Panzaun - Ischgl: One Valley, Four Resorts and Endless Winter Fun

New for 2019/20 is the Velilleck F1. At 6 metres per second, this comfortable and ergonomically designed six-seat hooded chairlift is the fastest in the area. It leads up to Pardatschgrat ridge, extending 1,353m past its predecessor. The minimal-noise and low-vibration chairlift has been fully redesigned from the access barrier to the comfortable upholstered seating. The individual seats are ergonomically designed, heatable and extra-wide at 52 cm. They include an optimised security bar. The backs of the chairs are unique and feature pictures of plants from the surrounding mountain region. A further update is the Visnitz N2, an eight-seater chairlift in Samnaun, providing further convenience and comfort to skiers. 

The hills are alive with the sound of music this year in Ischgl, as a winter of mountain-top concerts commences. The season will kick off on 30th November 2019 with a performance from the Berlin-based cult band Seeed at the legendary Top of the Mountain Opening Concert. The ten-man band will be conjuring up a magical atmosphere on the open-air stage with renditions of hits such as ‘Ding’, ‘Augenbling’, ‘Dickes B’ and ‘Dancehall Caballeros’. At the Top of the Mountain Easter Concert on 12 April 2020, Sido will be making his Ischgl début at the heart of the ski resort on the world-famous 2,320m high Idalp stage.

Ischgl

Ischgl's ski season kicks off on 28th November 2019, running through until 3rd May 2020. 239km of perfectly prepared cross-border pistes, 45 comfortable lift and cable car facilities, endless freeriding areas with pristine powder snow and one of Europe’s largest continuous freestyle parks guarantee a unique winter sports experience in the Silvretta Arena. Children under the age of 10 will recieve a VIP pass and can travel for free when accompanied by a parent, and children up to the age of 16 are entitled to a child discount. From 13th - 17th January 2020, the Forms in White Snow Sculpture competition transforms the Silveretta Arena into a giant open-air gallery, with ten pairs of artists from across the globe producing metre-high snow models in the resort over a period of five days.

Ischgl is the ideal ski resort for food fanatics, with eight restaurants holding awards and stars, led by chefs such as Martin Sieberer and Benjamin Parth - one of the youngest chefs to be awarded 3 Gault Millau toques. From 19th-20th April 2020, the 23rd Chef's Star Cup will take place, seeing 50 top chefs put their skills to the test as part of the giant slalom and subsequent live cookery competiton on the legendary Idalp stage. Similary, the gastro indsutry battles it out for a medal on the pistes in 12th Gastronomy Ski World Championships, held from 22nd-23rd April 2020.

Galtür

Galtür is situated in Paznaun at an altitude of 1,584m, renowned for its guaranteed snow. At the Silvapark, 10 lifts connect the 43 km of carefully maintained pistes and 6 sections. Little visitors to the Silvapark can play gleefully in the Zwergerlwelt (Kids’ World) and Abenteuerland (Adventureland), complete with a fairytale forest and hunting trail. While the children play, the young at heart can show off their skills in the Actionpark, skiers and snowboarders can glide down the slopes of the Pistenparadies and freeriders will find their kingdom in the Heldenreich. Following Hemingway's footsteps, the High & Nordic section is for fans of ski touring, and visits the scenery eternalised in the author's novel An Alpine Idyll.

Cross-country skiers can take a deep breath and pursue their passion on the perfectly prepared trails through until April, thanks to the artificial snow-making facilities. As Tyrol’s only climatic spa resort, Galtür is setting new standards in regenerative winter sports. Guests can enjoy clear mountain air across 73 km of cross-country trails, covering all difficulty levels and ranging from 1,377m to over 2,000m altitude. Use of the cross-country trails in Galtür is free-of-charge and all trails can be downloaded as GPS tracks on www.galtuer.com. 

Kappl

Kappl is the sunniest ski resort in Paznaun and impresses with 10 modern and comfortable lifts and 42 km of pistes. Tackling the steep, 8km Lattenabfahrt descent, with an altitude difference of 1,000m, is a truly special experience. The Sunny Mountain Adventure Park is another highlight, with the spacious practice area at the Diasbahn mountain station extending over an area of 25,000m², is perfectly equipped for children and beginners alike. With various partially covered ‘magic carpets’ of up to 200m, learning winter sports here is effortless and enjoyable. In addition to the specially designed kids piste known as the ‘Flaxi Descent’, there is also a wave track, ski carousel, snow caves and much more to discover. Parents can take advantage of the professional child-care available at the Sunny Mountain Club and the highly-qualified charming Sunny Mountain Crew.

Kappl is haven for fans of freeriding. Away from the prepared ski pistes, a paradise of powder snow opens up with endless descent options and breath-taking panoramic mountain views. Almost all of the freeriding slopes start out from the mountain stations of the Alblittkopfbahn or Alblittbahn chairlifts. The local ski schools provide courses for beginners, help with finding the right equipment and are always excited to show freeriders the best spots and runs. Kappl will host the Open Faces Freeride Contests for the 8th time from 10th until 12th January 2020, followed by the Freeride Junior World Championship from 28th until 31th.

See

The charming little resort of See is an idyllic winter paradise, with the winter season running from 14th December until 17th April 2020. From the centre of the resort, a comfortable gondola transports holidaymakers to 41km of well-prepared pistes with guaranteed snow which extend up to an altitude of 2,450m. Anyone seeking air time can visit Fun Park with its wave runs and medium kickers, while families with children have nine different lift facilities at their disposal in See. Children and beginners will find themselves in the best of hands in the large practice area at the mountain station, where they can perfect their first swerves in the snow. Separate magic carpet conveyors and a button lift make it easy to learn the ropes in a safe and steady manner.

Off the Slopes in Paznaun

Ski tours, 73km of varied cross-country skiing trails, 190km of winter walk footpaths, horse-drawn sleigh rides and guided snow-shoe walking are all offered by the resort. For thrill-seekers, paragliding is provided, and for more traditional winter sports enthusiasts: ice-skating, ice hockey, curling and night-sledding. 

If you have questions about Paznaun-Ischgl, would like high-res images or are interested in a press trip, please contact eleanor.moody@austria.info.