Shortlist

Luxury Ski Holidays in Alpbach

AUSTRIA

With its traditional character Alpbach has remained one of the most charming villages in the Austrian Tyrol for many years and is the perfect resort of a quiet luxury ski holiday with the family, or perhaps a romantic ski break for two. The strict building regulations which are still in place ensure that Alpbach continues to develop in the traditional, local building style using wide overhanging eaves and carved balconies. Luxury ski holidays in Alpbach will suit those looking for a quiet, relaxing ski holiday as life is unhurried in Alpbach, and après ski and nightlife equally low key. The sleigh ride to the Rossmoos Inn for a warming gluhwein is still as popular as it ever was. It may not be racy or wild but it’s still great fun.

There is a modern indoor swimming pool complex in the resort and over 30km of cleared winter walking trails so there is plenty for the non skier to do on a luxury ski holiday in Alpbach - it really is a winter wonderland of a resort. The hotels in Alpbach are located in the village centre which is a short, free bus ride away from ski area. This area which used to be a little limiting for adventurous skiers now links with the resort of Wildschonau giving nearly 150km of combined pistes (the Ski Juwel area). With good mountain restaurants and an unhurried style skiing in Alpbach is a real pleasure - no surprise then that it is hugely popular with 'well to do' families during the peak holiday weeks. Of the luxury ski hotels in Alpbach we recommend the 4 star Hotel Boglerhof which has a great new spa area and always delivers on customer service.

Alpbach is perfect for those looking for a charming, quiet winter ski holiday. The ski school has a good reputation and has a high proportion of English speaking instructors.


  • Pros

  • Totally charming traditional village with very relaxed atmosphere
  • Convenient central nursery slopes
  • New lifts (2012) interlink with Auffach to make a much larger ski domain
  • Some good varied beginner and intermediate terrain
  • Nearby resorts are worth a visit on a day trip basis

  • Cons

  • Main slopes are a (short) shuttle bus ride away from the village
  • Its North facing aspect helps but low altitude can mean poor snow cover at the season's end

Resort Restaurants

For such a tiny Austrian village, Alpbach has a surprisingly high number of excellent restaurants and is actually a foodie's heaven. If you would like to sample traditional, regional delights then head to the Gasthof Wiedersbergerhorn, located right in the centre of town, which has a fantastic menu with a lot to choose from (the fondue gets particularly great reviews!) and families with children are welcome. Reblaus is another local delight. With impeccable service and delicious food, head here if you want a change from Austrian cuisine. Serving a varied menu of Mediterranean specialities there is something for everybody, including a menu for children to choose from. With its great value and cosy, welcoming atmosphere it's definitely worth a try.

Mountain Restaurants

There are a number of mountain restaurants within the Alpbach ski area. The one that comes with the best recommendations is the Boglam where the spit-roast chicken is the speciality. For a quick snack in the sun head to the Wiedersbergerhorn Hutte which is located just at the top of the Horn lift. The Almhof restaurant serves up hearty Tirolean delights which are perfect for re-fuelling before heading back out onto the mountain for the afternoon and on days when the snow is bucketing it down you can defrost in the cosy interior of this rustic mountain restaurant.

Apres Ski

Alpbach has a good few bars to head to for apres ski. Joes Salett'l is a good place to start for early apres ski. Joes has a fantastic sun terrace which gets very lively early afternoon and is well positioned as the first place to quench your thirst after your day on the mountain as its located right on the piste at the bottom station in Inneralpbach. Also, you should head to Umbrella Six for apres ski. This bar is easily reached by runs 5, 8 and 11. Umbrella Six serves great deals on drinks and food and has that very unique Austrian apres ski vibe. Jakober and The Farmers Pub are worth going to if you like your dj's and live music.

Nightlife

Key

  • Funicular 3545022401d4cbcd363e07397500eb11e3c0a8b9938ecfc1bd44a5c240306315 Funicular
  • Cable car 262438c5626f68940e156df868b18890cdda3d131cdffa026f19e15448a2f3ea Cable Car
  • Gondola 08fc130c360bf663b5723567aab3384edc88bcec2e297e955865a20bc8050cb2 Gondola
  • Chair lift 207bbb7ef0c7c3f5458d8e1b5bb1a59b179909dbc96c70cbc66d08927a59c61f Chair lift
  • Drag lift 9649c8f20eb92153651608a16dced21b25b21acd3ad6ca90cea261c90ea44648 Drag lift
Tourist info 1ccba101c7d867ab4d919a0f2c5463b9ee729c6d3da623dea051a21f1de8dcd2