Wildschonau Villages

Niederau

Located at 828 metres above sea level, the small village of Niederau is the biggest and best known of Wildschonau’s ski resorts. With three airports nearby, getting to Niederau is easy and transfer times from Innsbruck, Munich or Salzburg airports are short. Best known for its ski schools and beginner skiing including easy blue runs and excellent nursery slopes for novices and young children, Niederau is a picturesque family-friendly ski resort with around 1,000 inhabitants and accommodation for over 2,700 guests in traditional Austrian guesthouses, apartments and a reasonable selection of 2-4 star hotels.

Though quiet in comparison to bigger, better known resorts, Niederau has an adequate choice of bars and restaurants and offers both relaxed and lively apres ski with Austrian ambience and appropriate touches of local Tirolean culture. The village is spread out along the valley road and approximately 1km from end to end, but it’s easy to get around on foot. Although Niederau has very few shops unconnected with snowsports, there are plenty of shops (and more restaurants) nearby in Worgl.

Niedrau’s 24km ski area, best for beginners and early intermediates, is easily reached by 8-person gondola departing from the main base station near the centre of the village and rising to Markbachjoch (1,500m) and a 4-person chairlift to Lanerkopfl (1,600m) between the nursery slopes west of the village.

Oberau

The quietest and loveliest of Wildschonau’s ski resort villages, Oberau is absolutely delightful. This is where you’ll find many of the prettiest buildings in the valley, many of which are decorated with charming murals or other Tirolean and Austrian hallmarks such as “Anton Sollerer Shuhmacher-Meister 1850”, the Gasthof Starchenthof with dark wooden balconies partly painted red and white, the Gasthof Kellerwirt dating from the 12th Century and an Inn since 1750 and the Church of St Margarethe ( aka “the Wildschonau cathedral”). With four brass bands in the valley, the region has strong musical traditions and Oberau, home to the Hauptschule Wildschonau in Oberau, is the Wildschonau’s music capital.

Though Oberau has over 2,000 inhabitants and accommodation for nearly 3,000 guests in chalet style pensions and hotels, the village, built on both sides of the valley road at an altitude of 936m and about 2km from end to end, is sometimes so peacefully quiet you could hear a pin drop. That said, for those who like to chill out and relax after skiing, there are some delightful apres ski spots, the two most popular being the Kellerwirt and Weinstuberl at the Starchenthof.

Oberau has a tiny ski area, just 3km at Roggenboden, about 1.5km from the village, but the vast majority of guests travel by car or regular free ski bus to the main ski area at Auffach or Niederau; and Oberau is conveniently situated half way between them. Look out for Café Unterberger, definitely the most characterful café building in the Wildschonau and among the prettiest in Austria.

Auffach

Home to nearly 1,000 inhabitants and offering accommodation for nearly 1,400 guests, Auffach is 4km farther along the valley from Oberau, 9km from Niederau, and at 875 metres above sea level. Built on each side of the uphill valley road, picturesque Auffach includes a large gondola base station and free car park, a few ski rental shops and a selection of hotels including the 4-star Auffacherhof, Hotel Platz and Hotel Weisbacher, both 3-star, and a reasonable selection of guesthouses.

Apres ski options include Gipfo Hit and the Schatzbergeralm on mountain, the small but lively Gruttn Stadl, a purpose built circular wooden apres ski bar at the bottom of the slopes opposite the gondola base station, Charlie’s Pizza restaurant next door and the small south-facing sun terrace at the Hotel Weisbacher, at the far end of the village.

Auffach is the access point to the Schatzberg ski area (55km), the biggest and highest ski area in the Wildschonau, now connected by a new gondola to the Wiedersberger Horn ski area (also 55km) above Alpbach; together they form the backbone of the “Ski Juwel” region (145km).

Thierbach

The Wilschonau’s smallest and highest village at an altitude of 1,175m, Thierbach has just 188 inhabitants, 484 guest beds and is homw to Austria’s smallest school – just 8 pupils – but there’s no lift access to the ski area from here.

Wildschonau Tourist Office
Hauserweg, Oberau 337, Tirol
A-6311 Wildschonau
Tel: +43 5339 82550
Web: www.wildschoenau.com
Email: [email protected]