Zillertal

From WikiSki

Overview 

The Zillertal is a large, long valley located app. 50km east of Innsbruck. It contains no less than 12 ski areas, all available on the one lift ticket. There are many small villages on the low valley floor that are connected to the higher ski areas by a variety of fast gondolas and cable cars. The largest town in the valley is Mayrhofen, located at the end of the 'private' Zillertalbahn railway. It is known for its vibrant nightlife and awe inspiring scenery. At the end of the valley is the famous Hintertux Glacer - one of the greatest glaciers in Europe.

Contents 1 Location 2 Pros 3 Cons 4 Contacts 5 Planning 5.1 Getting There 5.2 Accommodation 5.2.1 On Mountain 5.2.2 Off Mountain 5.3 Lift Tickets 5.4 Ski School 5.5 Equipment Hire 6 Resort Facilities 6.1 Getting Around 6.2 Parking 6.3 Activities 6.4 Dining 6.5 Bars & Entertainment 6.6 Shopping 6.7 Children 7 Ride Guide 7.1 Beginner Areas 7.2 Groomed Runs 7.3 Off Piste 7.4 Out of Bounds 7.5 Cross Country 7.6 Parks & Pipes 7.7 Bumps 7.8 Powder Zones 7.9 Sheltered Runs 7.10 Snowplay 8 Other 8.1 Weather 8.2 Geography 8.3 History 9 Resources 9.1 Maps

Location

Approximately 50km east of Innsbruck.

Pros

• Many different resorts to sample on the one lift ticket
• All kinds of accommodation options in all kinds of different villages
• Reliable public transport within the valley, including the 'private railway'
• Although the valley floor is low, the ski resorts mainly begin at elevations above 1000m and therefore have reliable snow
• Great night life in Mayrhofen
• Efficient, modern lift system (still some queues in places though)

Cons

• Low valley floor means there is often no snow in the valley
• The main gondola out of Mayrhofen still generates massive lines because..
• The gondola is the only way to and from the ski area!
• Most ski areas don't have runs back to to the villages

Contacts

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Planning

Getting There

The Zillertal is an easy train ride from Munich or Innsbruck, where International airports are located

Accommodation

Many different kinds of accommodations are available in the valley. Each village has its own feel and contains many options from large hotels to cosy, family operated pensions.

On Mountain

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Off Mountain

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Lift Tickets

There are many lift ticket options. You can purchase one ticket to access all the lifts in the valley, including the glacier, or tickets that only access certain areas. All lift tickets allow you free access to the bus network and the private railway.

Ski School

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Equipment Hire

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Resort Facilities

Getting Around

Catch the buses or if you are heading to different areas in the valley catch the private railway. Most lift bases are a short walk from the train station.

Parking

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Activities

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Dining

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Bars & Entertainment

Scotland Yard in Mayrhofen is an extremely popular English style pub. The Ice Bar at the base of the main gondola in Mayrhofen is THE apres venue. Every afternoon it is full of drunk revellers dancing on table to cheesy Euro pop music.

Even in the ski areas there are bars everywhere. In one section on the main run back to the gondola at Mayrhofen, you could ski 50 metres and pass 3 massive bars. Many visitors to Mayrhofen enjoy the partying more than the skiing!

Shopping

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Children

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Ride Guide

Beginner Areas

The Ahorn area provides some easy terrain but it is a small area on it's own and quite seperate to the other ski areas.

Groomed Runs

There are great groomed runs everywhere. Austrians love the groomers.

Off Piste

Every ski area in the valley has excellent off piste opportunities. In Mayrhofen, the obvious choice is the steep face under the 150er aerial tram. At Finkenberg, ski anywhere under the Katzenmoosbahn double chair (but beware for barbed wire fences!). Whilst skiing off piste in the Zillertal Arena (above Zell am Ziller) I came across old WWII bunkers hiding under the snow!

This is Europe, so there is nothing stopping you from heading off piste. But beware, because there is no avalanche control away from the pistes, and these are seriously big, glaciated mountains with serious consequences if something goes wrong.

Out of Bounds

Cross Country

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Parks & Pipes

There are terrain parks in most of the ski areas in the valley. The park and pipe on the Hintertux Glacier are open year round. The Mayrhofen park hosts the British Snowboarding Championships each year.

Bumps

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Powder Zones

Don't tell anyone where you read this, but Hochfugen is the place to be after it snows.

Sheltered Runs

There are tree lined runs at Eggalm and in the Zillertal Arena from the village of Konigsleiten.

Snowplay

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Other

Weather

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Geography

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History

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Resources

• ski.com.au/resorts
• Official Site

Maps

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