Zillertal is an ideal skiing area for families, with pistes for all ages.
Photograph: Tom Klocker/Zillertal tourismus
A 190m cubic metre river of ice flows through Austria’s Zillertal valley. Of course, like all glaciers, at between one and 200 metres per year, the Hintertux glacier moves too slowly to notice. However, its presence provides something that skiers can’t ignore: year-round skiing.
The glacier is up to 120 metres deep in places, and four kilometres long, but this can vary every year by up to 40 metres, meaning that the pylons holding up the lifts have to be moved several times each year to ensure they remain vertical. In winter, you can enjoy the Gefrorene Wand (Frozen Wall) run down from here; at 12 kilometres, it’s the longest in the region.
The 3,250 metre Hintertux glacier resort is one of four resorts in the Zillertal valley. With its natural beauty and 332 miles of slopes across the area, the people of the Zillertal are keen to do everything they can to preserve the area for future generations. So, when planning your next ski trip, why not do the same?
One way eco-conscious travellers can help to protect the environment is to travel to the area by train. Going by train can cut your carbon footprint by up to 80%. From the UK, you can travel via Amsterdam or Cologne to Innsbruck – from here, it’s an easy train journey to resorts including Zell am Ziller and Mayrhofen.
“Austria is a fantastic place to ski,” says Daniel Elkan, founder of Snowcarbon, an online guide to ski holidays by train. “This journey, combining Eurostar and Alpen Express, means that there’s an attractive option for skiers looking for an enjoyable, relaxing and sustainable alternative to flying or driving. Many Austrian ski resorts have stations right in the village, meaning there is no transfer at all, and you can be making fresh tracks on the mountain in next to no time.” The OBB Nightjet – where you can travel through the night in seating carriage, couchette or sleeper cabin – is also a great option for those looking to travel by train. There’s direct connections from Brussels, Cologne and Dusseldorf.
And once you are in the Zillertal, plenty of initiatives quietly help your holiday in the mountains to be as green as possible. This winter, Zillertal is launching its fourth photovoltaic installation next to a new 10-seat carbon-neutral gondola Stuanmandl, which will take up to 640,000 skiers and boarders up the mountain per winter. And when the lift is closed, energy produced won’t be wasted but, instead, fed back in to the electricity grid.
In Gerlos, 130 houses and hotels are powered by a biomass heating plant powered by natural energy and the town hall runs off solar panels, while in Zell am Ziller, energy-efficient street lights have been installed.
If you are looking for a sustainable place to stay in the area without compromising on style and comfort, there are plenty of options. The Traumhotel Alpina in Gerlos has a hydroelectric plant that reduces its energy consumption for heating by 20% and specialises in yoga, ayurveda and wellness. Also in Gerlos, the Almhof is a KinderHotel that offers an especially warm welcome to families with young children and has a large, family-friendly spa. As well as having a small hydroplant to help power the hotel, it has a carbon-neutral pellet plant for heating and hot water. It also offers menus that are entirely organic. This year, the Tipotsch guest house in Stumm, close to the Hochzillertal-Hochfügen ski area, has been renovated to include 16 extra rooms and is now heated entirely by geothermal energy. The Alpenhof hotel is another option for those looking for sustainable accommodation – from electric charging stations to solar panels on the roof, which means the hotel generates environmentally friendly energy, Alpenhof takes responsibility for nature and the environment.
Even aside from its eco-friendly credentials, the Zillertal is a special place. The four resorts vary from 600 to 3,250 metres in height and truly offer something for everyone. As well as world-class skiing, there are also excellent restaurants, great spas and spectacular scenery. Throughout the region there are 180 ski lifts, 80 on-piste restaurants and more than 460km of hiking trails. Almost all hotels are independently run – often by families – giving the region a cosy, homely feel.
For a really special experience, get up early. Some of the lifts in the region are open even before 7am so, if you’re keen, you can be first out on the slopes to enjoy the best of the powder and uncrowded pistes. Freestylers can enjoy trying out several snow parks and “secret” freeride runs, which are accessible by cable car, or you can hike if you prefer.
But the fun doesn’t stop as the sun goes down – Zillertal also offers an exciting après ski scene. This season, Mayrhofen will be celebrating its 21st Snowbombing festival – acts this year include Liam Gallagher, The Streets, Foals and Big Narstie. There are eight toque-awarded restaurants in the region – foodies may wish to try Alexander restaurant at the Hotel Lamark in Hochfügen, which was first awarded three toques in 1999, or enjoy a cookery course at the two-toque awarded Sieghard in Mayrhofen. Eat, apres, love.
