St Anton Ski Resort, Austria

Overview of St Anton

St Anton ski resort, otherwise known as the ski capital of Austria, is one of Europe's top resorts and a mecca for off-piste skiing. With a hefty list of accolades, St Anton is one of the world’s best places for competent skiers especially those with the energy to apres like it's 1999.

St Anton is unique; Authentic and certainly chic, there is still a wholesome air to the place. Spread out along the valley floor, the resort is actually a large working town, easily accessible by road and rail. It retains a traditional charisma and boasts a pretty car-free village centre in a beautiful local style. The locals’ sunny disposition must have at least a little to do with the resort’s sunny position, but it almost definitely has something to do with the heavy snowfalls that are commonplace on the high snow-sure slopes.

It is said that if you learn to ski in St Anton, 'the cradle of alpine skiing', you will be comfortable skiing anywhere. This is because, while there are a lot of nursery slopes along the village, some runs have a habit of proving to be harder than you first thought and busy pistes can get mogully.

However, intermediate and advanced skiers couldn’t pick a more invigorating destination than St Anton. And if it all looks a bit familiar when you arrive, it could be because you’ve seen it all before in one of the many films made here. Think Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason, Chalet Girl and one of the first-ever ski films, Die Weisse Rausch (The White Thrill), shot here in 1931 (you could even join the race based on the film every April).

3 Things We Love About St Anton

1. One of Europe's top resorts for skiing- Perfect for expert skiers and boarders, with plenty of challenging runs and unlimited off-piste options.
2. Party town - Famous for the incredible après scene, but with a very traditional and chic town.
3. Large ski area - Lifts link with Lech and Zürs, making the Arlberg the largest ski area in Austria with 305km of piste.

Skiing and Boarding in St Anton

St Anton is known as the birthplace of alpine skiing and is embedded in a rich history. Today it is one of the largest and most popular ski resorts in the Alps with a variety of pistes and state-of-the-art lifts all accessible on just one ski pass.

St Anton am Alberg has over 300 km of marked pistes, 85 lifts and cable cars, and over 200km of off-piste terrain to explore. The resort is largely considered an advanced skier's resort, with plenty of red and black runs. However, there is still a good selection of nursery slopes for beginners.

Beginner

• Find gentle and wide nursery slopes at the bottom of the hill in the Nasserein and Gampen areas.
• At the bottom of Nasserein by the Nasserein Bubble there is a nice button lift for beginners.
• Lech is also great for beginners with lots of easier slopes. To get to Lech, you can take a 30-minute bus journey from the St Anton train station for under 6 euros, making it a nice and accessible area for beginners.
• Once you're comfortable with nursery slopes, have a go on the blue runs from the Ostang chairlift or take the Gampen lift up to the Plattiwald trail (runs 27, 31, and 50).
• The Rendl side of resort also offers some lovely gentler pistes.

Intermediate

• If you're just starting to advance to intermediate level, try out the quieter blues and reds at "Rendl beach"; (the area at the bottom of the piste map).
• There are some classic must-try un-pisted reds accessed from the Galzig 2185 peak.
• Test your endurance on the longest run in resort: 10.2km descent from Valluga to Ulmer Hutte to St Anton.

Advanced and Off Piste

• Try the World Cup downhill slope from the top of Kapall 2330.
• Hit the runs on either side of Gampen 1850 for steep and deep early morning carving.
• The toughest skiing is considered to be at the top of Schindler Spitze 2660 and Valluga 2811. Here you find close to vertical pistes.
• There are some classic black runs accessed from the Galzigbahn lift.
• Highly recommended runs include the number 34 piste from Kapall to Mattun and the number 3 piste in the Rendl area.
• Schindler Spitze 2660 and Valluga 2811 offer the most accessible off-piste itineraries, with open bowls, steep chutes and narrow gullies to work your way through.
• Head to Stuben and float your way through the powder capital of the Arlberg area.
• A big and iconic off-piste run is the north face of the Valluga, which is seriously steep at the top before giving way to open powder fields down to Zurs.

Park

• The large St Anton snowpark in Rendl boasts jumps, boxes, obstacles, rails, tabletops and kickers of varying sizes, plus a smaller area for beginners and a half pipe.

Additional Tips

• The Zurs area is a favourite amongst our Skiworld staff due to its stunning views.
• With a full area pass, explore the further villages of St Christoph, Stuben, Lech, etc.
• Busses to Zurs, St. Christof, Zug, and Lech are really easy from the main bus terminal and from the train station.

When skiing or snowboarding in any un-patrolled / un-pisted area, you should always have the correct equipment and employ the services of a qualified mountain guide. Skiing or snowboarding off-piste can result in injury or death even with a professional mountain guide or instructor. Our partner ski school in St Anton, New Generation, offers off-piste lessons and guiding.

Activities in St Anton

• Tobogganing - The toboggan track is 4.3km long and runs from the top of the Nasserein lift down into Nasserein. Toboggans can be rented from all sports shops. Either toboggan in the daytime or in the evenings on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Combine night tobogganing with a mountain meal at the Rodel-alm restaurant for a brilliant evening.
• Paragliding - Glide above the slopes and take in the stunning views over the Grand Rousse valley. Choose between a short flight which takes around 10 minutes or a longer flight which takes you all the way down the mountain.
• Arlberg WellCom - The wellness centre in St Anton has a wide range of facilities including a sauna/steam room, gym, swimming pools (indoor and outdoor), ice skating, curling and massages. It's located in the town centre and easily accessible. Great for anyone who's decided to stay down the mountain that day.
• Arl-Park - A climbing & sports centre in St Anton which has a wide range of facilities including climbing walls and bouldering, indoor tennis courts, 5-a-side football, pool tables and bowling (9 pin skittles). It's located next to the train station just out from the centre of town. The sports centre is also attached to a great Thai restaurant called Skiing Buddha.
• Museum - Here you can find out about the history of skiing. Located near to the Galzigbahn gondola.

Après Ski in St Anton

On the piste

• Krazy Kanguruh (AKA "KK's") - A special place and a Skiworld staff favourite! A lively international apres ski party atmosphere.
• Taps - Located next door to KK's, Taps is a seasonnaire haunt with happy hour from 3-4pm daily. Head to Taps for a healthy dose of Europop!
• Mooserwirt - The world-renowned Mooserwirt, where it gets very lively! An essential establishment to visit for a big apres party, both outside and inside.
• Heustadl - Located on valley run number 50, this bar has daily live music and a great party atmosphere.
• Anthony's - A Popular apres bar with large sun terrace.

In town

• Basecamp - A large apres bar down in St Anton town. Basecamp has a great atmosphere and is easily accessible for non-skiers. If you're up at apres on the mountain, ski down to Basecamp to keep the party going!
• Murrmel - Murrmel bar in town has live music every day of the week with musicians playing all the classics to sing along to.
• Keller Bar - An awesome rock'n'roll bar in Nasserein. The Vagrants rock out and get everyone up and singing and dancing in this homely ski bar.
• Square bar - An open-air bar with a glass roof, great for a stop off drink if travelling between Rendl and Galzig.
• Bar Cuba - Serves great cocktails and is a perfect place to watch sports.

For the evening

• Postkeller - Postkeller opens from 9:30pm and there are live DJ sessions until the early hours. A popular late-night venue.
• Bar Cuba - A great place to watch live sport and play pool and table football. As the evening progresses this bar gets busy and is popular with seasonnaires.
• Bobo's - A popular destination for a night out and open daily until 3 am!
• Skiing Buddah - This bar also plays sports and gets quite lively in the evening.

Places to eat in St Anton

As in all ski resorts, especially in peak season (or when heavy snow brings everyone on the mountain!) it is best to book your restaurant in advance.

On the mountain

• Anthony's - This place has a large sun terrace and serves great food.
• Rendl Restaurant - A self-service restaurant which also has a beach bar with amazing sun terrace views.
• Ulmer Hutte - Mountain cabin restaurant at 2281 metres altitude.
• Hospiz Alm - Gourmet restaurant with cosy alpine interiors.
• Albonagratstube - A self-service restaurant located just off the piste at the top of the Albonagrat chair lift.
• Albona Bergesreturant - A self service restaurant with a sunny terrace. A great spot for lunch.
• Mooserwirt - Not only a great apres venue, but the food here in the daytime is delicious.

In resort

• Maximilian - Very popular with locals and tourists alike. It has a relaxing atmosphere with a traditional Tyrolean kitchen serving juicy steaks and international specialities. Located between the town centre and Nasserein.
• Anthony's/Happy Valley Steakhouse - Located in the centre of town this restaurant is spread over two floors. They serve pizza and pasta dishes on one floor and has a steakhouse on the other. Once you have finished eating, relax at the bar until it turns into a nightclub after dinner service.
• Theo's - Located in Nasserein, Theo's is a family-run traditional Austrian restaurant with a wide selection of dishes, including vegan options. They also offer fondue.
• San Antonio - Located in Nasserein, San Antonio serves delicious pizza and pasta. Takeaway options are also available. Note that the kitchen is closed on Mondays.
• The Museum - Considered one of the best restaurants in resort by our Skiworld staff. Be aware it books up very quickly and the prices reflect its strong reputation.
• Pomedoro - Good Italian food at good prices. Not possible to book in advance.
• Café Schneider - Has a nice varied menu with steak, curry and Austrian classics. Also a large range of veggie food on offer.
• Dolce Vite - Cheap and cheerful pizzeria.
• Aquila - Good vegetarian burgers and veggie pasta options.
• Fahrner-Stubn - Located a one minute walk from the Galzig end of town, this restaurant has a real traditional Austrian family-run vibe.
• Q Club - Serving Asian and oriental food, this restaurant serves really good sushi. It also turns into a nightclub after dinner on Fridays and Saturdays.
• Furhmanstube - Located on the main street in St Anton, this restaurant serves very well priced and good quality Austrian food. Booking in advance not possible.
• Rosanna Lounge - A nice quiet spot serving great pizzas.
• Tenne - Located in St. Jakob, this restaurant serves amazing Austrian food at pretty good prices. Tuesday is fondue night.
• Niki's Wine Bar - Predominantly a wine bar but the food (from a select menu) is also great.

Family Features St Anton

Please also see the 'Activities' and 'Ski Schools' sections for a wealth of non-skiing and skiing options for families.

Depending on the age of your child, there are a few childcare options available in St Anton.

• Alpine Angels - Very professional and friendly nanny service. All nannies have relevant childcare qualifications, CRB checks and first aid qualifications.
• Ski Schule / Kindergarten - Ski Schule Arlberg has both a kindergarden and a ski school. Different packages available depending on the age of your child.