EUROPEAN SKI
HOLIDAYS
AUSTRIA

Capital: Vienna
Currency: Euro
Language: German
Time: GMT +1
Telephone Code: 00 43
Austria is located in Central Europe and is
largely made up of the Alps. The Austrian Alps make up over 60
percent of the country but the Central Eastern Alps as well as
the Northern and Southern Limestone Alps are also partially in
Austria.
It's no surprise
Austria dominates in the Nations Cup for Alpine Skiing and
holds a total of 23 Cups amid the Men and Women’s division
between 1967 and 2008.
Innsbruck, one of Austria’s biggest tourist
vacation spots is considered the capital of the Alps and has
been an Olympic city twice.
A must see tourist attraction in Innsbruck
is the Golden Roof, one of Austria's characteristic landmark
attractions. You will not be disappointed!
Austria has over 30 ski
resorts with the biggest tourist vacation spot
being located in Innsbruck.
Innsbruck has over 300
miles of trails and 25 village resorts that are connected by a
ski bus. Innsbruck offers six major ski areas with various
terrains for all levels of skiing. Innsbruck highest lift is
10,498 feet and the lowest lift is 2789 feet; the longest
vertical drop is 7,710 feet.
There are 70 beginner runs, 84 intermediate
runs and 46 expert runs for skiing. The conditions for skiing
are ideal in Innsbruck with a winter base of 55 to 60 inches of
snow and an average of between 12 and 20 inches of fresh snow;
the base dropping in the spring to between 35 and 45
inches.
Despite the prevalent snow fall Innsbruck
also has 11 trails with snow makers to ensure skiing
availability.
Although Innsbruck is the
most popular ski spot in Austria it is not the only one.
Vorarlberg is the province of
Austria that is closest to Switzerland and has about 20
ski resorts.
The runs are from 171 miles to just 6 miles
long with some of the more major resorts offering beginning,
intermediate and expert runs.
Vorarlberg major
resorts offer skiing from late November to May with plentiful
natural snow and snow machines when not so plentiful.
Salzburg is another province in Austria
that offers ski resorts with skiing available from November to
May and hosts over 60 miles of runs.
Lift
Information
Innsbruck provides the uphill skier and
snowboarder with chair lifts, drag lifts and gondolas; however,
no high tech lift options. The total uphill lift capacity is
about 60,000 skiers per hour.Vorarlberg known to be innovative
and a pioneering winter sports enthusiast attracting ski area
hosts heated chair lifts. Vorarlberg has a total of over 330
lifts to cover 235 runs.
Cross Country Skiing
Cross country skiers will enjoy over 90 miles
of scenic trails in Innsbruck and over 100 miles of groomed
slopes for cross country skiing in Vorarlberg. Near Innsbruck a
cross country ski tour is available utilizing the nearby
villages, farms, meadows and woods. With the terrain and
climate of Austria cross country skiing is a means of
transportation as well as a fun winter activity.
Types of
Accommodation
For your
skiing convenience in Innsbruck there are over 45 hotels
available most of which offer ski bus service to the
lifts. Looking for something a little more intimate? The
Hotel Weisses Kreuz, located in the Gothic old town of
Innsbruck, offers 40 rooms and includes
breakfast.
Vorarlberg offers over 120
hotels, 3 bed and breakfast and 4 specialty lodgings such as
chalet and apartments. Many of the hotels near the ski areas of
Austria offer fitness rooms, spa and sauna services as well as
restaurants and event schedules.
Best Ways to Get There
Getting to the
resorts in Austria is simple with shuttle service from airports
for those who fly in as well as car rentals available, public
transportation and shuttle services are available from hotels
directly to the resorts. The roadways are available once you
purchase a Vignette in Austria that allows you to use the
motorway system.
Après
Ski
Skiing Austria is truly amazing with the
scenery, natural mountainous region and snow and like any good
day it must come to an end and if your ski day is ending in
Austria you are in for a treat with the favorable and bounteous
Après Ski events.
The Krazy Kangaruh in St. Anton, Austria is one of the highest
rated Après Ski spots in Austria and
is located on the piste. Another popular Apres ski spot in
Austria is Trofana Alm in Ischgl for music and drinking and
making new friends with as popular and closely packed as it
tends to get.
Ski Resorts
in Austria
Alpbach
Axamer Lizum
Bad Gastein
Bad Hofgastein
Finkenberg
Fulpmes
Hinterglemm
Igls
Innsbruck
Ischgl/Galtur
Kaprun
Kirchberg
Kirchdorf
Kitzbuhel
Lech
Leogang
Mallnitz
Obergurgl
Obertauern
Oetz/Oetztal
Rauris
Saalbach
Scheffau
Schladming / Haus
Solden
Soll
St Anton
St Anton Montafon
St Christoph
St Johann in Tirol
St Wolfgang
Trins
Vandans/Montafon
Westendorf
Wildschonau
Zell am See
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