Hopfgarten - introduction
Many skiers and boarders are astonished to find that Austria boasts one of the biggest fully-integrated ski areas in the world – and part of that amazing network are the charming linked resorts of Hopfgarten and Itter and the separate village of Kelchsau, all set in the Kitzbühler Alps.
They are key elements in the mouth-watering SkiWelt, which embraces six other ski villages, altogether giving 250 kilometres of runs served by 92 lifts.
Seven major peaks are included in the network of runs – a shock to those who thought France had a monopoly on such vast ski and boarding areas.
The part of the SkiWelt represented by Hopfgarten, Kelchsau and Itter is under the umbrella of the Hohe Salve holiday region, in the east of the Tirol, not far from the German border. The beauty of it is that each of the three villages have excellent slopes on their doorstep – so you can stay close to home, or have the option of venturing further afield and heading out on a journey by ski or board. There is enough skiing, and enough lifts, to mean that you will hardly use a piste, or lift, twice in the same day.
The whole area is chock full of intermediate slopes – it’s an absolute dream for families and groups of mixed ability. The entire Ski Welt, or Ski World, is a largely unintimidating range of peaks and runs. Challenges can be found, but you are safe from fearsome surprises around any corner. And it is all set against a backdrop of quite towering splendour, such as the jagged and majestic Wilder Kaiser range – the nice thing being that those rocky peaks are there to look at rather than to ski.
Each warmly welcoming village, full of history and Tirolean tradition, has its own distinct character – from rustic little Itter, set well off the beaten track, to more bustling Hopfgarten, a fair-sized village off the main road and with plenty of non-skiing activities, and charming Kelchsau. Peaceful Kelchsau, although unconnected by ski to the other two villages, is actually the highest village in the SkiWelt and has its own lifts.
This area of attractive resorts is centred on the pleasant small town of Wörgl, a few minutes from Hopfgarten. Both Wörgl and Hopfgarten have a rail station.
Also part of the lovely Hohe Salve holiday region are the pretty villages of Kirchbichl, Angerberg, Mariastein and Angath. It’s certainly an economically-advantageous option to consider choosing a hotel or bed and breakfast place at one of these villages, or at Wörgl. You’ll pay much less than at one of the main ski resorts and a ski-bus will quickly get you to the main Ski Welt lifts each day.
Highlights
- Charming, traditional and historic Tirolean villages, full of timbered houses clustered round their onion-domed churches.
- Easy to reach, with a nearby mainline station and short bus or taxi transfer.
- Part of the SkiWelt, Austria’s largest interlinked ski and snowboard area.
- Warm welcome for British guests, with English widely spoken in hotels and at ski schools.
- Great skiing for families and mixed ability groups.
- Brilliant mountain huts and plenty of them.
- Big range of accommodation from apartments to luxury hotels.
Lowlights
- Not high, so snow can be patchy at early and late season – although the snow record is generally good.
- Expert skiers and boarders could find themselves running out of really testing challenges.
- The piste map can be tricky to get your head round – but as there are so many slopes in the Ski Welt, that’s hardly surprising.
- Some of the runs can be a little on the short side.
- Home runs can get heavy low down because of the altitude – and busy too at going home time.
Find out more about the Austrian Tirol