| Sölden | |
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Sölden
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Location in the district
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| Country | Austria |
| State | Tyrol |
| District | Imst |
| Mayor | Ernst Schöpf |
| Area | 466.9 km2 (180 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 1,368 m (4488 ft) |
| Population | 4,113 (1 January 2011)[1] |
| - Density | 9 /km2 (23 /sq mi) |
| Time zone | CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2) |
| Licence plate | IM |
| Postal code | 6450 |
| Area code | 05254 |
| Website | www.soelden.tirol.gv.at |
Sölden is a municipality in the Ötztal valley of Tyrol, Austria.
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At c. 467 km² (180 sq mi), 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 its former small village charm, but other attractions have been enhanced in recent years.
The main village of Sölden is at 1,368 metres (4,488 ft) elevation and at 2090 m is Hochsoelden, a village with 5 four-star hotels. The highest peak is the Wildspitze, at 3768 m (12,362 ft) is 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.
Sölden is also a popular ski resort. The first World Cup race of the year usually takes place there in late October.
On the afternoon of May 3, 2009, an avalanche killed six people in the Austrian Alps. Six people were killed, five Czechs and one Slovak, when the disaster struck in the 3,500-metre (11,500 ft) Schalfkogel mountain range. The corpses were discovered to have been frozen upon recovery.
Witnesses saw the avalanche in the Schalfkogel mountains and alerted rescuers, but were unable to get to the scene because of the poor weather. A fresh attempt was made by helicopter and six bodies were recovered.[2]
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