Winter sports at their finest offers the chance to combine skiing with smooth cross-country trails, the thrill of biathlon plus heaps of fun off the slopes in St. Johann in Tirol
Snow and sports are a way of life in the Kitzbühel Alps. Glittering peaks surround the charming and traditional villages of St. Johann in Tirol, Oberndorf, Kirchdorf and Erpfendorf, and wherever you lay you head, come morning you’ll wake to a wonderland of sparkling snow and mountain fun.
Just 60km from Salzburg airport and 90km from Innsbruck, it’s a quick journey to St Johann’s snow-sure well-groomed slopes, swift modern lifts and rustic ski huts. Behind the doors of famous snow bars, sun terraces and piste-side restaurants, tasty culinary delicacies and traditional home-cooked food await. Raise a frothy beer or glass of crisp Austrian wine to the spectacular scenery and Tirolean charm that surrounds. Indeed, the food and drink are such good value here, you may just stay for another…
All ability levels and tastes are catered for. In Erpfendorf and Kirchdorf, friendly, snow-reliable runs attract families. At the foot of the mighty Kitzbüheler Horn, St. Johann in Tirol and Oberndorf provide exciting challenges. Make it a Kitzbüheler Alps ski safari: for a small extra charge, the 3-Länder-Freizeitarena ski pass includes 171km of pistes and 61 lifts across Tyrol, Salzburg and Bavaria.
That’s not the only great-value ski pass available. St. Johann in Tirol is an ideal starting point to exploring the nearby top ski areas with The Kitzbühel Alps ski safari. St. Johann in Tirol joins together with the world-renowned winter sports centres of Kitzbühel, SkiCircus Saalbach Hinterglemm Leogang Fieberbrunn and SkiWelt Wilder Kaiser as well as nearby Steinplatte near Waidring – all on one Super Ski Card. This one card gives access to the second largest ski pass network in the world – a thigh-testing 2,750km of pistes at 23 ski areas in and around St. Johann are yours.
When it’s time to enjoy a quieter, more serene slide head for the silent woods and snowy meadows of the Kitzbühel Alps. The large network of cross-country ski trails offers double lanes of varying challenge suited to families, beginners and keen skiers. Choose between gentle, short and long tracks along valley floor or, for more workout, there are trail sections with steep inclines around the Hinterkaiser and Huberhöhe. There is even a well-lit night trail. The Koasastadion cross-country ski centre is the starting point of the legendary Koasa route in St. Johann in Tirol, and excellent ski schools and ski hire have ensured the area’s award of the quality seal for cross-country trails. All this, and the entire cross-country trail network can be used free of charge. For extra thrills, give biathlon a go -- combination of cross-country skiing and shooting -- at the shooting ranges in Kirchdorf in Tirol.