Ski & Sun: Where to Hit the Pistes in Austria this Spring
Here comes the sun! Make the most of the extended skiing season in the Austrian Alps.
Spring is around the corner but that doesn’t mean the skiing season is over for good. In fact, it might well be the opposite. Just factor in the extra sunshine hours and milder temperatures on the pistes. And, of course, all the traditional mountain huts with their large sun terraces right next to them.
Many alpine resorts in Austria have extra-long seasons thanks to their high altitude and glaciers, meaning skiers can get the best of both winter and spring while whisking down their dream pistes. And to make the deal even sweeter, there are also plenty of spring deals, either money-wise or coming with additional experiences offered towards the end of the season, including early morning skiing.
AUSTRIAN SKI RESORTS WITH AN XXL SEASON
Looking to stretch the winter season? Here are some resorts that are open until Easter – and beyond: In Saalbach-Hinterglemm, host of the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships Saalbach 2025, winter sports enthusiasts can hit the slopes up until 21 April, as it’s possible in Tirol’s Zillertalarena and Ski Amadé. Lifts in the Arlberg region (St. Anton, St. Christoph, Stuben, Lech, Oberlech, Zürs) run a day longer, until 22 April.
For post Easter skiing breaks, head to Ötztal’s Gurgl, famously known as British world cup winner Dave Ryding’s favourite Austrian resort, which is open until 28 April or to Obertauern (1 May), Ischgl (4 May) and Sölden (4 May). The Stubai Glacier near Innsbruck stretches the season even longer, with skiing possible until 11 May, and Kaprun’s Kitzsteinhorn is open until 18 May. Looking for all-year-round skiing? Look no further than Hintertux Glacier in Zillertal.
EARLY MORNING SKIING
More sunshine hours mean more time for skiing, adding an additional benefit to hitting the slopes in springtime. Depending on the resort, 50 to 100 skiers can enjoy the freshly groomed pistes before everyone else – and many early morning ski passes also include a hearty mountain breakfast at a hut afterwards.
Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis offers “First Track Skiing” from 7:30 AM every Wednesday between January and Mid-Apri, and Zürs in the Arlberg region from 7:45 AM on Thursdays. In Saalbach, early risers can hit the slopes from 8 AM starting in mid-January. Obergurgl kicks off sunrise skiing in early February, with its Festkogel cable car opening at 7:30 AM, and SkiWelt follows on 14 February (Fridays and Saturdays from 7:30 AM).
Zillertalarena opens selected lifts at 6:55 AM on Thursdays and Sundays throughout March, while St. Johann in Tirol offers “Good Morning Skiing” every weekend the same month.
SKI IN SPRING - AND SAVE MONEY
Those skiing later in the season can also benefit from significant discounts, especially when travelling with kids: At SkiWelt, for example, families buying a pass for at least three days receive free tickets for children up to the age of 15 between 15 and 30 March, while adults without children get 15% off on lift passes during the same period. St. Johann in Tirol runs a similar family deal from Mid-March to the end of the season, and Zell am See-Kaprun offers free ski passes for children when accompanied by a parent holding a ticket for four or more days.
St. Johann in Salzburg rewards families going on longer skiing breaks with Easter discounts on both hotels and lift passes when staying for seven nights.
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