run, mountain bike trails and so on.

And this is exactly the difficult situation that the Fichtelberg and thus the entire Oberwiesenthal region find themselves in. The financial outlay for necessary adaptations is too high for the public sector to justify it to the taxpayer.

Therefore, the solution with a private investor is certainly the best, especially since the investor is acting from a business perspective. In the best case, the infrastructure is renewed and optimized in such a way that profitable business is possible on the Fichtelberg all year round and the region also benefits. Other hotels, shops, cafés and the entire town can profit with the boom of a ski area. Or be dragged down by the economic decline if it is not possible to operate the area economically. And that is precisely the other side of the coin.

If you can't make money from it, then the private sector - unlike the public sector - has no interest in continuing the operation. Once the whole thing is sold, it's sold. Pushing through public interests - keyword local recreation area - is impossible when the investor is doing an economically negative business. Unless you are very lucky that the private investor also acts as a patron of the region - which I don't want to comment on any further in this case.

What I find very positive is that the investor is already the operator of the Fichtelberghaus and the owner of the ski lifts. Since last year he has also been operating a summer toboggan run, which has been very well received. Another piece of the puzzle on the way to becoming the sole owner of the entire Fichtelberg, which brings enormous potential with it. I would like to raise critical questions that have not been asked to date.

What exactly is the investor's goal? Does he really want to make money? Does he really want to make progress in and for the region? Is it also a "real" concern for him that the ski area on the Fichtelberg continues to exist? Does he want to turn the ski area back into the “saxony St. Moritz“?Or is he just using the investment to park money and see it as a tax depreciation project? If that is the case, then the entire ski area could fall into disrepair very quickly, as there are already some examples of smaller ski areas in neighboring countries.

And why didn’t they do this 10 to 15 years ago? It would have saved a lot of time, money and energy.

We should keep our eyes and ears open and be alert to where our beloved Fichtelberg and ski resort is headed. Perhaps in a few years we will be the „saxony St. Moritz“ again? I am very excited.

Yours Sincerely,

Peter Riedel