PlanetSKI Looks to Winter in The Tirol

31st October 2022

Last modified on November 3rd, 2022

The Austrian region is home to more than 80 ski areas with around 3,400 kms of skiable terrain. Tirol has options for everyone, both on snow and off snow, and the region has been telling us what’s new for this coming season.

Tirol has some of the largest ski resorts in Austria, including SkiWelt Wilder Kaiser, St. Anton am Arlberg and Innsbruck.

Innsbruck is the capital of Tirol, with a big city and ski culture.

It has it all: from city strolls in the valley through to high alpine adventures.

Fly into Innsbruck directly from a multitude of airports including London Gatwick, London Heathrow, Edinburgh, Dublin, Manchester and Birmingham.

Jet2.com is also introducing a direct flight from Bristol from 24th December 2022, which will operate every Saturday until 15th April 2023.

Many preparations are well underway for the up-coming 22/23 winter season:

There are updates to its ski-lift infrastructure.
New accommodation is being built.
Major renovations are taking place across several its resorts.

There are:

New ski lifts.
New cross-country skiing trails.
New highlights for families.
New attractions away from the slopes.

Plus, Ski Juwel Alpbachtal Wildschönau is celebrating its 10th birthday this winter and has plenty of surprises in store.

PlanetSKI has visited the Tirol and its multitude of resorts many times over the past decade or so and we have links to some of our more recent trips towards the end of this article.

We have already reported on some resorts opening their glacier ski areas in recent weeks as the season gets underway:

Glacier ski areas in Austria are opening

Pitztal glacier. Image © PlanetSKI

In the meantime here’s what’s new for the season of 2022/23.

NEW ACCOMMODATION

NEW: Family-Friendly Hotel Zalwonder in Ischgl

Following an eight month construction period, the Hotel Zalwonder in Ischgl, run by the Häusler family, will open on 23 December 2022 – just in time for the Christmas holidays.

The name Zalwonder comes from an old dialect word meaning family, and that is very much the focus here.

The hotel has a total of 36 stylish rooms and suites ideal for couples and families.

The main highlight is the infinity pool on the fourth floor, where the water is kept at a pleasant 32 degrees Celsius all year round.

And there is a large spa area too.

A week’s stay costs from €966 / £ 860 pp based on two people sharing a double room.

See more here.

NEW: Suites at the Dolomitenhof Tristach

The family run Dolomitenhof Tristach in East Tirol has undergone a major renovation with the creation of a new building housing 15 new suites.

Each suite offers 40 m² of living space and features a private sauna or children’s room, floor-to-ceiling windows with fabulous views of the surrounding countryside, and a 10 metre terrace.

All the materials used to furnish the suites have been sourced from the local area, focusing on sustainability and longevity.

As well as the famously good Tirolean food served at the Dolomitenhof Tristach, guests can look forward to a new spa on the top floor with wonderful views of the Dolomites.

A week’s stay costs from €560 / £ 498 pp based on two people sharing a double room on a bed and breakfast basis.

See more here.

NEW: Feel at home at the Kokon Apartments in Seefeld

The List family has fulfilled their dream of being hosts with their new, modern Kokon apartment house in Leutasch, Seefeld.

Four holiday apartments (in the house), offer 35 m² of living space and spacious terraces; everything guests need for a feel-good holiday.

The whole building was constructed with the environment and simplicity in mind, and by featuring a skilful combination of wood and concrete on both the outside and inside, encapsulates a chic and modern style.

Each apartment can sleep up to three people, but these can also be booked in combination and are therefore ideal for larger families or groups of friends.

A week’s stay costs from €1,214 / £765 total for an apartment sleeping up to three people.

See more here.

Alpenresort Schwarz in Mieming, nominated for the Tirol Change Award 2022

Sustainability is the name of the game at the Alpenresort Schwarz on the Mieming Plateau.

This five-star hotel is leading the way when it comes to environmental protection, with efforts made in all areas – from energy and waste management to regional produce and a holistic health concept for members of staff.

This work was recognised with the TRIGOS Tirol Award in 2020.

Now the Alpenresort Schwarz has been nominated for the Tirol Change Award.

This award is given by the organisation Lebensraum Tirol Holding in cooperation with Tirol Werbung, Standortagentur Tirol, and Agrarmarketing to companies, initiatives, and people who have made an outstanding contribution to sustainability in Tirol.

A week’s stay costs from €1,744 / £ 1,552 pp based on two people sharing a double room on a bed and breakfast basis.

See more here.

Home-from-home at Hotel Enzian****

It’s adults only at the Hotel Enzian, which has been given a facelift over the summer and is now ready to welcome guests in winter 2022/23.

Perched at 2,000 metres above sea level, it is the smallest four-star hotel in Obergurgl and now offers 26 rooms, a sky pool on the roof with 360-degree views of the mountains, a new and enlarged gym, and a ski storage room in the basement.

The one thing that has remained the same, however, is the genuinely warm welcome from the Santer family, who runs this friendly and welcoming hotel.

A week’s stay costs from €854 / £757 pp based on two people sharing a double room.

See more here.

Ski Welt, Tirol, Austria. Image © PlanetSKI

NEW ATTRACTIONS

NEW: Culinary Craft Tours in Innsbruck

The new Culinary Craft Tours invite participants to embark on a journey of discovery through Innsbruck.

Offered in German and English, the tours highlight small and medium-sized producers from the city and the surrounding region, with a focus on regional beers, alcoholic drinks, and non-alcoholic beverages.

As the tours wind through the city, visitors are also given interesting information on the main tourist attractions in Innsbruck, including a list of the top 10 things to do in the city plus tips on the best restaurants to be found in the regional capital.

Discover locally produced beers and other beverages and learn more about the people that create them. The beer tour is priced from €75 / £66 pp.

See more here.

NEW: Alpaca Walk around the Thierbacher Kogel Mountain

This family-friendly adventure, wonderful for all ages, invites visitors to explore the snowy landscape in the company of a friendly alpaca.

This winter, there will be a new route added in the form of a special walk around the Thierbacher Kogel mountain.

The route is 5.5 km long, and is not too hilly, making it suitable for children and families.

It is a great way to learn more about these beautiful and peaceful animals while at the same time enjoying fantastic views of the mountains.

The alpaca walk is priced from €35 / £31 pp.

See more here.

NEW: Action and Adventure for kids at the Schatzberg Zwergenland outdoor adventure area

Children of all ages will love the Schatzberg Zwergenland outdoor adventure area in the Ski Juwel Alpbachtal Wildschönau ski resort.

Located next to the middle station of the Schatzbergbahn cable car, it is a great place for families with children wanting to take those first tentative turns on snow.

The area has plenty of space to learn to ski and simply have fun in the mountains.

Highlights include a Snowball Fight Playground, an igloo, a ski carousel, a photo wall, and three easy-to-use conveyor-belt ski lifts.

In addition, the resort will open a further children’s area with a XL conveyor-belt ski lift, a draglift, an adventure ski trail, and a toboggan run down into the valley.

See more here.

NEW: Affordable Family Holidays in Winter 2022/23

The Pitztal Valley is keen to make sure the sport of skiing remains accessible to everyone; it is introducing a brand new Young Family Ski Pass this winter.

Depending on the time of season, the Young Family Ski Pass will cost as little as €106 / £94 for three days and €184 / £164 for six days.

Parents with very young children who do not ski (born on or after 1 December 2020) will receive a special discount on their ski passes.

Kids under 10 years of age receive a free Bambini Ski Pass when accompanied by a parent.

Families staying in accommodation in the Pitztal Valley can also use the option of free ski courses for children during certain periods (only applies to children under six years of age).

See more here.

NEW: Opening of the Silvretta Therme Spa

The new Silvretta Therme spa in Ischgl is spectacular both inside and out.

Spread over five floors, it offers many ways to rest and relax.

Highlights include the Silvretta Sauna with its sauna garden, an outdoor pool with a bar, an adventure pool with a children’s area, a sports pool for those keen to swim a few lengths, a medical spa, a gym, several restaurants, as well as event rooms and an ice skating rink.

The spa runs on 100% sustainable electricity, with most of its heating generated by geothermal energy and a groundwater pump.

A day ticket to the pool and sauna is priced from €16 / £14 pp.

See more here.

Innsbruck, Tirol, Austria – image © PlanetSKI

NEW INFRASTRUCTURE

NEW: Renovation of the Hornbahn 2000 and Top of Alpbachtal Viewing Tower

The Ski Juwel Alpbachtal Wildschönau ski resort has treated itself to a few presents to mark its 10th birthday.

The Hornlift 2000 will be replaced by a heated six-person chairlift with a pull-down plastic bubble to protect passengers from bad weather.

This new lift will transport skiers and snowboarders up to the highest point in the ski resort in just three minutes and 45 seconds.

Once at the top, skiers and snowboarders will find a spectacular viewing tower with the grand name, Top of Alpbachtal.

The station and tower have been designed by the internationally renowned architects, Snøhetta.

See more here.

NEW: Ten-Person Gondola in Axamer Lizum

The resort of Axamer Lizum lies just outside Innsbruck and is one of the most popular resorts near Tirol’s regional capital.

This winter, it will open a new gondola giving quick and easy access to the Hoadl station at the top of the resort.

The chairlifts Schönboden and Hoadl I+II have been replaced by a cable car with 75 individual cabins, accommodating up to 10 passengers at a time.

The cable car runs all the way to the top of the ski pistes at 2,340 metres altitude and includes a new administrative building at the bottom as well as a shop and a rental centre.

There are also plans to build a hydroelectric plant on the Axamer Bach river near Axams to generate most of the energy needed by the new lift.

See more here.

NEW: Furglerblick Eight-Person Gondola in Ischgl

The resort of Ischgl will see the inauguration of a new eight-person gondola called Furglerblick in December.

This new gondola will travel up 1,142 metres altitude, reaching the top station positioned at 2,570 m in just over four minutes.

From the top station, skiers and snowboarders can enjoy easier access to a larger off-piste area, perfect for those looking to carve out their own route, and a new blue run.

The Furglerblick should ease the pressure on the area’s four-seater chairlift, cutting down queueing times and making getting up the mountain easier.

The lift was designed with nature in mind, with the aim of damaging the environment as little as possible during construction.

See more here.

NEW: Facelift for the Snowpark Steinplatte Waidring

Over the summer months, the snowpark in Steinplatte Waidring has received a facelift.

This winter, the snowpark will invite snowboarders and freestyle skiers to try four new routes of varying difficulty, as well as lots of creative elements for flips, tricks and grinds.

Depending on the set-up, the 1.5 km line contains 15-18 elements – including boxes, tubes, rails, hips, kicks, and banked corners.

See more here.

NEW: Biathlon Centre in Schwoich

Under construction since autumn 2021, the new biathlon centre (combining cross country skiing and shooting) in Schwoich, near Kufstein, is set to open in time for the winter season 2022/23.

Aimed at talented youngsters and those new to the sport, it marks the starting point of several cross-country skiing trails of differing length and difficulty.

The aim is to make the biathlon centre the main element of a cross-country skiing concept stretching throughout the region.

One of the main highlights is the modern shooting range.

The centre can also be used in the summer months, when skis are swapped for special roller skates used by biathletes and cross-country skiers to train during the warm months of the year.

See more here.