Why skiing in Austria
is so irresistible

Every year thousands of Dutch, Belgian and even the odd British holiday-maker drive straight through Germany towards the Austrian Alps—and for good reason. Endless runs, legendary après-ski huts, ultra-modern lifts and that unmistakable Gemütlichkeit combine to create an experience that is hard to beat. Increasingly, skiers are also looking for wellness, sustainability and authentic mountain villages, which means skiing in Austria keeps reinventing its magical appeal.

Snow-sure and atmospheric.

Slopes, schnapps and charm

How Austria cleverly combines it all

Automating

From cardless lift gates to real-time slope info in apps, smart tech is everywhere, cutting queues and boosting comfort.

Integrating

Resorts link villages, glaciers and valley runs into one mega-network, so a single pass lets you roam hundreds of kilometres.

Innovating

Snow guns that use less water, solar-powered gondolas—you will spot these high-tech tricks more and more.

Relaxing

Panorama saunas are popping up even in the smallest valleys, giving non-skiers plenty to enjoy as well.

Just like a well-planned ski day—warm-up on a blue run, tackle a challenging black and finish with a long valley descent—skiing in Austria unfolds in layers..

The essence at a glance

What sticks with you

What sticks with you

Austria blends tradition with innovation, and it is precisely that mix that makes the country so beloved.

What sticks with you

  • Tyrol tops the popularity charts, yet Vorarlberg is quietly winning hearts.

  • Après-ski is no longer only Schlager; DJ sets now feature in Ischgl and Sölden.

  • Beginners find super-wide practice areas in SkiWelt, while experts dive into freeride routes in SalzburgerLand.

How do you plan your ski trip to Austria?.

A step-by-step guide to get the most out of your trip.

Step 1 – Choose your region

Step 1 – Choose your region.

The question 'Where will I find the best skiing in Austria?' sounds simple but is nuanced. Tyrol shines for variety, Carinthia is sunnier, while Vorarlberg charms with small-scale villages. Consider your group, ability and the vibe you want.

Step 2 – Book smart outside weekends

Step 2 – Book smart outside weekends.

Arriving mid-week often gives you cheaper accommodation and avoids crowded slopes. You also dodge German school-holiday peaks, meaning quieter roads.

Step 3 – Prepare for altitude

Step 3 – Prepare for altitude.

Despite all the modern lifts, fitness is still king. Six weeks before departure start core exercises, lunges and even skipping. Nothing ruins day two like burning thighs.

Step 4 – Make sustainable choices

Step 4 – Make sustainable choices.

More and more villages—take Werfenweng—encourage train travel with shuttles to your chalet. Check out the Nightjet connections; they save CO₂ and traffic stress.

Step 5 – Don't forget the non-skier

Step 5 – Don't forget the non-skier.

Cross-country trails, toboggan runs and even winter zip-lines (Hallstatt!) ensure gran or young kids are never bored. Map out the nearby options in advance.

The magic of the Alpine soul

The magic of the Alpine soul

An almost philosophical look at snow

Snow muffles sound, softens lines and creates an alternative reality. The Alpine massif forms a natural cathedral where time slows. People return from Austrian ski trips with stories of unexpected chair-lift conversations and moments of silence above the treeline.

Hospitality as a quiet superpower

Notice how hotel owner Maria in Gerlos remembers your name after one night, or how the lift-operator in St. Anton jokes about your skis as if you are old friends. That personal touch is the invisible glue that colours holiday memories.

Very practical tips for every level

Very practical tips for every level

From equipment check to slope selection

A checklist helps, even if it is not perfect. First make sure your skis have been freshly waxed; dry core wood chatters on ice. Grab a helmet with MIPS technology—it makes a difference in a side impact. Finally, choose resorts with progression zones if you are still a bit wobbly—Ski Juwel Alpbachtal Wildschönau is brilliant for that.

Spartner’s field notes

  1. Save the piste map offline—the signal in deep valleys is unpredictable

  2. Carry a water bottle with built-in filter; snow-melt water is cold but not always clean

  3. Pack one pair of dry socks in your rucksack—every guide swears by it

Looking to the future

Looking to the future

How skiing in Austria is reinventing itself

Glaciers are shrinking and winters shifting, yet innovation is stepping up: artificial-snow systems will soon run on green power from alpine hydro, and valley stations are getting timber façades with moss roofs for better insulation. At the same time, slow travel is emerging: longer stays with fewer transport movements.

What can skiers expect?

New night trains connect Amsterdam with Innsbruck, fully electric buses are on trial in Zell am See and microplastic-free wax is likely to be widely available by 2026.

Talk to our mountain enthusiasts

Talk to our mountain enthusiasts

Curious which village suits your group best or want to discuss the latest eco train routes? Drop us a line—we are happy to share real-life insights from the snow field.

Hans Lugtenberg

"A deal is a deal"

Yield.inc is a new asset manager in the Netherlands that focuses on excellent customer experience, sustainability and technology. When faced with the question of whether to develop our platform in-house or with a partner, we got in touch with Spartner. We are still 100% behind the choice for Spartner because we own the source code and with Spartner, a deal really is a deal, whether it concerns the delivery date or the agreed budget!

Hans Lugtenberg Partner at Yield Inc.

Norbert Wegter

"A professional software partner since 2010"

Spartner is involved and contributes in our search for innovations and always delivers top-notch work. After the first Huurda.nl version got out-dated, we collaboratively launched a completely new version in 2020.

Custom-built search engine for rental properties

Norbert Wegter Owner of 123wonen and Expat Homes Holland

"Doijer & Kalff"

After transferring our D&K portal to Spartner, we have elevated the further development and continuity to a higher level. Although the D&K platform was originally developed internally, our technical expert can now focus on other innovations within Doijer & Kalff. Spartner provides the quality we need without excessive costs. They have seamlessly taken over the care of our portal, allowing us to benefit from a flexible capacity that perfectly aligns with our future plans and innovation goals.

Reinier van Bergen Managing Director at Doijer & Kalff

Jurjen Terpstra

"Pragmatic and flexible collaboration"

Spartner has created a customized portal for us for the accountability of large-scale collaborative projects. This enables us and our partners to execute and account for their plans in a shared environment that is secure, transparent, and manageable. The pragmatic and flexible collaboration with Spartner has ensured that we have quickly achieved a functional and user-friendly environment.

Jurjen Terpstra Managing Partner at Wecreate Consulting

Marco Caspers

"AI and machine learning as legal tools"

In 2020, we transferred the development of Lynn to Spartner. As a result of their fast development process, the Lynn platform achieves an increasingly central role in the legal world.

Lynn, the smart AI legal robot

Marco Caspers Software Development Manager at Lynn Legal

Bjorn Gubbels

"As a business you must dare to move forward"

Innovation and change are not always welcomed with equal enthusiasm by our employees, man is a creature of habit but as a company you have to dare to move forward and the need for a contemporary drawing program for the realization of various constructions with our Masterbloc bricks was high. For us but also for Spartner, this challenge was a bit of pioneering and together we had to overcome some hurdles to arrive at a beautiful and efficient business tool. A development and learning process for both parties, in which the feedback of questions and desired adjustments by our employees to Spartner was always in good consultation and we could count on quick feedback and targeted solutions. We continue to exchange experiences with Spartner and look back and forward to a successful collaboration.

Powerful 3D construction drawing software

Bjorn Gubbels Owner of Masterbloc

Marco Leenders

"Spartner extends our capabilities and development capacity"

With weekly calls, using our Azure DevOps sprint system, Spartner actively works together with our innovation, communication and software development departments.

Multi-website CMS with Statamic 3

Marco Leenders Head of Automation

Josh Mountain

"Have been using Laravel Excel for years"

We requested custom help to a performance challenge we had in our implementation of Laravel Excel. I was amazed how quickly these Laravel artisans achieved significant performance gains, which saved us a lot of development time.

Open source package for Laravel

Josh Mountain Co-Founder at IncentivePilot.com

Maurice Evers

"Higher occupancy rate thanks to our user-friendly platform"

Throughout the great years that we cooperate with Spartner (previously Maatwebsite, Ed.), our software has been developed continuously. Students and landlords actively work with features like allocation, payments, chat, contract generation and more.

Custom built ERP for all student residences

Maurice Evers Head of Student Housing Department

Maarten Bremer

"Innovating in the digital identification network of The Netherlands and Europe"

The pro-active approach of Spartner was crucial in understanding the complexity of the eHerkenning network.

Development of eHerkenning connection and services

Maarten Bremer CTO / Founder Ensured

Niels Winters

"Innovation in legal technology"

As jurists with knowledge of IT, we highly value quality; within code, but also in process. The high work-level and trustworthiness of Spartner gives us the capacity to continuously create innovative features.

Legal tech platform

Niels Winters Managing Director JuriBlox

Frequently asked questions

Practical answers to the questions we hear most often.

Why is skiing in Austria so popular? 😊

Austria combines vast kilometres of pistes with lively après-ski and authentic villages. Many resorts are also relatively close to the Netherlands, keeping travel times short.

Which resort is the most snow-sure? ❄️

Glaciers such as Hintertux and Kitzsteinhorn guarantee snow even in spring. Yet Obertauern, without a glacier, can be surprisingly snowy thanks to its high altitude.

Is Austria suitable for beginners? 🏂

Absolutely. Villages like Ellmau or Serfaus offer wide practice slopes, slow chairlifts and Dutch-speaking instructors, making the first steps comfortable.

What about vegetarian food in mountain huts? 🥗

It is getting better every year. Kaspressknödel in broth and trendy bowls in Sölden are gaining ground alongside the traditional schnitzel. Ask for the 'vegetarisches Tagesgericht'; staff are open to your wishes.

Can you ski in Austria without a car? 🚆

Certainly. Nightjet runs directly to Innsbruck or Wörgl, and ski buses take you to almost every valley. Some accommodations even provide free shuttles—check in advance.

When are the slopes quietest? 🗓️

Between New Year and the February half-term there is a short January window when schools are back and temperatures are reliably cold. Slopes are noticeably empty and hotels quieter.

Is après-ski becoming less popular because of the wellness trend? 🥂

Not necessarily. A mix is emerging: wellness and yoga during the day, then from four o’clock live music in the bar. Balance is the new motto.

How sustainable is artificial snow these days? 🌱

Modern systems use up to 30 % less water and run on renewable energy. Some resorts even recycle meltwater via reservoirs.

Do I have to wear a helmet in Austria? 🪖

Officially not mandatory everywhere for adults, but sensible from an insurance standpoint. Plus 90 % of locals now wear one, so without a helmet you actually stand out.

Are there fun activities for non-skiers? ☕

Definitely: winter hiking trails, skating on natural lakes like the Weissensee and even culinary tours by horse-drawn sleigh from hut to hut.

Feel like a cup of coffee?

Whether you have a new idea or an existing system that needs attention?

We are happy to have a conversation with you.

Call, email, or message us on WhatsApp.

Bart Schreurs
Business Development Manager
Bart Schreurs

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