Auffach ski resort

Overview

Already boasting the greatest vertical drop and the highest, sunniest slopes in the Wildschonau region, Auffach is also (since 2012/13) lift-linked with the Alpbach ski area in the neighbouring valley to form this region's most extensive linked ski domain, christened the 'Ski Jewel' ski area.

Despite this recent expansion, Auffach still retains the peaceful, quaint village character with which it has been charming its visitors for decades. As with most ski resort villages in Austria, there's always a bit of jovial apres ski to be found just after the lifts close in the afternoon until early evening, but the real appeal of Auffach is that it provides an escape from such temptations and instead offers its guests a relaxing Alpine bolthole away from the often raucous apres-ski action for which many other Austrian resorts are renowned. Perfect for more reserved, perhaps more mature visitors, and for families with young children.

Ski area

The local ski area is located on the slopes of the Schatzberg on the western side of Auffach, and is directly accessible via a gondola from the slope-side base area at the edge of the village. The mid station gives access to an often sunny plateau where the beginners' slopes and children's zones are situated, together with a few undemanding blue pistes, overlooked by a couple of pleasant mountain restaurants. An enjoyable tree-lined red piste provides a home-run cruise from this level back to the resort; nervous novices can download on the gondola.

The upper sector of the mountain is a playground for intermediates, with a wide selection of good red-graded runs from the lift-served ridges on both shoulders of the Schatzberg peak. A red run from the summit down the far side of the mountain, into the next valley, then gives access to a gondola link to the village of Inneralpbach in the more extensive neighbouring Alpbach ski area.

The Ski Jewel lift pass also covers additional, non-linked, smaller separate ski areas in both the Alpbach and Wildschonau valleys, all reachable by free ski bus services: these include Reith im Alpbachtal, Thierbach, Oberau and Niederau.

Off the slopes and apres ski

Auffach offers the antithesis of most people's vision of Austrian apres ski action; sure it has a couple of welcoming bars with an animated atmosphere where you can enjoy a sundowner or three at the end of a day on the slopes, but most visitors are attracted here by the peaceful ambiance of the village and are generally quite content to while away their evenings over lingering dinners followed by a relaxing nightcap in a quiet hotel bar.

Alternative daytime activities available locally include toboggan runs, horse-drawn sleigh rides, horse riding treks, and scenic walking routes; Auffach also houses an interesting museum of Tyrolean woodcrafts.