 Poster: A snowHead
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Where: Niederau, (Ski Juwel, Wildschonau), Austria
When: Mar 2- Mar 9 - 2019
Who: 2 adults (50s, 18,) & 1 child (12)
Travel: Flights with Ryanair to Munich Airport. From there we travelled by train to Worgl, Austria and then taxi from Worgl to our accomocation in Niederau.
Train Journey: Bought the Bayern ticket in advance from here: https://www.bahn.de/en/view/offers/regional/regional-day-ticket-for-bavaria.shtml (including for the return journey)
I also downloaded and installed the DB Navigator (German trains) app - this allowed me to check train schedules from Munich airport to Kufstein and also had the electronic version of the ticket. Very useful. I also downloaded the OBB (Austrian trains) app - this allowed me check prices/schedules for journey from Kufstein to Worgl. Again useful.
Journey: We took the S-bahn from the airport (short walk and elevator down from the baggage collection) to Munchen Ost, then a local train to Kufstein. We got off in Kufstein and in the train station there bought the ticket from one of the machines to bring us to Worgl (it was €7 for the 3 of us)
Once in Worgl there are loads of taxis outside the station - it was €16 to get us to Niederau. For our return we called the local taxi company (Franzl) and they picked us up from the door and dropped us to the station in Worgl.
Accommodation: We had booked a self-catering apartment (Appartment Alpengruss). It was about a 10 minute walk from the main gondola. It was really lovely, modern, warm, lots of hot water, full wi-fi coverage. Lovely host. Recommended.
Equipment: We had booked the ski equipment in advance from Ski Magreiter using Alpinresorts. We had no problems and the equipment was in great shape. We also availed of the Ski Magreiter heated ski depot. It is very close to the the gondola - it was from memory €2.30 per day per person.
Lessons: I had booked ski lessons in advance from my younger daughter from "The Reds" - http://www.1-skischule-wildschoenau.at - she was very happy with the lessons. Separately myself and my older daughter booked a 2 hour private also. Again very happy with the lesson.
The mountain: This is not a large resort - if you want to log many, many kilometres on different slopes, its not for you. For beginners - the area down the bottom is nice, wide and long enough for you to get going. The next progression is then up top - where there are two next level slopes served by dreaded T-bars. The long blue -> red to village run is enjoyable.
Over the other side is a long black served by the 4 person chair lift. This serves nice 2 longish black runs back to the chair lift and village.
So not a huge variety but all in all enough for me to ski.
Eating on the mountain: We ate everywhere, all good quality and reasonably priced - favourite was Norderberg - a bit down the black run from the chair. Due to the location - it eliminated hoards of kids from ski schools - and their desserts were fab.
The ski area is called Ski Juwel and the ski bus runs to the Auffach. This is about a 20 minute journey. Straight off the bus and on to a gondola that brings you up to the top of Auffach. Up there you find a whole series red runs served by a set of modern chair lifts - almost no drag lifts and a very enjoyable place to ski.
Apres Ski: Didn't partake too much - mostly for a drink in Bobos and the place behind the gondola. Nothing too crazy going on. Later in the evening it seems to be very quiet - sometimes there would be a crowd in the Staffler bar, or the Schnappschutte - but not a place for wild partying.
Overall Impression: Small but nice ski area, linked to the Ski Juwel area if logging KMs is your thing. Easy to get to by train. Good ski schools. Only one place in the village to buy ski stuff (if you needed anything - but quite pricey for that reason). I would go back to Niederau.
One other observation - not many snowboarders and not so sure if beginner or week 2 snowboarders would enjoy the T-bars. Personally I would have preferred if the long t-bars up top was a chair lift...
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@ado, Thanks for the report. I went to Niederau about 5-6 years ago and really enjoyed it as well. My wife who was in her second week found progressing from nursery to the slopes at the top quite challenging but it did make her improve quicker. Others in her group lost heart a little.
I also enjoyed the slopes at Auffach and also over the top to Alpbach. Did you get that far?
The night life was a little better than expected considering how small the resort is but admittedly it's no St Anton.
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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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Niederau +1
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Never got to Alpbach - I had a daughter in lessons in Niederau - and I reckoned that taking the bus to Auffach, the Auffach goldola, then the gondola down to Inneralpbach and then the gondola back up to Alpbach would be too much faffing about if I could only leave Niederau at 9:45 and needed to be back by 3pm.
Would have liked to - maybe next trip.
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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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@ado, Yes I had the same problem with my wife in lessons and did have a couple of mad dashes to catch the bus, but it was well worth it.
I even took my wife over there on the final day and she really enjoyed it too. It probably has the greatest variety of skiing in the whole of Ski Juwel, so I would recommend it next time if you go back.
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