Westendorf is just under an hour from Innsbruck airport, and within 2 hours of Salzburg and Munich airports, making it easy to get to, with plenty of transfer options. Trains from Innsbruck are also quick, and there are a handful...
Westendorf
Westendorf is a traditional inexpensive Tirolean village which is part of the huge SkiWelt lift-linked ski area. Kitzbuhel's KitzSki area is also easily accessible, so Westendorf-based skiers are spolit for choice, if snow conditions are good, and thanks to artificial snow-making, they often are.
Westendorf is part of the vast SkiWelt Wilder Kaiser – Brixental lift-linked ski area, but it’s one valley away from the main area, and it has its own quieter sector which it shares with Brixen-im-Thale. And it’s a good little local area with something for everyone: convenient nursery slopes and high-quality ski schools for beginners, a few blues for novices to progress onto, plenty of reds for intermediates, and one of the steepest black runs in the SkiWelt for experts.
But this is just the starter, because if you ski down to Brixen, or take take the ski-bus there, on the other side is the main SkiWelt ski area stretching across to Ellmau and Soll. In total there are over 270kms of runs and 80 lifts in the SkiWelt, and if that sounds exhausting there are also 80 mountain bars and restaurants for a bit of rest and relaxation along the way. The majority of the pistes are short, treelined, gentle blues or red runs that are only slightly steeper, which is a great mix for improving novices and intermediates who like easy cruising. For experts who want to be tested there is some steep terrain around Soll, and some off-piste and ski-touring options, but not a lot.
Fortunately for keen skiers, the SkiWelt is not the only major ski area that holidaymakers in Westendorf have easy access to. At the far end of Westendorf’s SkiWelt sector, a ski bus shuttles between its Ki-West lift and the Pengelstein lift at Skirast, which is part of the KitzSki area shared by Kitzbuhel and Kirchberg, and there are also frequent trains between both resorts and Westendorf. Lift passes are available that cover both KitzSki and SkiWelt, or you can buy one-day supplements, and the two areas combined offer almost unlimited skiing for intermediates and above, with KitzSki having significantly more tough runs for experienced skiers.
And yet despite all this skiing, Westendorf is an unassuming, inexpensive, traditional village. Most of the accommodation is in affordable guest houses and pensions, although there are a few 3-star and 4-star hotels, and a good choice of self-catering apartments. There is some apres-ski entertainment in the mountain huts above the resort and a few late closing bars and clubs, but it’s more of a family-oriented resort than a party-oriented one.
Westendorf’s weakness is its height. All the SkiWelt and KitzSki skiing is below 2000m. Both areas have invested heavily in artificial snow making, but the snow-cannons still require cold night time temperatures, and in a warm Spring snow conditions deteriorate and both ski areas noticeably shrink.
Ski Equipment Rental in Westendorf
There are plenty of ski rental shops fot a small village, but prices will be high if you just walk into them the nearest one. ALPINRESORTS.com works with several shops in Westendorf and across the SkiWelt and offers discounts of up to 35% if you book online in advance >
SKISET also has outlets and it too gives discounts if you book online >
Westendorf Pros & Cons
+ Part of the huge SkiWelt ski area
+ Access to Kitzbuhel’s tougher skiing
+ Good easy cruising red and blue runs
+ Efficient and effective snow cannons
+ Good value
– Not snowsure in warm weather
– We prefer natural snow
Search accommodation in Westendorf and book online >
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Visitors to Westendorf have traditionally had a choice of affordable pensions and guesthouses, and while that remains the case, a number of 4-star hotels have opened in Westendorf in recent years, providing a greater range of choice than had previously...
There are three ski schools in Westendorf, providing convenient tuition in skiing and snowboarding, with beginners and children a particular focus. Some of the schools offer guiding and one offers lessons in cross-country skiing. >Book Ski Schools & Ski Lessons...
Westendorf Ski Area Westendorf sits in a prime location with direct access to the huge SkiWelt Wilder Kaiser – Brixental area of 279km groomed pistes, as well as being linked to a further 170km of runs in the nearby Kitzbuhel...
Westendorf Ski Lifts & Lift Passes Westendorf has an excellent lift system which offers access to the whole of the SkiWelt ski area. The result is a well-connected ski area which is served by a modern and efficient lift system,...
Westendorf Beginner Skiing Westendorf is a safe bet for beginners, with convenient nursery slopes and good facilities for young children. It also has some interesting tree-lined blue runs for progressing beginners, which are also near at hand, although these might...
Westendorf Intermediate Skiing As part of the extensive SkiWelt ski area, Westendorf offers an excellent range of intermediate skiing, accessed via a well-connected lift system. For those who want to explore further afield Westendorf is also linked to the nearby...
Westendorf Advanced Skiing Westendorf and the SkiWelt offer more limited range of truly challenging pistes, although the sheer vastness of the area can in itself be a challenge. They say that it isn’t size that matters, and for expert skiers...
Westendorf Boarding & Freestyle Westendorf is the home of snowboarding in the SkiWelt, and its Boarders Playground Snowpark attracts freestylers from across Austria, in particular for the ‘Shred Down Austrian Masters’ boarding competition. The main attraction for boarders and freestylers...
Westendorf Mountain Restaurants Mountain restaurants in Westendorf are certainly not lacking, with 18 in the immediate part of the ski area and 94 mountain restaurants and bars across the whole of the SkiWelt. The result is choice and convenience, with...
Westendorf Village Westendorf is a traditional Tirolean village situated 9 miles west of Kitzbuhel in the Brixental valley. Once a traditional farming village, Westendorf has not been taken over by modern developments and has retained its authentic Tirolean character. The...
Westendorf Apres Ski Bars & Restaurants Westendorf has a number of hotel restaurants, generally offering traditional Tyrolean dishes, although this is more or less the extent of the cuisine on offer. Apres ski can be lively although it is not...
Westendorf Other Activities There are some activities for non-skiers in and around Westendorf – the Alpeniglu igloo village in nearby Brixen is a highlight – although these are largely based around getting out and about in the surrounding landscape in...