A winter village made of snow
A winter village made of snow
A unique experience in Gargellen
This winter, Gargellen is presenting snow in a very special form
With a great deal of craftsmanship, creativity, and teamwork, a small winter village made of snow has been created at the valley station of the Gargellner Bergbahnen. The temporary installation includes several snow houses, a church, and a specially constructed snow stage. Here, in this space, snow becomes a living environment for imagination and play. While adults are introduced to the many facets of snow, children can climb, slide, and playfully explore the winter village—a space for experiences that brings great joy especially to young visitors and makes the winter village a destination for the whole family. What began as an idea—to give snow, an essential part of alpine life, a new space—has become a reality over the past few weeks. Using approximately one thousand cubic meters of compacted snow, sculptors worked together with the Gargellner Bergbahnen team to create a gathering area that invites wonder.
Snow Architecture
While classical architecture relies on construction and is based on a continuous structure, snow architecture is based on the opposite: removal. The process begins with a large snow mass—a massive pile of compacted snow—which is then shaped piece by piece using excavators, chainsaws, rasps, and ice scrapers. In doing so, the teams work with snow in a wide variety of states of aggregation, as the material behaves completely differently depending on weather, humidity, and temperature. If the necessary volume is lacking in certain areas, shell elements and snow blowers are used to build up the required amounts in the right place.
The biggest challenge is lifting the snow masses to the desired height while simultaneously creating stable and precise shapes, according to artist Daniel Nikolaus Kocher, who holds the snow village in the form of a 1:100 scale model in his hands. Even in the preliminary stages, the snow is compacted by the snow groomer to create an ideal foundation for the finishing touches. Each snow structure thus emerges from the delicate interplay between human and nature, for snow is a unique building material—without standards, without fixed values, and always dependent on experience, intuition, and the whims of the weather.
"For us, snow is far more than a natural phenomenon. It is the foundation of life, a source of emotion, and a part of our region’s identity," says Thomas Lerch, Managing Director of Gargellner Bergbahnen
This very idea is reflected in the Winter Village. The ephemeral architecture demonstrates what can emerge from the interplay of nature, creativity, and community—impressive, serene, and yet deeply meaningful. The Snow Church serves as a symbol of tranquility, retreat, and reflection, while the Snow Stage is used as a venue for small events and musical performances. Starting December 28, 2025, the snow houses invite visitors to step inside, marvel, and experience the unique atmosphere of frozen light, silence, and structure.
