Words Kate Robertson
Instead, it does glaciers, saunas, smugglers’ trails, Bond villains, race cars on snow and ski passes that give you more options than a dating app. Whether you want high-octane après-ski chaos, slow scenic cruising or full-blown wellness indulgence, Austria is the best place to go all-in on lesser-known ski resorts.
Whether you want
Because beyond the headline acts and champagne-spraying après circuses, there’s another Austria. Quieter. Wilder. Slightly weirder. The kind of places where lift lines are mythical, the schnitzel tastes homemade, and the locals look mildly confused that you found their mountain at all.
So, book the flight. Pack your thermals. And politely tell your responsibilities you’ll be back when the snow melts.
Innsbruck Region (Kühtai & Stubai)
The “Why choose?” capital of Tirol
Innsbruck is for overachievers who love to ski before breakfast, visit a museum at lunch, and still make happy hour. The historic city has a buffet of ski areas within easy reach — from high-altitude Kühtai to the Stubai Glacier.
Kühtai sits at a lung-busting 2,020 metres above sea level, making it Austria’s highest ski resort and basically one giant ski-in/ski-out fantasy. Wake up, strap in, glide off. No shuttle buses. And no excuses.
Meanwhile, Stubai, Austria’s biggest glacier ski area, is for people who really, really love ice. Ice climbers can tackle frozen waterfalls and a 20-metre ice tower. Would-be ice climbers can even learn how to impress their friends.
The SKI plus CITY Pass seals the deal. One lift pass covers 12 ski areas around Innsbruck, which means commitment-phobes can ski a different mountain every day and get a hit of culture or shopping in town.
Ischgl
Smugglers, superstars and saunas
Once a dodgy cross-border smugglers’ route, now a vast ski empire straddling Austria and Switzerland, Ischgl is perfect for travellers with decision fatigue and a love of duty-free shopping. Ski into another country, buy some Toblerone, ski back. Job done.
The après-ski scene is legendary, chaotic and loud in the best way, with buzzing open-air bars that start pumping at lunch. When you finally crawl away, recover at Silvretta Therme, where sauna infusions and spa rituals will steam the bad decisions right out of you.
Ischgl also throws one of the Alps’ most ridiculous opening and closing parties, with international music stars performing on top of a mountain because why not? Add in one of the longest ski seasons in the Alps (late November to early May) and a village that’s basically all ski-in/ski-out, and you’ve got a winter wonderland (with a hangover).
Ötztal / Sölden
Glaciers, Bond villains and an actual iceman
Sölden is both skiing and sci-fi combined. This popular Ötztal Valley town offers glacier skiing, Austria’s longest ski run, and jaw-dropping viewing platforms above the 3,000-metre mark with uninterrupted alpine drama in every direction.
A ski tunnel and connected lifts mean you can cruise between the winter and glacier ski areas without ever unclipping. Efficiency. Love it.
History nerds get a look-in too: a stone pyramid on the Similaun Glacier marks where Ötzi the Iceman was found, casually reminds you that humans have been freezing their bits off here for thousands of years.
Then it gets weirdly cinematic. The Gaislachkogl Gondelbahn whisks you up to the 3,040-metre summit, home to the 007 ELEMENTS experience and the ice Q restaurant, Austria’s highest gourmet restaurant and James Bond filming location.
For the ultra-competitive, there’s the BIG3 Rally, an endurance challenge to ski up and down three 3,000+ metre mountains in one day. Bragging rights? Hell yeah.
Hotel AQUA DOME Tirol Therme Längenfeld.
Saalbach Hinterglemm
Endless runs and unexpected bowling
This isn’t one mountain. It’s a vast, interconnected lift network, which is excellent news for skiers who hate retracing their tracks.
There’s free guided snowshoe walking for your wholesome side, regular night skiing under floodlights for your feral side, and a pumping après-ski scene that includes a food truck and a pub with a bowling alley. Yes, really.
Zell am See–Kaprun
Glaciers, lakes and a piste with a death-wish
This region combines a glacier, a historic lakeside town and a modern ski resort in one appealing package. Kaprun is home to the Black Mamba (Piste 14 on the Kitzsteinhorn glacier), a run so steep and narrow it should come with its own warning label. With a gradient up to 63 percent and zero escape routes, it’s strictly for experts with a death wish (and good insurance).
Zell am See brings the pretty postcard vibes with its lakeside town, while skiing is possible year-round on the glacier for those who think summer is overrated.
For something truly bonkers, there’s the FAT Ice Race — a modern take on Skijöring, except instead of horses, it’s cars racing on snow. Yes, snow.
Hochkönig
Skiing for people who hate crowds
If nightlife makes you tired just thinking about it, Hochkönig is your spiritual home. This alpine region is built around interconnected villages rather than one big resort hub and is all about long scenic runs, uncrowded pistes and a slower, more local pace.
The villages of Mühlbach, Dienten and Maria Alm link up to form a dreamy circuit. The highlight is the Königstour (King’s Tour), a breathtaking 35-kilometre ski loop that tops out around 1,900 metres. It’s the ultimate day trip for people who want epic scenery without techno music blasting at them.
At Hochkönig, the ski huts serve local produce instead of DJ sets. Radical.
Schladming–Dachstein
Stairway to heaven
This is a full alpine region, not just a single town, which means you get villages, glaciers, culture and way too many activities to fit into one trip.
The Schladminger 4-Berge-Schaukel links multiple mountains into one massive skiing playground. When your legs give up, there’s tobogganing, horse-drawn sleigh rides, curling, ice skating and winter hiking to keep you entertained.
The Dachstein Glacier adds full drama mode with its epic suspension bridge that provides a panorama stretching across the Alps to Germany and Slovenia (on super clear days). Or head up a stairway to ‘Nothingness’ or ‘Heaven’. You can reflect on your choices at the glacier restaurant with its 280-degree view.
get in the know Hochkönig and Schladming–Dachstein are part of Ski amadé, Austria’s largest ski multi-resort network by total piste kilometres, offering access to hundreds of kilometres of pistes across Salzburg and Styria under one ski pass. Alternatively, the Epic Pass gets you sliding into Saalbach Hinterglemm, Sölden, Zell am See–Kaprun and the Arlberg while Ikon Pass gets you into Kitzbühel and Ischgl, meaning fewer lift tickets and more time on snow.
Copyright in order of Appearance (top to bottom, left to right): Video Header © TVB Paznaun Ischgl; Nordkette Innsbruck © Innsbruck Tourismus; Tom-Bause; Kuehtai © Innsbruck Tourismus, Ashley Wiggins; Cross-country skiing Stubai © TVB Stubai Tirol; Andre Schoenherr; Ischgl © TVB Paznaun Ischgl; Skiing in Ischgl © TVB Paznaun Ischgl; Silvretta Thermal Spa © TVB Paznaun Ischgl; Top of the mountain Concert © TVB Paznaun Ischgl; Video Oetzal © TVB Oetzal Tourismus; Skiing in Soelden © Hotel Das Central, Daniel Zangerl; iceq und 007 elements © Bergbahnen Soelden; Aqua Dome Oetztal © AQUA DOME Tirol Therme Laengenfeld; Skiing in Saalbach Hinterglemm © TVB Saalbach Hinterglemm, Mirja Geh; Skiing in Saalbach Hinterglemm © saalbach-com, Sebastian Marko; 12er KOGEL Slope © saalbach-com, Christian Woeckinger; Sonnalm Zell am See Kaprun © Zell am See Kaprun Tourismus; Zell am See Kaprun © Stefanie Oberhauser; Eder Hütte Mountainhut © Justin Jamieson; Video Hochkoenig © Hochkoenig Tourismus GmbH; Hochkoenig © Hochkoenig Tourismus GmbH; Family Ski Day in SalzburgerLand © SalzburgerLand Tourismus; Video Schladming Dachstein © TVB Schladming Dachstein; Winter Hiking in Schladming © TVB Schladming Dachstein, Mathaeus-Gartner; Dachstein Suspension Bridge © TVB Schladming Dachstein, David McConaghy
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