Chairlifts from Flims to Naraus make way for the FlemXpress

They are as much a part of Flims as Lake Cauma and the Flimserstein: the chairlifts from Flims to Foppa and Naraus. On Sunday, March 26, 2023, the lifts will run for the last time. They will be bid farewell at a celebration with locals, second home owners, guests, and employees. The celebration will take place at the "Ustria Naraus." An auction of the inventory will take place at the Legna Bar, where chairs, signs, and other memorabilia will be sold. Tickets for the chairlifts are free on the last ride.

First detachable chairlift in history

The chairlift from Flims Dorf to Foppa was built in 1945 by the former Flims mountain railway company. It was the world's first detachable chairlift. In 1947, the lift was extended with a second section to Naraus. "In the past, the chairlifts were the lifeblood of Flims," says Conrad Lerchi. He has been employed by the Weisse Arena Group for 16 years and works as a personnel dispatcher for the mountain railways. "I learned to ski on this slope and was a member of the Flims ski club – I have many childhood memories associated with it," says Daniel Conrad, who has been working at the local ski school for over 40 years. "In winter, we practically lived there," he explains. He adds that in the past, the people of Flims only went skiing in Nagens and La Siala in spring, when the snow was no longer so good. Until the early 1970s, however, summer remained the main season in Flims. Lake Cauma, the forest, and the chairlifts from Flims to Naraus contributed to this success: "The lifts are also popular with the locals because they are summer lifts, so you can go biking and hiking," explains Conrad Lerchi.

Between melancholy and anticipation

The upcoming dismantling of the chairlifts is causing a sense of melancholy among lift employees and snow sports instructors. "We've had many great conversations on these chairlifts and had a wonderful time," says Daniel Conrad. However, the new FlemXpress is another pioneering project that continues the history of innovation in chairlifts, replacing melancholy with anticipation.

What makes the FlemXpress special is that it is the world's first gondola lift to use the Ropetaxi system. As with conventional gondola lifts, the ride along the route is unchanged and takes place on a cable. However, thanks to their own electric drive, the cabins move autonomously on rails in the station. If the gondolas are not occupied, they wait in the station. Passengers also have the option of getting on or off at different stations. "We are happy with the new solution. All ski school classes can easily board the gondola. In addition, the development opens up a whole range of new possibilities," says Daniel Conrad.

Cassons reopened for the first time

The FlemXpress reopens Cassons on the Flimserstein. The cable car from Naraus up to Cassonsgrat was put into operation in 1956 and discontinued in 2015. With the FlemXpress, the Cassons area once again has a railway that transports guests to Cassons. Naraus is being returned to nature.

Construction work on the FlemXpress will continue in the spring

The groundbreaking ceremony for the FlemXpress, the new gondola lift to the UNESCO World Heritage Site Tectonic Arena Sardona above Flims, took place in summer 2022. In the valley, the two sections Flims–Foppa and Foppa–Startgels will be completed in summer 2023 and put into operation for the 2023/24 winter season. In addition, the Flims-Foppa-Naraus chairlifts will be dismantled. The Segnes, Nagens Sura, and Cassons stations will be built in summer 2024 and completed in time for the 2024/25 winter season.