Skiing with the family in Austria
A beloved hotspot for skiers and snowboarders all over Europe, the Austrian Alps are especially popular among families with children. Austria has a plethora of ski resorts that are tailor-made for tiny skiers, offering various special discounts on lift passes as well as attractive family offers off the pistes. Throw in exciting beginner areas with mascots and magic carpets, inexpensive kids’ ski and snowboard lessons and top-notch childcare and it’s easy to see why Austria is a top choice for family-friendly ski resorts. Here are ten of our favourite ski resorts for families in this winter paradise.
Nestled at the foot of the Samnaun Alps, Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis has been repeatedly elected the best family ski resort in Austria. While parents test out the 214km of slopes and whopping 68 lifts, the little ones can carve their first turns at one of the many ski schools. In fact, Serfauss-Fiss-Ladis has around 125000 square metres of space reserved exclusively for children! Teens will be kept busy as well in the fun parks and race tracks.
Learning to snowplough © Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis
The legendary SkiWelt Wilder Kaiser - Brixental in Tyrol is made up of no less than six ski areas, with direct access from nine resorts. This makes for a total of 284km of pistes and 90 lifts, earning rave reviews from its delighted skiers and snowboarders! Families will be especially happy here, with a plethora of wide, gentle slopes where children can practise with total confidence. A number of childcare facilities in the valley and at the mountain stations offer their services for children as young as five months.
Tiny tots skiing at the SkiWelt © Miranda Muller
With 109km of slopes and 45 lifts, the Ski Juwel Alpbachtal Wildschönau is one of the largest ski areas in in the Austrian state of Tyrol. The ski resort boasts pistes up to 7km long where even the hardiest of skiers will break a sweat! This is a great pick for budget-conscious families, as ski passes are free for children up to six years of age. Older children will benefit too, with child discounts for those aged six to fifteen and youth discounts for those aged sixteen to eighteen.
Fun for the family at the Ski Juwel Alpbachtal Wildschönau © Alpbachtal Seenland/ Wildschönau Tourismus
The Tiroler Zugspitz Arena offers fun in the snow for the whole family. For the little ones, the Tirolerhaus day nursery on the Ehrwalder Alm is the place to be. Treat yourself to a break and hit the slopes for a while – you can be confident your baby or toddler is in good hands here. The nursery is open daily from 9am to 3pm but it’s also possible to leave your little ones for a quick half-hour stint.
Families can go on a torch hike after skiing © Bergbahnen Berwang
Salzburg’s Almenwelt Lofer is perfect for confident children, with nice wide, gentle blue slopes where they can practise their carving. The ski area is equipped with child-safe lifts and offers generous discounts for kids and teens. Still not sold? Try it out on a Saturday, where kids up to the age of fifteen ski free when accompanied by both parents.
Affordable family skiing in Austria © facebook - Lofer.at
Galtür is taking a stand against mass tourism and has created a small wonderland in the form of an exceedingly family-friendly ski resort. Children will love the Dwarf World and the Adventure Land, whereas teens will rip it up at the Actionpark. And the best part? Kids jump to the front of the queue at the Birkhahnbahn, the Alpkogelbahn, the Ballunspitzbahn and the Klein-Zeinislift.
Galtür is a natural choice for a family ski holiday © Skischule Silvretta Galtür/Roland Lorenz
Leogang belongs to the Skicircus Saalbach Hinterglemm Leogang Fieberbrunn, one of the largest linked ski areas in Austria. 270km of pistes and 70 state-of-the-art lifts guarantee a fantastic ski holiday in every way. Despite the impressive numbers, Leogang has managed to retain its tranquil atmosphere. Away from the hustle and bustle of the larger Skicircus, the T-bar here offers the perfect setting for tiny skiers and snowboarders to improve their skills.
Skiing fun for the family at Leogang © saalfelden-leogang.com
Kühtai is the perfect size for families, with 80km of ski slopes ranging from easy to difficult. Small and large skiers alike will find something to challenge themselves on here, and the modern lift system ensures that queueing is a thing of the past. The 15km long Kühtai Rally leads skiers and snowboarders through a challenging course with exciting tasks and riddles on a quest to follow Resi the cow.
Families will love skiing the Kühtai Rally together © kuehtai.info
Familiy-friendly Hochzeiger ski resort in Tyrol’s Pitztal region welcomes tiny skiers and snowboarders. Lovely pistes, family-friendly deals and genuine Pitztal hospitality make for an unbeatable ski holiday. What’s more, children under the age of ten can ski or snowboard for free all season with the Bambini free pass! Amazing! The ski schools here are perfectly equipped to meet the needs of young skiers, and teens can show off their skills in the snow park.
Kids under 10 ski free at Hochzeiger © Hochzeiger.com - Albin Niederstrasser
Just a 45-minute drive from Innsbruck lies Stubai Glacier, the largest glacier ski resort in Austria. Stubai’s BIG Family Ski Camp with its practice lifts and carpets make an ideal atmosphere for first-time skiers and snowboarders. The spectacular view of the surrounding mountain peaks, many of them over 3000m high, is sure to get your kids hooked on snow sports! As a special bonus, children under the age of ten ride for free.
BIG Family Ski Camp at Stubai © TVB Stubai Tirol
Of course, this is just a small teaser of the ski resorts in Austria. There’s no shortage of choices if you’re looking for a child-friendly ski resort on your next family ski holiday. Try to find a ski resort with decent childcare, deals on lift passes for the young ones and family-friendly accommodations. It’s also nice to have a selection of non-skiing activities for rainy days or those days when there’s just no way you can manage to get your kids to strap on their skis!
Skiing with the family in Austria
A beloved hotspot for skiers and snowboarders all over Europe, the Austrian Alps are especially popular among families with children. Austria has a plethora of ski resorts that are tailor-made for tiny skiers, offering various special discounts on lift passes as well as attractive family offers off the pistes. Throw in exciting beginner areas with mascots and magic carpets, inexpensive kids’ ski and snowboard lessons and top-notch childcare and it’s easy to see why Austria is a top choice for family-friendly ski resorts. Here are ten of our favourite ski resorts for families in this winter paradise.
Nestled at the foot of the Samnaun Alps, Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis has been repeatedly elected the best family ski resort in Austria. While parents test out the 214km of slopes and whopping 68 lifts, the little ones can carve their first turns at one of the many ski schools. In fact, Serfauss-Fiss-Ladis has around 125000 square metres of space reserved exclusively for children! Teens will be kept busy as well in the fun parks and race tracks.
Learning to snowplough © Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis
The legendary SkiWelt Wilder Kaiser - Brixental in Tyrol is made up of no less than six ski areas, with direct access from nine resorts. This makes for a total of 284km of pistes and 90 lifts, earning rave reviews from its delighted skiers and snowboarders! Families will be especially happy here, with a plethora of wide, gentle slopes where children can practise with total confidence. A number of childcare facilities in the valley and at the mountain stations offer their services for children as young as five months.
Tiny tots skiing at the SkiWelt © Miranda Muller
With 109km of slopes and 45 lifts, the Ski Juwel Alpbachtal Wildschönau is one of the largest ski areas in in the Austrian state of Tyrol. The ski resort boasts pistes up to 7km long where even the hardiest of skiers will break a sweat! This is a great pick for budget-conscious families, as ski passes are free for children up to six years of age. Older children will benefit too, with child discounts for those aged six to fifteen and youth discounts for those aged sixteen to eighteen.
Fun for the family at the Ski Juwel Alpbachtal Wildschönau © Alpbachtal Seenland/ Wildschönau Tourismus
The Tiroler Zugspitz Arena offers fun in the snow for the whole family. For the little ones, the Tirolerhaus day nursery on the Ehrwalder Alm is the place to be. Treat yourself to a break and hit the slopes for a while – you can be confident your baby or toddler is in good hands here. The nursery is open daily from 9am to 3pm but it’s also possible to leave your little ones for a quick half-hour stint.
Families can go on a torch hike after skiing © Bergbahnen Berwang
Salzburg’s Almenwelt Lofer is perfect for confident children, with nice wide, gentle blue slopes where they can practise their carving. The ski area is equipped with child-safe lifts and offers generous discounts for kids and teens. Still not sold? Try it out on a Saturday, where kids up to the age of fifteen ski free when accompanied by both parents.
Affordable family skiing in Austria © facebook - Lofer.at
Galtür is taking a stand against mass tourism and has created a small wonderland in the form of an exceedingly family-friendly ski resort. Children will love the Dwarf World and the Adventure Land, whereas teens will rip it up at the Actionpark. And the best part? Kids jump to the front of the queue at the Birkhahnbahn, the Alpkogelbahn, the Ballunspitzbahn and the Klein-Zeinislift.
Galtür is a natural choice for a family ski holiday © Skischule Silvretta Galtür/Roland Lorenz
Leogang belongs to the Skicircus Saalbach Hinterglemm Leogang Fieberbrunn, one of the largest linked ski areas in Austria. 270km of pistes and 70 state-of-the-art lifts guarantee a fantastic ski holiday in every way. Despite the impressive numbers, Leogang has managed to retain its tranquil atmosphere. Away from the hustle and bustle of the larger Skicircus, the T-bar here offers the perfect setting for tiny skiers and snowboarders to improve their skills.
Skiing fun for the family at Leogang © saalfelden-leogang.com
Kühtai is the perfect size for families, with 80km of ski slopes ranging from easy to difficult. Small and large skiers alike will find something to challenge themselves on here, and the modern lift system ensures that queueing is a thing of the past. The 15km long Kühtai Rally leads skiers and snowboarders through a challenging course with exciting tasks and riddles on a quest to follow Resi the cow.
Families will love skiing the Kühtai Rally together © kuehtai.info
Familiy-friendly Hochzeiger ski resort in Tyrol’s Pitztal region welcomes tiny skiers and snowboarders. Lovely pistes, family-friendly deals and genuine Pitztal hospitality make for an unbeatable ski holiday. What’s more, children under the age of ten can ski or snowboard for free all season with the Bambini free pass! Amazing! The ski schools here are perfectly equipped to meet the needs of young skiers, and teens can show off their skills in the snow park.
Kids under 10 ski free at Hochzeiger © Hochzeiger.com - Albin Niederstrasser
Just a 45-minute drive from Innsbruck lies Stubai Glacier, the largest glacier ski resort in Austria. Stubai’s BIG Family Ski Camp with its practice lifts and carpets make an ideal atmosphere for first-time skiers and snowboarders. The spectacular view of the surrounding mountain peaks, many of them over 3000m high, is sure to get your kids hooked on snow sports! As a special bonus, children under the age of ten ride for free.
BIG Family Ski Camp at Stubai © TVB Stubai Tirol
Of course, this is just a small teaser of the ski resorts in Austria. There’s no shortage of choices if you’re looking for a child-friendly ski resort on your next family ski holiday. Try to find a ski resort with decent childcare, deals on lift passes for the young ones and family-friendly accommodations. It’s also nice to have a selection of non-skiing activities for rainy days or those days when there’s just no way you can manage to get your kids to strap on their skis!
Born and raised in the ski paradise of Vancouver, Canada, I learned to ski before I can remember, balancing precariously on my parents’ skis as they sailed down the hill. I started snowboarding in my teens and am now delighted to be exploring everything Europe’s ski scene has to offer!
