Osttirol in brief
Visit Osttirol for unique food and culture, spacious pistes, good intermediate skiing, Hohe Tauern national park and family ski areas.
|
Resort name:
|
Osttirol (East Tyrol)
|
|
Location:
|
East Tyrol, Austria
|
|
Nearest airport:
|
Klagenfurt Airport
|
|
Transfer time:
|
2 hrs (by car)
|
|
Altitude:
|
1,324 m
|
|
Total ski runs:
|
150 km
|
|
Beginner runs:
|
Varies between resorts
|
|
Intermediate runs:
|
Varies between resorts
|
|
Advanced runs:
|
Varies between resorts
|
|
Activities:
|
Alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, snowboarding, ski touring, snowshoeing, hiking, tobogganing, ice curling, ice skating
|
|
Did you know?
|
East Tyrol’s cuisine is characterised by dishes such as schlipfkrapfen - noodles stuffed with potatoes, chives and garlic and topped with cheese and brown butter - and, of course, schnapps!
|
Skiing in Osttirol
Osttirol is still something of a hidden gem, at least in comparison to the bigger ski resorts in Austria. Handily located in the sunniest part of the country, Osttirol features 150 km of piste, many of which are relatively uncrowded - even during the peak ski season - and plenty of family-friendly facilities and areas.
There are seven ski areas to explore in Osttirol. The Kals-Matrei area at the Großglockner resort offers 38 km of piste served by 13 lifts. The bulk of the runs - 22.5 km - are red, while 8.5 km are blue and 6 km are black. This is the biggest ski area in Osttirol and offers some amazing views that aren’t to be missed.
St Jakob in the Defereggen Valley is one of the smaller resorts in Osttirol, which makes it ideal for a quiet ski getaway. The ski area has 24 km of pistes served by 7 lifts, with one particular highlight being a trip up the mountain to an altitude of 2,500 m to enjoy the amazing views of the surrounding 60 peaks in the Hohe Tauern national park.
The Zettersfeld & Hochstein ski area in Lienz is the place to go for skiers looking for a challenge, as it hosts World Cup events and has suitably tricky terrain as a result. There are 37 km of ski runs, including a 1.5 km Ski World Cup route, and 12 lifts that go can take skiers as high as 2,278 m.
Sillian Hochpustertal has 22 km of ski runs going up to an altitude of 2,207 m and has 6 km of blue runs, 15 km of red runs and just over 1 km of black runs, making the resorted more suited to beginners and intermediate skiers. The village can be found at the foot of the Thurntaler mountain and is relatively quiet.
Obertilliach-Golzentipp has 16 km of pistes between altitudes of 1,430 m and 2,250 m on the Golzentipp mountain, served by five lifts, making this one of the smallest ski areas in Osttirol. The pistes are made of 2 km of blue runs, 13 km red and 1 km black. Cross-country skiers will be able to ski up to the 60 km border track for access to more trails.
The two other ski areas are both geared towards families. Kartitsch is located to the south of Osttirol (making it particularly sunny) and has 4.4 km of pistes along with a ski school and baby lift. Virgen-Prägraten is further away in the Venediger mountain group - ideal for getting away from the crowds elsewhere! - and has 3 km of skiing.
Photo credit ©
St. Jakob: OW_Sochor
Lienz: Zlöbl
Obertilliach: OW_Schneider
