Explore a ski paradise in SkiWelt Wilder Kaiser-Brixental

Head to one of the Austrian Tirol’s biggest ski areas with nine resorts and more than 280 km of pistes that will suit all levels from beginner to advanced skiers

You’ll find excellent ski schools across the region with courses for children (©SkiWelt)

Celebrating its 40th birthday this year, SkiWelt Wilder Kaiser-Brixental is one of the largest and most modern ski areas in Austria. Its 284km of pistes are shared between nine resorts in the Austrian Tirol, with something to suit every level of skier and snowboarder.

All nine resorts – Ellmau, Söll, Brixen im Thale, Going, Hopfgarten, Itter, Kelchsau, Scheffau and Westendorf – are within an hour of the airports at Innsbruck, Salzburg and Munich, saving you the hassle of long transfer times. Nearby, the historic town of Kufstein is worth a visit, with a pretty medieval fortress reached by funicular.

Charming and lively

The charming village of Ellmau is a popular base for families looking for excellent ski schools, nursery slopes and play areas. Intermediates hungry to cover a lot of ground are in cruising paradise, and expert skiers can pit themselves against challenging off-piste areas – all with great views of the Wilder Kaiser range.

Regular live music and party weeks mean life here doesn’t have to be too quiet (©SkiWelt)

There’s also the friendly, traditional village of Söll set below the dome-shaped Hohe Salve mountain. After a day spent skiing the resort’s wide cruising runs, join the party in Söll’s lively bars and clubs. Or if you want even more time on the slopes, you’re in luck: Söll has Austria’s largest night-time skiing area, with 10km of floodlit pistes as well as a funpark and a fun slope open every Thursday and Saturday.

It’s not just the skiing that’s part of the evening’s entertainment. Grab a toboggan and join sledgers of all ages whizzing down the floodlit toboggan run, which is open from Wednesday to Saturday. (There’s night-time tobogganing in Ellmau too if you happen to be based there.)

Afterwards, warm up with hot food and drink at one of the four nearby restaurants. They’re among the 77 mountain huts and restaurants found all over the SkiWelt domain, all serving robust Tirolean fare.

Eat traditional Tirolean fare at one of the many restaurants across the region (©SkiWelt)

Unforgettable stay

All throughout the SkiWelt area you’ll find a wide range of accommodation, but there’s nothing quite like Alpeniglu Igloo Village in Brixen im Thale. It’s not just a night in an igloo, but a whole adventure. After your guided ascent you can try your hand at ice sculpting before a torchlight walk through the woods and a delicious fondue. Then snuggle in your two-person ice cave under expedition sleeping bags and reindeer furs for an unforgettable night.

You don’t have to stay the night to visit the igloo village’s Ice Land exhibition. It’s a fantasy world of ice sculptures that even includes an ice chapel. Now there’s an idea for a wedding with a difference...

With daily scheduled flights to Innsbruck from London Heathrow and London Gatwick, as well as services from Manchester, Birmingham, Bristol and Liverpool, it’s easy to discover the Austrian Tirol. For more details, see visittirol.co.uk

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