Lofer

If you ski Lofer you will enjoy a fairy-tale resort that's mainly full of Austrians. It's a hidden secret, gets loads of snow and has 46km of it's own pistes of mixed levels to ensure your skiing & snowboarding in Austria's Saalach Valley is a memorable holiday.

Where

If you ski Lofer you will be based in a traditional and pretty village just over half an hour from Salzburg in the Saalach Valley with four other village resorts. Little known outside Austria this is a ski resort to be recommended if you are wanting a break away from the rowdy crowds. Small and friendly, the resort has a good mix of slopes, and a lively après-ski scene. It's also very accessible from the airports with Salzburg being the closest followed by Innsbruck. Transfers are actualyl pretty straight-forward.

On the slopes

With 46km of piste you can ski Lofer safe in the knowledge you have enough, for most, for the week. With a vertical drop of over 1000m you also get some great off-piste of the sides of the marked pistes. There is also the added bonus of a 9km run that takes you down into the resort. With 20 pistes, intermediate and advanced skiers and boarders get the lions share of marked pistes. So experts may get a little bored if they don't want off piste. The resort has a good snow record and all the lower slopes have snowmaking equipment ensuring no problem with statr and end of season. There are good connections to other local resorts including Kitzbühel and Zell am See which ensures if you don't mind a short bus journey, you can open up the skiing and snowboardig you want to do quite easily. Finally, opening for 2010/2011 season, there will be a new snow park with rails and jumps at all levels, meaning freestylers now get a dedicated area beneath the Family Express lift.

Off the slopes

The compact pedestrianised centre of Lofer village has plenty of traditional bars and restaurants to keep you busy in the evenings, offering a good range of local and international fare. It's also car free you're not bothered by fumes or noise when you decide the time is right to kick off your après-ski for the evening. Other activities available include tobogganing, curling and sleigh rides. A great, hidden, winter getaway.