Austria’s Different Slopes for Different Skiers

by Jennifer Lewis

What is great for one person can be terrible for another, so choosing where you want to spend your precious time off in the snow needs some consideration. There are some great ski holiday deals leaving the UK out there, all you need to do it know which of the various ski resorts is right for you. With a couple of months left before the snow starts to melt for the summer, what better time to take a look at the many different ski resorts peppered across the Austrian Alps. Every resort is a little different, from ones with small village charm to others full of bustling bars and restaurants, but the one thing that they all have in common is the abundance of fresh air and picturesque scenery that comes hand in hand with being in the mountains. No matter what you are after out of a ski and snowboard holiday, you can find it here in Austria, so read on to find out which resort will suit you best.

Taking the Kids

If it’s a perfect family ski holiday you are after then Alpbach ticks pretty much all the boxes. A charming village ski resort full of traditional wooden chalets and a quaint village church, with a spattering of modest restaurants and bars to feed and water the visitors. The village still has its roots in farming, so it is not completely reliant on ski tourism, which is a good thing. Aside from the excellent skiing well-suited for beginners and intermediates, and the special children’s ski areas, children can join in all of the fun at Juppi Kid’s Club and give you a short break to spend with your other half. Tobogganing and indoor or outdoor ice skating are a couple of the other fun activities you can rely on to keep the kids entertained.

Weekend Warriors

If you can’t get the time off work for a full week of skiing, then why not treat yourself to a long weekend on the slopes. At many resorts it can be tough booking a hotel for less than a week, but in Innsbruck there is plenty of accommodation catering for the short stay skier. It is the perfect destination if you need to get your ski fix but are short on time. Being a large ‘ski resort’ city surrounded by mountains and having its own international airport means that you can be on the slopes just an hour or two after stepping off the plane. You are spoilt for choice when it comes to terrain here, with nine separate ski areas all coming together to form the enormous Olympia SkiWorld Innsbruck. 90 lifts transport you around 300km of groomed pistes, and there are snow parks, half pipes and ski jumps to cater for snowboarders and freestyle skiers. Even if you stay close to the city centre, just take the free shuttle bus to any of the ski areas.

Après Ski a Priority

Often overlooked in favour of more famous resorts like St. Anton, Saalbach has a very much underrated après ski scene. If drinking and dancing is as much a part of your ski holiday as actual skiing is, then Saalbach’s après ski could be the one for you. The bars on the hillside provide convenient rest stops during the day, but by the end of the afternoon everyone is speeding down the slopes to cram inside of the bars and discos in the resort. By 4pm the good times are thoroughly underway. For the wildest time, head to Bauers Skialm and join the raucous masses revelling with their jugs of beer. If you need a break from the crazy partying here, head over to nearby Spitzbub and hang out with the slightly less drunk crowd this place attracts.



original on treasures.austria.info