SkiWelt Ski Holidays
One of the best-kept secrets in the Alps, the SkiWelt (otherwise known as the SkiWelt-Wilderkaiser ) is located in the stunningly beautiful Wilderkaiser mountain range in Austria's Eastern Alps extending from the Rhine Valley and Bregenz Forest in Vorarlberg. It is one of Austria’s largest interconnected ski areas and more importantly, one of its most affordable. Voted one of the best ski areas in the world by the Ski Resort Service International in 2009, this area offers an absolutely fantastic holiday option for skiers and holidaymakers searching for new places to visit. The ski area is made up of the ski villages of Ellmau, Scheffau, Söll, Hopfgarten, Westendorf, Brixen, Going and Itter. It has a combined ski area of 279 kilometres of pistes serviced by 91 ski lifts and cable cars. Despite its modest slope altitudes which range between 620 and 1,820 metres, the area has an excellent snowfall record and is also supplemented by more than 1,000 snow canons which cover up to 80% of its slopes.
The ski terrain in the SkiWelk area largely favours beginners and intermediate level skiers with advanced skiers not finding many challenging marked runs. There are a few great off-piste opportunities to explore for advanced skiers but as always, we would strongly recommend taking a local, experienced guide. The area offers a great variety and balance of different atmospheres across the ski villages that combine to form the SkiWelt. Ellmau is the largest of the bunch with chalet-style buildings, picturesque tree-lined ski slopes, an old church and a lovely atmosphere. Scheffau is arguably the most beautiful, with its authentic Tyrolean-style village located at the foot of the Wilderkaiser mountains. Söll is a small, a charming village with a lively atmosphere with the sunny Hopfgarten having some of the best views, thanks to its location on the plateau. Westendorf a small quiet village slightly off the main circuit but has perhaps the best slopes for intermediate level skiers. Overall, the SkiWelt is an ideal destination that offers a lot of fantastic accommodation and opportunities for a dream Austrian holiday.