Saalbach has won awards as the best ski resort in Europe several times, and after our trip through the Alps, it’s easy to see why it’s loved. The Skicircus Saalbach has something to offer everyone with its extensive lift infrastructure and variety of terrain. However, it’s not just the ski and size that impress, but the quality of the experience with brand new lifts, cozy resort villages, and no shortage of unique mountain huts.
With 270 kilometers of piste, 70 lifts, and 60 mountain huts, the stats speak for themselves. It’d be tough to run out of new areas or runs to explore. However, the mountain takes a very relaxed approach to the whole affair. “This is Lässig,” the resort’s moniker, an Austrian saying for laidback or casual, should give you an idea of the kind of holiday you’ll get at Saalbach. It was a tremendous introduction to European skiing and an easy choice for a ski holiday in Austria. Saalbach does just about everything exceptionally well.
Tips For A Ski Trip To Saalbach
Stay In More Than One Area
The “Skicircus” is not just one resort, but three that together form Skicircus Saalbach Hinterglemm Leogang Fieberbrunn, a mouth full. Which is why it’s often referred to as “Saalbach.” The three different areas are Saalbach-Hinterglemm, Saalfelden-Leogang, and Fieberbrunn. Each resort has a plethora of lifts, restaurants, and accommodation options. All three resorts have their defining characteristics and terrain.
While we spent a week in the region, it was still nowhere near enough time to ski every piste, but it was enough to ski every area and lift of the resort. This was much easier as we stayed in Fieberbrunn, Leogang, and Hinterglemm. That may be too much movement for most on a ski trip, but we highly recommend staying in at least two areas over a week for some variety.
Saalbach and Hinterglemm are the most extensive resort villages of the three, with various restaurants and the best apres ski bars. They also host various events throughout the year. Saalfelden and Leogang offer the most activities, such as Nordic skiing. Meanwhile, Fieberbrunn is a small village that can cater well to families and is the epicenter for freeriding.
It’s A Very Approachable Mountain
As the home of “Lässig,” the resort has a laid-back skiing approach. It’s not known for its extreme skiing or the glitz like Switzerland’s most popular resorts of Zermatt, St. Moritz, or Verbier. Instead, the Skicircus Saalbach is a well-rounded ski area that can cater to any desire.
Intermediate and beginner skiers will appreciate how the pistes are well laid out. There are a plethora of beginner-friendly runs, and everything is marked with a plethora of maps. It’s tough to find yourself lost in Saalbach despite the 270 km worth of groomed pistes, a truly impressive feat. And when your legs feel tired, there’s a cozy mountain hut serving food at nearly every lift.
There’s terrain for experts and advanced skiers too, which makes for a great ski destination for groups with mixed ability levels. Those looking to challenge themselves will appreciate the expansive freeride options off the pistes.
Hire A Guide For A Day
Fieberbrunn is well known in the freeride community since it hosts the World Tour competition. It has a wealth of terrain that can cater well to any ability level, whether an expert or beginner. Those just starting out or anyone unfamiliar with the terrain will greatly appreciate the resort’s certified freeride guides. They know all the best powder stashes and off-piste routes around the region.
It’s not just the off-piste guiding across all of the ski resorts. Many guides, coaches, and instructors can help you improve your technique, whether you’re an expert or a beginner. We always find it best to book in advance if you’re on the higher end of the spectrum to ensure you have the most advanced guide. The terrain here skews more on the intermediate side of things, but the area has a few challenging lines and routes.
Tackle The Challenge
It’s not just the freeride terrain that offers experienced skiers a challenge, but also the Skicircus Challenge circuit. It’s the largest ski circuit in the Alps and requires quick laps to complete in one day. The circuit covers 12,400 meters of vertical, 65 km of piste, and 32 lifts.
The average circuit time requires around seven hours of skiing and can be started from any lift base. Every skier who completes The Challenge that is registered with Skyline.cc will receive a small prize and be entered into a raffle for a grand prize at the end of the season.
Buy Your Ski Pass In Advance
If you purchase your ski pass in advance, like many resorts, it offers a good chance for savings. It’s easy to purchase lift tickets in advance on Saalbach.com. North Americans will be shocked to see the single-day lift ticket prices compared to the modern lift infrastructure. Not only are the lifts and services far better at Saalbach, but day tickets average around €65 a day. Our local mountain, Lake Louise, charges well over €100 daily for a lift ticket.
Enjoy The Apres-Ski
The Skicircus fully embraces the mindset of having a good time with numerous apres-ski bars across the resort and at most of the resort bases. Saalbach and Hinterglem are the most well-known for their lively apres-ski scenes. There’s a huge variety of apres-ski bars between the two, so skiers are spoilt for choice regarding their scene.
Some popular bars between the two destinations are Goaßtahl, Hinterhag Alm, London Pub, Burgi’s Bar, Bauer´s Schi-Alm, and Schwarzagger. We appreciated Schwarzagger as it’s conveniently located at the bottom of the Unterschwarzach Lift with night skiing.
Try Night Skiing
While we’re on night skiing, if your turns during the day didn’t fill you up, continue into the night with night skiing. The floodlit slopes off the Unterschwarzach Lift in Hinterglem offer night skiing every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday until 9:30 pm. A regular day ticket is valid for night skiing, but they also offer a discounted night ticket, which is great if you want to ski a little and arrive late in the day.
Spend A Day Off The Slope
It’s not just the pistes that will keep you entertained, as there is plenty to do around the region. Whether you want to go for a winter hike, nordic skiing, curling, sledding, ice skating, or even take a horse-drawn sleigh, there are many winter activities to enjoy in the snowy weather in the Austrian Alps.
They even have unique activities like winter hiking with a llama and a slope-side alpine coaster. A stand out is the Nordic Park on Lake Ritzensee in Saalfelden Leogang, as it’s a great introduction to Nordic skiing. The ski center even has a snowpark for children to teach them the sport.
It’s A Favorite For Ski Families
We mentioned earlier that the ski area is great for groups of mixed abilities, and that’s true for families. The area caters to families with ski schools, children’s areas, and ski kindergartens. Kids capable of their first turns will also love the fun slopes, learn-to-ride parks, and fun trails. Families can also save with discounted family tickets and packages.
Land A New Trick
While we weren’t tearing up the fun slopes, we did have fun with a couple of laps in the Nitro Snowpark Leogang. It has various rails, boxes, and a kicker line. However, what stood out was the mini-airbag jump, which was perfect for attempting a new trick in a safer environment. Some ski and snowboard schools offer freestyle coaching for those looking to work on their technique.
It’s Rich In Mountain Huts
There are more than 60 mountain huts and restaurants along the slope, so there is a huge range of options. It means there is something to cater to nearly every budget and taste. Of course, no trip to the Austrian Alps is complete without one classic dish like käsespätzle, kaspressknödel, or kaiserschmarrn.
Our favorite was the kaiserschmarrn, a dessert best described as a shredded pancake. Naturally, with most food in the Alps, it can be pretty hearty. However, if you’re after lighter fares, you can find everything from rotisserie chicken to sushi in the slopeside restaurants here.
A Huge Variety Of Hotels
With all the skiing, you’ll want a comfortable place to stay and a diverse range of hotels and accommodation options. They cater to almost every budget, preference, and visitor. You can find everything from a luxurious mountain resort with a spa to a cozy ski apartment. There are also slopeside hotels, chalets with traditional Tyrolean architecture, and modern boutique hotels. Additionally, family-friendly accommodations with multiple rooms and beds are easy to find.
When picking out a hotel, we suggest narrowing down the village or town first, as Saalbach, Hinterglemm, Fieberbrunn, Leogang, and Saalfelden offer visitors something different. Whatever you could want between the various villages and ski areas. We stayed in the village of Fieberbrunn, slopeside in Hinterglem, and at the base of the lift in Leogang. If you’re traveling with your gear, we like to book accommodation with a ski room as it makes life much easier.
More Affordable Ski Trip
Most importantly, Saalbach can be a surprisingly affordable ski destination. While many North American readers may be surprised to hear that skiing in the Alps can be a more affordable option, it’s true. The resort is easily accessible from Munich, Innsbruck, and Salzburg, so renting a vehicle is unnecessary. Various budget-friendly hotel options, including self-catering, can help save money.
Even those with a bit more budget will appreciate that the knowledgeable guides in Austria are nearly half the price compared to Swiss guides. The on-mountain food and shopping are similar at a fraction of the price compared to ski resorts a few hours away with similar offerings. As one last tip, if you’re looking to save money, be prepared to hop on the ski bus as the more central accommodation fetches higher rates.
Catch The Ski Bus
Through the valleys between the ski areas, towns, and lifts, regular buses follow local or ski-specific routes. Those without a vehicle won’t have to pay for costly taxis every time as the buses are free with a valid ski pass. We stayed in the village of Fieberbrunn, which is not at the base of the lift, so we had to catch the super easy bus.
The Best Time To Visit Saalbach
Like any ski resort, January and March are our favorite times to book a trip. We find February too busy with elevated prices and crowds too much on piste. January is usually a good time in Saalbach for good snow conditions, better prices, and fewer crowds, especially after the holidays are finished. We visited in mid-January and never stood in a lift line for more than two minutes, including the weekend.
March tends to be a bit busier, but it’s still a better time to visit than February. It can be a mixed month as the weather is more variable. However, it’s the best time for apres-ski as the area hosts several events, and the warmer weather is more conducive to enjoying the outdoor patios.
