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Fold 1MINI GUIDE
Active in
the Tyrol
Even tiny villages in this Austrian province
have their own ski schools, while non-skiers
can climb frozen waterfalls, paraglide over
snowy vistas and dance at après-ski parties
Kitzbühel’s ski
tourism industry goes
back as far as 1894Skiing
Snow sports Adventure sports
SKI JUMP
Rising above Innsbruck like
a celestial staircase, the glass-and-
steel Bergisel ski
jump was designed by Dame Zaha
Hadid. The panorama of the
Nordkette range, Inntal
and Innsbruck is breathtaking,
though the cemetery at the
bottom has undoubtedly made
a few ski-jumping pros quiver
in their boots (bergisel.info;
9am–6pm; US$10.15).BOBSLEIGH
For a minute in the life of an
Olympic bobsleigh racer, you
can’t beat the Olympia Bobbahn,
built for the 1976 Winter
Olympics. Zipping around 10
curves and hitting speeds of up to
100km/h, the bob run is 800m of
hair-raising action. You can join a
professional bobsleigh driver –
call ahead for the exact times.
To reach it, take bus J from
the Landesmuseum to Igls
Olympiaexpress (olympiaworld.
at; Heiligwasserwiese, Igls; Dec–
Mar & Jul–Aug; from US$29).CROSS COUNTRY
Seefeld sits high on a south-
facing plateau, ringed by the
rugged limestone peaks of the
Wetterstein and Karwendel Alps.
While most Tyrolean resorts are
crazy about downhill, Seefeld’s
first love is langlauf (cross-
country skiing), and fans of the
sport flock here to skate and
glide along 173 miles of
well-groomed trails in winter.
They criss-cross the sunny
plateau to Mösern, three miles
away, where there are fine views
of the Inn River and peaks
beyond. A day pass costs US$3.KITZBÜHEL
Kitzbühel is one of Europe’s
foremost ski resorts: downhill
skiers flock here for the 105
miles of groomed, mostly
intermediate slopes, while
off-piste enthusiasts find plenty
of powder to play on at high
elevations. Kitzbüheler Horn is
much loved by beginners for its
gentle cruising on sunny slopes.
The alpine tour is a good
introduction to the entire ski
area (kitzbuehel.com).MAYRHOFEN
Snow-sure Mayrhofen has 99
miles of slopes, mostly geared
towards intermediates, as well as
some great off-piste action. The
skiing ranges from scenic runs for
cruisers, to knee-trembling black
runs, including the infamous
Harakiri: a 78 per cent gradient,
only for super-fit, experienced
skiers. The ski pass is valid for all
cable cars, snowboard parks and
lifts in Mayrhofen (one-day pass
US$51; mayrhofen.at).ST ANTON AM
ARLBERG
St Anton is the zenith of Austria’s
Alpine skiing. The terrain is vast,
covering 174 miles of slopes,
and the skiing challenging, with
exhilarating descents including the
Kandahar run on Galzig.
For fledglings, there are nursery
slopes on Gampen (1,850m) and
Kapall (2,330m). A single ski pass
is valid for all 94 ski lifts in the
Arlberg region (one-day pass
US$51; stantonamarlberg.com).PARAGLIDING
The storybook Zillertal valley is
sandwiched between the Tuxer
Voralpen and the Kitzbühel
Alpen; admire the valley from the
air by taking a tandem paraglider
flight. During winter, flights
mostly take place in the Zillertal
Arena, or in the Hochzillertal in
Mayrhofen – and the snowscape
will take your breath away
(aktivzentrum-zillertal.at;
Freizeitpark Zell; from US$58).ICE CLIMBING
Gain an introduction to
the basic techniques of ice
climbing and be rewarded by
stunning vistas as you tackle
one of the numerous frozen
waterfalls of the Zillertal. At
Salewa Mountain Shop, you
can take a five-hour intro class
or, if you’re up for more of a
challenge, choose the basic
ice climbing three-day course
(zillertal-alpin.at; Hauptstrasse
412; three days from US$290).OTHER ACTIVITIES
Landeck’s surrounding
amphitheatre of forested
peaks and the fast-flowing Inn
and Sanna Rivers make it the
ideal place to try your hand at
a host of activities. Sport Camp
Tirol is a one-stop action shop
for the likes of paragliding,
canyoning, white-water rafting,
mountain biking, via ferrata and
hydrospeeding (sportcamptirol.
at; Mühlkanal 1; sport card of
three activities US$153).The Bergisel Skijump Stadium
can host 26,000 spectatorsSt Anton am Arlberg is one
of Europe’s snowiest spotsParagliding affords fine views
over the wide Zillertal valleyFold 2