Skip to navigation Skip to main content

Ski holidays with charm: Our favourite ski villages in Austria

A ski holiday in Austria is synonymous with hospitality and conviviality, no matter where you go. But there are several villages that stand out for their charming atmosphere. If you’re looking for out-of-the-ordinary ski holidays in a ski resort where you’ll feel right at home both on and off the slopes, look no further. We’ve rounded up five of our favourite Austrian ski villages, based on their ambience, their charm and their proximity to amazing skiing. It’s a magical feeling waking up to see one of these villages blanketed in snow!

Seefeld

Located on a large and sunny plateau high in the mountains in the province of Tyrol, Seefeld has an attractive pedestrianised village centre chock-full of shops, restaurants and bars with outside terraces. The classic chalet-inspired buildings provide the perfect backdrop for the always-bustling sidewalks, where people come to stroll and window-shop. Seefeld has about 40km of pistes for downhill skiing, but the real mecca is the cross-country ski area, with a network of about 275km of trails.

Winter wonderland: Seefeld

Alpbach

Alpbach is a picturesque village, nestled in an equally beautiful valley. Strict building regulations ensure Alpbach has maintained a nucleus of traditional wooden chalets, thus preserving the authentic character of the village. This idyllic town is attached to the Ski Juwel Alpbachtal Wildschönau ski area, with some 100km of pistes.

© Alpbachtal Seenland Tourismus

Filzmoos

The friendly village of Filzmoos is located at the end of a quiet valley in Salzburg boasts a gurgling brook and gorgeous alpine chalets. The ski area is rather small, with only 13km of pistes, but the larger Salzburger Sportwelt has a total of 228km of pistes to keep skiers and snowboarders of all levels busy.

A river runs through it: Filzmoos village in Salzburg

Fiss

Fiss has managed to retain its authentic character despite attracting hordes of tourists every year. Steep and narrow streets lined with traditional chalets give the village a unique charm that’s hard to beat. The linked Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis ski area boasts over 200km of slopes, with no shortage of ski-in, ski-out accommodation.

© TVB Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis

Saalbach

Picture-perfect Saalbach lies at the heart of the massive Skicircus Saalbach Hinterglemm Leogang Fieberbrunn, with access to 270km of pistes. This lively pedestrianised ski village is always bustling with people and offers loads of options for après-ski.

Saalbach's lively village centre at night

A ski holiday in Austria is synonymous with hospitality and conviviality, no matter where you go. But there are several villages that stand out for their charming atmosphere. If you’re looking for out-of-the-ordinary ski holidays in a ski resort where you’ll feel right at home both on and off the slopes, look no further. We’ve rounded up five of our favourite Austrian ski villages, based on their ambience, their charm and their proximity to amazing skiing. It’s a magical feeling waking up to see one of these villages blanketed in snow!

Seefeld

Located on a large and sunny plateau high in the mountains in the province of Tyrol, Seefeld has an attractive pedestrianised village centre chock-full of shops, restaurants and bars with outside terraces. The classic chalet-inspired buildings provide the perfect backdrop for the always-bustling sidewalks, where people come to stroll and window-shop. Seefeld has about 40km of pistes for downhill skiing, but the real mecca is the cross-country ski area, with a network of about 275km of trails.

Winter wonderland: Seefeld

Alpbach

Alpbach is a picturesque village, nestled in an equally beautiful valley. Strict building regulations ensure Alpbach has maintained a nucleus of traditional wooden chalets, thus preserving the authentic character of the village. This idyllic town is attached to the Ski Juwel Alpbachtal Wildschönau ski area, with some 100km of pistes.

© Alpbachtal Seenland Tourismus

Filzmoos

The friendly village of Filzmoos is located at the end of a quiet valley in Salzburg boasts a gurgling brook and gorgeous alpine chalets. The ski area is rather small, with only 13km of pistes, but the larger Salzburger Sportwelt has a total of 228km of pistes to keep skiers and snowboarders of all levels busy.

A river runs through it: Filzmoos village in Salzburg

Fiss

Fiss has managed to retain its authentic character despite attracting hordes of tourists every year. Steep and narrow streets lined with traditional chalets give the village a unique charm that’s hard to beat. The linked Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis ski area boasts over 200km of slopes, with no shortage of ski-in, ski-out accommodation.

© TVB Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis

Saalbach

Picture-perfect Saalbach lies at the heart of the massive Skicircus Saalbach Hinterglemm Leogang Fieberbrunn, with access to 270km of pistes. This lively pedestrianised ski village is always bustling with people and offers loads of options for après-ski.

Saalbach's lively village centre at night

184 - Winter - Danielle

About Danielle

Born and raised in the ski paradise of Vancouver, Canada, I learned to ski before I can remember, balancing precariously on my parents’ skis as they sailed down the hill. I started snowboarding in my teens and am now delighted to be exploring everything Europe’s ski scene has to offer!