Ischgl ski resort guideSki area, apres-ski, things to see & do in Ischgl
Overview
Ski holidays in Ischgl are growing in popularity year after year as the word gets out that this is a fun place to go with some serious skiing to be had too.
Mostly suited to intermediates and advanced, there is some great terrain to explore in the Silvretta Arena that straddles the Austrian and Swiss border incorporating the pretty duty free resort of Samnaun.
Après-Ski
Ischgl is Ibiza in the mountains!! Wild parties and thumping après-ski bars that kick-off as soon as the slopes start to empty and continue until the early hours. Renowned as an après-ski stronghold, Ischgl knows how to thrill with a nightlife that is stylish and urban and easily competes with what cities have to offer.
Wellness & Spa
Unexpectedly, one of Austria's largest spas can be found at the Trofana Royal Hotel. There is a designer spa at Hotel Madlein and the majority of the other hotels in the resort have a sauna and steam room. Non-residents can enjoy these facilities although booking in advance is recommended.
Children
There are several ski kindergarten clubs that take children from the age of 3 where they have the option of learning to ski.
| Key information (whole area) | |
|---|---|
| Altitude | 1400m |
| Top lift | 2872m |
| Family | |
| Beginner | |
| Intermediate | |
| Expert | |
| Piste (km) | 239 |
| Longest run | 11 km |
| Off piste | |
| Cross country | 33 km |
| Season | Dec - April |
| Snowboard parks | 1 |
| Heli Skiing | ✔ |
| Summer skiing | ✘ |
| Glacier skiing | ✘ |
| Babysitting | ✔ |
| Creche | ✔ |
| Apres ski | Superb and very lively |
Ischgl Ski Area
The ski area of Ischgl and it's surrounding resorts combine to give 238 km of largely intermediate and advanced terrain. With it's state of the art lift system, there are rarely any queues except for in the peak periods and these are usually confined to the morning on the Silvretta and Pardatsch gondolas.
The heart of the skiing area is called Idalp and it's where the two gondolas -Silveretta bahn and Fimba bahn converge. At the top, there are several shops, restaurant and is the meeting point for the ski school and beginners area.
Beginners
Beginners start off on the nursery slopes at Idalp. These are reached by gondola which means you get a real experience of what its like to ski on the mountain.
The downside is that you have to ski back down on a relatively steep piste or queue to get the lift back down. Galtur is the better place to start your skiing career where the nursery slopes are conveniently located near the village.
Intermediate
Intermediates will have a field day with lots of opportunities for crusing on wide sweeping blues and reds. One of the best runs is also the longest at 11km.
It starts off at Greitspitze which is the highest skiable point in Ischgl at 2872 and gives 1472m of vertical! Be warned though - the first part is graded black, then the rest is red all the way back to the town centre (via the beginners area at Idalp).
Advanced
The special piste, 14a, is a real challenge for experienced skiers. The route provides a 70 percent downhill gradient and majestic mountain scenery.
Cross-country
Ischgl offers some beautiful scenic trails for cross-countryskiing. There are 33km of trails that take you from Ischgl to the quieter resort of Galtur.
Snowboard
Silvretta Arena in Austria and Switzerland caters for it's freestyle enthusiasts with two snow parks. The PlayStation® Vita Ischgl Snowpark is one of the biggest inter-connected freestyle parks in the Alps in Ischgl while in Samnaun, the Obstacle Freestyle Board Park attracts snowboarders from all over the world.
Things to see & do
- Silvretta leisure centre with pool, sauna and steamroom and bowling alley. It also has a big screen for live sporting events
- Toboganning on a 7km track
- Sleigh rides
- In-doorTennis
- Curling
- Ice skating
- The opening (end Nov) and closing season (mid April) parties are getting bigger and better attracting mega stars such as Elton John
Our view on Ischgl ski resort
Ski holidays in Ischgl - a brilliant ski resort that's getting a big reputation for being great fun on and off the piste. A few suggestions...
- The Smugglers' Route - the duty free border town of Samnaun in Switzerland is a great place to stop off for lunch but be wary of buying the duty free as the prices are on the high side even without the duty!!
- Try and give the Silvretta and Pardatsch gondolas a miss when the ski resort is busy as the queues can be unbelievable. Instead, take the Fimba gondola which is often much quieter but still gets you up the slopes and quickly
- To get the most out of Ischgl during your ski holiday, we would recommend hiring a guide to help you navigate around the various areas and back country off-piste. A bit expensive but certainly worth it!
- The ski area covers Galtur, Kappl and See and these are definitely places to head to if you want to avoid the busy pistes in peak periods
- The Silvretta cablecar museum in the Dorftunnel is worth a visit tracking the history of Ischgl from the first settlers to how it is today
If you like Ischgl, you may also want to look at St Anton and Chamonix.
