DESTINATIONS AUSTRIA | SKI & SNOW
ve verdict TRADE
John Sullivan commercial director,
The Advantage Travel Partnership
“The slopes were great
with loads of blue runs, so it’s beginner-friendly, plus plenty of reds and a few blacks. It had an amazing
lift network, fast gondolas and heated seat lifts. The après-ski was good too – the songs are a mix of Eurovision-meets-musical.
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: The Travel Weekly ski trip group; Valsaa Alpinresort Saalbach; the hotel’s pool PICTURES: Atelier Wolkersdorfer; Lucy Huxley
than a ski resort. The kitchen was particularly considerate of food intolerances and fussy eaters, willingly making the effort to ensure their customers were catered for.
SAALBACH SLOPES While the property isn’t ski-in, ski-out, it’s only a short walk to the lift. Ski hire is simple and can be arranged on the property, while the Schattberg X-press gondola is five minutes’ walk from the hotel and can take you up to your first runs of the day. If guests don’t mind walking that bit farther in ski boots, the Bernkogelbahn cable car takes skiers up the north side of the valley with the opportunity to ski down into Hinterglemm. The various towns are linked by a regular
free bus service, and if on arrival at Hinterglemm you don’t fancy skiing back, it’s an 11-minute trip back to the hotel and all the spa facilities. As with any ski holiday, the hardest thing to
guarantee is the snow itself – especially with climate change affecting snow levels across the globe – and with our trip in late March, I was surprised quite how bare the mountains were around us. The town centre had no snow at all and the slopes were punctuated with thin tracks created by snow cannons to allow skiers the chance to ski that bit closer to resort. It’s impossible to know what the coming season will
travelweekly.co.uk
hold, but for a keen skier it’s never as much fun when you have to go looking for the snow.
APRES-TIME Of course, Austria is renowned for its après-ski, and compared with the slightly more sedate Swiss surroundings from our previous trip in 2023, it was fantastic to get back to some oompah music and beer steins. The Austrians enjoy their après-ski as much as the slopes themselves – possibly more so – and it guaranteed a fun end to the day. For skiers keen to mix up their evening entertainment
away from the hotel, the Xandl Stadl restaurant is a short taxi trip into Hinterglemm and provides a more traditional chalet venue. The restaurant is spectacular and mixes international wines with regional produce. After a day on the slopes, you’ll have earned yourself a cheese fondue or a schnitzel, so kick back with a glass of wine and take in the scenery.
BOOK IT
Inghams offers seven nights on an all-inclusive basis at Valsaa Alpinresort Saalbach from £1,779, including flights from Luton departing March 15, 2025, plus transfers and a six-day whole-area lift pass.
inghams.co.uk
Ski lift, Saalbach Simon McIntyre managing director, Iglu
“Saalbach is a must for those who love Austrian quality
with good hotels, skiing, food and après-ski. The resort has a range of fantastic hotels and the 170 miles of pistes are
served by a very new and fast lift system. I’ve skied across
TW
the globe for many years, but Saalbach has a unique charm that keeps it in my top-five favourite ski destinations.”
They appeal to all ages and everyone gets involved.”
26 SEPTEMBER 2024
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PICTURES: Shutterstock/Nataliya Nazarova; Sarah Lucy Brown
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