Westendorf is part of the large SkiWelt area – one of the largest in Austria – and is a good location for beginners to strong intermediates, with 252km of blue and red runs. Although it sits slightly apart from the main SkiWelt area the Westendorf circuit offers some interesting runs and it is within easy reach of the neighbouring KitzSki area via Kirchberg, covered by the Kitzbuheler Alpen AllStarCard, as well as being directly linked to the wider SkiWelt via Brixen. Its location also means it tends to be quieter than the main ski area. 

 

While beginners and intermediates are well catered for, advanced skiers are limited to only 16km of black runs in the whole SkiWelt area (6% of the pistes). There are some opportunities for off-piste skiing and the nearby KitzSki area offers the chance to try out the Streif run, made famous by the annual ski race held in Kitzbuhel, but this is not the place for experts to stretch themselves.

 

Although the area is not particularly high, with the highest peak at 1957m, the SkiWelt gets its fair share of natural snow and over 1,400 snow cannons provide excellent snow-making capacity across more than 80% of the prepared pistes. 

 

The SkiWelt has been well-developed and as well as the top-notch snow-making, piste-grooming and lift system, the area has invested in a whole range of attention-grabbing activities such as extensive night skiing (particularly in Soll), three snowparks, a number of timed speed runs and numerous race tracks, and even a ski movie run. With this on top of the enormous skiing area, there is plenty to keep visitors busy.

 

There are three main sections to explore in the SkiWelt area, although the sheer number of pistes means that it’s a challenge to ski all of them in a week. 

While the Westendorf/Brixen section of the SkiWelt is set off to one side, it has some of the most interesting pistes and is considered by some to have more impressive scenery than the main area. It also boasts the Gampenkogel, the highest peak of the SkiWelt at 1957m. With good facilities for novices and children in the centre of the village, it also has some nice cruisy blue runs for beginners and intermediates to hone their technique on – the KiWest blue run (120) down towards Kirchberg is a favourite with locals. Most of the runs in this area snake through the forested slopes, providing fun terrain for intermediates – notably red run 11 down to Brixen which has some very steep sections making it more of a challenge than most. While the short black run 112 is the steepest in the whole SkiWelt, there is little else to test advanced skiers. 

The area between Brixen, Soll, Itter and Hopfgarten is based around the 1829m Hohe Salve peak and is primarily stronger intermediate territory. Towards the peak of the Hohe Salve is a network of wide, open red runs, leading down to a number of tree-lined valley runs which take skiers to the four villages in the ‘Salven Circuit’. 

 

 

The Kaiser Circuit, with dramatic views of the Wilder Kaiser mountains to the north, takes in Brixen, Scheffau, Ellmau and Going. It takes visitors from Westendorf to the furthest edge of the SkiWelt, although is still easily accessible via the cable car in Brixen, and the speedy lift system throughout the area. A mix of cruisy blues and reds, it provides further mileage for progressing beginners and intermediates who have exhausted the Westendorf circuit.