Stubaital
Ski Resort

The Stubai Valley offers traditional Tirolean mountain holidays and excellent glacier skiing within easy reach of Innsbruck and Innsbruck Airport. You can therefore stay either in the valley or in the picturesque old town of Innsbruck and commute to the ski areas by bus and to Fulpmes by tram. But there is nothing suburban about Stubaital’s magnificent alpine scenery, with the cliffs of the North Tyrol Dolomites and seven iconic summits, topped by the Zuckerhütl peak at over 3500m.

The Stubai Glacier has one of the longest ski seasons in the Alps and is frequently named the best glacier ski area in the world. It’s certainly Austria’s largest, and probably the biggest in the world, with about 25 lifts (most of which rise above 3000m) and 35 runs. All the skiing is above 1,695m, with most above 2,600m and north-east facing, so snow quality is excellent, although the cold can be a problem.

There is skiing for all standards: absolute beginners have good, high-mountain nursery slopes at Gamsgarten (2,620m); improving novices and less confident intermediates have about 15 easy blue slopes that cover most of the ski area, including descents from the 3,210m Schaufelspitze or “Top of Tyrol”; while stronger skiers can choose from a handful of red runs, a solitary black and about 7 official ski routes which are usually left ungroomed. Keen off-piste skiers, freeriders and ski tourers can use the high lifts as starting points for even longer itineraries with a guide.

Schlick 2000 is the ski area above Fulpmes, the main ski resort village in the valley, and offers good skiing above and below the treeline, from 1,000m to 2,240m. There are about 20 ski runs, with a good mix of nursery slopes, blue, red, and black pistes, an official ski route, and unofficial off-piste.

The other Stubaital ski areas, at Serles above Mieders and Elfer above Neustift, have few pistes for skiers but excellent tobogganing runs, winter walking paths, and snowshoe trails. Downhill alpine skiing is just one of several winter sports activities available in Stubai. There are also excellent cross-country skiing trails throughout the valley, as well as several ice rinks.

Stubaital offers a range of accommodation in hotels and guest houses in three main villages – Meiders, Fulpmes and Neustift – or in tiny hamlets such as Ranalt, Falbeson, Volderau, Krossbach, Gasteig, and within walking distance of the glacier base station at Mutterburg. Apres-ski in Stubaital is limited, and what there is, is mostly in Neustift and Fulpmes.

Getting to Stubaital from the airport or from Innsbruck city centre is easy, and the free Stubai Valley bus service connects all of the villages, hamlets and lift stations.