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Bregenzerwald, Voralberg, Austria
Skiing in Bregenzerwald
Bregenzerwald region has 259km of well groomed ski pistes served by 93 ski lifts with a capacity of 110,094 riders per hour. The best Bregenzerwald ski areas are at Daműls-Mellau (89km), Warth-Schröcken (66km) and Au-Schoppernau (Diedamskopf) (44km).
Good skiers can easily ski the groomed runs at each of these three ski areas in a couple of days, but they’re close together and well connnected by an efficient free ski bus which makes Bregenzerwald a good destination for a seven day ski safari as well as convenient for weekend skiing. The 3-Tal Bregenzerwald lift pass is valid for all Bregenzerwald ski areas and for travel on most buses running throughout the region.
Besides 200km of piste skiing, 50km ski routes and 56 ski lifts covering the three main ski areas, Bregenzerwald has 300km of cross-country skiing (45km skating runs and 66km mountain cross-country ski runs above 1,000m) and 200km of well prepared winter walking trails plus toboggan runs and ice skating.
There’s skiing to suit all ability levels. 38% of runs are blue, 36% red and 14% black, but when you take account of the off-piste possibilities there’s much more for advanced skiers than it may seem from this analysis of the on-piste skiing, especially at Daműls-Mellau and Warth-Schröcken after a dump of fresh snow.
Bregenzerwald ski villages
Unlike many ski resorts - crowded in winter, empty in summer - Bregenzerwald's pretty villages are thriving communities and interesting to visit all year round. Tourism, farming and local handicrafts each accounts for approximately 1/3rd of economic activity. It’s a pleasant change to see farm animals occasionally in winter and so many charming buildings, not just ski rental shops!
Because Bregenzerwald villages are unspoiled and not over dependent on tourism, the end result is quieter, family friendly, skiing among real communities and an excellent selection of family owned hotels, private guesthouses and apartments. There are lots of good 3-star and some especially good 4-star hotels. Prices in Bregenzerwald are noticeably cheaper than comparable accommodation in better known Austrian ski resorts.
None of Bregenzerwald’s villages has much in the way of après ski outside the main hotels and the bars nearest the ski lift base stations. When it comes to après ski Bregenzerwald works well for families and couples but is less appealing to those seeking a vibrant party atmosphere and late night entertainment.
Where to ski and where to stay in Bregenzerwald?
Deciding where to ski is easy. You should aim to ski each of the main ski areas but deciding where to stay is less easy because there are so many good hotels and three base areas to choose from.
Daműls-Mellau, the biggest ski area, has lots of on-mountain ski-in, ski-out accommodation and is good for skiers and boarders alike, especially intermediates and advanced skiers wanting access to easy off-piste skiing alongside and between pistes. Warth-Schröcken has better facilities for novices and more challenging ‘off the back’ excursions for strong off-piste skiers. Au-Schoppernau (Diedamskopf) the smallest of the three main ski areas, has some of the steepest runs including some curiously steep at times red and blue runs. Although smaller than the other two Au-Schoppernau (Diedamskopf) is worth skiing for one day in six during a week-long stay.
Au-Schoppernau, which is half way between Warth-Schröcken and Daműls-Mellau, has plenty of good accommodation and is a good place to stay if you plan to visit all three ski areas more or less equally, whereas Daműls and Warth are better choices if you prefer to ski predominantly in just one ski area and for ski-in and ski-out convenience.
Getting to Bregenzerwald
The nearest airports are Friederichshafen, Memmingen and Zurich which are approximately 100km, 125km and 175km respectively from the ski resorts. Exact distances and transfer times depend where you are staying, but if you book an early morning flight to Zurich (and a return flight in the evening) via Swiss.com you can arrive at your hotel in time for lunch and ski same day as arrival (and on the day of departure).
For skiers travelling from the UK there are 2-3 flights daily via Ryan Air from Stansted to nearest Friedrichshafen and Memmingen airports in Germany, but many more flights to Zurich via Swiss International Airlines (SWISS.com). Zurich is a bit farther away, but offers easy transfer possibilities by rail or road and no extra baggage charges. SWISS.com also have departures from Manchester as well as Heathrow and London City.
Transfer times from Zurich take around 2 hours by car or 2½ hours by train and taxi. And from Friedrichshafen and Memmingen it takes about 1½ hours and 1 hour 45 mins respectively by car. Flying into Innsbruck or Munich is also possible, but transfer distances and journey times are longer.
MyTransfer Service Shuttle offer efficient and comfortable transfer services from all of the above airports to Bregenzerwald ski resorts, with a user-friendly online booking engine at www.mytransfer.at
Bregenzerwald Tourist Information
Bregenzerwald Tourist InformationBregenzerwald Information Centre
1135 Impulszentrum, 6863 Egg
Bregenzerwald, Vorarlberg, Austria
Tel: +43 (0) 5512 2365 30
Email: info@bregenzerwald.at
Web: www.bregenzerwald.at/uk
