Your Travel City Guide

OK, so it may not have the highest slopes in the Alps, but it undoubtedly has some of the best skiing and boarding, nonetheless – features which regularly make Austria one of the top skiing destinations in the whole of Europe. Many other European ski resorts are just ever so slightly soulless; in Austria, they’re genuine little villages with delightful little chalets and historic churches – the kind of fairytale image you’d find on a luxury Christmas card.

One of the most snow-sure resorts in the country is the enchantingly named Obergurgl, which also happens to be Austria’s highest at 1930 metres. If you’d like access to a lively nightlife after your day’s skiing, you’d be hard-pressed to beat Kitzbuhel. This resort has exceptionally varied and, it has to be said, challenging terrain, with plenty of adrenaline-charged moguls and off-piste skiing (the snow does tend to get a little patchy at lower altitudes here, though).  A similarly exciting resort can be found in St Anton, which hosted the World Alpine Ski Championships in 2001. You’ll get some of the most breathtaking off-piste skiing in the country here, along with plenty of Austrian après-ski.  At the super-sophisticated (and very expensive) end of the spectrum, Lech and Zurs are widely recognised as the most exclusive ski venues in Austria, with exquisite hotel accommodation, beautifully scenic village settings and superb eateries to round the day off.

Ski accommodation in Austria is generally of a very good standard indeed, but bear in mind that a skiing holiday can work out cheaper than self-catering here – food and wine are usually included in the package price.