Villach (Austria)

Villach is a large spa and congress town (73,000 inhabitants) with thermal baths and a number of small ski areas within easy reach. The city itself is low and often has warm weather so there isn't really a ski resort atmosphere here! The ski areas don't have that many kilometers of slopes, but they do contain some good red runs making Villach a nice ski resort for beginners and intermediate skiers who are looking for challenging slopes.

The largest ski area around Villach is the Alpe Gerlitzer with 52 km of slopes. 5 km from the center of town a cable car goes up to the village of Annenheim and to Ossiach up to Kanzelhöhe (1526 m). From here a chairlift takes you up to the 1911 m high summit of the Gerlitzen Alpe. Six drag lifts and six chair lifts can be found on the blue and red runs on the open slopes around the summit. It is possible to ski back to the village on the Klösterle slope on the back of the mountain.