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Located between the Zillertal and Kitzbühel Alps, less than an hour’s transfer from Innsbruck airport, the Ski Juwel Alpbachtal Wildschönau in Tirol is celebrating its 10th birthday this year.
It’s a resort loved for its down-to-earth charm and family-friendly nature. Spend a fun day on the 113km of ski slopes, with runs for every level, especially beginner and intermediate skiers, explore the lively fairytale villages such as Alpbach – officially Austria’s ‘most beautiful village’, thanks to its picture-postcard architectural style and lovely floral decorations – or the well-known village of Niederau.
Hiking enthusiasts will find several beautiful hiking routes starting from the Reither Kogel in Reith, the Markbachjochbahn top station and the Schatzbergbahn middle station.
Thanks to its varied terrain of long and wide slopes as well as challenging runs and freeride zones the ski area is attractive to both beginners and experienced winter sports lovers. With modern snow making facilities and 45 lifts, the Ski Juwel ski area is without doubt one of the most beautiful ski areas in Austria - and one of the largest in Tirol, with 10 ski schools offering lessons for all abilities and a great start for beginners.
The highest peak, at 2.128m, is the Wiedersberger Horn in Alpbach. The Schatzberg, coming in at 1.903m, is located in the Wildschönau.
Plus for something special, a particluar highlight of the Ski Juwel is the chance to try the 6km of night skiing at Reither Kogel – one of the largest night skiing areas in Tirol.
The freeride zone on the Wiedersberger Horn near Inneralpbach is one of the best in the Tirol, situated next to the Hornbahn 2000 towards Inneralpbach/Greitergraben.
For an authentic treat, have lunch or dinner at one of Ski Juwel’s 25 traditional mountain huts serving traditional hearty delights – try the ‘Heumilchkäse’ cheese, the Brandenberger Prügeltorte cake, and the Krautinger Schnapps and, of course, don’t miss out on the delicious Kaiserschmarrn - shredded pancakes served with fruit sauce. Alternatively, head to one of the viewpoints boasting stunning 360-degree panoramic vistas over the whole region.
Whether you want to ski all day or take advantage of the fantastic viewpoints on foot, grab your Ski Juwel Card for access to the area's many lifts.
Don’t miss... the chance to rest your ski legs and go tobogganing through pristine forest landscapes.
New Juwels
The Ski Juwel Alpbachtal Wildschönau celebrates its 10th anniversary this winter with three exciting innovations – a new 6-seater heated chairlift in Alpbach, a new observation tower and panoramic platform at the top station ‘Top of Alpbachtal’ and a brand-new children’s area at Schatzberg Wildschönau: the family park Schatzberg Zwergenland offers a dedicated children’s ski school and fun area.
The children’s slopes and children’s ski schools throughout the ski areas are ideal for little skiers, while older children will undoubtedly want to grab some action in the snow park or at the speed check.
Snowpark fun
Take your pick from six different fun and snowparks, offering runs for all levels from novice to pro. Children and teens will have a great time in the Snowpark Alpbachtal, in the Snowpark Schatzberg, in the race and training centre in Niederau and on the funslope up on the Wiedersberger Horn at Alpbach.
Time to toboggan
Families will also love the chance to go tobogganing on one of the four runs in the ski areas: The run from Lanerköpflbahn leads through alpine pastures to Niederau, the Schatzberg toboggan run starts at the middle station of the Schatzbergbahn, where you can choose between two ways down, with both leading through the forest to Auffach, and a hugely scenic run – the panorama path in Reith im Alpbachtal – starts from the Reitherkogelbahn top station and leads back down to the valley.
Night tobogganing is held Wednesdays and Thursdays from the Roggenboden Oberau. Special toboggans are hooked on to the lift and the run downhill is along a wide piste.
More family fun
And for the all-important down time, there are 100 km of winter hiking trails to explore, and, perfect for families, the wonderful Alpbachtaler Lauser-Sauser alpine rollercoaster on the Wiedersberger Horn - clocking up speeds of up to 42 kmph, descending over 134 vertical metres over two jumps and through two 360° twists!
There's also igloo-building and the unusual chance to co-pilot a giant piste-basher, while the truly adventurous can also try tandem paragliding flights. Cross-country enthusiasts also have 50 km of trails to explore.
With family-friendly accommodation such as a holiday apartment, special family offers and a free ski pass promotion in late winter, the Ski Juwel has everything families need.
How to get to Ski Juwel Alpbachtal Wildschönau
The closest airports to the Ski Juwel resort villages are Innsbruck (65 km to Alpbach), Salzburg (144 km), and Munich, Germany (160 km). Direct trains run from Innsbruck (30 min), Salzburg (1 h 20 min), and Munich (1 h 10 min). Several UK tour operators offer ski holiday packages to the region.
Ski Juwel Alpbachtal Wildschönau in numbers
4 ski mountains
2 ski valleys
113km of pistes
25 mountain huts
For more information about visiting Ski Juwel Alpbachtal Wildschönau go to austria.info/en/winter/ski-juwel
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