From down in the valley to up in the mountains: News highlights in Tirol for Winter 2022/23
Last updated on 15.09.2022
New ski lifts, new cross-country skiing trails, new highlights for families and new attractions away from the slopes – visitors to Tirol in winter 2022/23 can look forward to lots of great developments and innovations. Here are some of the best.
New Products and Attractions
Hochoetz: 1. On-Piste Ski Touring in the Ötztal Valley
Next to the bottom station of the Ochsengartenbahn cable car there is now a new on-piste ski touring route leading 520 vertical metres up to the reservoir in Hochoetz and the top cable car station at 2,020 metres above sea level. Up at the top you can reward yourself for all that hard work with a meal at the Panorama Restaurant followed by a drink at the Kristall Bar before its time to clip into your skis and whizz back down into the valley. Most of the route is not actually on marked ski pistes but instead on tracks through the forest which are signposted and kept in good condition throughout the winter.
www.oetz.com
Alpbachtal Valley: Alpaca Walk Around the Thierbacher Kogel Mountain
This family-friendly adventure is great fun for all ages. It invites visitors to explore the snowy landscape in the company of a friendly alpaca, with a new highlight being added for winter 2022/23 in the form of a special walk around the Thierbacher Kogel mountain. The route is 5.5km long and is more or less flat throughout, making it suitable for children. A great way to learn more about these beautiful and peaceful animals while at the same time enjoying fabulous views of the mountains.
www.wildschoenau.com
Ski Juwel Alpbachtal Wildschönau: Fun, Action and Adventure For Kids of All Ages
Children will love the Schatzberg Zwergenland outdoor adventure area in the Ski Juwel Alpbachtal Wildschönau ski resort. Located next to the middle station of the Schatzbergbahn cable car, it is a great place for families with children keen to take those first tentative turns on snow. The area has plenty of space to lear to ski and simply have fun in the snow. Highlights include a Snowball Fight Playground, a real-life igloo, a ski carousel, a photo wall and three easy-to-use conveyor-belt ski lifts. In winter 2022/23 the resort will open a further children’s area with an XL conveyor-belt ski lift, a draglift, an adventure ski trail and a toboggan run down into the valley.
www.alpbachtal.at
Ötztal Valley: Happy Family Weeks in the Hochoetz Ski Region
The resort of Hochoetz is known for its family-friendly infrastructure. The most famous element is the huge WIDIVERSUM outdoor adventure area, but in winter 2022/23 the ski area is going a step further and offering children free use of all pistes and lifts during certain periods in December, January and March. This offer even includes a free five-day ski course or five days of childcare at the Hochoetz Ski Kindergarten free of charge.
www.oetz.com
Pitztal Valley: Affordable Family Holidays in Winter 2022/23
The Pitztal Valley is keen to make sure the sport of skiing remains accessible to everyone. That is why in winter 2022/23 it is introducing a brand new Young Family Ski Pass. Depending on the time of season, it costs as little as €106 for 3 days and €184 for 6 days. Parents with very young children who do not ski (born on or after 01.01.2020) get a special discount on their ski passes. Kids under 10 years of age receive a free Bambini Ski Pass when accompanied by a parent. Families staying in accommodation in the Pitztal Valley can also use the option of free ski courses for children during certain periods (only applies to children under 6 years of age).
www.pitztal.com
Innsbruck: Culinary Craft Tours
What is the history of beer in Tirol? Which local products find their way into the cocktails served in Innsbruck’s hippest bars? And where can you find the best gin made in Tirol? Culinary Craft Tours is a new concept inviting participants to embark on a culinary journey of discovery through Innsbruck. Offered in German and English, it showcases small and medium-sized producers from the city and the surrounding region, with a focus on regional beers, alcoholic drinks and non-alcoholic beverages. As they make their way through the city, visitors are also given interesting information on the main tourist attractions in Innsbruck, a list of the top 10 things to do in Innsbruck as well as tips on the best restaurants to be found in the regional capital.
www.culinarycrafttours.com
Ischgl: Opening of the Silvretta Therme
The new Silvretta Therme spa in Ischgl is spectacular both inside and out. Spread over five floors, it offers a huge range of ways to rest and relax. Highlights include the Silvretta Sauna with its sauna garden, an outdoor pool with a bar, an adventure pool with a children’ area, a sports pool for those keen to swim a few lengths, a medical spa, a gym, several restaurants as well as event rooms and an ice skating rink. The spa runs on 100% sustainable electricity, with most of its heating generated mostly by geothermal energy and a groundwater pump.
www.silvrettatherme.at
New Infrastructure
Ski Juwel Alpbachtal Wildschönau: Hornbahn 2000 & Top of Alpbachtal Viewing Tower
The Ski Juwel Alpbachtal Wildschönau ski resort has treated itself to a few presents to mark its 10th birthday. The Hornlift 2000 will be replaced by a heated six-person chairlift with a pull-down plastic bubble to protect passengers from bad weather. This new lift will transport skiers and snowboarders up to the highest point in the ski resort in just 3 minutes and 45 seconds. Up at the top you will find a state-of-the-art lift station including a viewing tower with the grand name Top of Alpbachtal. The station and tower have been designed by the internationally renowned architects Snøhetta.
www.skijuwel.com
Innsbruck: New Ten-Person Gondola in Axamer Lizum
The resort of Axamer Lizum lies just outside Innsbruck and is one of the most popular resorts near Tirol’s regional capital. In winter 2022/23 it will open a new gondola giving quick and easy access to the Hoadl station at the top of the resort. The chairlifts Schönboden and Hoadl I+II are history and have been replaced by a cable car with 75 individual cabins accommodating up to ten passengers at a time. The cable car runs all the way to the top of the ski pistes at 2,340 metres above sea level. It includes a new administrative building at the bottom of the cable car as well as a shop and a rental centre. There are also plans to build a hydroelectric plant on the Axamer Bach river near Axams to generate most of the energy needed by the new lift.
www.axamer-lizum.at
Osttirol: Defereggental Ski Centre in St. Jakob im Defereggental
December 2022 will see the opening of the highest ski lift in East Tirol. It can be found in St. Jakob im Defereggental and take the form of a six-person chairlift with heated seats and a plastic bubble to protect passengers from the weather. The lift will run from what used to be the bottom of the Almspitzlift up to an altitude of 2,683 metres. Further additions for winter 2022/23 are three new pistes in the St. Jakob im Defereggental ski area. These measures are part of a concerted effort by East Tirol’s ski resorts to offer skiers and snowboarders a wide range of top-quality lifts and slopes.
www.osttirol.com
Ötztal Valley: New Kühtaile Six-Person Chairlift in Hochoetz Ski Resort
The resort of Hochoetz offers a sunny, snowsure skiing experience for families with children. From winter 2022/23 it will have a new six-person chairlift replacing the three-person chairlift in place until last season. The new lift will have child-safety features and conveyor-belt access.
www.oetz.com
Paznaun-Ischgl: New Furglerblick Eight-Person Gondola in See
The family-friendly resort of See in the Paznauntal Valley offers skiers and snowboarders a new lift in winter 2022/23 in the form of the Furglerblick eight-person gondola. This state-of-the-art cable car will whisk passengers up to 2,570 metres above sea level to the start of a new 1.2km blue run. The new lift is designed to create new options for skiers and snowboarders in the resort and reduce pressure on the main four-man chairlift in the resort.
www.see.at/bergbahnsee
Pillerseetal: On-Piste Ski Touring on the Buchensteinwand Mountain
The Buchensteinwand mountain in the Kitzbühel Alps – Pillerseetal Valley ist he ideal starting point for ski touring. From the bottom of the cable cars there are three signposted on-piste routes leading up to the famous Jakobskreuz at the top of the mountain, a huge crucifix which visitors can go into and climb up to enjoy the view from the top. New for winter 2022/23 is the installation of a series of standardised information boards along the three ski-touring routes providing information on things like how many more vertical metres there are left to climb and how far it is to the top.
www.kitzbueheler-alpen.com
Pillerseetal: Facelift for the Snowpark Steinplatte Waidring
The snowpark in the resort of Steinplatte Waidring has received a facelift over the summer and will welcome snowboarders and freestyle skiers in winter 2022/23 with four lines of varying difficulty as well as lots of creative elements for flips, tricks and grinds. Depending on the set-up, the 1.5km line contains 15-18 elements – including boxes, tubes, rails, hips, kicks and banked corners.
www.snowpark-steinplatte.tirol
St. Anton am Arlberg: Facelift for the Galzig Restaurants
The dining options in St. Anton am Arlberg are just as diverse and exciting as the resort‘s ski runs. The famous Gault&Millau restaurant guide regularly includes restaurants in and around the resort. All in all you will find an amazing 90 different eateries in St. Anton am Arlberg, from top-class fine dining to traditional Tirolean fare. In winter 2022/23 guests can look forward to new-look restaurants at the top station of the Galzig ski lift, including the very popular Verwallstube restaurant.
www.stantonamarlberg.com
Zell-Gerlos: Complete Renovation of Kapauns Eight-Person Chairlift
Travelling between the villages of Zell and Gerlos will become even quicker and easier from winter 2022/23 thanks to a complete renovation of the Kapauns chairlift carrying up to eight passengers. As part of the renovation work the cable car has been extended to replace a slower two-man chairlift. Highlights of the new chairlift include heated seats and a pull-down plastic bubble to protect passengers from bad weather. There are already plans in place to renovate the Krimml X-Press lift in time for the winter season 2023/24.
www.zillertalarena.com
Kufsteinerland: New Biathlon Centre in Schwoich
Under construction since autumn 2021, the new biathlon centre in Schwoich near Kufstein is set to open in time for the winter season 2022/23. Aimed at talented youngsters and those new to the sport, it marks the starting point of several cross-country skiing trails of differing length and difficulty. The aim is to make the biathlon centre the main element of a cross-country skiing concept stretching throughout the region. Highlights include a modern shooting range (biathlon combines shooting and cross-country skiing). The centre can also be used in the summer months, when skis are swapped for special rollerskates used by biathletes and cross-country skiers to train during the warm months of the year. www.kufstein.com
Pillerseetal: Opening of the Cross-Country Skiing Park St. Ulrich am Pillersee
The resort of St. Ulrich im Pillerseetal will see the opening of the first permanent cross-country skiing park in winter 2022/23. The park comprises eight separate stations where both novices and experiences cross-country skiers can practice important movements and techniques in a fun way. A great place to work on your technique before heading out onto the trails in the valley. Holders of a ticket for the cross-country skiing trails can use the cross-country skiing park free of charge.
www.kitzbueheler-alpen.com
Seefeld: New Cross-Country Practice Area in the Centre of the Resort
Next to the main A1 trail in the centre of Seefeld you will now find a practice area full of corners, climbs and features testing your balance and technique on cross-country skis. This new addition is the latest in a long list of innovations in Seefeld, which is rightly considered one of the world’s top cross-country skiing destinations.
www.seefeld.com
