Best ski resorts in Austria: Chosen by certified ski guide Kevin Maderegger
Austria is the place to ski in Europe. So we checked in with Kevin Maderegger, a MONTEC rider and certified Austrian ski guide and instructor, for the inside scoop on the best ski resorts in Austria. Ready to plan the most epic trip? Clip in.
When it comes to skiing in Austria, you might already know some of the big names: St. Anton, Ischgl, Kitzbühel… But those are barely scratching the surface. Austria is home to over 400 ski resorts, and with some of them racking up over 10 meters of snowfall annually, there’s plenty of powder to dig your edges into. So, with tons on offer, where do you go, and how do you plan a ski trip that actually makes the most of it?
We had the same question, so we spent the day picking the brains of Kevin Maderegger, MONTEC rider and certified Austrian ski guide. He gave us all the insider information. Let’s drop in!
Kevin Maderegger’s Austria guide
Le località in breve
Mappa delle località sciistiche in Austria
Le località preferite di Kevin
Altre località da considerare
Quando sciare in Austria
I consigli di viaggio di Kevin
FAQ
Resorts at a glance
Check out my favorite Austrian ski resorts below, along with what makes them extra special.
Austria ski resorts map
Kevin’s top ski resorts
If I were sending a friend on a dream trip through Austria, I’d tell them to skip the eastern hills entirely. Instead, start in Salzburg, cut through the central peaks, and head straight out west into Tyrol and the Arlberg. These nine spots are my absolute top recommendations.
St. Anton am Arlberg
Ski Arlberg is easily my favorite resort in Austria. Thanks to where it sits geographically, this resort catches huge storm totals from every direction, meaning you get more snow here than almost anywhere else in the Alps. The freeriding and ski touring potential is basically endless. Okay, it’s definitely not a mellow mountain. It’s steep, technical, and fast, but when a big storm rolls in, there’s no place I’d rather be clicking into my skis.
Schladming
Starting from Salzburg, Schladming is the first place I’d send a friend. It links four mountains together, including the famous Planai World Cup run. What I love about it is the sheer length of the groomers. For example, you can carve top-to-bottom runs without stopping, right through the trees. Schladming is fast, incredibly well-maintained, and packed with fantastic little rustic huts where you can grab proper homemade food when your legs start burning.
Obertauern
Perched high up on an alpine pass, Obertauern is a lifesaver when lower valleys are starved for snow. It pulls in massive natural snowpacks, and the village sits right inside a natural bowl, so that you can ski a full circuit straight back to your door. For steep turns, the Gamsleiten 2 is legendary, but the real magic is the cold, chalky freeride stashes along the ridges that stay fresh for days.
Zauchensee
Zauchensee is one of those hidden gems people fly right past on their way to bigger resorts, which suits me just fine! Tucked into a sheltered high bowl, Zauchensee catches serious snow while staying protected from harsh alpine winds. I head here when big winter storms shut down the exposed peaks elsewhere. The tree runs are playful, steep, and you can lap fresh tracks all day without fighting crowds.
Kitzsteinhorn
Towering above Kaprun at over 3,000 meters (9,842.5 feet), Kitzsteinhorn Glacier Ski Resort is where to go when you want guaranteed winter snow. The glacier is an essential stomping ground for early-autumn laps and late-spring riding when lower slopes turn to slush. Aside from massive terrain parks, the glacier also has incredible marked freeride routes that drop down into the valley, offering big vertical descents with unreal views over Lake Zell.
Fieberbrunn
Fieberbrunn is a long-running FWT venue. While Fieberbrunn is linked into the huge Skicircus lift network, it keeps its raw freeride soul. The terrain off the Wildseeloder peak is wild, packed with steep faces, natural drops, and deep powder pillows. The snowpack sets up super well, making it one of the absolute best spots in the country if you love dropping in with a backcountry pack.
Axamer Lizum
Just half an hour outside Innsbruck, Axamer Lizum (or the “White Roof of Innsbruck”) delivers a classic, no-nonsense punch that has made it the host of two Winter Olympics. Sitting in a high basin under the jagged Kalkkögel peaks, Axamer Lizum is a pure local rider's mountain. You get steep groomers, fun natural hits, and cold, north-facing sidecountry chutes right on the city's doorstep, without dealing with luxury-resort fuss.
Sölden
Down in the Ötztal, Sölden is an absolute beast of a mountain. With two massive glaciers and three peaks topping 3,000 meters (9,842.5 feet), the sheer vertical will test anyone’s fitness. Most tourists come for the party vibe and the groomers, which leaves the wild, high-alpine freeride terrain off the Gaislachkogl completely open. The elevation keeps the snow dry and reliable from October all the way through spring.
Ischgl
Everyone thinks Ischgl is just about wild après-ski, but that’s where most guides get it wrong. Because the party crowd spends midday at the bars, the mountain is wide open! 90% of the slopes sit above 2,000 meters (6,562 feet), keeping the snow chalky and crisp. You can shred incredible freeride lines off Piz Val Gronda, cruise over the Swiss border into Samnaun for lunch, and lap lift-accessed powder without any lift lines.
More resorts to consider
Already skied everything above? Check out these other awesome resorts in Austria.
- Lech Zürs am Arlberg: tra la neve fresca più profonda dell’Austria
- Kitzbühel: storia delle gare austriache e carving classico
- Mayrhofen: pendii ripidi, snowpark e après-ski
- Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis: sci in famiglia con opzioni freeride
- Obergurgl-Hochgurgl: neve d’alta quota e piste deserte
- Ghiacciaio dello Stubai: freeride in quota e prime uscite di stagione
When to ski in Austria
Timing has shifted a bit lately, and the sweet spot of winter is definitely later now. However, if you ask me, March is king. The high-alpine base is locked in, big storms still dump dry powder up high, and longer sunny days give you plenty of daylight for touring or chilling on hut terraces. If deep snow is the goal, brush up on how to ski in powder before you go.
That said, late January is still awesome with cold, consistent weather and deep snow. This is especially true if you stick out west above the treeline and aim for those higher resorts that scoop up early-season storms.
Kevin’s trip tips
- Punta a ovest: salta le colline dell’est. È nell’Austria occidentale (Salisburgo, Tirolo e Vorarlberg) che trovi le montagne vere, i dislivelli più grandi e le perturbazioni che arrivano da tutti i lati.
- Sfrutta le località da festa: molte guide evitano le mecche del divertimento, ma in realtà sono ottimi posti per il freeride. Mentre la folla smaltisce la sbornia o si piazza al bar fin dal primo pomeriggio, le conche fuoripista ripide sono tutte tue.
- Cerca i rifugi più piccoli: evita i grandi self-service alle stazioni a monte delle cabinovie. Trova invece le piccole baite in legno a gestione familiare nascoste lungo le piste. Ordina una Kaspressknödelsuppe (zuppa di canederli al formaggio), un soffice Kaiserschmarrn (frittata dolce sminuzzata) e chiudi con un bicchierino di Zirbenschnaps (grappa al pino cembro)!
- Non farti ingannare dalle mappe delle piste giganti: i grandi comprensori collegati sembrano fantastici sulla carta, ma passi metà giornata su stradine pianeggianti di collegamento. Le valli più piccole e raccolte di solito offrono discese molto migliori lungo la linea di massima pendenza e neve intatta.
FAQs
L’Austria è adatta per sciare in neve fresca?
Sì. L’Austria occidentale viene investita da enormi sistemi perturbati che scaricano neve abbondante sui paradisi del freeride, tra cui l’Arlberg, Fieberbrunn e i ghiacciai d’alta quota del Tirolo.
Dove si trova l’après-ski migliore in Austria?
St. Anton am Arlberg e Ischgl sono in testa. A St. Anton si balla scatenati con gli scarponi ai piedi al MooserWirt, mentre a Ischgl è tutto il paese a fare festa fino a notte fonda.
L’Austria è adatta ai principianti?
Assolutamente. Trovi maestri di altissimo livello che parlano inglese, e località come Obertauern e Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis hanno piste ampie e facili con neve ottima, anche a quota paese.
L’Austria è adatta alle famiglie?
L’Austria è probabilmente la migliore meta d’Europa per le famiglie. Le località sono pensate per i bambini, con piste dedicate e divertenti, scuole di sci eccellenti e paesi a misura di famiglia. Le mie scelte? Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis, con impianti sicuri per i più piccoli, oppure Obergurgl-Hochgurgl per l’accesso sci ai piedi (così i bambini non devono camminare fino agli impianti con gli sci in spalla!).
Before you go
Skiing in Austria belongs in any conversation about the best ski resorts in Europe, and it’s just about as good as winter gets. For the ultimate trip, keep my top tips in mind. Head out west to Salzburg, Tyrol, and the Arlberg for the biggest terrain and deepest storms, lock in March for that dream combo of high-altitude powder and sunny hut terraces, and never pass up a bowl of homemade Kaspressknödelsuppe. See you on the hill!