Zillertal Area Ski Resorts

Zillertal: Mayrhofen Is The Destination -

Here's a question not to ask: "Where will we ski tomorrow?" The choice isn’t all that easy. There are 11 ski areas in the Ziller Valley, a string of villages that stretches from the Innsbruck autobahn more than 25 miles south to a dead end at a glacier. Any one of the areas will make each day another exciting adventure.

The ski areas are Fügen, Hochfügen, Finkenberg, Zell im Zillertal. They offer superb groomed terrain for intermediates and powder bowls for the rest of the world. Some areas are interconnected. Frequent bus service takes skiers to base stations of gondolas and cable cars where the slopes are not linked.

One impressive journey is to ride up from Zell to vast snowfields that extend over to Gerlos in an offshoot valley. Spend a day to the Hintertux glacier, which captures so much snow that it is skiable in summer. It's among the top skiable glaciers in the world.

Statistics for the entire valley include a longest run 5.6 km, 365 miles of prepared trails and slopes, and 175 lifts.

Mayrhofen is the largest village with 3,800 inhabitants and 8,700 guests. The Tyrolean look is sometimes hidden among commercial buildings, but the landscape reminds visitors this is a mountain climbing center as well as ski town. You can get comfortable lodging at reasonable prices. There also are many family-oriented amenities.

The village bustles during the day with shopping and a host of other activities to enjoy on a bad weather day.

Munich's gateway airport is 169 km away, but you'll move quickly on the no speed-limit Autobahn.