Austria is considered the center of ski tourism, both among European countries and among the resorts of the entire planet. There are ski resorts of different levels. Both a beginner and a skiing professional will be able to choose the best vacation for themselves, taking into account all requests and needs, including material ones.
Most ski resorts in Austria are open for skiing from November to May, but there are also year-round options. Almost every Austrian mountain village is a ski resort, in total there are about 1,000 ski centers across the country – a huge selection of options for youth, for a relaxing family holiday, and for extreme sports lovers.
The largest ski area in Austria is Tyrol. The most popular resorts in the country, Sölden and Mayrhofen, are more youth-oriented, but there are also many options for families and children. At any of the Austrian resorts you will find experienced instructors with a high level of qualification.
The most popular resorts in Austria
- Sölden is also called the “winter Ibiza”, due to the intense nightlife and the overwhelming youth among the holidaymakers. A wide range of recreational opportunities, a friendly atmosphere, 150 km of first-class ski slopes and great night parties await you in Sölden.
- Mayrhofen is famous for its picturesque landscapes, ideal for beginner skiers and will delight tourists with recreation options for every taste and budget. The resort attracts with stunning 150 km of pistes of varying difficulty levels and a fun nightlife. It is in Mayrhofen that the most dangerous ski slope in Austria “Harakiri” with a slope of 78% is located.
- St. Anton is the place where the first ski resort in Austria was opened. The place has the most perfect infrastructure and is suitable mainly for experienced skiers and thrill-seekers. The tracks here are very interesting and quite difficult. The total length of ski slopes is 300 km. After an active day, vacationers can perfectly get no less pleasure in the nightclubs and restaurants of the resort.
- Leh is famous for its luxurious hotels and non-budgetary level of recreation. But for the money spent, you get a luxury service. The resort is dominated by trails of medium difficulty with gentle slopes oriented towards slow skiing.
- Ischgl is one of the most prestigious ski resorts in Austria. The annual opening of the season in Ishgli is a grand show with the participation of world stars. Ski trails here are mainly represented by rather difficult options and have a length of 200 km.
- Zell am See is the most beautiful town located on the shores of the Meta mountain lake. The territory of the slopes captivates the Kaprun glacier, where you can ski all year round. The length of all trails in the resort is about 140 km. For tourists, Zell am See offers not only skiing, but also snowboarding, skating, sleighing, as well as mountaineering, parachuting, horseback riding and even sailing on Lake Zell, which freezes in winter.
- Bad Gastein is famous among other resorts in Austria for its spa centers and thermal springs. An ideal 200 km of slopes aimed at beginner skiers, interesting architecture, an old casino and even a waterfall in the middle of the town – this and much more pleases tourists from all over the world. The resort has several ski schools, including children’s.
- Obertauern is Austria’s snowiest ski resort with the latest hotels and great après ski options (restaurants, nightclubs, bars). Trails with a length of 100 km are located both at an altitude of 1700 to 2300 m above sea level, where snow lies all year round, and in the lowlands, where the snow cover is maintained artificially. Most of the trails are of medium difficulty, but there are also a few difficult ones.
- Nasfeld is not yet very popular among Ukrainian tourists, but certainly deserves attention. There is always snow on the tracks with a length of about 100 km, the quality of the tracks is excellent. Both amateur beginners and professional skiers can ride here. Nassfeld has the longest ski lift among the Alpine resorts (more than 6 km). The natural beauty of the resort is given by the mountain lake Presegger, which is used for ice skating in cold weather.
- Serfaus, Fiss and Ladis are 200 km of pistes. The place is perfect for a family vacation, the resort even has children’s tracks, a puppet theater, restaurants for the smallest tourists, a kindergarten and many other opportunities.
These are not all resorts in Austria where you should visit. Serfaus, Garmisch-Patrenkirchen, Ranger Kempfl, Patscherkofel, Hungerburg-Zeegrube, Glusenger, Mutterer Alm and many others deserve no less attention.
Which resort in Austria is right for you?
For beginner skiers: Serfaus, Kaprun, Saalbach, Obertauern, Mayrhofen.
If you are a specialist: Kitzbühel, Bad Gastein, Ischgl, Saalbach, Obergurgl, Galtur, St. Anton.
The most elite resorts: Seefeld, Lech, St. Anton, Ischgl.
Family holidays: Kitzbühel, Zell am See, Mayrhofen, Saalbach-Hinterglemm, Serfaus, Lech.
For snowboarders: Ischgl, Hintertux, Sölden, Zillertal, Saalbach.
Cross-country skiing: around Kaprun, Saalbach, Innsbruck, Mayrhofen, Schladming, Zell am See.