Skiing in Tyrol with Super Ski Card
When it comes to skiing or snowboarding, there are two types of people. One chooses a skiing region and finds accommodation as close as possible to the slopes. The second rents a house in a valley in the middle of a ski region and drives or goes by bus to a new resort every day. If the second approach has more appeal to you, read on to find more about Super Ski Card, a ski pass that gives you access to some of the best ski resorts in Tyrol, Austria.
Why Austria?
Austria has a big and beautiful piece of Alps, most of which is covered with well-prepared pistes, comfortable lifts, good roads and cozy bars. Snow is much more reliable than in Andorra, prices are lower than in Switzerland, and the food is no worse than in Italy. What else do you need?
What is Super Ski Card?
Super Ski Card is a ski pass that covers 25 ski regions in Tyrol and Salzburg. You can buy it at any of these regions and then go to a different one every day. With 916 lifts and 2750 km of pistes, it’s impossible to get bored even on a long holiday! Here we’ll talk about some of the resorts that Super Ski Card covers and why you need to go there now!
Ski Area Kitzbühel – Kirchberg
Slopes: 164 km
Lifts: 58
Probably the most famous Tyrolean ski resort is also the most expensive: expect food prices to be about 15% higher than everywhere else. But if you want to attempt the legendary Streif, where Hahnenkamm race, the Formula1 of the ski world, is held, then price doesn’t really matter. Kitzbühel is not very high, so snow may be not very reliable, but the pistes preparation is flawless. Borders, especially beginners, might not be very happy with the region, as connections between the pistes are too often long and flat, and they have to walk a lot.
SkiWelt Wilder Kaiser-Brixental
Slopes: 284 km
Lifts: 90
If you’re a fan of night skiing, SkiWelt is the place to go, as it has Austria’s largest night skiing area with 11 km of illuminated slopes. But night skiing is not the only good thing about SkiWelt: the area is, in fact, the largest coherent ski area in Austria. It’s so big that you’ll have something to explore even on your third day there! It’s also pretty high, so snow is reliable, and the view from Hohe Salve Mountain is totally breathtaking! A nice bonus is that there are zero drag lifts here, so expect to go up in style!
Skicircus Saalbach Hinterglemm Leogang Fieberbrunn
Slopes: 270km
Lifts: 70
Ever dreamt of doing a circular ski tour, visiting 10 different peaks and 5 valleys, never repeating your route and returning in the afternoon to the place where you started? Saalbach offers 5 different ski circus circuits in this huge skiing area. You just need to choose one that suits your skills, and follow the map, enjoying the views on the way! Beware that the biggest round trip can take a whole day. It traverses 68 km and 12,000 meters in altitude and visits Saalbach, Hinterglemm, Leogang and Fieberbrunn areas.
Kaprun
Slopes: 38 km
Lifts: 23
Kaprun is the highest ski region in the area, situated on top of Kitzsteinhorn glacier. Skiing goes on there from autumn to spring, even when all the surrounding areas have no snow. Good snow reliability also provides for a lot of great freeride routes. Kaprun is not a very big area, but the awesome views from panoramic platform ‘Top of Salzburg’ (3,029 m) fully compensate for it.
Zell am See
Slopes: 70 km
Lifts: 27
Zell am See is situated close to Kaprun on Schmitten mountain slopes facing a beautiful lake in the valley. It can be a breathtaking view, especially in a snowy winter. The area not very big and thus is perfect for relaxed or shorter-day skiing. Zell am See is a small and cozy resort town full of anything a tourist might need.
Ski Jewel Alpbachtal – Wildschönau
Slopes: 145 km
Lifts: 47
Ski Jewel is heavy on red slopes and is great if you like long non-stop descends. Try to arrive early or late, especially if you start from Auffach. Gondolas there are small, so queues grow to frightening sizes as buses arrive from the neighboring cities.
