Vienna is Austria’s cultural capital, but in the winter it becomes a skiing capital where both locals and tourists enjoy the powdery-white mountainous landscape surrounding the city. Skiing is Austria’s number one winter sport and every winter, Vienna’s modern ski resorts and lodges become popular playgrounds for adults and children alike. Finding a ski resort within or around Vienna is not difficult as there are a lot of choices. Here are some of the best ski resorts within the area:
Hohe Wand Wiese. This ski resort located in Mauerbach is the first in Austria designed to meet International Ski Federation (FIS) standards and guidelines – as such, it has had the honor of hosting international skiing races through the years. It has a piste (trail) of about 400 meters and a ski lift that goes for 102 meters of vertical descent.
Lackenhof-Otscher. If you’re looking for a relatively lengthy ski run then this is the resort for you. Situated at the foot of the Oetscher mountain, it has about 19 kilometers of slopes and trails and a vertical descent of 1083 meters. What makes this resort particularly good is that they have ski areas for the beginners, intermediate skiers and the professionals or advanced skiers.
Bad Gastein. One of the more popular ski resorts in Europe, the resort boasts of 201 kilometers of trails, a vertical descent of about 2230 meters and cross-country skiing. What’s more is that the town itself is known for its thermal baths, an additional feature that makes it perfect for tourists.
Stuhleck/Semmering. This ski resort has been designed for the whole family. It features the longest chair lift in the country (with even a baby lift for young skiers), a snowboarding park as well as facilities for snow-tubing, sledging, tobogganing. Advanced skiers will not be disappointed as well – there are 24 kilometers of trails with a vertical descent ranging from 700 – 1640 meters.
