69 kilometers of pistes and over 10,000 meters in elevation change – now that sounds like some kind of challenge! Are you up for it? You bet! The SkiWelt Tour in the Wilder Kaiser region is calling you – challenge accepted!
What are the major features of SkiWelt Wilder Kaiser-Brixental?
Touted as “insanely big,” SkiWelt Wilder Kaiser-Brixental most definitely lives up to the hype. In this ski region straddling the Wilder Kaiser range in Tyrol, you are greeted by
- 275 kilometers of pistes
- in 8 different ski resorts: Westendorf, Hopfgarten, Söll, Itter, Scheffau, Ellmau, Going, Brixen im Thale
- more than 21 valley runs
- 81 modern lifts
- roughly 80 ski huts and mountain restaurants.
In the course of the SkiWelt Tour, you will explore all 8 resorts of SkiWelt Wilder Kaiser-Brixental in a single day. This “insanely big” Tyrolean ski region is just a one-hour drive from Munich, Salzburg, and Innsbruck.
How long is the SkiWelt Tour?
There are actually two variants of the SkiWelt Tour:
- the green route (in a clockwise direction): 34 lifts, 69 km
- the orange route (counterclockwise): 37 lifts, 84 km
What makes the SkiWelt Tour really special – beyond the impressive total number of kilometers – is that you won’t have to repeat a single slope or lift, and you can start the tour at any of the 8 ski resorts you please.
Before diving into your adventure, it’s definitely worth checking out the interactive ski map and the SkiWelt Tour planner on the SkiWelt Wilder Kaiser-Brixental website. This helps you plan the entire tour in advance, so you’ll know exactly which lifts and runs to expect.
One thing’s for sure: The SkiWelt Tour is most definitely a full-day activity. How long it takes depends on your personal skiing style and pace. If you do indeed want to complete the entire circuit in one day, we suggest keeping your lunch break on the short side – and saving any extended coffee breaks for another day.
My SkiWelt Tour through the 8 ski resorts of SkiWelt Wilder Kaiser-Brixental
I decide to get started in Scheffau am Wilden Kaiser. Luckily, I have a local ski guide who knows SkiWelt Wilder Kaiser-Brixental like the back of their hand. So, no chance of getting lost. Will we be taking an extended breather at some point? Somehow I doubt it. Our plan is ambitious, and our determination strong. With complete respect for the challenge ahead.
SkiWelt Scheffau: A very promising start
Our skiing marathon begins at the Brandstadl 10-person gondola in Scheffau at 8:15 a.m. It just snowed overnight, and the first patches of clear sky are beginning to appear. The “Koasa,” including the Scheffauer, Ellmauer Halt, and Maukspitze peaks, is swathed in the glow of the rising sun…
At the top, we take a moment to enjoy the view and get our bearings. The vastness of the SkiWelt Wilder Kaiser-Brixental and the extent of our planned tour become apparent.
Our first descent leads us down freshly groomed, still-empty slopes. The snow: perfect. This is what skiing is all about! 😎 The next lift is truly impressive, whether or not you are into lift technology: The Eibergbahn, which went into service in winter 2024/25, is one of the highest-capacity heated 8-person chairlifts in the world.
Brixen im Thale: Hitting slope after slope!
Our first valley run leads us to Brixen im Thale. From there, we catch the SkiWeltbahn up to the Choralpe in the Westendorf ski area.
SkiWelt Brixen im Thale boasts three valley runs and some outstanding hills for broad carving turns, including at the Kälbersalvenbahn and the Zinsbergbahn lifts. The Zinsbergbahn summit station also boasts a panoramic viewing platform that’s well worth a visit in its own right (even despite our time crunch!)!
SkiWelt Westendorf: The highest point of the SkiWelt Tour
In SkiWelt Westendorf, we enjoy a few brief forays into the powder snow next to the groomed pistes. We soon reach the highest point of the SkiWelt Tour on the Fleiding (1,892 meters) and gaze out at the Hohe Tauern, the Grosser Rettenstein, and the Brechhorn. On the way up the Gampenkogel, we watch the shapers at work in the Big Playground, SkiWelt Westendorf’s mega fun park; Old Man Winter has definitely given them plenty to do overnight. Our next destination is Ki-West: a long, sporty, and scenically stunning valley run. From here, you can also take the free ski bus to connect with the neighboring KitzSki area (Aschau/Kirchberg/Pengelstein) as part of the KitzSkiWelt Tour.
Early-Morning Skiing in SkiWelt Wilder Kaiser-Brixental
An absolute must for early risers: Starting in February, early birds can hit the slopes at 7:30 a.m. and enjoy their first runs of the day on the 22 kilometers of freshly groomed pistes in SkiWelt Westendorf and SkiWelt Brixen.
Hopfgarten, Hohe Salve, Itter: for ultimate mountain scenery
Back on the Choralpe, we descend the 5.3 km-long Kandleralm run back to Brixen, then take the Hochbrixen gondola to the Hohe Salve ski area. Our next ride: over the Kälbersalve to the valley run dropping down to Hopfgarten and the Salvenbahn.
From the summit of the Hohe Salve, more than 70 three-thousand-meter peaks – including the Grossglockner and Grossvenediger – come into view. The 360-degree panorama is breathtaking. Also located here is Austria’s highest pilgrimage church. Yet despite the stunning scenery and all that excitement, our muscles are starting to protest a bit – definitely time for a spot of lunch!
We stop at the Kraftalm for a short break, just long enough for a refreshing, yet very sugary soda and an Americano. From the terrace, we see the Salvistabahn gliding by, which runs from Itter to the ski area. With our batteries fully recharged, we’re now ready for the next ski resort on our list!
SkiWelt Söll: Exciting Adventures for All, Summer & Winter
Up to now, I’ve only been familiar with SkiWelt Söll in summertime: The “Witch’s Water” attraction, with its interactive stations – including a witch’s cottage, barefoot paths, Kneipp pools, and water channels – is particularly appealing to families with kids. In winter meanwhile, you are greeted by wide slopes as well as exhilarating, black-rated runs.
One by one, we take on the Hexen 6er (a fantastic carving hill!), the Keatbahn, the Filzboden, the Jochbahn, and the Kummereralmbahn back to SkiWelt Scheffau. Just two more stations remain before we’ll have completed the SkiWelt Tour.
Night skiing in SkiWelt Wilder Kaiser-Brixental
A tip for anyone, like us, who believes there simply aren’t enough minutes in the day to do all the skiing that needs to be done: SkiWelt Söll, with its 10 kilometers of slopes, is Austria’s biggest area for night skiing! On specific evenings starting at 6:30 p.m., 3 lifts, 5 pistes, and the “Hans im Glück” ski course stay open late. The icing on the cake? They also boast 2 floodlit toboggan runs!
Ellmau & Going: The grand finale
The next-to-last valley run of the day and final stretch of our SkiWelt Tour brings us to Ellmau and the Hartkaiser gondola. Located directly across from there lies the entrance to SkiWelt Going, the quieter part of SkiWelt Wilder Kaiser-Brixental. Using the Hartkaiserbahn I and II lifts, we head back toward SkiWelt Scheffau. My suggestion, that we might possibly cover the remaining vertical meters in the comfort of a gondola, is met with deaf ears. Oh well! In that case, my thighs and I will simply have to go ahead and tackle the very last valley run together: the Brandstadl piste.
A quick look at the Skiline app tells us that, in the course of our SkiWelt Tour, we have covered 64 kilometers and 11,150 meters of elevation in roughly 7 hours. With legs quivering like Jello, but with a heart overflowing with an incredibly sense of accomplishment, I look back on an amazing day of skiing in an astonishingly vast ski region. Awesome indeed!
FAQs: Frequently Asked Questions about the SkiWelt Tour in the Wilder Kaiser Region
No, the SkiWelt Wilder Kaiser-Brixental ski pass is valid throughout the entire area of the SkiWelt Tour. You can find the latest prices in the ski region’s online shop.
The SkiWelt Tour is a challenge intended for athletic, experienced skiers and definitely not for beginners. However, individual ski areas that are part of SkiWelt Wilder Kaiser-Brixental are great for noobs. Around 120 kilometers of the 270 in total are rated as blue, easy hills – making them perfect for beginners. There are also special practice areas with flattish hills and magic carpets.
Absolutely! Across SkiWelt Wilder Kaiser-Brixental, you can choose from around 80 different ski huts and mountain restaurants for your rest and refreshment stops.
The SkiWelt Tour is a full-day loop. Depending on the route, you’ll cover between 69 kilometers (the green tour, clockwise) and 84 kilometers (orange, counterclockwise).
The KitzSkiWelt Tour is the world’s longest ski circuit, extending for up to 89 kilometers and covering over 17,000 meters in elevation changes. It connects the two premium ski regions of KitzSki and SkiWelt Wilder Kaiser-Brixental. You’ll need to purchase the Superski Card as your lift ticket. All the details are available right here.
Holiday Homes and Apartments in SkiWelt Wilder Kaiser-Brixental
Perfect if you are enjoying a vacation in the Kitzbühel Alps and don’t want a long drive home after your SkiWelt Tour! These ALPS RESORTS are ideal “home bases” for your skiing adventure:
- Brixental Suites Hopfgarten: Modern holiday apartments located right on the valley run and just a few steps from the Salvenbahn in SkiWelt Hopfgarten. From there, the Salvenbahn I and II will carry you to the summit of the scenic Hohe Salve.
- Chalet 149 Westendorf: These exclusive holiday apartments are just a 3-minute walk from the Alpenrosenbahn lift in SkiWelt Westendorf. Some units can even be booked with private infrared sauna.
- Chalet 104 Westendorf: Your luxurious holiday apartment with an infrared cabin is about 500 meters from the Alpenrosenbahn valley station in Westendorf and roughly 100 meters from the village center.
- Berg & Golf Resort Westendorf: Directly on the golf course, with infinity pool, indoor pool, saunas, fitness room, restaurant - and only 1.3 km from the Alpenrosenbahn cable car.
- Kitzbühel Suites Oberndorf: From these modern suites with a wellness area (Finnish sauna, themed sauna, relaxation room), SkiWelt Going (Astbergbahn) is just 6.5 kilometers away.
- Dorfresort Kitzbühel: Located about 8 kilometers from SkiWelt Going/Astbergbahn, this dog-friendly resort in Reith near Kitzbühel offers a wellness area with saunas, a steam bath, and a whirlpool – ideal for relaxing after a full day on the slopes.
Photo Materials © SkiWelt Wilder Kaiser-Brixental/Dietmar Denger/Isabel Falbesoner, Mathäus Gartner; ALPS RESORTS; private
Verena J.
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