Winter resorts in Austria. The best ski resorts in Austria – where skiers and snowboarders should go
Austrians like to say: “We don’t talk about snow, we guarantee it!” Find out about the most popular ski resorts in Austria, climate characteristics, ski season, pistes, prices for ski passes, equipment rentals and reviews from tourists.
Most of Austria is covered by spurs of the Alps. Winter sport It is so popular in the country that there are about 1,000 ski centers here. There are plenty to choose from! The Austrians prefer to develop not large ski centers, but small traditional resort villages. Most of them are located in the middle mountains. The best ski resorts Austria are located in Tyrol.
Exchange rate: 1 euro ≈ 68 RUB.
Climate and weather
The country lies in the continental climate zone, so in winter the ski resorts in Austria are cool. The higher it is, the colder it is: for every 100 m the thermometer drops by 0.5°C. in winter average temperature air -10°C. Mountainous areas are characterized by heavy snowfalls.
Skiing season. Ski season in the winter resorts of Austria lasts from December to late March - mid-April when the snow on the slopes begins to actively melt. Highly located glaciers, such as the Dachstein Glacier (2700 m), are skied all year round. Most tourists try to come to winter resorts around Christmas in order to combine a holiday in the mountains with trips to the bright Christmas markets.
(Photo © skiarlberg.at)
Ski resorts on the map of Austria
The best ski resorts in Austria
Even a seasoned expert would not be able to identify the leader among Austrian winter recreation centers. All of them are in picturesque places and are famous for their comfort. Ski resorts in Austria have first-class hotels, professional slope maintenance and training centers for beginners. All you have to do is find something you like!
Schladming
The list of the most popular ski resorts in Austria includes a winter recreation center in the Dachstein mountains. The resort, 90 km from Salzburg, began to develop at the end of the 19th century, and today has become nice place youth parties and off-piste skiing. There is a lot of snow in the mountains, so the season lasts until mid-April.
Trails. Of the 190 km of descents, 60 km are easy routes, and 110 km are moderate routes. There are 12 trails on the Dachstein Glacier. There is a snow park and a large area for virgin snow lovers. Most skiers ride on the Hochwurzen and Planai elephants. In these places there is the most difficult black track in the region, where World Cup stages and night slalom are held. The toboggan route is 7 km long.
Prices. A day ski pass for an adult costs 53.5€, for a student - 40€, and for a child - 27€. Renting a ski or snowboard kit for a day costs 21.5-32.4 € for adults and 10.8-16.2 € for a child. Sled rental - 7€.
Reviews. Fans of alpine skiing like that the resort has many slopes laid through the forest, and long trails that lead from the top to the foot of the mountains. Near the ski areas there are great opportunities for après-ski: bars, discos, restaurants, brand shopping, massage, saunas and spas.
(Photo © piste-maps.co.uk)
Mayrhofen
The best ski resorts in Austria include a large winter recreation center located 65 km from Innsbruck. This prestigious resort, the hallmark of which is the famous narrow-gauge railway. There is a lot of après-ski entertainment for young people and the country's steepest slope, Harakiri, with an incline of 78%.
Trails. The total length is 136 km, and in the area surrounding the resort - 550 km. The ski area covers slopes from 630 to 2500 m, and is served by 57 lifts. Trails for beginners stretch for 40 km. The longest route is 10 km.
Prices. A day ski pass for adults costs 53.5 €, for youth - 42.5 €, for children - 24 €. Renting a ski set for an adult for a day costs 32 €, for a child - 18 €. Helmet rental costs 4€, and a snowboard kit costs 26€.
Reviews. Mayrhofen is considered perhaps the best ski resort in Austria for beginners. Beginners have a lot of fun on the soft slopes and can always get training from experienced instructors. Tourists love the opportunity to do active species recreation - for example, snowmobiling and snowshoeing are popular. There is a spacious ice skating rink on Waldbadstraße. The resort also has a 7.5 km long toboggan run.
(Photo © mayrhofenonline.com)
Sölden
Sölden, one of the famous ski resorts in Austria, is located in the largest Otztal valley in the Eastern Alps. On its territory there are three peaks above 3000 m with magnificent observation decks. The resort has two snowparks, a halfpipe, nightclubs, restaurants and a large sports center, the Freizeit Arena Sölden.
Trails stretched for 145.5 km. The longest of them is 15 km, and the illuminated one is 4 km. The routes for beginners stretch for 69.5 km, the red and black routes for 29.2 km. The slopes are served by 34 lifts.
Prices. A day ski pass for adults costs 54.5€, for students - 43.5€, for seniors - 46.5€, and for children - 30€. You can rent a set of ski equipment or a snowboarding kit for the day for 33-58 €.
Reviews. Thanks to the variety of infrastructure, the resort receives flattering reviews. Vacationers enjoy the opportunity to relax in the thermal springs, swim in the indoor pool and attend fashionable night parties.
(Photo © oetztal.com)
St. Anton am Arlberg
The rating of ski resorts in Austria is often topped by a recreation center located in West Tyrol, 100 km from Innsbruck. St. Anton is called the sparkling diamond in the country's winter crown. This is a universal recreation center for beginners, experienced skiers, fans of freeride, cross-country skiing and tobogganing.
Trails. The ski area starts at 1300 m and has an elevation difference of more than 1.5 km. Freeride routes stretch for 200 km. There are 130 km of slopes for beginners, 123 km of intermediate slopes, and 51 km of routes for professional skiers. The slopes are served by 90 lifts.
Prices. A full day ski pass for an adult costs 54.5€, for youth and seniors 49.5€ and for a child 32.5€. Renting alpine skis, poles, boots and a helmet for the day, depending on the model, costs 46-68.4 €. You have to pay the same amount to use it complete set for snowboarding.
Reviews. Vacationers are satisfied with the après-ski resort. There are 80 cafes and restaurants, a couple of dozen shops and nightclubs here. There are saunas, jacuzzi and indoor pools. Connoisseurs active rest can go ice skating and paragliding.
Infrastructure, lifts and slopes at the resort of St. Anton
Lech
Popular ski resorts in Austria include a winter recreation center, which is part of the famous Arlberg ski area. Lech is considered the most expensive and snowy resort, as well as the cradle of skiing in the country. Celebrities and the rich are used to spending their free time on the local slopes.
Trails. The ski area has an elevation difference of 1 km. About a third of all trails are green. Difficult routes occupy 24%, and the off-piste area covers 200 km of slopes. Snowboarders use a halfpipe and two fan parks.
Prices. A full-day ski pass for an adult costs 54.5€, for youth and pensioners - 49.5€, and for a child - 32.5€. Renting mountain skis for 6 days costs 110-213 €, snowboard - 46-132 €, helmet - 35 €, snowshoes - 64.8 €.
Reviews. Vacationers note the incredibly high level of service and delicious Austrian food in local restaurants. The resort is recommended for skiers of any skill level and is considered an excellent place for family vacation.
(Photo © skiarlberg.at)
Bad Gastein
The prestigious year-round resort is located 100 km from Salzburg at an altitude of 1600 m. Due to its high cost, pretentiousness and the oldest mountain casino in the country, Bad Gastein is often called the “mountain Monte Carlo”. One of its symbols was a picturesque waterfall. In addition to skiing, here you can undergo wellness treatments in spa centers, hot radon springs and salt adits.
Trails. There are few easy slopes, so Bad Gadschein is not considered an Austrian ski resort for beginners. The slopes are dominated by red and blue runs, which are more suitable for advanced skiers. The quality of the infrastructure is so high that the resort hosts World Cup stages. There is a boardercross track, a halfpipe and a modern snow park.
Prices. Cost of a ski pass for an adult in low season- 41.5 €, high - 44.5 €. A child's ski pass costs 14-22.5 €. Children under 6 years old are allowed on the ski lifts free of charge. Renting a ski kit for adults for a day costs 21-40 €, and for a child - 7-17 €. Renting a snowboard costs 24€, a helmet - 6€, a toboggan - 5€, ski poles - 2€, snowshoes - 8€. Every year the collection of equipment for rental is updated with models of the new season.
Holidays in the ski resorts of Austria: St. Anton, Lech, Mayrhofen, Zell am See, Bad Gastein.
The Alps occupy most area of Austria, so the country is very popular among fans of skiing. The country's ski centers are mostly small, traditional ski villages, rather than large modern complexes. The number of Austrian resorts is amazing - there are about a thousand of them in the country, so everyone will be able to find something to suit their taste.
Most of the ski centers here are of medium altitude, suitable for both intermediate athletes and professionals. There are high slopes in the province of Tyrol, where the most famous ski resorts in Austria are concentrated: St. Anton and Lech. Another famous ski resort, Mayrhofen, is located in the Zillertal valley, east of Tyrol. There are also unique resorts, which welcome guests both in cold winter and hot summer are Zell am See and Bad Gastein.
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Sant Anton
The resort of Sant Anton is famous for its excellent infrastructure, challenging professional trails and enchanting alpine landscapes. The fact that the resort hosted the Alpine Ski World Championships in 2001 speaks for itself. The season here lasts from December to March. The 260 km long trails are very well maintained and there is a modern well-functioning lift system. The peak of Falluga-Grat (2660 m) attracts professionals with the most difficult trails and slopes, the snow on which is not specially leveled, which makes skiing more exciting. For beginner athletes, the slope in Galzig is more suitable, where there is a ski school and rental necessary equipment. Since the Sant Anton resort is well known among skiers, it is recommended to book a hotel room here in advance. On the territory of the ski center there is an indoor tennis court and a cinema, as well as many restaurants and discos. The closest airport to Sant Anton is only a hundred kilometers from the village - in Innsbruck.
Lech
Lech is a very prestigious resort, which is famous for its special microclimate, which helps maintain ideal snow conditions throughout the skiing season. The highest level of service at the resort attracts representatives of high society to spend winter holidays with health benefits and maximum comfort. 260 km of trails of varying difficulty allow skiers of any level to feel at ease. There is even a special children's track with the most gentle slope possible. For snowboarders there is a half-pipe and a special park. If you are tired of skiing, you can try yourself in paragliding and get a lot of new sensations. Thanks to a well-thought-out organization, the lift system in the Lech resort operates without queues. Lech is a less noisy village than Sant Anton, so it is more suitable for quiet family holidays and mature guests. But this does not mean that the resort can be boring: more than 50 restaurants, luxurious bars, a swimming pool and an ice skating rink are always at the service of vacationers. The best way to get to the resort is by train or bus from Innsbruck.
Mayrhofen
The tracks of the large resort of Mayrhofen are located on the slopes of two mountains, which are connected by a road built in 2007. cable car. Mayrhofen is very popular with beginners, and this is understandable: soft slopes and good schools do their job. In addition, après-ski youth entertainment is widely represented here: fashionable nightclubs and modern discos, noisy bars and restaurants, cinemas and theatrical performances.
Zell am See
The resort of Zell am See is located on the shore of the lake. Along with the neighboring resort of Kaprun, Zell am See is part of the special "Sports Europe" district, which welcomes guests from all year round different countries who want to improve their skills in a particular sport. A distinctive feature of this center is a sufficient number of short slopes, on which it is very convenient to hone your skiing skills. The resort has 10 European-level ski schools and several kindergartens, where carnivals and torchlight processions are regularly held. Due to the fact that the town was founded in the Middle Ages, it boasts beautiful old houses and shops.
Bad Gastein
Bad Gastein is a resort located near Salzburg. This ski center hosts the World Cup, so the quality of the slopes here exceeds expectations. For snowboarders, the Gastein Snowboard Park and halfpipe are built here, and there is also a boardercross track. In addition to the ski resort, Bad Gastein is famous for its spa center, so everything in the city is subordinated to a healthy lifestyle: prices for nightlife are especially high. Therefore, many tourists combine healthy sports with a pleasant holiday in a bath or sauna. Plus, the resort has thermal springs, the water in which is rich in radon.
Austria is the recognized queen of the Alps, and this is not surprising - the Alps cover most of it, and the abundance of lakes adds additional charm to this amazing country. Austria is famous for its picturesque resorts and an excellent level of service and quality of service.
The country is one of Europe's leading ski holiday destinations. Austria is home to many famous ski resorts, and no matter your level of skiing, you will be pleasantly surprised by the variety on offer.
Ski resorts in Austria are usually a little lower than those in France and Switzerland, but this does not prevent excellent skiing in season, and the famous Austrian glaciers are at your service out of season.
The most famous and popular ski resorts are located in the federal states of Tyrol, Salzburgerland, Styria, and Carinthia.
Tyrol rightfully leads this worthy list with its star capital Innsbruck (twice the capital of the Winter Olympic Games).
The main resorts of Tyrol: Innsbruck and the surrounding area (Igls, Axamer-Litzum, Fulpmes, Neustift, Tulfes, Imst) Arlberg (St. Anton, Lech) Ski Circus with the famous White Circle, which includes St. Anton, St. Christoph, Lech and Zürs offers excellent and memorable skiing. Ziller Valley (Mayrhofen, Zell am Ziller, Fügen, Kaltenbach) with the famous Hinterhoeks glacier Seefeld Kitzbühel and Kirchberg Otztal Valley (Sölden, Obergurgl, Hochgurgl) Sölden, one of the most popular resorts Austria, where thousands of fans of the white miracle flock every year; Ischgl, practically a mecca for skiers, Pitztal Serfaus
The ski center of Styria, the second largest state of Austria, was and remains Dachstein Tauern with its largest resort center of Schladming.
The land of Salzburg is famous for its European sports region, which includes the villages of Zell am See and Kaprun with the glacier of the same name. To the south are the thermal and ski resorts of Bad Gastein and Bad Hofgastein (Gasteinertal Valley). Whichever resort you choose for your holiday, you will receive equivalent Austrian quality service and very reasonable prices.
As a rule, resorts in Austria offer not only ski holidays, there are many thermal complexes in resorts, sports centers, entertainment centers, including children's. Often at the resort you can get a guest card, which provides discounts on services, including the ski pass.
Après-ski in Austria deserves special mention – people here know how and want to have fun. The famous bars and nightclubs of St. Anton are practically the hallmark of Austrian après ski. However, this does not mean at all that for a great evening leisure you must choose big resort– even in the smallest village there is always an excellent bar with music and dancing.
By choosing Austria, you are choosing excellent service in the Alps at a reasonable price.
There are few countries that are as strongly associated with alpine skiing as Austria. Ski Austria is as stable a combination as Mozart and Vienna - and there is every reason for this: many winter resorts with well-developed infrastructure, a variety of high-quality slopes on which you can ski for a record number of months a year, and a large-scale après ski, which has long become a byword. the talk of the ski community. In general, no matter how you look at it, it turns out that ski holiday For a solid A, you need to go to Austria - this country is guaranteed not to disappoint your expectations.
A lot has been said about the advantages of winter Austria, and it would not be superfluous to put them together. Let's start with the main factor for every conscious skier - the variety and grooming of the slopes. Here, Austria did not disappoint (as well as on other issues) - in the Tyrol region alone, the unofficial capital of the local “skiing”, tourists have a choice of more than 20 resorts with a wide variety of slopes - gentle and steep, for “averages” and pros, “recreational” and "technical".
Austrian pistes are well-groomed to the envy of many competitors in snow tourism - the slightest irregularities are instantly removed from the perfectly flat surface of the piste, and the dense snow cover is monitored with no less care - if anything happens, snow cannons immediately come into play. However, with snow supply in ski Austria everything is in order: its alpine part is generously strewn with glaciers, freezing the surface of the mountain from the inside, so that the snow in many resorts falls already in November and does not melt until April.
You don’t have to stick to pompous resorts - Austria has a large number of less popular cities with very reasonable prices.
The next nice feature of winter Austria is the extensive ski areas, consisting of neighboring resorts united by a single ski pass. For example, you can travel around the picturesque Zillertal Valley without additional expenses by purchasing a “ski pass” (Zillertal Superskipass) for five resorts at once - and this is as many as 668 km of slopes for any level of athletes. With a fairly reasonable cost - about 287 EUR per week, such a ski pass will greatly diversify your ski holiday.
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Finally, let’s mention one more feature of skiing in Austria - apresski! Even the most fanatical conquerors of slopes and heights need to “break away from society and fall” - in a pleasant figurative sense: drink a glass or two of mulled wine or “hang out” in a nightclub. In this regard, Austria has the honor to offer the best discos in the Alps, literally thundering throughout Europe, pompous restaurants with Michelin stars and a lot of shopping opportunities at ski resorts - you can find there everything your heart desires: from traditional chronometers to gilded garden shovels.
Of the few disadvantages of skiing in Austria, we can only mention the rather high price tag. You won't be able to ride cheaply here. At the same time, it is not necessary to go to pompous resorts - in Austria there are a large number of less popular cities with more reasonable prices. At the same time, the slopes and infrastructure are excellent everywhere.
Resorts of Tyrol
Traditionally, the best skiing area is Tyrol. Its central part includes the capital federal state Innsbruck, site of the Winter Olympics in 1964 and 1976, and areas such as Ranger Kempfl, Patscherkofel, Hungerburg-Seegrube, Glusenger, Mutterer Alm. This also includes part of the ski villages of the Ziller Valley and famous resort Seefeld, providing wide choose entertainment other than skiing.
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Resorts of Salzburg
No less interesting in terms of skiing are the resorts that are part of the land of Salzburg. Zell am See, Kaprun, Saalbach-Hinterglemm, with a well-developed tourism infrastructure, numerous ski lifts and 130 km of slopes, attract a large number of tourists every year. The Großglockner High Road is a local natural attraction. Prices on the page are as of November 2018.
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