Two of Innsbruck's nine ski areas have announced they'll have new state-of-the-art gondolas for the coming winter.
One of the mountains most popular with local 'Innsbruckers', Patscherkofel, will unveil a swish new lift with 10 person gondola cabins.
In addition the ski centre at Rangger Kopfl has built a new gondola with 8-person cabins.
The new lifts follow the installation of a 50 million Euro upgrade to the old cable cars at Stubai, another of Innsbruck's ski areas, last winter.
The extent of Innsbruck's skiing is not as well known as it should be in the UK. Altogether the nine areas boast more than 300km of snow-sure pistes and 90 lifts at the resorts of Nordkette-Seegrube, Patscherkofel, Axamer Lizum, Muttereralm, Rangger Köpfl, Glungezer, Schlick 2000, the Stubai Glacier and Kühtai, Austria's highest ski resort. All are included on the Olympia SkiWorld lift pass which also includes transport from hotels in the city centre to the slopes. Rates start at €136 per adult for a three-day pass.
Innsbruck is also the only city to have staged three Winter Olympic Games (1964 and 1976 and the first Winter Youth Olympics in 2012) as well as two successive Paralympic Games in 1984 and 1988.
The new lift on the Patscherkofel above Igls accesses the resort's famous Olympic Downhill course where Franz Klammr made one of his most famous runs. The ultra-modern cable car will transport up to 2,600 people an hour to the 2,248m top of the slopes.
"Winter sports are in the DNA of Innsbruck and the city is quite literally surrounded by ski and snowboard heaven," said Peter Unsinn, International marketing manager for Innsbruck Tourism, who added, "Yet what makes Innsbruck unique is its ability to combine Alpine pursuits with the buzz of a vibrant yet historic city centre. If you have non-skiers in your group, this is quite simply the perfect holiday destination."
There are direct flights to Innsbruck Airport from major UK airports, including Heathrow, Gatwick and Manchester, throughout the winter season.