Best ski resorts in Austria
Austria is known for the apres ski, the powder and the food- it can all be found in Austria. This leads us to ask, where are the best places to ski in Austria.
Apfelstrudel, Schnitzel, Kaiserschmarrn, Gluhwein, need we say more. Match these dishes we can’t pronounce with beer, fresh powder, excellent on and off-piste riding, plus lively apres ski and you get a well-rounded and enjoyable ski holiday experience. The best places to ski in Austria cover the Tyrol region, the east and beyond.
So strap yourselves in and let’s delve into the ultimate guide to the best ski resorts in Austria, our personal favorite spots: all the details and much-needed resources in one place.
Gear up for Austria's slopes
Before you head off to your Austrian ski adventure, it's time to refresh your wardrobe with the latest in mountain fashion. A key element is choosing the right outerwear. Our collection features ski jackets that blendi fashion with functionality. Get geared up to tackle Austria's renowned resorts with both style and comfort.
How we rated the pricing
Price ranges explained of the top Austrian ski resorts
We looked at the price of ski passes, gear hire, food/drink, hotel/Airbnb for each region and assigned a rating based on the average cost of staying for 7 nights and 6 days of skiing in mid- January.
€ – Inexpensive, perfect for skiers/snowboarders on a budget
€€ – Middle of the range budget required
€€€ – Expect to pay premium prices
Best ski destinations in Austria - Full list
Sankt Anton
Getting there
Where: Arlberg, Tyrol
Closest Airport: Innsbruck 1.5 hours
Closest City: Innsbruck
Driving Tip: Easy peasy lemon squeezy from central Europe! It’s a one day drive. From Northern Europe, you could beast it in 2 days going via Denmark then taking another stop in Hanover.
Get to know St Anton
What are the stats? The facts and figures that make St Anton really stand out? 88 cable cars and lifts, 305 km of marked ski runs and a whopping 200 km of off-piste. All of which has beckoned visitors from all over the globe rendering Sankt Anton world famous. Whatever your age or ability, its an unmissable destination! Dont miss out on the freeride (rated top 5 destination in the world) and then the legendary apres ski spots of Krazy Kanguruh and Mooserwirt on a Thursday!
Insider Tip: Apres ski is incredible every day but Thursdays are world famous!
Ridestore Recommends: Valluga North Face Off-Piste is a must do, even a few days after snowfall its still great!
Ischgl
Getting there
Where: Paznaun Valley
Closest Airport: Innsbruck Airport 1.5 hours
Closest City: Innsbruck or Munich is around 2 hrs and well worth a visit
Driving Tip: Central European friends can make this trip in a day, you could even drive home via Zurich and tick 2 countries off your list. Nordic friends should drive to Denmark then maybe treat yourself to a stop in Frankfurt!
Get to know Ischgl
Explore your fancy side in Ischgl, its where Austrians and lovers of luxury from around the world head to live a little of the high life with top quality restaurants, shopping, bars and hotels. Ischgl isnt style over substance though as it also offer great piste skiing for all abilities and some world class powder adventures. Ischgl offers 239 km of slopes and 15 km of skiable terrain and 41 lifts.
Insider Tip: Head over the boarder to the Swiss ski resort of Samnaun.
Ridestore Recommends: The Top of the Mountain festival is really incredible!
Kitzbühel
Getting there
Where: Tyrol
Closest Airport: Salzburg 1.5 hours
Closest City: Salzburg which is a beautiful underrated city!
Driving Tip: For our Scandinavian friends it would be an amazing drive, head to Denmark, then Berlin then you could go direct to stop again in Nuremberg or even Munich. At least visit Munich on your way back. Central European friends could do it in one go or again decide to take a rest in Nuremberg.
Get to know Kitzbühel
Put your skills to the test in Kitzbuhel, its the perfect place to stretch those ski legs, race your friends and try some of Europe’s most challenging Olympic runs! Kitzbuhel has 185km of stupendous pistes, 57 cable cars and lifts and whats most amazing, 200 days of guaranteed snow! Its also a really picturesque medieval town, great for walks in the evening.
Insider Tip: Head there early season, it often opens in October, so why not take an early trip in November or December?
Ridestore Recommends: Hahnenkamm strikes fear in the hearts of most but lets see how fast you can really go. . .
Bad Gastein
Getting there
Where: High Tauern mountains south of Salzburg
Closest Airport: Salzburg 1.5 hours
Closest City: Salzburg. Worth a day trip!
Driving Tip: Nordic friends can make a trip of it and head down via Hamberg and Hanover over a 2/3 day drive. Central Europeans riders can make this in a day!
Get to know Bad Gastein
It’s little Sweden, some of the ski resorts in the 3 valleys in France have been claimed by the brits but the Swedes claimed Bad Gastein. It’s home to 205km of downhill skiable terrain, 178 marked pistes and 50 ski lifts. You will find plenty of family friendly restaurants but once the sun goes down, the town comes to life. Apres ski that leads into the night after a long day skiing. Skål!
Insider Tip: Explore the other resorts on the same ski pass, Gastein ski resorts of Bad Hofgastein, Dorfgastein Graukogel and Sportgastein.
Ridestore Recommends: BG (as we are calling it, gotta watch that word count) isn’t for snowboarder really, its a skiers resort BUT snowboarder can find some exciting natural features in the varied off piste terrain.
Saalbach- Hinterglemm
Getting there
Where: Pinzgau region
Closest Airport: Salzburg 1.5 hours
Closest City: Zell am See is super close and worth a visit
Driving Tip: Nordic friends make the journey over 2 or 3 days with the option to stop in Berlin on the way! Central European friends could stretch out the journey over 2 days and take a break in Frankfurt.
Get to know Saalbach- Hinterglemm
Saalbach has it all! The stats speak for themselves, 270 km of ski slopes, 140 km blue, 112 km red and 18 km of black slopes. There are 70 cable ways and 60 lovely & cosy places to rest on the mountain. The resort is beautiful, must like other ski resorts in the area, exuding traditional Austrian charm. There is also a surprisingly lively après ski atmosphere which is well worth exploring.
Insider Tip: Head to neighboring Fieberbrunn and try your hand at the infamous Freeride World Tour run!
Ridestore Recommends: The 1000m continuous decent under the Zwolferkogel and Schattberg gondolas on the north-facing side on the hill!
Zell Am See
Getting there
Where: Kitzsteinhorn glacier
Closest Airport: Salzburg 1.25hrs
Closest City: The town itself is a small city, plenty to see and do on and off the slopes
Driving Tip: Nordic friends make the journey over 2 or 3 days with the option to stop in Berlin on the way! Central European friends could stretch out the journey over 2 days and take a break in Frankfurt.
Get to know Zell Am See
Zell as charm for days, looking over the incredible lake, where the lake and the Glacier meet; stunning mountains and a cosy and embracing atmosphere. Zell Am See is home to 128km of marked trails, 56 lifts,and the longest run stretches of 6km. Beautiful tree lined runs, excellent freeride and a traffic free town centre make for a really lovely ski resort. Make sure you walk across the lake when its frozen over, its magical!
Insider Tip: Take the Schmittenhöhe cable car, designed by porche for the perfect selfie opportunity.
Ridestore Recommends: Head to the neighboringKitzsteinhornn glacier, take the free ski bus which is all covered by the Zell am See-Kaprun lift pass.
Schladming
Getting there
Where: Styria region
Closest City: 138 km to Graz, Austria.
Closest Airport: Salzburg 1.5hrs
Driving Tip: Easy peasy drive, between 8 and 12 hours depending on where in central Europe you are. Friends from Norway or Sweden can drive via Denmark and then Hamberg followed by Frankfurt.
Get to know Schladming
Imagine the perfect ski resort. Wide open ski slopes protected by dense Forrest, no crowds and plenty of cosy places to have a mulled wine after a long day skiing. . . you have Schladming. 120 km of perfectly groomed slope surrounded by awesome tree skiing, great for when the weather comes in to save visibility but also to enjoy powder skiing in the Forrest. The area is comprised of 4 ski resorts so the extent of skiing possibility is really endless.
Insider Tip: Fageralm is home to the widest and most well groomed piste, really dreamy skiing.
Ridestore Recommends: Visit Reiteralm for the really high tech life system.
Lech
Getting there
Where: Vorarlberg
Closest Airport: Innsbruck 1.5 hrs
Closest City: Zurich 2.5 hrs (Worth a visit on the way back)
Driving Tip: Its a one day trip for the riders in central Europe! Nordic riders should consider going via Denmark through to Hamberg & Frankfurt.
Get to know Lech
Lech should be your go to Austrian spot of trusty and reliable skiing from November to end of April. Lech brings it’s A game in apres ski, piste quality, lift efficiency and over all experience. 305 km of impeccably groomed piste and over 200 km of high Alpine powder runs to shred at your leisure. It can get crowded during high season but if you visit at the right time (Mid Jan or id Feb) you might just get the dreamy pow experience you have been searching for. Ps. They also have some brand new lifts that opened 2 seasons ago, the names are long and complex but well worth exploring, its also improved the over all efficiency of the crown flow of the ski resort.
Insider Tip: The new lift system connects the whole Arlberg region so why not spend the day in St Anton or St Christoph.
Ridestore Recommends: Lech has a highly rated and unmissable terrain/snow park with 17 features and three separate lines that both beginners and pros can enjoy.
Secret spots
The Austrian alps are also home to some secret spots. Sadly many are over looked by the bigger more famous ski resorts in the Tyrol region BUT we wanted to share a few hidden delights with you. All of which boast scenic drives, great slopes and proximity to some excellent cities and attractions. Plus you ski pass and après ski beer might just be a tad cheaper too, we cant argue wit that!
Gargellen am Vorarlberg
Getting there
Where: Montafon
Closest Airport: Friedrichshafen, Innsbruck and Zurichare 1-2hrs
Closest City: So many big ski towns are nearby such as St Anton, Davos and more
Driving Tip: This ski resort is really easy to get to, Nordic riders can drive through Lietchstein which is an undiscovered gem (they even have one tiny ski resort). Central European riders can again make this journey in one go.
Get to know Gargellen
Gargellen is part of the Montafon ski area giving you access to 136km of downhill skiing, 44 marked pistes, and a total of 36 ski lifts. Its a really pretty town at the top of the mountain which means traffic is minimal, giving the whole town a peaceful vibe. The mountain has plenty of cosy huts serving traditional fare for cheaper prices that you might think plus plenty of wide and quiet open pistes to satisfy the skiers and the boarder, like the Lange Seiten 1km run.
Insider Tip: Though I have not been myself, I am told the Snow/terrain park is surprisingly good, with plenty of imaginative and exciting features.
Ridestore Recommends: Try the marked Schnapfenwald run from the Schafbergbahn cable car. It will put your freeride legs to the test!
Hochkar
Getting there
Where: Steiermark
Closest Airport: Vienna 2hrs
Closest City: Vienna (head there for a visit on the way back!)
Driving Tip: Central European friends will drive through the Czech Republic which is a great drive. All doable on one day. Our friends from the Nordics will take the same route but first passing through Berlin and Dresden. So many awesome cities on the way, make a whole adventure of it!
Get to know Hochkar
By comparison to other ski resorts on the lift, Hochkar is modest in its size, 21 km of Slopes available and just 12 lifts but it is the gateway to the alps from Vienna, offering the best solution to locals in the area and a chance to experience real Austrian culture both on and off the mountain. Think delicious food, better prices that the bigger ski resorts and close to one of Europe’s oldest and most stunning cities. Hochkar earned its place on the list. Think excellent quality skiing, no crowds December through to April. Dreamy!
Insider Tip: They offer night skiing, its well worth a try!
Ridestore Recommends: Heading to Vienna to rest those aching muscles and enjoy the culture in the city.
Pitztal
Getting there
Where: Ötztal and Kaunertal Valley
Closest Airport: Innsbruck 1hr
Closest City: Super close to Innsbruck, Munich AND Zurich!
Driving Tip: An easy drive from Scandinavia, drive via Denmark then through Hamburg and Frankfurt. From central Europe its an easy drive in one day!
Get to know Pitztal
Pitztal is a little gem, a secret powder heaven just waiting to be explored by the right riders. 81km of pistes and 23 lifts serve the ski resort which is cosy and cute to boot! It’s also casually Europe’s highest skiable resort! Get the ski pass for the whole area and explore until your hearts content..
Insider Tip: Visit the neighboring ski resorts of HochZeiger and Rifflsee.
Ridestore Recommends: AUTUMN & SPRING skiing. Beat the crowds and enjoy the area from September until May.
Zauchensee
Getting there
Where: Salzburg
Closest Airport: Salzburg 1.5hrs
Closest City: Radstadt
Driving Tip: Nordic drivers can spread the trip into a few days, you could also take a small detour via Dresden which is a beautiful city. Central European riders can either go via Munich or Salzburg in one trip.
Get to know Zauchensee
BUCKET LIST ALERT- Since we stalked some of our favorite Freeride World Tour riders on Instagram last year and saw them take a group trip here, we have been hooked since. Not yet been but its on the list as all of last year it was hammered with snow, its quiet, there are ample tree and Forrest runs plus its the most cute little town around. Its kept its traditional/local feel and hasn’t been hit yet with the crowds, so we have to go before everyone else finds out what a freeride heaven it is.
Insider Tip: Beginners can enjoy the Roßkopf-Flachauwink run which is a 6.8km blue run. Experts need to try the Gamskogel World Cup run (Kälberloch).
Ridestore Recommends: Head to the guides office and get your hands on a terrain map, they can tell you where the pillow lines are. Pillows!
FAQs
What is the best time to ski in Austria?
The skiing season in Austria typically lasts from late November through to April, with peak conditions and snowfall generally found between December and March.
What type of food and drink can I expect at Austrian ski resorts?
Austrian ski resorts are renowned for their culinary delights. From hearty dishes like Schnitzel and Kaiserschmarrn to sweet treats like Apfelstrudel and warming drinks such as Gluhwein, you'll be well-fueled for your skiing sessions.
Wrapping up
That’s it for the moment, guys, we hope you find this article useful! Austria is well worth a visit for skiing and snowboarding and we hope this article has proven that. All the inspiration you could need.
If you are heading on an adventure this Winter, send us a pic, tag us online and let us know how you got on tag @dopesnow or @ridestore using #Dopesnow #Ridestore.
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