Description of the attraction
More than 100 years ago, the German industrialist Bernhard Trier, finding himself in St. Anton am Arlberg, decided to build his own villa here. The building, now known as Villa Trier, was fully completed in 1912. It currently houses the Ski Museum. Great attention in its exposition is paid to the life and achievements of the ski pioneer Hannes Schneider, who discovered a unique skiing technique and founded the world's first ski school in St. Anton in 1920-1921. Hannes Schneider has also been a popular actor in over 15 skiing-themed films.
Villa Trier in the 30-40s of the last century belonged to the Bulgarian diplomat Vasily Kutzoglu. Even now, some locals refer to this building as Villa Kutzoglu. During the Second World War, refugees were hiding here from German shelling.
After the end of the war, Tyrol was ruled by the French. The villa in St. Anton became the residence of the French High Commissioner, General Marie Émile Antoine Betoire, who quickly gained the respect of the locals. He allowed the traditional associations of Tyrolean riflemen to participate in parades and festivals. After the war, Kutzoglu put up the Trier villa for sale. It was acquired by the local municipality and the tourist association. In 1978 it was decided to open the Ski and Local Lore Museum here. There is also a small restaurant on the ground floor. In Villa Trier, you can still see the fireplace and hunting halls, the library and the smoking room. All the exhibits of the museum harmoniously fit into the existing interior.
