Getting to Brandnertal is easier than getting to many other ski resorts. With four airports within 150 km and a motorway exit just 5 km from B?rserberg and 9km from Brand you can easily ski on both the day of...
Brandnertal
Brandnertal (Brandner Valley) in Austria’s westernmost province of Vorarlberg is home to one of Austria’s most family friendly ski resorts with 55 km well-groomed piste skiing between 890 – 2,000m and plenty of affordable accommodation.
Brandnertal is easily reached from no fewer than four airports – Friedrichshafen (95 km), Memmingen (135 km), Innsbruck (140 km) and Zurich (150 km) – which makes it an excellent choice for a short break, especially when utilizing the frequency of flights operated by Swiss.com to and from Zurich.
The winding road climbs from the Brandnertal exit on the A14/E60 motorway through attractive pine forests to Brandnertal and the quiet village of Bűrserberg (890 m) just 7 km from Bludenz, then the main resort of Brand (1,000m), a further 4 km up the valley. Both villages offer easy access to Brandnertal’s ski area with 55 km of piste skiing from 2,000m down to 890m.
Brand has set out its stall as a family ski resort with impressive facilities for children both on and off mountain. With or without a family in attendance, the area will suit skiers who are more concerned with a quality mountain resort experience rather than a vibrant night scene.
Brandnertal hotel choices include several affordable 4 star hotels, followed by a good choice of cheaper hotel properties descending through the star ratings as well as cute family run pensions and plenty of self catering apartments. Some hotels have a ‘Family Friendly’ accreditation, and depending on the level of facilities provided will qualify for 3, 4 or 5 of the ‘Kiddies’ symbols.
The surrounding snow capped peaks, dominated by the Scesaplana (2,964m) to the west, and Zimba (2,634m) to the east, seem to stand back from the valley allowing a sense of space as well as stupendous panoramic views.
The well-groomed ski runs are best for beginners and intermediates, with 22km for beginners, 30 km intermediate and just 3 km designated advanced. The longest of the runs is from Loischkopf to Burserberg, at 5 km, it is one of the longest in the Vorarlberg.
Despite the relatively low altitude of the valley, the ski season generally lasts from December – April with artificial snowmaking when necessary on over 75% of the groomed ski terrain.
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Brandnertal offers a wide range of accommodation from 4 star hotels to guest houses and self catering, with something to suit every budget. There are more than 3,000 available guest beds in the valley, and as a general rule, prices...
Brandnertal has two ski schools – Snowsports Ski School is based in Brand and the Ratikon Ski School has offices both in Brand and B?rsergberg. Both schools offer ski, snowboarding, cross-country ski tuition. Snowsports also offer guided snow shoeing tours....
Brandnertal Ski Area The Brandnertal ski area includes 55km of groomed piste skiing, mostly on east facing slopes that stretch from north to south between the resort villages of Bűrserberg and Brand. The lift served vertical drop is 963m and...
Brandnertal Ski Lifts & Passes Visitors to Brandnertal are well served by an efficient ski lift system of 14 lifts (9 in Brand and 5 in Bűrserberg). These include a cable car, a gondola, 7 chairlifts and 5 surface lifts...
Brandnertal Beginner Skiing Brandnertal is a good choice for first time skiers and boarders. There are nursery areas in the village of Brand and at the base of Bűrserberg, coupled with an excellent children’s learning programme. Beginner Skiing in Brandnertal...
Brandnertal Intermediate Skiing The vast majority of Brandnertal’s 55 km of piste are designated red and blue, which is a happy coincidence for intermediate skiers as there is almost nowhere in the ski area which will be beyond their capability....
Brandnertal Advanced Skiing Brandnertal has much more for beginners and intermediates than advanced and expert skiers, but it isn’t without challenges, by any means. There’s easy off-piste skiing between the pistes and more difficult off-piste for experts beyond the main...
Brandnertal Mountain Restaurants Brandnertal has seven on mountain restaurants,which for an uncrowded ski area with 55 km of piste, is an excellent ratio. Another pleasant surprise are the prices, which in Alpine terms are modest. The Brandnertal ski area includes...
Brandnertal Village Brandnertal consists of two resort villages – Brand (1,037 m) and Bűrserberg (890 m). Of these Brand is the most popular and stands up well as a destination resort, whereas Bűrserberg is much smaller and quieter and will...
Brandnertal Restaurants & Bars Brandnertal’s attraction is principally to families and couples, and this is reflected in the après ski offering, which is classic Austrian gemutlichkeit, presented both in modern and traditional forms. The tourist board lists about 30 establishments...
Brandnertal Other Activities In addition to the downhill skiing and snowboarding, Brandnertal is an excellent cross country ski centre, plus there are two toboggan runs, plenty of snow shoeing, and many kilometres of cleared paths for walkers which are well...