Sonnenkopf

Sonnenkopf is a small, affordable, family-friendly ski area near the Klostertal villages of Wald, Danofen, Klösterle and Langen. It's also part of the huge Arlberg ski area. But whereas the other Arlberg ski resorts like St Anton, Lech and Zurs are all lift-linked, Sonnenkopf is a bus or car ride away.


Sonnenkopf is easy to like but hard to explain. It’s a ski area rather than a resort, so you can not actually stay in Sonnenkopf; instead the accommodation is in the Klostertal villages stretched out in the valley below: Wald am Arlberg and Danofen are the closest to the lift station; Klösterle am Arlberg is the largest; and Langen am Arlberg has the local train station. And Sonnenkopf is both a ski area in its own right, and a sector of a much larger ski area, the mighty Arlberg, so visitors can choose whether to buy just the local Sonnenkopf lift pass or one that covers the whole of the Arlberg. And whilst the Arlberg is famous for being Austria’s largest lift-linked ski area, Sonnenkopf is the one part of it that is not lift-linked. In fact most people who stay in the Arlberg never visit Sonnenkopf.

More fool them, because this forgotten outpost of the Arlberg has a lot to recommend it. It’s family-friendly, uncrowded and a great place to learn to ski or snowboard. And whilst the local area is small (about 10 lifts and 15 runs including the nursery area), it has a good snow record and there are runs for every standard: gentle blue pistes for novices; cruisy reds with the odd testing section for intermediates; and a good steep black run plus some notable off-piste for advanced skiers, including official ski routes, lots of between-the-piste freeriding in the main north-facing bowl, a long itinerary ‘off the back’ for which you will need a guide, and plenty of ski touring possibilities.

Good piste skiers will want to move on from the local area after a couple of days, however. And whilst Sonnenkopf is not lift-linked to the other parts of the Arlberg, it has a regular bus connection: the same bus that takes skiers from the villages around Klosterle to the Sonnenkopf base station carries onto Stuben Am Arlberg, which is only about 20 minutes away, and Stuben is linked by lift and piste to St Anton, St Christoph, Lech, Zurs, Warth and Schroecken. There is also a much less frequent rail link from Langen to St Anton.

So if you don’t mind a short journey in a bus, train or car, Sonennkopf offers excellent value for money. Food and drink tend to be cheaper in the Klostertal villages than in the other Arlberg resorts, as is accommodation which is mainly in small family-owned hotels, B&B guesthouses and apartments. Sonnenkopf is also easy to get to, because it’s just off the S16 highway. Or you can come by train to Langen.

You have to be realistic about the nightlife, however. There are only a handful of bars and restaurants in the Klostertal villages, so take the proverbial scrabble board and be prepared to entertain yourself, unless you want to drive to the other Arlberg resorts in the evening.

Sonnenkopf Pros and Cons

+ Good but small local ski area;
+ Part of the Arlberg, Austria’s best ski area;
+ Uncrowded;
+ Unspoilt rural villages;
+ Good value for money.

– A lot of driving or taking buses & trains;
– No slope-side accommodation;
– Very quiet apres ski and nightlife.

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Getting to Klosterle am Arlberg and the other Klostertal villages near the Sonnenkopf ski area is easy because they are  all very close to the S16 Arlberg motorway. Airport transfers take between 1 and 2 hours from Friedrichshafen, Innsbruck, Memmingen...

Accommodation in Klostertal is moderately priced and represents good value for money for those looking to stay in a quiet traditional village, with good skiing nearby at Sonnenkopf and relatively easy access (by car bus or train) to the other...

Book Ski Schools & Ski Lessons in Sonnenkopf-Klostertal Looking for private or group ski lessons in Sonnenkopf-Klostertal? Ultimate-Ski partner CheckYeti work with leading ski schools and ski instructors in over 500 ski destinations throughout Austria, France, Germany, Italy and Switzerland. Let...

Sonnenkopf Ski Area Described as the “family ski area in the Arlberg”, the Sonnenkopf ski area is both detached from the rest of the Arlberg and a part of it, via a bus connection to Stuben. But the local skiing...

Sonnenkopf Ski Lifts & Lift Passes Sonnenkopfbahn gondola is the backbone of the Klostertal Sonnenkopf ski lift system, with middle and upper station, four surface lifts up top and a couple of double chair lifts serving 30km of marked ski...

Sonnenkopf Beginner Skiing Sonnenkopf ski area in Klostertal includes 12 pistes one third of which is designated easy and suitable for beginners and families with young children. The remainder is mostly enjoyable and uncrowded red runs, which offer good for...

Sonnenkopf Intermediate Skiing Two thirds of Klostertal’s Sonnenkopf ski area is designated for intermediate skiers, but with less than a dozen red runs totalling just 20km, competent skiers can ski all of the local pistes in a day, and will...

Sonnenkopf Advanced & Off-Piste Skiing Klostertal’s Sonnenkopf ski area includes just one black run, which is steep and straight, but in good snow conditions there are plenty of opportunities for skiing off-piste. And once you have expored these, there is...

Sonnenkopf Mountain Restaurants Sonnenkopf has two mountain restaurants in the ski area, the Bergrestaurant Sonnenkopf and the Bündhütte, an Eisbar at 2,050m at the bottom of the Glattingratbahn chairlift and the Kelo Bar next to the base station in the...

Klostertal Villages near Sonnenkopf The small traditional Klostertal villages – Klosterle, Wald am Arlberg, Danofen and Langen am Arlberg - have a limited range of accommodation in small hotels and bed & breakfast guesthouses, plus a few apartments and chalets...

Sonnenkopf Apres Ski Bars & Restaurants Klostertal villages – Klosterle, Danofen and Langan am Arlberg – are quiet, community villages and there’s little in the way of traditional après ski or other activities outside the hotels and a handful of...

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