Skiing in Austria

Skiing in Austria is a must if you are looking for the magical charm of traditional wooden clad villages nestled beneath beautiful tree lined slopes, and some of the liveliest après ski in Europe.

Skiing in Austria
Whilst skiing to suit all experience levels can be found all over Austria, the welcoming and unintimidating tree lined slopes that characterise skiing in Austria is often most attractive to beginners and intermediates, as well as family groups.

Skiing in Austria can be heaven for off-piste lovers when snow conditions are good, and in some regions this is very often the case, with varied terrain from fantastic tree runs to exhilarating steep gulleys. Freestyle fans will also find that Austria boasts some great snowparks.

Ski Resorts in Austria
Most Austrian ski resorts are traditional villages, set in valley floors, with tree lined mountains rising around them. Whilst this low altitude can sometimes mean poorer snow conditions than the higher resorts of the French Alps, the Austrians have in recent years addressed this with an impressive improvement in snowmaking faciilites on lower slopes. There are exceptions to this, with some Austrian ski resorts boasting some of the best glacier skiing in Europe.

The architectural charm of Austrian ski resorts is also a big plus point. Generally they are completely free from the unattractive and obtrusive purpose built apartment and hotel blocks found in many of the larger French ski resorts, giving Austrian resorts a distinctly traditional feel unrivalled by most other alpine regions. That is not to say the resorts are not developed, as every modern convenience imaginable in a ski resort is usually available, just that any development has been mostly done in the traditional wooden chalet style.

Apres Ski in Austria
Apres ski in Austria is jolly and highly lively, where beer and schnapps flow freely to the sounds of thumping europop from mid afternoon until well after dark. Many mountain bars stay open until late evening, meaning that come closing time you will still need to be able to stand in order to ski your way back down to the resort.

Unlike France where much of the après ski scene is dominated by British and Scandinavian revellers, the Tirolean après is still a distinctly Austrian affair, where the lingua franca is German. It's not unusual to hear drinking songs sung in German ringing throughout the cosy bars until well after dark, and in places where live bands are playing, expect any available flat surface to be used as a dancefloor - tables and bars included!

Of course not all watering holes conform to this description, as there are also many sophisticated bars and hotels where a more civilised après ski environment can be found.  And for families there are many options with most Austrian ski resorts offering activities such as floodlit tobogganing, bowling, fondue nights and karaoke.