With ski resorts constantly striving to offer better skiing, more skiing and more activities off the slopes, mega linked ski areas are quickly becoming the norm in the Alps. Soon, France’s Les Trois Vallées and Les Portes du Soleil might have competition for title of world’s biggest linked ski area! From Austria to Switzerland to France, here’s a list of ski resorts that are joining forces to offer a bigger, better skiing experience.
Since the 2015/16 ski season when Fieberbrunn joined the Skicircus Saalbach Hinterglemm Leogang Fieberbrunn, the enormous linked ski area has boasted 270km of pistes and some superb off-piste terrain. Now, plans are in the works to join up with Zell am See - Kaprun, which would push the linked ski area to a total of more than 300km of pistes. The Schönleitenbahn in Vorderglemm and the zellamseeXpress above Viehofen are the first steps towards this merger.
The Skicircus acquired Fieberbrunn in the 2015/16 ski season
The linked SkiArena Andermatt-Sedrun ski area has been a work in progress since 2015, with half a dozen new lifts, a new gondola and upgraded snowmaking equipment being installed over the last few years. This year marks the completion of the link between the ski areas in both directions for the 2018/19 ski season, and a new lift will be built for next year connecting Andermatt and Disentis via Sedrun.
Construction on the 3K Kaprun-Kitzsteinhorn-K-onnection has already started and is expected to be completed for December 2019. The K-onnection will connect the Maiskogel to Kitzsteinhorn/Maiskogel – Kaprun, yielding a connected ski area with 70km of slopes and excellent snow reliability, with a focus on families.
Planned connection between Kitzsteinhorn, Kaprun and Maiskogel ski areas
Rumours about a possible connection between Alpe d'Huez, Les Deux Alpes and Les Sybelles have been in the works for a few years now. In 2016, the French resorts approved a plan to invest 60 million euros in building an 18-minute-long lift connecting Les Deux Alpes and L’Alpe d’Huez by the year 2021. If everything goes well, this project will be followed by a future link to Les Sybelles, for a total 800km of pistes – it would be the largest ski area in the world, ahead of Les Portes du Soleil and Les Trois Vallées. The ambitious renovations, including upgrades to accommodation, are expected to cost at least 350 million euros and let’s just say we’ll believe it when we see it.
The Hochzillertal-Hochfügen was linked via lift a few years ago. After bandying about the idea of a connection with Mayrhofen, the resorts have settled on a merger with Spieljoch via a 3S gondola, eliminating the need for a ski bus. So far it looks like the connection will be ready for the 2019/20 ski season.
With ski resorts constantly striving to offer better skiing, more skiing and more activities off the slopes, mega linked ski areas are quickly becoming the norm in the Alps. Soon, France’s Les Trois Vallées and Les Portes du Soleil might have competition for title of world’s biggest linked ski area! From Austria to Switzerland to France, here’s a list of ski resorts that are joining forces to offer a bigger, better skiing experience.
Since the 2015/16 ski season when Fieberbrunn joined the Skicircus Saalbach Hinterglemm Leogang Fieberbrunn, the enormous linked ski area has boasted 270km of pistes and some superb off-piste terrain. Now, plans are in the works to join up with Zell am See - Kaprun, which would push the linked ski area to a total of more than 300km of pistes. The Schönleitenbahn in Vorderglemm and the zellamseeXpress above Viehofen are the first steps towards this merger.
The Skicircus acquired Fieberbrunn in the 2015/16 ski season
The linked SkiArena Andermatt-Sedrun ski area has been a work in progress since 2015, with half a dozen new lifts, a new gondola and upgraded snowmaking equipment being installed over the last few years. This year marks the completion of the link between the ski areas in both directions for the 2018/19 ski season, and a new lift will be built for next year connecting Andermatt and Disentis via Sedrun.
Construction on the 3K Kaprun-Kitzsteinhorn-K-onnection has already started and is expected to be completed for December 2019. The K-onnection will connect the Maiskogel to Kitzsteinhorn/Maiskogel – Kaprun, yielding a connected ski area with 70km of slopes and excellent snow reliability, with a focus on families.
Planned connection between Kitzsteinhorn, Kaprun and Maiskogel ski areas
Rumours about a possible connection between Alpe d'Huez, Les Deux Alpes and Les Sybelles have been in the works for a few years now. In 2016, the French resorts approved a plan to invest 60 million euros in building an 18-minute-long lift connecting Les Deux Alpes and L’Alpe d’Huez by the year 2021. If everything goes well, this project will be followed by a future link to Les Sybelles, for a total 800km of pistes – it would be the largest ski area in the world, ahead of Les Portes du Soleil and Les Trois Vallées. The ambitious renovations, including upgrades to accommodation, are expected to cost at least 350 million euros and let’s just say we’ll believe it when we see it.
The Hochzillertal-Hochfügen was linked via lift a few years ago. After bandying about the idea of a connection with Mayrhofen, the resorts have settled on a merger with Spieljoch via a 3S gondola, eliminating the need for a ski bus. So far it looks like the connection will be ready for the 2019/20 ski season.
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!
