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Skiing in Obertauern Ski Resort in Salzburg, Austria

Obertauern ski resort, the highest altitude ski resort in Salzburg, confidently guarantees snow from November to May, making it one of the most attractive ski destinations in the Austrian Alps. 

Kati has fond childhood memories of skiing in Obertauern and was eager to rediscover the ski area as an adult. So, we booked a spontaneous ski trip to Obertauern in mid-January. 

The main advantages of skiing in Obertauern are reliable snowfall, 100 km of groomed runs (mostly blue and red) off piste terrain, and efficient and fast lifts. 

The ski resort is made up of 7 mountains around Obertauern village, interconnected by 26 lifts. Though this picturesque ski area extends across both sides of the valley, the majority of slopes are located on the eastern side above the timberline. 

Obertauern village lies on the Radstädter Tauern Pass, used since Roman times, in the Radstädter Tauern mountain range. You can reach the resort along the Katschberg road (B99) either from Radstadt to the north, or from Mauterndorf to the south. Salzburg City is a 1:15 hour drive away and the Schladming ski resort is a 35-minute drive away. 

Below, I’ve summarized our impressions and what I believe the main pros and cons are of Obertauern ski resort.

Skiing in Obertauern, Salzburg, Austria

Pros and Cons of Skiing in Obertauern

Pros

Several valley stations

Fast modern lifts

Mostly chairlifts

Off piste skiing

Night skiing twice a week

Gamsleiten 2 (45°): One of the steepest runs in Europe

Good for nightlife and Après-Ski

Cons

Arriving by transit is possible, but not very convenient

Slopeside ski huts are few and far between

Not very charming village 

A few bothersome connections for snowboarders


Pro: Multiple Valley Stations

Skiing in Obertauern, Salzburg, Austria

There are many entry points scattered across the resort. Because everyone is starting and ending their day in different valley stations, depending on the location of their accommodation (or car park), skiers are well dispersed. We didn’t experience bottleneck zones. 

The P1 Kehrkopf car park, which is close to the Kehrkopfbahn lift, is located 4 km away from the P7 Schaidberg car park, which is close to the Schaidberg lift. And in between, there are many more valley stations. 

The other benefit of having multiple valley stations is that no matter where you decide to stay in Obertauern, you will have a lift station near you. 


Pro: High-Quality Ski Infrastructure and Mostly Chairlifts

Chairlift, Skiing in Obertauern, Salzburg, Austria

Expect a network of fast and modern lifts. Conveniently, most of the ropeways are chairlifts, rather than gondolas. 

We find that more desirable, since we don’t have to constantly take off our skis, or snowboard. 

In addition to the lifts, the resort is served by a fleet of 25 snowcats, which prepare the 100 km of slopes daily. 


Pro: Reliable Snowfall

Gamsleiten 2 (45°) in Obertauern, Austria: one of the steepest runs in Europe

Snowfall in the Alps is no longer consistent due to climate change. Though no ski resort wants to admit it, snow scarcity is a real problem.

To compensate for the lack of natural snow, more and more ski resorts are relying on artificial snow. 

If you’re going to spend money on an expensive ski vacation, chances are you want to ski somewhere with reliable snowfall and natural snow. 

Obertauern benefits from its high-altitude location. The village is located at an elevation of 1738 meters and the resort altitude ranges from 1630 –  2313 meters. See snow report

Let’s compare that to other ski resorts in Salzburg:

  • Skicircus Saalbach Hinterglemm Leogang Fieberbrunn: 830 – 2096 m (snow report)
  • Hochkönig: 800 – 1900 m (snow report)
  • Kitzsteinhorn/Maiskogel – Kaprun: 769 – 3029 m (snow report)
  • Ski Resort Sportgastein: 1590 – 2650 m (snow report)

Con: Too Few Slopeside Ski Huts

Gamsmilch Bar, Obertauern, Austria

There are only 10 slopeside and mountain station ski huts in Obertauern. Though we didn’t have any problems securing a place to eat, our impression was that there were too few ski huts across the resort. 

We ate in Hochalm Obertauern, Gamsmilch Bar, and Edelweisshütte. Hochalm has the best atmosphere and food. Gamsmilch Bar has the most impressive view. 


Con: Village Charm

Obertauern Ski Town, Salzburg, Austria

Obertauern is a resort village, completely dedicated to servicing the needs of ski tourists. The village is almost exclusively made up of hotels and apartments, ski rental shops, restaurants and bars.

There’s nothing wrong with that per se, unless you’re looking to stay in a charming, historic alpine village like Schladming, Lech, or Kitzbuhel. 


Where We Rented Ski Gear

Skiing and snowboarding in Obertauern, Salzburg, Austria

We rented ski gear at Skiworld (Google Maps), across from Hotel Rigele Royal, where we were staying. They have a few locations in Obertauern. 

They offer a 10% discount to partner hotels like Hotel Rigele Royal.

Our experience was quite good. I could easily switch out my skis after a few hours. 

I do recommend making a reservation in advance, if you have specific gear requests. For example, when we arrived, they didn’t have any step-on snowboard bindings. 


Where to Stay in Obertauern for Skiing


Obertauern Village

Hotel Rigele Royal, Obertauern, Austria

There are great hotels in Obertauern including the ski-to-door Hotel Kristall, adults-only Hotel LÜ, 4-star Hotel Manggei Designhotel Obertauern, spa Hotel DAS KOHLMAYR, and full-board Hotel Steiner

If you’re looking to stay in an apartment, check out FOXY Obertauern.

We stayed in the centrally located Hotel Rigele Royal, a short walk to the piste that leads down to Edelweiss lift, and directly across from a ski rental shop. 

Hotel Rigele Royal adults-only wellness area, Obertauern, Austria

We booked this hotel, because of the location, parking garage, ski room with lockers, adults-only wellness area, and half board offering, which included breakfast, dinner, and a delicious snack buffet at 4 pm. All in all, we were very satisfied with our experience.

Upon request, they print out ski passes for hotel guests at no extra charge, which is another value add. Be sure to return the ski cards at check-out to get your deposit back. 

Like many hotels that undergo renovations little by little, the design and layout is a bit discombobulated. 

Check rates of Hotel Rigele Royal


Kringsalm

The 5-star Hotel Das Seekarhaus is located at Kringsalm at an altitude of 1800 m in the snowy heart of the resort, next to a trio of lifts: Schönalmbahn, Seekerspitzebahn, and Kringsalmbahn. Stay here for the ski-in ski-out location, on-site gear rental, and in-house ski instructor (available for private lessons). 

Look for accommodation in Obertauern


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obertauern ski area review, Salzburg, Austria

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Sabrina Brett

Hello! I’m a spirited traveler on a quest to hike in the most picturesque alpine and coastal destinations across Europe. In 2016, I left my home and job in San Francisco, California, to move to Germany, and later Austria. The following year, I created this blog to help like-minded travelers experience new and exciting ways to travel authentically. I travel to hike, and I hope to inspire your next adventure.

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