Skiing in Austria – the world's best skiing in Saalbach Hinterglemm is written by Frederik Bregndahl Mikkelsen. The editors were invited along for the ride AustriaTourism. All opinions are, as usual, those of the editors.
Saalbach Hinterglemm: World-class skiing in Austria
Ever since I was a little boy, I have been on ski holidays on many of the European peaks. Especially skiing in Austria has a special place in my heart.
But I've experienced far from all of Austria on the two boards. That's why I've gone to the popular area Saalbach Hinterglemm Leogang Fieberbrunn, which I have never had the opportunity to visit.
The area is located in the western part of Austria, where it is difficult to place your finger on a map without hitting a ski area, but the area still stands out with fantastic conditions for the whole family.
The world's best skiing in Austria
Although I consider myself an experienced skier, I have always admired professional skiers when they come hurtling down the slope at over 100 kilometers per hour in downhill or stylishly steer around the gates in giant slalom.
However, I have never seen it in person before this trip. Because Saalbach In February 2025, the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships were hosted, where the entire world elite was present.
And it certainly wasn't the last time I attended an alpine skiing competition. Despite the fact that the Austrian hosts disappointed and 'only' won six medals at the World Championships, while their arch-rivals from Switzerland cleared the table, the atmosphere at the bottom of the piste was electric.
The Austrian fans know how to create a very special atmosphere around the sport that I have not experienced in any other sport, while the town of Hinterglemm provided a fantastic setting for all the celebrations that accompanied the World Ski Championships in Austria.
Hundreds of ski kilometers
The setting and atmosphere surrounding the World Cup showed exactly what the area has to offer.
Whether you are a veteran or a complete novice at skiing, you have Skicircus Saalbach Hinterglemm Leogang Fieberbrunn something for everyone with everything from the easier blue slopes to steep and challenging black slopes.
The area offers perfect conditions for skiing in Austria with 270 kilometers of slopes, of which 140 kilometers are blue, 112 kilometers are red and 18 kilometers are black, and it forms the framework for the perfect skiing experience for the whole family.
If you live in the small, cozy town of Fieberbrunn, like I did, and want to try your hand at the Saalbach Hinterglemm area, then just get on your boards and you can get there in about an hour. On the way, you'll cross the high mountain peaks and through beautiful valleys, making the trip an experience in itself.
And it might just as well be worth skiing between Fieberbrunn and Saalbach Hinterglemm – the trip by car also takes an hour, as you then have to go all the way around the mountain area.
Skiing between cities
I only managed to do the trip from Fieberbrunn to Saalbach Hinterglemm once. There are almost endless opportunities to explore new slopes in the area, but I fell in love with the local area around Fieberbrunn.
For me, there's almost nothing better than being one of the first on the slopes and feeling the stringy grooves in the snow after the piste machines have been running.
Like the rest of the area, Fieberbrunn has something for all levels of skiing – although with a majority of red runs that are not too difficult for intermediate skiers.
Not only is the skiing in Fieberbrunn top-notch, so are the locals in town.
Whether I was on the slopes or in town, I was greeted with nothing but smiles and hospitality.
Especially in the many small alpine huts on the mountain, the atmosphere was as phenomenal as I have experienced elsewhere when I have been skiing in Austria.
Skiing in Austria? You have to try it!
What's a ski holiday in Austria without a giant shoe sole of a schnitzel and kaiserschmarrn? I don't know.
I've never skied in Austria without getting that magical combination, and the trip here was no exception.
One evening I was picked up by a converted ski machine and driven up to a small alpine hut in the middle of the mountain, where one Austrian specialty after another was served.
Outside the windows, snow was falling, while a two-man band with accordion and guitar played classical Austrian music, while the Austrian couple who rented the cabin sipped weissbier over the counter.
Although Austrian cuisine doesn't offer the greatest culinary experiences, and you can probably find greater food experiences in Italy, the classic Austrian dishes have something to offer. There's a very special warmth that spreads through your body when you take a spoonful of goulash or a bite of schnitzel with cranberries.
Pure relaxation in Fieberbrunn
I was staying at the Hotel Alte Post in Fieberbrunn, and the four-star hotel provides the perfect setting for a skiing trip in Austria.
If you are fit, it doesn't take more than a quarter of an hour to walk to the foot of the mountain, where you can store your equipment, and two different gondolas can take you up the mountain.
Otherwise, there will be a shuttle bus between the city and the gondolas every ten minutes – it's a bus ride that takes less than five minutes from the Hotel Alte Post.
After a long day on the slopes, you can also completely relax at Hotel Alte Post. There is free access to the hotel's spa area if you are a guest.
With saunas, steam baths and sun loungers, there is plenty of opportunity to loosen up your muscles. I particularly enjoyed the heated outdoor pool on the hotel's roof, from which you could look out over the area's slopes and mountain peaks.
The trip to Saalbach Hinterglemm Leogang Fieberbrunn had everything a ski holiday should have and it is a place I will definitely return to.
What's the best thing about a ski holiday in Saalbach Hinterglemm?
- Fantastic skiing conditions
- Timok's Alpine Coaster
- Feel the warmth of Austrian cuisine
- Take a break from the slopes and have a cup of hot cocoa or mulled wine
- Delicious spa experiences
- Après-ski you won't soon forget
- Austrian hospitality
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