 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi, I hope everyone has had a great season.
Can anyone give us a recommendation for an Austrain resort for Christmas 2016. We are a family of four, intermediate skiers and looking for a catered chalet. Snow sure and lots of blue and red runs most important. Don't need a party town but some night life a bonus
Thanks for any help.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Does it have to be a catered chalet? You'll get lots more suggestions if you include hotels as there aren't that many British style catered chalets in Austria. Christmas in the Alps is great even when, as for the last couple of years, the snow isn't great in many areas.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Even with the lack of real snow last Christmas we had fairly extensive and fast ski in the Ski Amade area. We stayed in Wagrain which has a couple of bars that are fine. Flachau (which is where we were last week) it's a lot livelier and you ski the same area.
As @pam w, says though you might struggle for catered chalets. Although there are lots of hotels which are small and family run, so tend to have a chalet feel.
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@hammerite, @pam w, I have skied every Christmas for the last 40 to 50 years, the past 20 have been in Austria, never ever not been able to ski. Not always chocolate box/Christmas Card white in the villages or towns but since when have we had Dickensian type white Christmases as shown on the Chrimble cards in the UK 
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Lech was probably the only real village in Austria that did have a "White Christmas" in 2014 and 2015, which were notoriously poor throughout the Alps
Ischgl had good skiing, but was brown in the village. St.Anton was brown as well.
(Zürs, Obertauern, Kühtai and Obergurgl e.g. I do not reckon as real, atmospheric villages)
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It's the same in France. If you want nearly guaranteed resort level snow at Christmas you have to go too high for authentic villageness. They didn't build their villages to be covered in snow for four months of the year. High, snow sure resorts can be bleak and cold in midwinter.
But you can get many more hours of sun on a south facing slope than down in a steepsided valley.
You need to be clear about your priorities. But to my mind, Christmas in the mountains is always better than Christmas spent watching the dratted telly and eating and drinking too much, sat fatly on the sofa. Ski schools can run lessons provided there are a few slopes open, which there always are.
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@Langerzug, Obertaurn and the Gurgls are not real villages as such. You ar much better off being in the valley locations where skiing is an adjunct to the economic life not the be all and end all. Plus it is more likely to be livelier. In Salzburgerland there are masses od places within easy reach of the airports and motorways without needing to pay the snob premiums demanded by the likes of St Anton, Lech, Ischgl, etc.
I've had some fabulous white Christmases in places like Altenmarkt, Schladming, St Johann in Tirol, but sadly not recently. BUT we were able to ski from resort to resort these past 2 Christmases. And remember Flachau and Zauchensee were able to step in and host the World Cup ski races that St Anton could not this past season!
Radstadt, Filzmoos or Maria Alm in Salzburgerland or Alpbach in Tirol will provide a superb location for an Alpine Christmas. There is something quite magical about coming out of Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve to see snow flakes in the air and hear Adestes Fideles or Stille Nacht being sung so well by the church choirs and congregations
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Thanks everyone. We've been to Maria Alm and loved that area but thought maybe a bit low for December? I get the point re the heights of the villages and the village feel - we've also been to Obergurgl which we enjoyed but think it may be a bit quiet for the teenagers. Will keep looking for a good compromise
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@Samerberg Sue, snob premiums St Anton? Whatever, we stay in the small village at St Jakob 2km down the valley, it doesn't get more festive than there......it's got the best Freeride skiing and lift system bar none, strange comment 
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Hello, I'm new to this forum apologies for jumping in... You all seem very experienced so thought I'd ask- we've just come back from Solden, and now looking to book Obergurgl for the week before Christmas. Has anyone spent this week there in previous years? Is there snow around the lower village hotels? Trying to make it as special for the kids as possible (ages 6&  but now wondering whether to except the queues & prices (!) and do the February half term to guarantee more snow in and around the village. We're not worried about the mountain conditions as know they are snowsure from end November.
Thank you all.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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@Samerberg Sue,
At first you were using the phrase "snob premium prices".
Now you're talking about "showing how good they are"
What is it you are aiming at? And what does it have to do with a white Christmas?
And: even in Lech good deals are to be found!
@J&KMathias,
If Obergurgl is not white in the village during Christmas, then we should all consider stopping wintersports!
Furthermore, the pre-Christmas week is never very busy, as the Germans and Austrians tend to arrive on December 26, staying home for Christmas.
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@Langerzug, lots of places in Austria that offer plenty for everyone. But you keep pushing Lech Sunshine, because we then know you are rich enough to afford it! Who gives a flying f*ck any way. I certainly don't. I will always offer alternatives based on the OP's criteria. Two if the most archetypical resorts for Austria at Christmas in the snow have to be Filzmoos and Alpbach. Or maybe Wagrain (the home of the writer of Silent Night) can't get more christmassy than that!
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You know it makes sense.
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@Samerberg Sue, Sorry to hear about your tumour. I hope it gets sorted soon.
I have spent most of the last 20+ years having Christmas in the Alpes and it is loveley. Most of these have been in Arc1600, which despite being a purpose built ski resort is actually a very pleasant village. I remember one Christmas eve going to the butchers, watching the the ski school torch light procession descending the hill, White Christmas was being played over a speaker system and free vin chaud was being offered. It was snowing with big white flakes. OK it is about as twee and corny as it can get, but I really enjoyed the expereince
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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@Samerberg Sue,
You are sounding a bit sour!
Lech suits the OP's request like a glove, even without discussing the main Christmas-Theme:snow
Extensive intermediate skiing+highest chance White Christmas in a real pretty village in Austria = Lech
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Poster: A snowHead
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| Quote: |
highest chance White Christmas in a real pretty village in Austria = Lech
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Got any stats on that?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@Samerberg Sue, sorry to hear your not well, hope it improves soon.
I really don't get your point regards St Anton, that said I'm not going to argue, you clearly like other places (so do I also by the way) it's a free world. All I would say, and repeat is that St Anton at Christmas is a very special place, ok it may be more expensive than less international resorts and I'd expect that given the amount of investment that goes into the area, but to simply describe it as a place to brag about and put down the people who enjoy the place and skiing is a bit puerile in my opinion.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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@its slippy,
A few alternative options:
1. Damuls fairly snow sure but may be a bit quiet, Mellau at the other end of the ski area larger/busier but far less likely to have snow in the village itself
2. Serfaus (Fiss/Ladis) fairly large and reliable for snow
3. Nauders fairly large and quite high but not directly by the slopes
4. Mauterndorf/Sankt Michael im Lungau are nice villages/towns with a few skiing options close-by or on the door step to snow sure levels and a really nice undiscovered area to stay and ski
If you're after a really nice village/town for Christmas with access to skiing then I'd say go for Mauterndorf. Much more interesting town itself than Lech (which is nice too) or any others mentioned (best of which is probably Radstadt) above but perhaps not quite so snow sure as Lech as lower down but you have easy access to Oberteaurn and Katschberg which are two very reliable snow sure areas in Austria. If you are wanting to book early and you want best chance for snow in the village itself then I agree Lech (not St Anton) is a more sensible option than the rest mentioned above in this thread.
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Flangesax--stats on Lech/Warth/Shrocken:-WARTH-SCHRÖCKEN – SNOW PARADISE ON THE ARLBERG
The ski area union at the Arlberg is known to be one of the most reliable regions for snow in Europe. Approx. 11 m of fresh snow come down here per year. The ski area gains further attractiveness via the Auenfeldjet (lift) which connects Warth-Schröcken with Lech-Zürs, and by offering a ski terrain covering a total 180 km of piste.
There was a study done by meteorologists, I think from Munich about 5-6 years ago which puts Lech at on corner of THE most snow sure area in the whole of the alps. I can't seem to find it at the moment. Maybe Langerzug has it in his no doubt encyclopedic library.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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If I were to follow anyone's advice on this topic it would be @Samerberg Sue, her comments are always unbiased and considered.
Hope you get rid of your foriegn body Sue.
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Sammerberg Sue-your last sentence is undoubtedly true of a lot of the clients of many places, home and abroad. It's far more fun to enjoy life without the need to "get bladdered" as so many people do these days. Not just the Brits either. The Scandinavians seem even worse.
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One again thanks everyone - I never expected such passioned arguement! Not sure how much further I am as we now have a family debate - wife and I wanting a small traditional village and an Alpine Christmas and the kids wanting a bigger resort and a party.
Samerburg Sue hope all goes well for you - you make Christmas in the Alps sounds magical, even to a cynical old git!
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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@its slippy, it is magical whether you ski or not. If I wanted atmosphere alone then Filzmoos is unbeatable, Alpbach comes a close second. I love Wagrain and singing Stille Nacht in the church where it's author was christened, was first confirmed as a priest and who now lies ("amolderin in his grave") is simply unbeatable. Can't be many places where you can turn up for midnight mass and find yourself sharing a hymnbook with the greatest female skier of all time. But Annemarie Möser-Pröll does not give herself airs and graces like some of the modern day so-called "superstars"
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@flangesax, @Old Man Of Lech,
http://www.weathertoski.co.uk/top-10s/top-10-snowiest-ski-resorts-europe
To add: I'm only saying that Lech is your most snowsure Austrian option for having a white Christmas in a pretty village.
If snowsure pistemileage is your focus, Ischgl is your best option
For those who missed it: last two seasonstarts were disastrous. But Lech had a white Christmas (thin, but white) in the -pretty- village, with limited skiing.
Ischgl and St.Anton were brown, which -I have been seeing it with my own eyes- makes a big difference for the atmosphere. But Ischgl definitely got better skiing, because the skiresort is higher, and has more snowmaking.
Obergurgl is very good too, but very bleak in poor weather, and not a very pretty village.
Filzmoos is very pretty, but can't imagine Filzmoos had snow december 2014 and 2015.
@samerbergsue, :
Big names are not just big names because they are big names.
But I'm definitely not disputing that skiing in a smaller resort can by equally nice or even better. And I definitely agree that many people (but not all!) come to St.Anton to get disappointed.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| Langerzug wrote: |
@Samerberg Sue,
@J&KMathias,
If Obergurgl is not white in the village during Christmas, then we should all consider stopping wintersports!
Furthermore, the pre-Christmas week is never very busy, as the Germans and Austrians tend to arrive on December 26, staying home for Christmas. |
To be fair it was a close run thing last Xmas, ski-able but not exactly chocolate box pretty
http://www.bergfex.com/obergurgl-hochgurgl/webcams/c6796/?date=2015-12-25
That said the locals couldn't remember the last time it was anything but.
Not sure that its not a 'proper' village. Admittedly its really two or three hamlets that have been joined up by hotels in the last 50 years but it does have a nice little church which would be as 'authentic' as most on Xmas eve. If that was important to me I would rather be there in snow than down low in a green valley.
If recreational skiing had never been invented many Austrian resorts would be nothing much more than hamlets and small villages - of the ones I know only Zell am See and Kitzbuhel would be towns as such.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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I've got to back @Langerzug up here - Lech is probably the snowiest and most snowsure *real* village in the Alps. Damüls claims it - and with an average of 9.3m a year in the village probably does get more snow - but with ~300 inhabitants compared to Lech's 1000+ it still barely counts as a real village IMO. Likewise Kuhtai/Obergurgl/etc probably have a higher 'lots of snow in the village' chance at Christmas, but aren't really real villages. It's fairly well documented that that NW corner of Austria (Arlberg/Vorarlberg) is generally the snowiest part of the Alps (more Lech/Stuben than St Anton itself too), and even in this poor winter it has noticeably more snow than further east in Tirol (no idea about SBG-land this winter).
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You know it makes sense.
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In what was generally accepted as a very poor Christmas in 2015 we were in St Anton and had a great time, most of the pistes were open and skiable. There was no offpiste much to do, other than on grassy slopes but if anyone is concerned about snow cover at amend December they've no need to worry. We've been many times over the festive period and have never had problems. Arlberg has an excellent snow record, further east is not so good snow stats, I agree with Clarky999 as above. We're there December 2016 too, no doubts about it'll being in great shape.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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You either like name places or you don't or more practically choose somewhere that meets your needs. I don't really like the "status" aspects of places like Verbier and VDI but there is no denying there is quality skiing in those places. Austria is pretty slick all over at having joined resorts and high speed lifts so almost anywhere on a circuit you'll be guaranteed a good experience, but you still might find joy at a one fixed grip hill somewhere remote
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Poster: A snowHead
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I've spent Christmas weeks in Lech, Mayrhofen and Serfaus. Had a great time in all of them but I think Lech was the most special. We stayed in a small 3 star hotel and were the only English speaking guests. After dinner on Christmas Eve there were readings around the Christmas tree. Some of the other guests conferred in advance and a lovely guy from Munich was nominated as our translator. The stories were mostly for the kiddies but we had a great chat with our translator and we were very touched that they wanted us to feel included.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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wife and I wanting a small traditional village and an Alpine Christmas and the kids wanting a bigger resort and a party.
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Sounds as if, to keep everyone happy, you're wanting Saalbach  (where there was plenty of skiing last Christmas incidentally).
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Would go back to obergurgle (hotel jenwin ) at xmas in a flash if wife and family would go instead of wanting to spend xmas at home 😢😢
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Haven't spent Christmas in the Alps, but have stayed in the Hotel Landenhof in Mayrhofen the last 4 New Years, always a friendly reception and great food. Would thoroughly recommend. Skiing was/is great too.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Hi would be interested in seeing where you decided to go?
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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| Samerberg Sue wrote: |
| @its slippy, it is magical whether you ski or not. If I wanted atmosphere alone then Filzmoos is unbeatable, Alpbach comes a close second. I love Wagrain and singing Stille Nacht in the church where it's author was christened, was first confirmed as a priest and who now lies ("amolderin in his grave") is simply unbeatable. Can't be many places where you can turn up for midnight mass and find yourself sharing a hymnbook with the greatest female skier of all time. But Annemarie Möser-Pröll does not give herself airs and graces like some of the modern day so-called "superstars" |
Wisdom from a great.
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Ischgl was great over xmas when I went a few years ago. Snow everywhere.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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What do you want to know?
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Well, how is Ischgl at Christmas ?....
We have never skiid Austria, so really any info would be a great help - unfortunately some previous threads just fire additional resorts as suggestions, but not knowing Austria at all, they don't really mean anything.
It has 238 km of runs, possibly not all open at the last previous few Christmas's we have had, but how is it ?
State of Pistes ?...
I am not too bothered about being in a "chocolate box" village, as none of the high, Christmas snow sure resorts are, but is it easy to get around ?, The links / Gondalas fast & easy to access (not up 200 steps !!)...
A lot of the hotels are B&B, is it easy to get an evening meal in the local restaurants ?, especially Christmas day, without booking 10 days in advance ?.
Just the usual general ski info...
Thanks.
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FAQ
