Alpbach Ski Resort
Together with Wildschonau, Niederau, Oberau and Auffach, they form the Ski Juwel Alpbachtal Wildschönau ski area, more commonly known simply as the Ski Juwel ski area. Formed not too long ago in 2012, it is one of the most recently officially recognised ski areas in the Tyrol region of Austria and also ranks amongst its top 10 largest ski areas. The Ski Juwel area offers skiers a very impressive 145 kilometres of well-groomed runs with pistes ranging from 1,000 metres and up to 2,128 metres across the region.
Alpbach is widely regarded as having one of the most picturesque valleys in the Alps. The overall scenery in Alpbach is nothing short of spectacular with its wooden chalets, traditional Alpine buildings and tree-lined surroundings completing a stunning picture against the backdrop of the snowy peaks in the distance including the majestic Wiedersbergerhorn mountain, which stands guard of the ski area
Alpbach is widely regarded as having one of the most picturesque valleys in the Alps. The overall scenery in Alpbach is nothing short of spectacular with its wooden chalets, traditional Alpine buildings and tree-lined surroundings completing a stunning picture against the backdrop of the snowy peaks in the distance including the majestic Wiedersbergerhorn mountain, which stands guard of the ski area
The village of Alpbach sits at a modest 1,000 metres altitude with pistes reaching up to 1,903 metres. It is a comparably small and quiet family-friendly ski resort with a very warm and traditional atmosphere. The authenticity of the resort is further enhanced by the locals who have thrived in this Alpine community for centuries. In fact, two of its famous hotels, Hotel Böglerhof and the Gasthouse Jakober have been taking in guests since the 1500s when they were simply recognised as Inn’s for the local miners. For a small and low key resort, Alpbach has almost surprisingly welcomed a significant number of British skiers every season; a large number of whom return visitors some generational.
A haven for beginners and intermediate skiers, Alpbach is the ideal location for a laid back rewarding ski holiday. Most people come here to ski but it’s hard to imagine that what they really crave are cosy and quiet evenings, great food and glasses of glühwein by an open fire.
The main ski area in the Alpbach valley is made up of Inneraplbach (1,500 metres) valley which is flanked on either side by the Wiedersbergerhorn (2,128 metres) and Schatzberg (1,900 metres). The majority of the skiing is on the sunny south-facing slopes but there are also north-facing slopes on the Wiedersbergerhorn. The resort level sits modestly at 1,000 metres and the area has a vertical of 1,510 metres.
The majority of the ski terrain in the Alpbach ski resort is located on both sides of the Inneralpbach, with one side reaching to the Schatzberg slopes at 1,900 and the other towards Wiedersbergerhorn. The runs on the terrain are mostly made up of blues and reds but there are few blacks to keep the experts happy. The area is serviced by up to 46 lifts made up of gondolas, cable cars, chairlifts and drags.
Beginners can find their feet on the south-facing, sunny nursery slopes right next to the village at 1,000 metres. The nursery area has very gentle slopes making it the perfect place to practise those snow ploughs and stops. Once confidence has been built and the basics have been nailed down, there are gentle blues runs high up on the Wiedersbergerhorn at 2,128 metres. Stunning views are an understatement from here.
Intermediates have a lot to look forward to at Alpbach. There are a few long and open tree-lined reds on Inneralpbach that can be accessed via the Wiedersbergerhorn gondola. Intermediates can also connect Auffach via Wildschönau for more challenging reds and additionally connect with Oberau and Niederau.
Less adventurous intermediates can instead look to the long blue runs coming down to Inneralpbach via Gmahkopf at 1,900 metres for additional confidence-building before proceeding to chase more challenging reds.
There are a few steep and winding blacks on the south-facing side of both the Wiedersbergerhorn and Gmanhkopf that advanced skiers at Alpbach would have some good fun on.
Experts would have heard of and would be naturally drawn to the exciting off-piste run coming down to Hygna. We would strongly recommend only taking this run with a local and experienced guide. There are other off-piste opportunities across terrain with a notable run of Ski Route 66 heading down to Gatlinburg.
Even with the limited terrain, snowboarders can still find a lot to love about Alpbach. It is regarded by the World Snowboarders Guide as “a full-on carver's resort”. Snowboarders should look forward to wide open pistes free of any real areas of bother. It’s generally easy-peasy at Alpbach with a few top to bottom runs which you can find both on and off-piste. Read on for more information.
Take the gondola up to the snowpark on Wiedersbergerhorn to access the snowpark which is perfect for beginners and intermediates and equipped with boxes, rails and kickers.
Freeriders have a few interesting areas of ski terrain to explore. There are wide-open powder fields higher up on Wiedersbergerhorn and below Gmakophf cutting through the treeline areas leading down to the resort. Expert free-riders will also find some joy on the black runs higher up. There are also some off-piste opportunities from Loderstein heading down to the gondola station.
The “Race n Boarder” Arena at Niederau is a snowboarder's haven and also offers professional snowboard training.
For its modest altitude, Alpbach still has an impressive snow record. Some of the runs on Wiedersbergerhorn are north facing which further facilitates in some snow remaining in good conditions long after a snowfall.
Alpbach has very good snowmaking cannons to supplement any shortages. Over 85% of the slopes within the Ski Juwel ski area are covered by snowmaking cannons.
Long nights of wild parties and table-top dancing may not exactly fit the apres-ski mood in the Alpbach ski resort, but hold still just yet, there is still some great evening fun for visiting skiers. Despite its mellow mood and calm atmosphere, there are a few watering holes where party vultures can flock to and “wet their beaks” enjoying a drink or two in a relaxing environment in Alpbach.
Joe’s Saletll
Open every day from 9 am, Joe’s Salettl has a friendly bar located on slopes that serve drinks and has a fantastic pub menu offering featuring all-time pub favourites. As evening draws in, the atmosphere transforms Joe’s into a buzzing pub. They have live DJ sets and they usually kick off every new ski season with a party that will usually feature a visiting DJ. They can host birthdays and other special occasions as well. A great stop on your way back into the resort to kick-start your apres-ski evening.
Umbrella 6
Umbrella six is a lively pub located just next to the Galtenberg lift station in Inneralpbach. It welcomes families and serves great pub food and a wide variety of drinks. Also located close to a pub station Umbrella 6, is a good stop for a post-ski drink.
The Post Alm
The Post is a restaurant, cafe and bar with a breathtaking view of the mountain range just behind it. It is a traditional Alpine food and drinks house with a great selection of beers and wines and an extensive menu featuring traditional Austrian delicacies as well as international cuisines and pub favourites. It is one of the popular hangouts in Alpbach thanks to its cosy interior, friendly staff and its delicious menu. It probably does not have the raucous pub atmosphere that an Alpine apres-ski may demand in other resorts, however, if you are after a warm night, beers and a few laughs, The Post should fit the bill.
Gasthouse Jakober
The Gasthouse Jakober is Is a family-run, traditional Alpine hotel that also has a restaurant and an Irish pub on site. A great place to meet up after a long day of skiing, Gasthof Jakober has a very friendly atmosphere and is also popular with the locals, being a mainstay for many years in the resort. With a great selection of beers, wines and whiskeys, you can also have food served with your drinks. Livelier and more centrally located than a few of the other aforementioned pubs, Gasthof Jakober also has live music at the weekends, during which the dance floor gets declared open.
Hotel Böglerhof
The Böglersbar with fireside room is a very large and spacious lounge in the Hotel Böglersbar. A luxury Alpine lounge with very comfy sofas and a cosy atmosphere even for its large open space. Enjoy its large selection of cocktails, champagne, schnapps and whiskies next to a large open fire.
Even though Alpbach is relatively smaller than most other ski resorts in Austria, it has very capable facilities required to cater to its growing number of visitors each year. We have listed a few notable facilities that will be useful to visitors.
With Alpbach being a well-known family-friendly ski resort, it will come at no surprise that it has amazing fasciitis catered to children’s needs and requirements.
