Ski Resort, Family Ski Area or Off-Piste?

The bigger the better, or smaller and more intimate? Hunting for extended pistes and high speeds or comfy huts and homestyle cooking? Or are you yearning for glorious deep-snow hills? What type of ski holiday is “your thing”?

Family ski areas in Austria: small, superb, pure joy

Caroline, for example, after two or three runs down the mountain, loves to say "Hi!" to the host at one of the local huts. After three days, he already knows: Caroline will order her hot chocolate with cream, no extra shot of "the good stuff". She enjoys it stretched out on the lounge chair with the sun in her face and the blue-rated piste right there before her eyes. There, her two children are already cruising on their own after a successfully completed ski course, while papa is tackling the black-rated hill. The family ski area also promises lots of variety: on the Fun Slope, the kids zoom through tunnels, over moguls and through snails... But by lunchtime, the family is reunited - at the hut, or in their chalet by the valley station.

Wide, not-too-steep pistes, plenty of distance, but always able to get your bearings, along with the occasional fun slope and forest path. Stress and crowds of skiers? No way! In most cases, the family ski areas are away from the major ski hotspots, making them ideal for families and casual skiers.

Our recommendations:

• The Kreischberg, with its wide, relatively flat pistes, is perfect for families and snowboarders. As of winter 2021/22, you will be able to float up to the ski area on a new 10-passenger gondola. ALPS RESORTS right next to the valley station: Kreischberg Chalets, Kreischberg Suites, Ferienpark
• The children's practice area of the Adventure Ski School, the valley run and the valley station of the Rauriser Hochalmbahnen family ski area are always within eye-shot of the panorama saunas of our new premium Carpe Solem Rauris apartment resort.
• Kehmadhöhe ski mountain, between Radstadt and Altenmarkt with 14 km of pistes, is great for families and young skiers, a real insider tip. This ski mountain in Salzburger Land is part of the ski amadé ticket alliance, boasting an incredible 760 piste kilometers and 270 lifts in total. ALPS RESORT: Tauernresidence Radstadt

Ski Resorts: higher, faster, farther

Aside from the pure joy of skiing, distance also matters. For Andi and his ski buddies, ideally they will never see the same stretch of piste twice. Their current favorite topics to "talk shop" about: the latest freshly waxed carving models, the launch of Marcel Hirscher's new ski brand and perfectly fitting ski boots. Andi wants to really "let loose" on the ski runs, with no timed hill safe from his ambitions. They get the absolute max out of their day of skiing in the famous ski resort they have chosen, able to analyze in detail each and every kilometer they have skied using a tracking app installed on their mobile phones, sipping on a refreshing wheat beer or two in the process.

A successful day of your ski vacation must also come to a successful conclusion: The accommodations Andi has booked include a private sauna, where all of the friends can work up a healthy sweat as they review the day's skiing adventures. The next time around, they might well opt for a chalet with swim-spa right next to the piste…

Our recommendations:

• "The best of the Alps": With the Ski Alpin Card, you will be carving on 408 premium kilometers of pistes inside the Kitzsteinhorn glacier ski area, on the Schmittenhöhe in Zell am See and in Skizirkus Saalbach Hinterglemm Leogang Fieberbrunn. ALPS RESORTS: Tauernsuites Mitterwirt, Tauernlodges Uttendorf
• Long & steep: In Tyrol's Skiwelt Wilder Kaiser Brixental, experienced skiers take on the black, steep "112er" on the western face of the Choralpe – with a gradient of as much as 80%, this is definitely not for beginners. Or take one of the most beautiful and longest runs dropping down to Brixen, the Kandler. With 284 kilometers of pistes to choose from, of course, families and "Sunday" skiers will also find their own ideal hills. ALPS RESORTS: Chalet 149 Westendorf
• Ski holidays in the World Championship Region: 230 piste kilometers and an uninterrupted 4 Mountain Ski Area await you in the Schladming-Dachstein Region of Styria. Many of you are certain to know the region due to its legendary season-opening celebrations as well as the night slalom, aptly named "THE Nightrace". And since we are on that topic: If you couldn't get your fill of the snow during the daytime, the Hochwurzen is also open for night skiing and night sledding after dark. ALPS RESORTS: Alpenrock Schladming, Alpenchalets Reiteralm, Bergresort Hauser-Kaibling

Exclusive Powder Runs: Freeride for the win

Julia and Toni are "mountain lovers at heart". No mountain too high, no slope too steep. They discovered their passion for freeriding and ski touring several years ago. No matter how much sweat they work up during the ascent, the actual summit conquest and downhill run to follow are more than ample reward for all the effort they invested. Of course, slicing through fresh powder is the ultimate dream for both of them. Needless to say, never without an avalanche transceiver and always checking the avalanche forecast before setting out.

Our recommendations:

• Pure nature inside Hohe Tauern National Park in Salzburger Land: Weisssee Gletscherwelt surrounding the Rudolfshütte, including the Stubacher Sonnblick, Hocheiser, Granatspitze and other mountains, isn't only on the tip of ski tourers' tongues. From the newly opened Tauernlodges Uttendorf, in addition to Weisssee Gletscherwelt, you are just a few minutes from other top ski areas such as Kitzbühel and Zell am See-Kaprun. If you prefer, you can also hop aboard the free ski train.
• Ski touring at one of GEO magazine's top travel destinations in 2017: Wipptal continues to be an absolute hot spot of the Tyrolean ski-touring scene. This holiday region offers tours with all levels of difficulty, countless landscape highlights and, due to its unique geographic location between the weather systems of north and south Tyrol, snow conditions that are second to none. ALPS RESORT: Bergeralm Chalets close to the valley station for the Bergeralm ski & recreation area.

SKI HOLIDAYS IN AN APARTMENT OR CHALET

So? What type of ski holidaymaker are you? Whether you are a family skier, casual skier or an all-out individualist: With our wide selection of ALPS RESORTS apartments and holiday homes, you are certain to find something that's perfect for you! All that's left to do now is decide ;-)

Photo materials (c) TVB Rauris, Kitzsteinhorn Gletscherbahnen AG