Ski Resorts for Beginners

While the resort of Soldeu has little of what we call 'alpine charm', it is none the less a very modern resort with excellent facilities and a large integrated ski area (19 black runs, 41 red, 55 blue and 24 green). The combined Grandvalira ski area has excellent snow parks, children's snow garde...

The resort of Alpbach with its narrow streets, wooden chalets and beautiful tree-lined settings remains one of the most charming villages in the Austrian Tyrol. There are lots of family-run hotels and B&Bs offering traditional Austrian accommodation, but just be aware that you will need to ca...

Ellmau sits on the northern edge of the vast Skiwelt, one of the world's largest linked ski areas. A seriously impressive lift system will take you across the Hartkaiser mountain towards the resorts of Scheffau, Söll, Hopfgarten, Westendorf and Brixen im Thale. Most of the terrain is suited to be...

Gerlos became part of the wider Zillertal Arena ski area when the connecting lifts were installed in 2000. Today the ski area is large by Austria standards (163km) and far ranging. To ski from one end to the other and back would take a good skier all day (with little hanging about) and takes in s...

Hinterglemm is the less glitzy neighbouring resort to Saalbach. Four kilometres away and sharing the same excellent ski area, Hinterglemm offers some great value accommodation. The après ski scene is fairly lively (as in Saalbach) but there is less noisy nightlife - perfect for families preferrin...

Lech is arguably the smartest ski resort in Austria. With a delightful, fair sized, prestigious and picturesque Alpine village with a largely intermediate piste network. For experts the off-piste is the main attraction and for beginners there are lots of good, easy slopes to cruise. The lift syst...

Leogang is a traditional resort lying in the valley floor and linking via its north facing slopes into the large Saalbach/Hinterglemm ski area which offers 270km of pistes. Situated on the road between Fieberbrunn to the west and St Johann to the east the resort centre is rather strung out but is...

Obergurgl is situated in the spectacular Oetz Valley and is Austria's highest parish, resulting in excellent snow records and a very long skiing season. The resort remains largely unspoilt and has no through traffic - there is a wide selection of very good hotels. The skiing starts directly from ...

Obertauern is a modern resort with the main town at 1740 metres. An impressive lift system, featuring slick gondolas, world-first chondola lifts and several fast chairs with heated seats serves an impressive 100km of varied slopes, all of which are located between a snow sure altitude of 1650-230...

Set in a long, forested valley called the Glemmtal, Saalbach (and neighbouring Hinterglemm) offers a vast circuit of steepish, intermediate-friendly pistes, which are also linked to the Tirolean resort of Fieberbrunn, creating a total 270km of piste. Fieberbrunn is more of a family resort in comp...