Austria ski holiday facts
Austria has always been at the forefront of winter sports and it is still one of the most popular destination choices for British skiers. All grades are well catered for, from the beginner right through to the mogul basher.
The quality of chalets and hotels in every category is also consistently high. In most Austrian resorts, you'll enjoy lively apres-ski, with plenty of cosy bars and discos within easy access - there are also lots of excellent restaurants serving delicious regional and national cuisine.
A great choice for families, Austria boasts an undeniable charm. With its traditional Alpine villages and characteristically warm welcome, it's not surprising so many people return here year after year!
In the country that invented the ski school, you'll find the standard of tuition uniformly high with most instructors having a good command of the English language.
Austria is a skiing paradise. Thousands of kilometers of perfectly prepared ski routes offer superb skiing conditions for every level of skier. Those who prefer freeriding or off piste skiing in deep snow or skiing on wild slopes with a local skiing guide will definitely not be disappointed. However, should your skills be insufficient at any stage of your skiing adventure, well trained skiing instructors and mountain guides are there to serve you. A perfect service - Austrian ski schools and Austrian ski instructors are well known for their great quality all around the world.
Even if the winter does not bring enough snow, the most modern and environment friendly snowing systems are able to prepare the routes and guarantee skiing in perfect conditions.
Austrian ski resorts are extremely well equipped. Various vehicles, like snow scooters, snow bikes or so-called snowfox are easily accessible in most of the resorts. Short boards, similar to skateboards are also very popular in recent years. Those who prefer extreme sensations can try a ride down the slopes in pontoons or rolling downhill in a big sphere.
Austrian Ski Resorts
Ski St Anton - today, over 280 kilometers of perfectly prepared slopes await skiers every year. Around 180 kilometers of unbeaten ski runs should be more than enough for those, who search for stronger adventure.
Three main villages of St. Anton, St. Christoph and Stuben offer almost 11.000 guest beds in accommodation units of all types and large choice of apres ski activities guarantees a great holiday experience.
Ski Kitzbuhel - on many Top Ten lists of the European ski destinations. It is a truly charming Tyrolean resort with cobblestone streets and painted buildings with the main part of town surrounded by the 12th century stone walls.
Almost every Ski Sunday viewer knows that the Hahnenkamm race course organized in this area is the most challenging on the World Cup circuit. This event helps the resort to cultivate its reputation as an extraordinary place. Regular skiers, however, will find more than enough to satisfy their aspiration by testing their skills on many runs located in the 5 main ski areas surrounding the village. For the intermediate skier it is a paradise. A regional ski pass offers vast opportunities along 420 miles of designed slopes and 260 lifts.
Ski Chalet in Solden - the valley's largest and very popular resort is the brand name for the whole region. The choice of apres ski activities should be enough for everyone. Ice skating, winter walking paths, swimming pool and abundance of bars and restaurants should fulfill everyone's tastes. However, smaller villages of Zwieselstein, Untergugl, Obergugl and Hochgugl are also worth considering. These do not offer as wide range of apres ski entertainment, but provide visitors with completely different attractions. If you wish to rest from noises of the city, villages of Hochsolden and Vent will be a very good choice. Hochsolden offers accommodation directly on to ski runs and Vent is a traditional spot for mountain climbers and provides the experienced skiers with the best wild runs in the valley.
Zell am See is a paradise. This is the alpine resort where you can combine water and mountains. Nestled on a tiny peninsula between surrounding mountain peaks, the resort is a place to spend summer or winter holidays in Austria.
Winter is the time, when snow activities rule and the mountains play their game. Two glacier ski areas of Schmittenhohe and Kitzsteinhorn have a lot to offer at the altitude of above 2500 metres above sea level. In fact, Kitzsteinhorn is open all year round so even summer travellers can take advantage of the Zell am See ski trails. In winter, however, over 150 kilometers of ski routes, great skiing facilities and a wide array of apres ski services and venues turn Zell am See into a ski vacation destination for skiers from all over the world.
Ski chalet in Kaptrun - situated only 10 kilometers from the nearby Zell am See and directly at the foot of the Kitzsteinhorn glacier, Kaprun is the second ski resort of the Europe Sport Region. Those searching for a peaceful travel destination for their winter ski chalet holidays should consider visiting Kaprun - this village offers real Austrian atmosphere, good ski facilities and various types of accommodation. The glacier ski area directly next to the resort makes Kaprun skiable 365 days throughout the year, but there are many routes to ski during the colder part of the year.
Ski in Ischgl - Ischgl is one of the best Austrian resorts, particularly for experienced or intermediate skiers and is only two to three hours from either Munich or Zürich airports. The slopes are extensive, high, snow sure and ideal for intermediate cruising - it's no secret that this is one of the best ski areas of Austria. And the efficient lift system which has 14 high-speed chair-lifts (including 6-seater and 8-seater) and 3 gondolas is the pride of the resort. New lifts have markedly reduced lift queues to the slopes, while the village has a largely traffic-free centre. Snowmaking facilities keep being improved too.
Ski Meyrhoffen - Zillertal is the biggest ski area in Austria and Mayrhofen is the most well-known village in this area. The whole area of Zillertal offers you 428 km of prepared slopes, and is also open for snowboarders.
Ski in Schladming - situated close to the snow sure Obertauern and Dachstein glaciers. The town lies in the very heart of the ski region, and that is why it acts host to several international sporting competitions. Certainly the most important is the World Championship in Night Skiing that is organised every year in January. Even though it is a rather low altitude resort, the snow is certain because of extensive snowmaking and the pistes are well maintained. The resort is a top snowboarding destination.
Ski in Saalbach - The Saalbach Hinterglemm ski area includes two villages - Saalbach and Hinterglemm in the Salzburg area (88 kilometers from the city) offering good alpine surroundings, superb ski routes and well developed lifts facilities. The skiing here is perfect and the apres ski life very lively.
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