Slopes, Snow & Sunshine: Spring skiing in Tirol

Last updated on 06.02.2023

Perfect conditions in the morning, lunch on the terrace at midday, and an afternoon spent soaking up the sun – spring is a wonderful time of year for skiing. For those who simply can’t get enough of the white stuff, Tirol has five glacier ski resorts where there is still plenty of snow around even as the meadows and pastures bloom into life.

Spring skiing in St. Anton am Arlberg © Tirol Werbung, Manfred Jarisch

Spring skiing in Tirol

Spring is a season of contrasts in Tirol. Down in the valley the snow slowly melts away and is replaced by a carpet of alpine flowers. Up in the mountains, however, winter takes much longer to disappear. The region’s highest ski resorts have plenty of the white stuff well into April and even May, meaning skiers and snowboarders can continue to carve their turns even as hikers and bikers explore the valleys below. Early morning is the best time of day for those in search of firm conditions. As the sun grows stronger, it softens the snow create what is known as “Firn” – that wonderfully grippy kind of spring snow found only at this time of year. By the time midday rolls around, it’s time to park your skis outside the hut and enjoy a meal in the sunshine. While hardcore skiers keep going into the afternoon, many choose to call it a day and head back down into the valley to relax in the spa, enjoy a snack in town or maybe visit one of the events going on in the region.

Extend the season on Tirol’s Five Glaciers

Skiers and snowboarders keen on finding the best possible conditions at Easter and beyond should head to one of Tirol’s Five Glaciers. These five high-altitude resorts – Hintertux, Stubai, Sölden, Pitztal and Kaunertal – guarantee excellent skiing and snowboarding into late spring thanks to their locations at up to and above 3,000 metres above sea level. The five glacier resorts in Tirol have a total of 300 kilometres of pistes –everything from wide-open cruising to super-steep terrain and easy beginners’ areas. Highlights away from the slopes include attractions such as viewing platforms, glacier caves, museums and restaurants with large terraces perfect for sunbathing.

For details on the latest piste conditions and snow depths on Tirol’s Five Glaciers please visit www.tirolergletscher.com.

Tip! Food, music and action to round off the winter

Plenty of sunshine and snowsure pistes make East Tirol the ideal place for spring skiing. This region is still relatively unknown and therefore offers much less busy slopes around Easter than some other spots in the region. Skiers and snowboarders can look forward to wide open pistes, no lift queues and plenty of charming huts serving hearty local food. The Ski-Hit Osttirol Skipass covers all seven ski resorts in East Tirol, a region home to an incredible 266 mountains above 3,000 metres.

Speaking of incredible, skiers in Obergurgl in the Ötztal Valley can be the very first on the slopes each Friday as part of the resort’s First Line offer. From early February until the middle of April they are invited to carve first turns into the perfect corduroy from 7:30 in the morning before settling down to breakfast at the Hohe Mut Alm hut high in the mountains.

Last, but certainly not least, the Nordkette Mountains above Innsbruck are known in the spring months as a hotspot for “Figln”. This variation on normal skiing uses shorter-than-normal skis to plough through the soft spring snow – great fun with plenty of laughs, thrills and spills guaranteed. After all that action there is no better spot to recover than in one of the deckchairs at the Seegrube cable car station with its wonderful views of Innsbruck far below.

Figl-Gaudi on the Nordkette © Innsbrucker Nordkettenbahnen

Top events at the end of the season

Spring in Tirol means not only sunshine skiing but also plenty of great events. Here are just a few of the things going on:

Winter Pride · 18 until 25 March 2023, Sölden
Great skiing, fine food, fabulous music and plenty of space to express yourself – Winter Pride is a colourful celebration of life itself. Visitors to Sölden can look forward to a line-up of Austrian and international acts plus lots of events full of diversity.

Altitude Comedy Festival · 3 until 7 April 2023, Mayrhofen
The Altitude Comedy Festival in Mayrhofen brings both established household names and some of the best up-and-coming comedians in the scene to the Zillertal Valley for a week of fun, laughter– and, of course, skiing.
Top of the Mountain Easter Concert · 9 April 2023, Ischgl
This year Ischgl has a whole series of events from late March until early May brought together under the motto Spring Blanc. Skiers and snowboarders in the Silvretta Arena can look forward to excellent pistes, warm sunshine and plenty of great entertainment. The highlight is the Top of the Mountain Easter Concert on 9 April 2023 featuring German rapper Sido as well as the Top of the Mountain Closing Concert with Italian crooner Eros Ramazzotti on 30 April 2023.
Hochfügener Rope Race · 16 April 2023, Zillertal
The 57th edition of this legendary race will take place in Hochfügen on 16 April 2023. Teams of three skiers tied together with a rope must complete a Giant Slalom course with skicross elements (jumps, rollers, banked corners) – a fun event with lots of crashes and plenty of laughter. There is a separate race for children where they can show off their skill on the snow.

White Thrill · 22 April 2o23, St. Anton am Arlberg
The White Thrill has grown to become one of the most famous skiing events in the Alps. Held in St. Anton am Arlberg each year, it pushes skiers and snowboarders to their limits as they compete to be the fastest down an off-piste route dropping 1,346 vertical metres over a total distance of just nine kilometres. The race is famous for its mass start which sees all 555 set off together. A fantastic spectacle where getting to the finish is an achievement in itself.