Sölden ski resort guide & reviews Ski area, apres-Ski, things to see & do in Sölden
Solden ski resort review
Sölden ski resort is just over 1 hours drive from Innsbruck and sits at 1377m in the Ötztal valley close to the Italian border. An authentic, lively, high mountain Austrian ski resort, Sölden occupies the 65km long Ötztal valley with several other villages including Obergurgl, the highest parish in Austria where you can also go skiing. Today, Sölden is as busy during the summer as it is in winter with tourists from all over the world coming to experience the mountains and glaciers.
Wellness & spa
Sölden is fortunate to have some world class spas including the Aqua Dome in Längenfeld a short drive away and The Freizeit Arena Adventure Bath. The Aqua Dome has pools, steam rooms, saunas, thermal springs and is a great place to relax and unwind.
Children
If you are travelling with a young family, children are well looked after in the Ötztal valley with many kindergarten and creche facilities situated on the edge of the beginner slopes.
Après-ski
The apres-ski in Sölden actually starts whilst you are skiing in one of the many lively mountain huts with live music and continues well into the early hours back in the ski resort. There are many good quieter bars and restaurants to relax in if partying all night is not your thing.
| Key information (whole area) | |
|---|---|
| Altitude | 1350m |
| Top lift | 3340m |
| Family | |
| Beginner | |
| Intermediate | |
| Expert | |
| Piste (km) | 145 |
| Longest run | 15 km |
| Off piste | |
| Cross country | 19 km |
| Season | Oct - May |
| Snowboard parks | 1 |
| Heli Skiing | ✘ |
| Summer skiing | ✘ |
| Glacier skiing | ✔ |
| Babysitting | ✔ |
| Creche | ✔ |
| Apres ski | Lively |
Sölden ski area guide
Ski holidays in Sölden means high altitude glacial skiing on the Rettenbach and Tiefenbach Glaciers with 20 km of perfectly groomed slopes surrounded by stunning scenery. Both glaciers are connected by the 1.7km long Rosi Mittermeier Road Tunnel at 3240m although you can ski from one to the other by taking the Seiterkar Triple Chair Lift, the Seiterjöchl T-bar Lift and the Schwarze Schneid Ski Tunnel.
The glaciers provide early skiing from around the stat of October with 10 lifts and 32km of pistes. The Tiefenbach Glacier is suited to beginners and early intermediates with long wide blue pistes whilst the Rettenbach Glacier is more for experts and has 4km of black pistes plus some superb runs down to the resort.
Beginners
First timers will enjoy the nursery slopes at Giggijoch before progressing to the gentle blues high up on the Tiefenbach Glacier. This is what makes Sölden special as it gives beginners the high mountain experience usually reserved for intermediates and advanced skiers.
Intermediate
With plenty of long reds, intermediate skiers and boarders are well catered for across all the resorts throughout the Ötztal valley.
Advanced
For the advanced skier, there are some challenging descents from the Tiefenbach and Rennenbach glaciers right to the village plus virtually endless off-piste possibilities.
Snowboard
The Almdudler Snowpark is located at Giggijoch, right below the two chair lifts - Hainbachkar and Silberbrünnl.
Riders can choose from a wide range of snow elements plus the chillout area is a popular place to hangout and listen to the music.
Things to see & do
If you don't fancy skiing or the weather is not that great, then there are plenty of other activities to keep you occupied...
- Spend a days skiing in Obergurgl, Austria's highest ski resort at 1930m
- Visit to the Aqua Dome in Langenfeld with great spas and pools
- 5km toboggan run
- Ice skating & curling
- Fitness center and bowling
- Parapenting
Cross-country
There are 5 local circuits that provide 19km of cross country ski trails through the forests. Close by, other possibilities include:
- Obergurgl/Hochgurgl: 12 km trails
- Längenfeld/Huben/Gries: 50 km trails
- Umhausen/Niederthai: 39 km trails, and
- Ochsengarten: 2 km trails
Our view on Sölden ski resort
Sölden is a good option for family ski holidays (especially if there are no beginners in your party) where relaxation is high on the agenda. Some suggestions. If you like the skiing in Sölden, you may also want to look at some of the other glacial ski resorts in the Alps including...
- Saas Fee
- Zermatt
- Les Deux Alpes, and
- Stubai
All these ski resorts open their doors for the winter season around October depending upon the snow cover and are ideal if you fancy some autumn skiing on uncrowded pistes. The other major advantage is that there are usually excellent discounts on the lift passes and the accommodation costs are significantly cheaper.
