Winter is almost here and people have already begun saving up to get the best ice cold experience they can get. Many people actually choose to vacation off during this cold season because of the experiences they can get, but how can one choose where to spend their vacation when there are so many places to choose from?
Well today we’re here to tell you that despite the fact that you have literal hundreds of options to choose from, they all pale in comparison to what Austria can offer.
There are plenty of great vacation sites in this world, but very few actually match the overall luxuriousness and thrilling sense of wonder that the ski resorts from Austria offer. Just take a look at any promotional picture for Austria and you’ll see them advertise every single one of their 423 ski resorts to the world.
While there are many places to go to if you want to truly experience the best winter vacation possible, you will absolutely miss out if you decide to ignore Austria and its incredible 7,193 kilometers of slopes because there simply put is no way that you’ll ever get a better bang for your buck.
So, today we are here to offer you a display of their best options, their crème de la crème if you will. So, without further ado, let’s start off with our first pick of the day, aka:
St. Christoph
St. Christoph is known for its incredibly luxurious spas and most importantly for the incredible mountain retreat views that you can get from here.
If you want to go to a skiing resort for the winter but aren’t really all that interested in the skiing part then you should definitely go for St. Christoph as they offer a ton of different activities to choose from including ice skating, snowshoeing, tobogganing and more.
On top of all of that their food selection is out of this world and when you do get back to your room you will get to sleep in one of the comfiest beds that you’ll ever lay your eyes on. Overall, it’s a great experience with very few drawbacks.
Bad Gastein
The great thing about Bad Gastein is that it’s only 7 miles away from the Hohe Scharte North Trail which in case you didn’t know by now is by far the coolest and longest ski runs out there.
As such the site prides itself with just how many incredible skiing locations they offer for the adventurous traveler, you can literally spend all day skiing around from site to site and you will never have to go back to the same site again during your whole stay.
The pricing for it is also extremely affordable, as although it does offer plenty of high-quality services and a really accommodating room to go with it, they don’t actually offer a ski-in/out accommodation which has driven their prices down by quite a lot.
If that isn’t a problem with you then definitely go with Bad Gastein for your winter vacation destination.
Sölden
The main reason as to why so many people decide to spend their holiday here is because this is by far the best glacier ski resort in all of Europe, or better yet, it’s the best glacier ski resort in the whole world.
There are hundreds of off-piste sites to go and visit, you can literally go on for days here and never have to visit the same site again.
This is also a more daring choice for the more experienced skier that wants to take a dive down the largest vertical drop in all of Austria.
On top of all of that you also get some of the best mountain scenery you’ll ever get from one of these resorts. Just look at how insane it gets, after all you are sitting at over 11,000ft high so no matter where you look, you’ll always get to feel like you’re on top of the world.
Grab yourself a cup of hot cocoa and take in the scenery, you won’t regret it in the slightest!
Ellmau
Ellmau is the type of ski resort that you go to when you want to truly get the best experience while vacationing off with your family. Instead of getting the most thrilling experience you get the ultimate family friendly escapade.
On top of that the prices are extremely affordable and you also get to take in the SkiWelt ski area which is famous for its food selection, copious drink slew and of course, its child-friendly facilities which can help your youngling learn the ropes around their skiing downslide.
Obergurgl
Obergurgl is known as Austria’s most snow sure resort because it is constructed so high in altitude that you are literally always going to find the place knee deep in ice and snow.
Even if you want to go there during May, you will still find yourself craving a hot cocoa beverage while you ski down the snowy piste.
On top of all of that you can also go to the nearby town of Vent if you want to take in the traditional lifestyle and experience the quiet mountain smalltime town feel.
Innsbruck
Although Innsbruck isn’t actually written off as a ski resort, it does check in all of the boxes that a typical ski resort would check, and it even manages to qualify as a great vacation spot even if you’re not looking for the typical skiing experience too.
This is because although you have six ski designated areas around Innsbruck, the site itself is actually a great vacation spot even if there isn’t any snow to go around.
But, while it may seem like a great place to go skiing with your body down, we wouldn’t recommend going down the Stubai Glacier unless you’re an experienced skier. That’s a 50 kilometer drop right here and it can get quite intense to say the least.
Alpbach
You absolutely need to visit Alpbachtal if you’re a fan of Tyrolean buildings because in case you didn’t know by now, Alpbach is commonly referred to as Austria’s prettiest village. On top of that, during winter time it offers some of the coolest looking slopes in the world.
You can access them easily by taking the 15-minute gondola ride up to the top from where you can start dropping down the Ski Juwei Alpbachtal Wildschonau ski domain. You’ll get a total of 145 kilometers of runs, more than enough to please even the most eager of skiers out there.
Saalbach-Hinterglemm
Saalbach and Hinterglemm are some of the most wondrous villages you will ever get to visit during your lifetime and we do mean that.
They offer the most extensive linked trail network in the whole country, and on top of that you will get to really take in the scenery without the common lack of oxygen that comes with these sites.
This is because the place is located quite low in altitude, only 1,060m up to be precise, but despite this you will still get to ride down the 200km of ski runs with ease. Once you get down you can easily go back at it again by simply taking one of their 10-person gondolas all the way up to the top.
Zell am See
Take in one of the best sceneries in the world as you look down the snow-covered peaks of Zell am See. Once you’re done with that you can also take a hike down to Salzburg, one of the most beautiful sites in the world.
If you’re looking for a more toned-down experience and a more budget-friendly option then you have no reason not to visit Zell am See during your holiday.
Söll and the SkiWelt
This is the second largest skiing area in all of Austria, and it comes jampacked with over 280 kilometers of downslope fun. On top of that there are also over 90 lifts available and an incredibly beautiful nearby town to visit once you’re done with it all.
The great thing about Söll and the SkiWelt is that they offer pistes for both intermediate skiers and professionals that are looking for a challenge, so if it’s a great and daring experience you want then definitely head on over to Söll and the SkiWelt.
Ischgl and the Silvretta Arena
Many people don’t realize this, but Ischgl has recently been nicknamed as one of the best skiing resorts on the planet. The main reason as to why this is still relatively unknown is because most people already knew Ischgl as the apres-ski capital of the Alps.
If you’re more on the newer side as far as skiing goes and you don’t want to experience anything you couldn’t handle as a newbie then definitely pick Ischgl.
Mayrhofen
Do you love open snowfields? Do you wish they would go on forever? Then definitely head on over to Mayrhofen as they are literally world famous for just that.
On top of it all they have hundreds of gondolas which can take up as many as 24 people at once, which is great considering the fact that the peak of the site is most definitely the Ski Movie Run which you can slide down over and get yourself recorded for your holiday video as many times as you want.
This is where true memories are made, and as you go down the 498 kilometers of pistes, you will absolutely fall in love with the site and you will never want to leave it, we can promise you that.
Lech-Zürs am Arlberg
The incredible village of Lech has been famous for a very long time now for the fact that so many celebrities and members of the royal families have picked it out as their holiday location for a long time now.
Despite how fancy and incredibly beautiful it looks, it’s also one of the cheapest options on the market, offering by far one of the best experiences for this affordable price out there.
You can also take a gander at Zürs which has been deemed as Austria’s most exclusive ski resort. Definitely a great site to visit either with your family or all by yourself.
Kitzbühel
Kitzbühel has often been deemed as Austria’s best resort for the less experienced skier. Why? Because it offers you everything you could possibly ask for from a ski resort, including an incredible slew of luxury hotels, smart boutiques and by far some of the most delicious dining you will ever get to experience, period.
You can also visit the site during the famous downhill ski races which take place right here in Kitzbühel. Check out the 170 kilometers of skiable pistes and take in the scenery as you really get to experience the Austrian mountaineer lifestyle for yourself.
St. Anton am Arlberg
Here we have Austria‘s best known ski resort and by far the most challenging one at that too. While many would rather take in the beauty and relaxed feel of the Kitzbühel ski resort, St. Anton am Arlberg blows this out of the park with the toughest and most unnerving drop you will ever get to experience.
This is also where the first ski clubs in the Alps started off, which is a great site to visit once you’re done taking in the dangerous and exhilarating downslide.
There’s a reason as to why this is known as the most challenging and most fun skiing resorts in the world, and although the prices also may reflect this, they are worth it for the insanity that is their pistes.
Conclusion
All in all, while there are plenty of choices to pick from, you literally have no way of picking a wrong one because they all offer the best services in the field while also providing you with the best challenge you’ll get to undertake in your lifetime.
Depending on your level of skill we recommend you pick out the best resort for yourself, but that doesn’t mean you should completely dismiss St. Anton for example if you don’t have the experience to go down their most daring pistes.
You can still have a blast on their intermediate level pistes, you just have to know where to limit yourself at. That’s all for now, thank you for reading and happy skiing!
