Ski Areas Austria 2025/2026
A land of mountains, valleys, and ski resorts
Austria boasts some 400 ski areas, although the exact number varies depending on how you count them and which criteria are prevailing: bergfex.at - for example - lists 393 ski areas [1] while skiresort.at counts 440 ski areas in Austria [2].
Among the most popular and largest destinations rank Ski Arlberg (approx. 300 km of slopes), SkiWelt Wilder Kaiser-Brixental (approx. 275 km of slopes) and Skicircus Saalbach Hinterglemm Leogang Fieberbrunn (approx. 270 km of slopes). Offering 146 kilometers of slopes, Sölden ranks among the top ski resorts and is considered particularly snow-sure thanks to its high alpine altitude of up to 3,340 m and the linked glacier ski area [3].
Austria's ski world in figures
- 🏔️ Total ≈ 400 ski areas (as of Oct 2025)
- 🥇 Largest ski area: Ski Arlberg with ≈ 300 slope kilometers
- 🎿 Sölden: 146 km of slopes, 2 glaciers, season lasting from late Sep to early May
(Sources: bergfex.at, ski-resort.at)
Top ski areas in Austria by kilometers of slopes
The three largest ski areas in all of Austria are Ski Arlberg, SkiWelt Wilder Kaiser-Brixental and Skicircus Saalbach Hinterglemm Leogang Fieberbrunn. Sölden's ski area ranks eighth [4].
The following table shows Austria's ten largest ski areas by kilometers of slopes (as of Oct 2025).
| Ski area | Slope kilometers | Highest point |
| 1. Ski Arlberg |
302 km | 2,806 m |
| 2. SkiWelt Wilder Kaiser-Brixental | 275 km | 1,869 m |
3. Skicircus Saalbach Hinterglemm Leogang Fieberbrunn |
270 km | 2,096 m |
4. Silvretta Arena Ischgl-Samnaun |
239 km | 2,872 m |
5. Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis Ski Area |
214 km | 2,828 m |
6. Kitzski Kitzbühel/Kirchberg |
188 km | 2,000 m |
7. Zillertal Arena |
150 km | 2,500 m |
8. Sölden Ski Area |
146 km | 3,340 m |
9. Mayrhofen-Hippach Ski Area |
142 km | 2,500 m |
10. Silvretta Montafon Ski Area |
141 km |
2,430 m |
(Sources: skiresort.at [5], snowtrex.de [6])
Please note: The exact number of slope kilometers may vary slightly depending on the counting method and season (as of Oct 2025).
Map: The 10 largest ski areas in Austria at a glance
The following map shows the locations of the ten largest ski areas. They can all be found in the western part of Austria - in the federal provinces of Vorarlberg, Tirol and Salzburg.
Absolute snow-sure ski areas in Austria
Among the most snow-sure ski areas in Austria are Ski Arlberg, Silvretta Arena Ischgl-Samnaun, Obertauern and Sölden. All these ski destinations are characterized by high alpine altitude, glaciers or favorable weather conditions [7].
The following table shows the ten most snow-sure ski areas according to snowplaza.de ski portal (as of Oct 2025) [7]:
| Ski area | Altitude | Special features (selection) |
| 1. Ski Arlberg |
1,304 – 2,806 m | Northern weather barrier effect favors snowfall |
| 2. Silvretta Arena Ischgl-Samnaun | 1,377 – 2,872 m | Season: November to early Mai |
3. Obertauern |
1,630 – 2,313 m | 264 cm of average maximum snow depth |
4. Sölden |
1,350 – 3,340 m | 2 glaciers. Ski season: late September to early May |
5. Hintertux Glacier |
1,501 – 3,250 m | Open 365 days a year (no skiing in summer) |
6. Stubai Glacier |
1,695 – 3,212 m | Only 45 minutes by car from Innsbruck |
7. Kitzsteinhorn |
768 – 3,029 m | Salzburg's only glacier ski area |
8. Damüls-Faschina |
690 – 2,025 m | Average of 9.6 m of snow per season |
9. Gurgl |
1,800 – 3,030 m | Ski season: mid-November to April |
10. Kühtai |
2,020 m – 2,520 m |
Austria's highest-altitude winter sports resort |
Absolute snow reliability in Sölden
-
🏔️ High alpine altitude between 1,350 and 3,340 m above sea level
- ❄️ Skiing galore from October through May
(Source: skiresort.at [8])
Family-friendly ski areas in Austria
Family-friendly ski areas offer the right infrastructure, such as separate children's areas and beginner zones, moving carpets and child-friendly lifts. They are also characterized by good value for money and a high percentage of easy (blue) slopes.
The snow-online.de ski portal lists Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis, SkiWelt Wilder Kaiser-Brixental and Tiroler Zugspitz Arena ski areas as particularly family-friendly. Also the Sölden ski area is included in this ranking (as of Oct 2025) [9].
Family-friendly Sölden
- 🔵 76.4 km of easy (blue) slopes (more than 50% of the total slope kilometers)
- 🧒 Separate kids' areas & ski school practice areas
- 🌈 Moving carpets & child-friendly chairlift safety bars
- 🥳 2 fun slopes, fun cross & snow park
(Source: skiresort.at [10])
Affordable ski areas in Austria
Austria has many ski areas that are perfectly suitable for budget travelers, especially if you take a look at smaller destinations in lesser known regions. In addition to skipass prices, it is important to factor in accommodation, food and travel expenses as these significantly impact the overall cost of a ski holiday.
The skiresort.at ski portal lists Hochkössen, Hoch-Imst and Patscherkofel as the top three in the "Most affordable top ski areas" category (as of Oct 2025) [11].
Affordable skiing in Sölden
- 🎫 Affordable skipass for beginners available in three beginner-friendly zones within the ski area
- 🤑 Up to 20% discount for advance booking in the online ski ticket shop
- 👨👩👦👦 Group discount for 20+ people
(Source: soelden.com [12])
Even more facts about Sölden
Sölden boasts several superlatives not just in terms of its superb ski area. The following list provides a detailed overview of the most interesting facts, figures and data.
Interesting facts about Sölden
- 🗺️Covering 467 km², Sölden is Austria's largest municipality in terms of area, even ahead of the federal capital Vienna
- ⛷️At over 15 km long, Sölden boasts the longest ski run in all of Austria
- 🏆Every year, the international skiing elite kicks off the Alpine Ski World Cup season with giant slalom races held at Rettenbach Glacier
- 🛍️Sölden has the highest density of sports shops in relation to its population
- 🎥 In 2015, parts of the 24th James Bond movie "Spectre" were filmed in Sölden
(Source: soelden.com [13])
Why choose Sölden?
What sets Sölden's ski area apart from other top ski resorts in Austria and why is a ski holiday here particularly worthwhile? The following list highlights the greatest advantages of the destination and the ski area.
Good reasons to choose the Sölden ski area
- 🏂The Sölden ski area offers two glacier ski mountains and a winter ski area, all comfortably linked by mountain gondolas, lifts and slopes
- 🚠State-of-the-art mountain lift infrastructure, including two of the world's most powerful feeder gondola lifts (as of March 2026) and some AI-assisted chairlifts that automatically detect dangerous situations
- ⛷️Three skiable mountains higher than 3,000 meters accessible by lifts
- 🎬The world's only James Bond Adventure World - 007 ELEMENTS, inside 3,048 m high Gaislachkogl summit
- ❄️Absolute snow guarantee from early October to early May thanks to high alpine altitudes of over 3,000 m plus two glacier ski areas
- 🧊 ice Q is Austria's highest 2-toque awarded restaurant at 3,048 m above sea level
- ⛷️Covering a total length of over 15 km, Sölden is home to the longest ski run in all of Austria
(Source: soelden.com [14])
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Among the most snow-sure ski destinations in Austria rank Ski Arlberg, Sölden, Gurgl and Obertauern. These regions are characterized by high alpine altitude, glaciers or very favorable weather conditions [7]. Especially the ski areas that also offer a linked glacier ski area (such as Sölden) allow superb skiing from autumn to spring. Find an overview of the most snow-sure ski resorts in Austria here.
The three largest ski areas in Austria are Ski Arlberg (approx. 300 kilometers of slopes), SkiWelt Wilder Kaiser-Brixental (approx. 275 kilometers of slopes) and Skicircus Saalbach Hinterglemm Leogang Fieberbrunn (approx. 270 kilometers of slopes). The Sölden ski area ranks eighth with 146 immaculate slope kilometers (as of Oct 2025) [4]. Here you will find the top 10 ski areas by kilometers of slopes.
The snow-online.de ski portal lists the ski areas of Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis, SkiWelt Wilder Kaiser-Brixental and Tiroler Zugspitz Arena as particularly family-friendly. Also the Sölden ski area is on the list (as of Oct 2025) [9]. Find out here what makes family-friendly ski destinations in general and Sölden in particular so special.
Austria offers myriad ski areas that are perfectly suitable for budget travelers, especially if you take a look at smaller destinations in lesser known regions. The snow-online.de ski portal lists the Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis, SkiWelt Wilder Kaiser-Brixental and Tiroler Zugspitz Arena as particularly family-friendly ski areas. Also Sölden's ski area is included in the ranking (as of Oct 2025) [9]. Here you can find out how to save money on your ski holiday and what affordable options Sölden has to offer.
The exact number of ski slopes in Austria is difficult to determine because many ski runs offer several different downhill options and routes, often branching off and then merging again. Therefore the following question arises: how do you calculate the exact number of slopes? An exact number - at least in terms of slope kilometers - can be given for the Sölden ski area: a total of 146 kilometers of slopes are available, spread across the winter ski area and the glacier ski mountains (connected by gondola lifts and ski runs). Find out here which mountain lifts, ski slopes and ski huts are currently open in Sölden.
Benedikt Steiner
Whenever there is any physical activity in the outdoors involved, Benedikt bricks up his ears! As an avid snowboarder, keen biker, climber and hiker, he sees no better outdoor playground than Sölden and Ötztal Valley. Sitting still is definitely not for him, so he spends a lot of time on the trails and untouched slopes within the valley.
Last updated: 10.03.2026
Sources:
- [1] bergfex.at/lp/winter/ (last accessed on 20.10.2025)
- [2] skiresort.at/skigebiete/oesterreich/ (last accessed on 20.10.2025)
- [3] skiresort.at/skigebiete/oesterreich/sortiert-nach/laenge-pisten/ (last accessed on 20.10.2025)
- [4] snowtrex.de/magazin/top-10/groesste-skigebiete-oesterreich/ (last accessed on 20.10.2025)
- [5] skiresort.at/skigebiete/oesterreich/sortiert-nach/laenge-pisten/ (last accessed on 20.10.2025)
- [6] snowtrex.de/magazin/top-10/groesste-skigebiete-oesterreich/ (last accessed on 20.10.2025)
- [7] snowplaza.de/weblog/16582-schneesichere-skigebiete-oesterreich/ (last accessed on 20.10.2025)
- [8] skiresort.at/skigebiet/soelden/ (last accessed on 21.10.2025)
- [9] snow-online.de/familienfreundlichste_skigebiete/oesterreich (last accessed on 21.10.2025)
- [10] skiresort.at/skigebiet/soelden/bewertung/familien-kinder/
- [11] skiresort.at/skigebiete/oesterreich/sortiert-nach/preis-tageskarte (last accessed on 21.10.2025
- [12] soelden.com/de/aktivitaeten/winter/skifahren-snowboarden/skipaesse-preise/ (last accessed on 21.10.2025)
- [13] https://www.soelden.com/de/region-orte/orte/soelden (last accessed on 10.03.2026)
- [14] https://www.soelden.com/de/aktivitaeten/winter/skifahren-snowboarden (last accessed on 10.03.2026)