Seefeld in Tirol is one of the most delightful regions in the Tirolean Alps because here, everyone does is doing a great job for holidaymakers feel welcome.

Enjoy the breath-taking views around Seefeld in Tirol. Participate in one of the many sports activities on offer. Discover its rich history as you visit the churches and the cultural hiking trail. Take a look at the local casinos and go shopping.

With around 3.100 inhabitants, the cultural village sits west of Innsbruck at an elevation of 1,883′ above sea level.

Visit some of the main attractions:

• the magnificent peace bell
• the mystical stone circle
• the historic parish church

Who is Seefeld perfect for?

• sports enthusiasts
• solo travelers
• couples
• families
• golf enthusiasts

They all feel right at home in Seefeld in Tirol. After all, this place is in the middle of the mountains. It provides something for everyone.

The highpoint of the year is the famous World Cup for Nordic combined. It’s made this place famous beyond the borders.

If you have specific requests for your accommodation, you will surely find the right one. There are nearly 380 accommodation options in this athletic village. Seefeld in Tirol has it all: from private room lettings to mountain-side chalets to themed or luxury hotels.

A vast number of restaurants awaits you as well. It caters to those who don’t want to eat at the hotel all the time or don’t want to cook for themselves in their holiday apartment.  You can choose from around 70 restaurants of various categories: from traditional Tirolean dishes to exotic gourmet temples

Zürs has good snow virtually guaranteed. It is almost on the Flexen Pass, ten minutes’ drive towards St. Anton from Lech.

Small, exclusive Zürs hides behind the Flexen-Pass, snow-white mountain slopes surrounding it. It is a meeting place for the international jet set, who have appreciated the ski resort for decades as a discrete winter domicile.

Thanks to its wide, treeless, deep snow slopes, it is a prime destination for traditional off-piste skiing.

The village of only 150 inhabitants is also home to the hangar for adventurous heli-skiing tours that are unique in Austria. An expert guide can accompany you and other experienced winter sports enthusiasts, so you take part in these extraordinary tours. You will have the most incredible tales to tell about the stylish bars and trendy clubs. For example, the pulsating nightlife is truly worthy of its name.

There is a collective desire for the Arlberg region. That’s why Zürs rose to be Austria’s No. 1 ski resort and No. 5 worldwide.

The respective characters of Lech, Zürs, Stuben, St. Christoph and St. Anton am Arlberg may be different. However, their enthusiasm for skiing and uncompromising commitment to quality have united the five villages since the beginning of the 20th Century. The ski culture has been ever-present for almost 100 years. The region got its status as “Birthplace of Alpine Skiing” because of a long and rich tradition. A common dream was shared by the people on the east and the west of Arlberg. With the construction of the new Flexenbahn lift between Zürs and Stuben/Alpe Rauz, the Trittkopfbahn I and II, as well as the Albonabahn II, this vision recently turned into reality.

Nightlife is quiet. There’s a disco in the Edelweiss hotel and a piano bar in the Alpenhof. Mathie’s-Stuble and Kaminstuble are worth trying, as is Vernissage, at the Skiclub Alpenrose, which is skiers consider to be the best nightspot in town.

Serious dining means Zürserhof and Lorunser. Make sure your wallet will stand a visit before you go – credit cards are not accepted. For something cheaper try spaghetti in the basement of the Edelweiss. Princess Caroline (who stays at the Lorunser) once appeared here at 5 am.

Zürs has its own school, but many of the instructors are booked for the entire season by regular clients, and more than 80 percent of them are hired privately. The resort also has its own kindergarten.

Zell am See is an unusual resort – not a rustic village like most of its small Austrian competitors, but a lakeside town with a charming old center that seems more geared to summer than winter visitors. It’s a pleasant place, and – since a tunnel now takes through traffic to Schüttdorf – less plagued by traffic.Zell’s slopes have a lot of variety and challenging terrain for a small area, but not enough to keep a keen intermediate or better happy for long, especially if, as some reporters have found, there’s a lack of snow. Zell is very near the Kaprun glacier, but so are many low-altitude resorts, all of which run buses there if snow is in short supply. The result can be horrendous liftlines.

Zell makes an attractive base for holidaymakers who enjoy travelling around. Having a car makes it easy to visit numerous other resorts – including Saalbach-Hinterglemm, Bad Gastein-Bad Hofgastein, Wagrain, Schladming and Obertauern.

Söll has long been popular with groups of beginners and intermediates. Its pretty scenery, gentle slopes, small attractive traditional village, good-value accommodation, and lively nightlife attract a mixture of young singles looking for a fun time and families looking for a quiet time. In the 1980s it gained notoriety as prime lager-lout territory; it still has some loud bars but has calmed down a lot. Many visitors find the village surprisingly small and are disappointed by the distance between it and the slopes (and by the bus service).

Its main drawback has always been snow. Because of its low altitude and sunny slopes, slopes have often been slushy or bare, not just in Söll but also throughout the extensive Ski Welt circuit it is part of. But this problem has been tackled by a massive investment in snowmaking and half of the Ski Welt’s 250 km of slopes are now covered by snowmaking – more than in any other Austrian ski area. This ensures the region’s main slopes and links stay open, though it can’t prevent slush and ice developing.

When the snow is good Söll can be a great place for a holiday, cruising the attractive and undemanding slopes of Austria’s largest linked area.

What’s Great

• Part of Ski Welt, Austria’s largest linked ski and snowboard area
• Local slopes are the highest and steepest in the Ski Welt and north-facing so keep their snow well
• Massive recent investment in snowmaking has paid off
• Plenty of cheap and cheerful pensions for those on a budget
• Pretty village with lively après-ski

Sölden has invested massively in new lifts to link its home slopes. This suits adventurous intermediates, with snow sure runs on the Rettenbach and Tiefenbach glaciers. The Tiefenbach, in particular, is a serious 2km/1 mile long slope. It may be enough to establish this quite impressive resort on the international market at last.

Despite its traditional Tirolean-style buildings and tree-filled valley, Sölden is no beauty. It is a large, traffic-filled place that sprawls along both sides of a river and main road. It is particularly crowded at weekends. The resort attracts a young, lively crowd – mostly Dutch and German – bent on partying.

What’s Great

• Excellent snow reliability, with access to two glaciers
• Fairly extensive network of slopes suited to adventurous intermediates
• Continually improving lift system
• Very lively nightlife
• Short transfers and day trips to nearby Innsbruck

A cosy mountain village near Salzburg with extensive intermediate slopes.

Schladming’s slogan is Gemütlichkeit. The Magic of the Mountains. In Austrian, Gemütlichkeit means coziness. That perfectly describes this tiny mountain village nestled in Austria’s Schladming-Ramsau/Dachstein sports region of the Enns Valley.

The town features two mountains between Reiteralm (1,960 meters/6,430 feet) and Hauser Kaibling (2,015 meters/6,610 feet):

• Planai (1,894 meters/6,213 feet)
• Hochwurzen (1,850 meters/6,069 feet)

This creates a four-mountain, inter-linked skier’s paradise.

Both mountains offer some of the longest uninterrupted runs in Europe:

• Fis run – 4.6-kilometer (2.8-mile)
• Hochwurzen Valley run – 7.7-kilometer (4.7-mile)  Suitable even the fittest skiers looking for one of the many slope-side restaurants for a quick break.

Schladming is only 90 kilometers (60 miles) away from Salzburg’s international airport. It is easily reached by train or bus. The train ride is a breathtaking voyage through rustic valleys where woodfire smoke hangs suspended over the village roofs by the colder winds blowing across the towering mountain ranges.

What’s Great

• New lifts have linked extensive but previously fragmented slopes
• Excellent slopes for intermediates
• Extensive snowmaking operation and superb piste maintenance
• Very sheltered slopes, among trees
• Close to snowsure Obertauern and Dachstein glacier
• Lots of good mountain restaurants
• Charming town with friendly people and a life independent of tourism
• New Ski Alliance Amadé lift ticket cover wide range of nearby resorts

St Anton am Arlberg is a holiday region with a worldwide reputation, and rightfully so. A superlative winter sports area with excellent guest services, Ferris wheel cable car, the wellness center, the finest gourmet cuisine, an excellent walking area, the multi-functional sports center and numerous events which all contribute towards an unforgettable vacation.

Winter – greater than ever and traditional.

When the new cable car systems opened in December 2016 – all ski resorts on the Arlberg turned into Austria’s largest inter-linked ski area with a total of 305 kilometres of marked runs and 88 lift and cable car systems The Arlberg-Arena then extends from St. Anton in Tyrol to Lech and Zürs, as well as Warth and Schröcken in Vorarlberg.

St. Anton am Arlberg offers unparalleled conditions for a deluxe winter sports holiday. Those wanting to find out which slope offers the perfect conditions should avail themselves of the services of the local guides.

Lavishly arranged wellness areas

From morning until evening St Anton am Arlberg as well as the Wellnesspark Arlberg Stanzertal in Pettneu invite you to enjoy relaxing hours in their lavishly arranged wellness areas. What makes a holiday in St Anton am Arlberg so special is, not least the unique combination of almost boundless skiing pleasure and après ski together with a variety of gastronomic choices, from Tyrolean delicacies up to the distinguished international top cuisine.

It all started 130 years ago, in 1880. A Norwegian engineer strapped two planks of wood to his feet and “slid” to work at the Arlberg Tunnel. At that time this little village at 1,300 meters above sea level was light years away from the world famous ski resort it has now become. Back then, the isolated mountain farming folk struggled under incredibly harsh conditions.

St. Anton am Arlberg Today

Today St. Anton am Arlberg is an international holiday resort with 88 lift systems, 305 kilometers of marked pistes and 200 kilometers for free riders in the entire Arlberg region. Around 1,000 hotels, pensions and holiday apartments, innovative customer service, cable car with a giant Ferris wheel, wellness center, multi-functional sports center, gourmet cuisine, excellent summer walking and cycling region, as well as a wide range of diverse events, are the perfect ingredients for a great holiday.

Obertauern has developed an international reputation for being one of the finest skiing destinations in Europe. And while this Austrian hotspot suits all levels of skiers, many visitors often comment that Obertauern is perhaps at its peak with intermediate skiers.

About 50 years ago, Obertauern made its debut as a happening ski spot—when skiers discovered how fine the snow was in the region, a handful of the frequenters of the area made a plan for a small ski run, and the small ski village of Obertauern was born. Of course, many resorts in Austria, Switzerland, and Germany developed slowly and developed in the same fashion. However, in this particular area, it happened a lot quicker; hotels and other resorts have sprung up all over the mountainside, affording superb skiing throughout most the region, with plenty of affordable accommodations.

The snow conditions are second to none, and the region boasts a long winter ski season. When you’re not skiing, you can partake of the other opportunities the village has to offer: a sports center, replete with a bowling alley and gym, or go hiking, play tennis, or unwind in a spa.

On Mountain Dining

More than 25 mountain huts cater right to your appetite and you´ll find everything on the menu, from fries and Schnitzel to traditional and local food. The warmth of the hosts and the breathtaking panorama come for free. Experience real hut charm at Lürzeralm and Edelweissalm

Must-Ski Runs

Almost famous is the slope ´Gamsleiten 2´, real fans just call it ´G2´. This extreme steep trail is for experts only because it´s not just crazy steep but also ungroomed and often real icy. The lift is open if the weather is good.

What’s Great

• Excellent snow record
• Well-linked, user friendly circuit
• Slopes for all standards
• Good modern lift system
• Good mountain restaurants
• Lively aprés-ski scene
• Short transfer from Salzburg

A dedicated group of visitors goes back every year to Obergurgl or Hochgurgl, some of our reporters among them. Whichever of the two resorts they are loyal to, they love its high, snow sure, easy intermediate slopes, its end-of-the-valley seclusion and civilized atmosphere, its lively tea-time après-ski and its comfortable, expensive hotels. There aren’t many beds, so you need to book early to avoid disappointment.

But some first-timers are disappointed. Even accepting the exposed setting, some yearn for a more substantial village, some for more variety of terrain, some simply for more runs. They have a point. If we’re going to a bleak, high, snow-sure resort where there is nothing to do but ski or board, we’d rather go somewhere with rather more skiing or boarding to do (like Tignes, for example).

On Mountain Dining

There are 11 lodges and mountain restaurants dotted across the resort. These range from traditional lodges with table service and self-service restaurants to umbrella bars for a quick drink and a snack. The Top Mountain Star is an undoubted highlight in this respect. At 3,080 meters above sea level, the viewing platform and panoramic bar are quite simply astonishing. Expect breath-taking views over the Ötztaler Alps, extending all the way to the Dolomites. Despite the futuristic architecture, the building is nicely integrated into the mountainside and a great place to unwind.

Foodies should definitely give the Hohe Mut Alm a try. It offers Tirolean specialties right out of the top draw: Kaspressknödel, Tiroler Gröstl, Kasnocken, and many more favorites are served in rustic surroundings. The view of 21 3,000m peaks comes as standard! The large sundeck here is without down one of the top highlights in the ski area, if not the entire region. If you enjoy après-ski fun, then Arnold’s Schirmbar in Hochgurgl or the Festkogel-Alm are the places to head for.

What’s Great

• Glaciers apart, one of the Alps’ most reliable resorts for snow – especially good for a late-season holiday
• Excellent area for beginners, timid intermediates and families
• Normally liftline- and crowd-free
• Retains village charm despite modern development
• lively tea-time après-ski
• Obergurgl and Hochgurgl slopes are now linked by gondola

You can easily reach Neustift by car. It is approximately 16 miles south of Innsbruck. Halfway along the Stubai valley, Neustift is the closest large community to the Stubai Glacier.

Skiing around the traditional Tyrolean village of Neustift is only the tip of the iceberg. There are 24 high-speed lifts. Austria’s largest glacier ski resort ascends from 5,688 to 10,400 feet. It is home to world-renowned snow conditions and the finest year-round skiing you can imagine.

Stubai Glacier has everything you need for a great day of skiing or riding no matter what your ability:

• gentle runs for beginners and families
• challenging moguls
• heart pounding double black diamond runs

The naturally divided skiable terrain includes:

• 33 miles of trails
• two permanent racecourses
• 2.8-mile cross-country ski track
• ice-climbing tower

In addition to the glacier, there are intermediate trails above the village of Neustift. Fulpmes (with its satellite village of Telfes) has more extensive local slopes and Milders has some slopes, too. The Stubai-Superski lift pass covers all these resorts, the glacier, and the shuttle bus that runs every half-hour.

While many young or youngish visitors like it for its lively nightlife, it’s also an excellent family resort. It has highly regarded kindergartens and a fun pool with special children’s area. Fortunately, the liveliest of the nightlife in Mayrhofen is in a few very popular places, that families can easily avoid in such a large village.

Two lifts link Mayrhofen’s existing slopes with those of Lenersbach and Vorderlanersbach, increasing the local trails by around 40% and giving some much-needed longer runs. Most of the existing runs are very short, typically 300m/980ft to 400m/1310ft vertical. Intermediates who are willing to travel around on the free buses can have an enjoyable varied week visiting different ski areas on the Ziller valley lift ticket. There is an excellent glacier up at Hintertux. But if you plan to spend a lot of time at the glacier, consider staying in Lanersbach.

Despite lift improvements, this is still an inconvenient resort. The main lift station is at one end of town and you have to catch the lift down as well as up or end up a bus ride from town.

Après-Ski and Nightlife

The town of Mayerhofen has a number of bars lining up on the main road: For example the Harakiri Bar Mayerhofen- ´the steepest bar in Zillertal´. It invites for a nightcap and dancing until the crack of dawn accompanied by great DJs. Don´t be surprised if you walk right into a motto party. There´s never a shortage of live music at Mo´s Cafe and special events keep the apres-ski scene full of surprises. The Ice bar is another hot spot for apres-ski fans.

Dining and Restaurants

The wine & dine safari is a great possibility for gourmets that want to explore the restaurants of the holiday spot Mayrhofen-Hippach. Restaurant Mountain and Soul in Ramsau are part of this experience. Taste the so-called ´Soulkitchen´ at Hotel Stefanie in Hippach, Hotel Alpenblick, and Hotel Sieghard. They all serve the trendy and uncomplicated dishes. Every month you get to visit another restaurant during the summer months June, July, August, and September. Here you socialize with other gourmet-fans while you all enjoy culinary delights and Austria´s top awarded wines.

What’s Great

• Excellent children’s amenities
• Lively après-ski – though it’s easily avoided if you prefer peace
• Wide range of off-slope facilities
• Snow sure by Tyrol standard, plus the Hintertux glacier nearby
• Various nearby areas on the same lift pass, and reached by free bus

Lech and its higher neighbor Zürs are the most glamorous and expensive resorts in Austria. Their shared slopes could easily be linked with those of St.Anton. However, that would mean that their rich and royal visitors would have to mingle with hoi polloi from the equally famous but less exclusive neighbor.

Lech is for those who don’t mind fur coats, do like well groomed, snow sure, cruising slopes, and are content to enjoy a winter holiday in pampered comfort and style in a traditional Alpine village.

There are challenging slopes available (mainly off-slope). The tougher slopes of St.Anton are only a short bus- or car ride away. But it is the part-timers, those who enjoy the après and the strolling as much as the winter sports who will get the most out of the resort.

It helps to have a deep pocket.

What’s Great

Fair-sized, largely intermediate slope network plus good off-slope terrain
Easy access to the tougher slopes of St Anton and other Arlberg resorts
Sunny slopes with excellent snow record and extensive snowmaking
Lively après-ski scene
Very chic resort, with some very comfortable hotels

GALTÜR: A VARIED SKI RESORT IN THE TYROLEAN PAZNAUN REGION

Perfectly groomed slopes, deep-snow descents for freeriders and breathtaking views from the mountain hut over the snow-covered three-thousand-meter summits of the Silvretta mountains. That’s winter in the Tyrolean mountains for you! Whether you’re a beginner or experienced skier, if you’re looking for unlimited skiing fun, Galtür should be way up on your holiday list! After all, it’s a dream destination for unforgettable individual, couple or family holidays!

Situated in the heart of the Silvretta mountains, the picturesque mountain village of Galtür is the highest ski resort of the Tyrolean Paznaun region. Offering unlimited snow fun for skiers, snowboarders, freeriders and cross-country skiers, the resort boasts 100 percent snow reliability from early December until end of April.

With its six varied sections and 43 kilometers of perfectly groomed slopes, Galtür’s Silvapark offers a snow park concept that’s unique in the whole of Europe. The resort boasts excellent slopes for alpine skiers and race snowboarders, thrilling parks for freestyle snowboarders and freeskiers and first-class trails and tours for cross-country skiers and ski mountaineers. What’s more, Silvapark features great children’s attractions including a practice area with child-friendly descents.

ISCHGL: A WINTER AT THE LIFESTYLE MECCA OF THE ALPS

Amidst the Silvretta and Verwall mountains, a winter holiday of superlatives awaits you at the ski resort Ischgl in the Paznaun! Energetic holiday guests get to choose from a myriad of activities – especially during the colder months of the year. Then, the little town of 1,600 inhabitants transforms itself into a one-of-a-kind holiday destination.

Perfectly groomed slopes. Nicely tracked cross-country trails. Pristine deep snow descents far off the slopes. Toboggan-runs to whizz down on. Fine-dining restaurants for experiencing culinary delights. Mountain huts and restaurants with the authentic flair of the Paznaun. Top events for dancing and partying. The list goes on when it comes to all the highlights that await you in Ischgl in the Paznaun.

On every single day of your vacation, the motto is: “Relax. If you can…”. Are you ready for the most diverse winter holiday that you’ve ever been on? Can you hardly wait to jump into your ski boots? Can you already visualize the snowy winter landscape? Then it’s time to plan your holiday at Ischgl!

More than a ski vacation, Innsbruck is a cultural experience. Travelers looking for fantastic skiing and more will find Innsbruck the perfect choice.
Innsbruck is the Tyrolean capital and is known for its architecture, sightseeing, cultural events, and convenient access to miles of exhilarating ski runs.

Having hosted the Winter Olympics in 1964 and 1976, Innsbruck knows quite a bit about winter sports. Skiers and snowboarders have access to over 500 kilometers (310 miles) of trails in 25 surrounding village resorts connected by a free ski bus. There are eight major ski areas that provide varied terrain for all levels of skiers.

There are several snowboard parks in the area including one at Axamer Lizum with half-pipes and natural jumps and one at the Stubai Glacier with a half-pipe, jumps, and a snowboard racecourse. Cross-country skiing is popular with so much natural beauty to enjoy.

Winter hiking offers a great way to experience the scenery surrounding Innsbruck.Hikers will find at least 96 kilometers (60 miles) of trails. There are many ice skating rinks, some of which are natural and others that are man-made. Another popular non-ski activity in Innsbruck and the surrounding villages is a horse-drawn sleigh ride, a romantic way to see the magnificent scenery of the area.

Over 800 years old, Innsbruck displays its historic treasures for all to see. A walk through its streets takes visitors by the famous Golden Roof, the Ambras Castle, imperial palaces, theaters, opera houses, museums, and much more. Combined with the spectacular natural beauty surrounding it, Innsbruck is hard to beat.

Traditional spa resort with a huge ski & snowboard area.

The Gastein valley isn’t widely known internationally. It deserves better. Its slopes are impressively extensive, and mainly quite challenging. This is great for intermediates who are happy on real red runs.

With its grand hotels, trinket shops and cramped gorge-like setting, central Bad Gastein itself is a far cry from your standard chalet-style Austrian village. However, staying above the center near the lifts offers a more normal winter sports experience. You should consider both Bad Hofgastein and Dorfgastein as a base. They are each a few miles down the valley.

To make the most of the valley you need a car. With five spread out mountains, of which only two are linked, the valley needs a first-class public transport system, and it doesn’t have one. Traveling from one end of the valley to the other can take over an hour and may involve a couple of changes.