Ten Reasons to Ski in Austria This Winter

20th October 2023

Last modified on November 1st, 2023

Well-groomed ski pistes, state-of-the-art lifts, as well as a modern infrastructure await. We asked the Austrian National Tourist Office to give us their top reasons to visit.

10 Reasons to Ski in Austria:

1. Snow is Guaranteed

Snow-guarantee is a crucial factor when choosing a winter holiday and the country is widely recognised as one of the world’s best snow-sure skiing destinations.

The snow on the ground remains well into spring, with packed powder on the groomed runs, and light powder off-piste.

The high altitude of some of its mountains brings about good snow conditions up until springtime – and beyond.

In Tirol alone there are 5 glaciers – such as the Hintertux glacier, which offers year-round skiing.

PlanetSKI was there last June:

PlanetSKI goes summer glacier skiing in the Tirol

Zell am See-Kaprun has skiing from October to June thanks to the Kitzsteinhorn glacier.

And if everything goes wrong, Austria’s resorts also feature top-notch snow-making facilities, ensuring well groomed pistes no matter the weather.

Even better: 90% of them use green energy only.

Gurgl, Tirol. Image © PlanetSKI

2. Austrian Gemütlichkeit & Hospitality

The Austrian notion of Gemütlichkeit is hard to explain.

It embodies cosiness, comfort and homeliness and is a word that just can’t be translated.

You’ll find plenty of this during your winter skiing adventure.

Cosy rustic mountain huts invite you to while away the hours, nursing a hot spicy Glühwein or a home-made schnaps in front of a crackling log fire.

The service and hospitality in Austria is guaranteed to leave you with a warm glow even on cold winter days.

Most of Austria’s hotels and guest houses are family-run, giving you the chance to become a temporary port of the owners’s everyday life, which further adds to the homely atmosphere.

Ski Welt, Tirol. Image © PlanetSKI

3. Unrivalled Infrastructure

Austria has some of the very best winter sports infrastructure in Europe, and seamlessly combines modernity with the authentic vibe of the past.

Come to Austria for a wealth of perfectly groomed pistes suitable for all ages and skill levels:

Fun snow parks
Excellent snow-making facilities
Good ski-hire equipment
Impressive viewing galleries and photo spots,
State-of-the-art lift and cable car installations.

Austria invests millions of Euros every single year into continuously improving and upgrading the country’s already impressive lift and gondola network – and making it more sustainable on top.

Pitztal, Tirol, Austria. Image © PlanetSKI

4. Great Value for Money

Austria is well known for winning on the value-for-money stakes, with everything from lift passes, ski schools, eating out, and partying costing less than in many other comparable popular ski destinations.

Not only will you enjoy a skiing holiday that won’t break the bank, but there will be so much more thrown in.

Savvy travellers can find great deals in Austria’s ski regions, including all-in passes for transportation or free ski passes for kids.

Gurgl, Tirol. Image © PlanetSKI

5. Unrivalled Après-Ski

From rocking beats into the night in the valley to friendly gatherings outside a mountain hut, Austria has an enviable and unrivalled après-ski culture.

Unlike in other countries, the party kicks off in the early afternoon.

You can expect friendly crowds, delicious food, catchy tunes, Jägertee, fantastic local beer or schnaps, and the indescribable uplifting feeling when all the people in the room seem to know the words to the après-ski songs and erupt in a chorus, dancing on the tables.

But Austria isn’t just about partying hard on the pistes.

Many ski resorts now double as gourmet foodie destinations with a great choice of award-winning restaurants.

Whatever your après-ski preference, Austria won’t disappoint.

St Johann, Tirol. Image © PlanetSKI

6. Variety Galore

Austria’s skiing regions offer no end of variety of ski runs, activities and stunning scenery.

Whether you’re looking to mix it up and prefer not to ski the same slope more than once during your stay.

The Skicircus is one of the top 10 biggest ski resorts in the world.

The Arlberg is now Austria’s largest contiguous skiing area.

Then there’s small and intimate with such as hidden gems like Sankt Johann in Salzburg or Hochkönig).

In total Austria has 426 ski areas.

For a literal change of scenery, you could ski on the Kitzsteinhorn glacier on a cold morning in Zell am See-Kaprun before making your way down to skate the frozen Lake Zell in the afternoon.

Austria provides a wealth of varied pistes for all ages and skill levels.

St Johann, Tirol. Image © PlanetSKI

7. Charming Resorts with an Authentic Village Life

Austria’s mountain resorts not only meet the best standards, but often exceed them in value and service.

Most of the four- or five-star hotels in Austria have their own spa facilities, so you can relax your mind and muscles in style after a long day on the slopes.

As is the Austrian way, service and gratuities are always included in the rate.

You can ski right into many of the villages, and the lifts and cable cars are usually within easy walking distance to your home away from home.

Beautiful, picturesque hotels, with fluffy down comforters and cozy rooms, friendly hosts, and hearty Austrian food await you.

All this happens in chocolate box villages that grew organically, expanding over the centuries.

The result is an Old-World atmosphere for your perfect winter fairy-tale.

Ski Welt, Tirol, Austria. Image © PlanetSKI

8. Premier World-Class Ski Schools

In Austria, there are world-class ski schools for all levels with roughly 18,000 ski instructors from all over the world.

Most ski schools have English-speaking instructors.

The Austrian instructor training is considered to be the leading in the world, with those making it to the end having mastered more training days and a higher qualification than in any other country.

The ski schools of St. Anton am Arlberg look back on a long tradition, with the first school there being established in 1921.

Kitzbühel was the first place in Austria to introduce ski instruction.

Runs for every skill level can be found on Austria’s slopes, giving you the chance to practice your newly learned moves and techniques.

9. Safety Is a Priority

The last few years have seen an increase of skiers in Austria, but the number of skiing accidents has fallen by around 50% in the last ten years.

Not only does Austria rank high up on the safest countries to travel and live in worldwide, but all the investment in the sport and its infrastructure means that slopes are safe for winter sports enthusiasts.

The high quality of its ski lifts, meticulously groomed pistes together with the well-trained ski patrol and emergency services means that skiing in Austria is safer than in many other European countries.

Unlike other places, it is obligatory for children under the age of 15 to wear helmets when skiing.

Before you put on your skis, check out our tips on how to stay safe and get fit for the slopes

10. There’s Lots to Do Beyond the Ski Slopes

Thanks to the fantastic arena of mountains and lakes, snow and ice, Austria’s winter wonderland offers up countless activities off the slopes.

Owing to its extensive areas of natural thermal water and fresh Alpine air, the country looks back on a long tradition of health and well-being with a wealth of superior spas just a stone’s throw from the winter slopes, such as Zell am See-Kaprun’s Tauern Spa resort.

Spectacular panoramic views, wild animals and winter flora can be experienced snowshoeing, and particularly impressive routes can be found in the Rauris Valley.

Tobogganing slopes all over the country offer unbridled fun for the whole family, such as at Wildkogel, which prides itself as being the world’s longest floodlit toboggan run.

Take a Segway tour across snowy meadows, such as those offered in Serfaus in Tirol.

Adrenaline junkies can get their fix scaling the dizzy heights of frozen waterfalls whilst ice climbing.

Put some magic into your winter adventure by taking a romantic horse-drawn carriage or sleigh ride,.

Perhaps sample local schnaps or taste hot doughnuts under the twinkling lights at one of Austria’s internationally renowned Christmas markets or skate around a frozen lake.

The possibilities really are endless, and you’re guaranteed never to have a dull moment on your winter holiday in Austria.