Three Austrian ski resorts

By Charles Leocha

Travel columnist

updated 7:25 p.m. ET Dec. 15, 2005

Austria is the home of modern skiing. The Arlberg method of ski instruction originated here, and Austria claims more downhill ski champions than any other country in the world. It is the country that wrote the book on après-ski and the winter lifestyle, which may explain why more than 12 million visitors descend on Austrian hotels each winter season.

Here is a serving of three very different Austrian ski and snowboard destinations, all within about an hour’s drive of one another. One is a major city, one is a quiet downhill and cross-country resort, and the third is a perfect Alpine village tucked in a steep mountain valley.

Innsbruck
Innsbruck is no quaint ski village. Capital of the Austrian Tyrol, it is a city of more than 130,000 residents that has dozens of cultural attractions. Though it is surrounded by a group of excellent snow resorts and has twice hosted the Winter Olympic Games (1964 and 1976), skiing is not even the dominant force in the city, which makes it all the more interesting to visit.

Lying in the valley of the emerald-green Inn River, Innsbruck has been a crossroads of civilizations for centuries. The bridge from which the city gets its name has linked the north and south of Europe since the days of the ancient Romans, who regularly used the Brenner Pass, and new train lines make it a major junction on the east-west railway through the Alps and central Europe. There are silver mines here, too, which made the region a rich and busy commercial center.

For nearly a thousand years, this was the center of the Holy Roman Empire, and when you look at a map of Innsbruck it is easy to see where the castle walls once stood. Colorfully restored buildings give the old town center a cheerful yet medieval feel. Old inn and shop signs still hang on the walls, arcades still shelter travelers from storms, traditional restaurants serve patrons as they did in Mozart’s day and shops still line the cobblestone streets.

If you stay in the city you will have a longish ride to the lifts, but you can ski seven nearby areas and can also strike out for a day to St. Anton or Kitzbühel. The shuttle bus system has been perfected over the years, and it makes getting to the slopes quick and easy. There is also a good tram and bus system up to Igls, Hungerburgbahn and winter hiking trails.

With a major university and lots of cultural history — castles, cathedrals, palaces and the like — Innsbruck offers many sightseeing opportunities, and most of them are within a 10-minute walk of the city center. It also has a great deal of beauty and charm, with the Inn River flowing through the city and good strolling in the old town center.

Those looking for fine dining and good cafes will not be disappointed. Those looking for rollicking- good, all-night dancing and drinking can find it here, too. The city is also a good family destination, with lots of affordable restaurants and activities for kids, including a zoo, gondolas and trains going up into the mountains.

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