St Anton am Arlberg

...the most famous there.
St Anton is in the Alps, about 90 minutes by road from Innsbruck, or 150 minutes from Zurich. It offers 260 kilometres of piste, 34 easy runs, 70 intermediate, and 30 advanced. These runs are spread across 4 main areas : St. Anton, The Rendl, Zurs and Lech, and are serviced by 81 lifts. St Anton and the Rendl are right next to the main town of St Anton Am Arlberg, on opposite sides of the valley, and a short, relatively ...
...the bus.

St Anton (4,278 - 8,649 feet)

The St Anton ski area is the most easily accessible from the town, from one end by the Nassareinbahn onto the Gampen area, and by the Galzigbahn to the Galzig area. Gampen and Galzig togther make up the St Anton area. The thing that stands out about this area are the lifts. They are fantastic. A product of the 2000 World Championships, the extra money has brought in a fantastic ... more

No no, not a Saint at all. Its a ski resort in Austria, one of the most famous there.
St Anton is in the Alps, about 90 minutes by road from Innsbruck, or 150 minutes from Zurich. It offers 260 kilometres of piste, 34 easy runs, 70 intermediate, and 30 advanced. These runs are spread across 4 main areas : St. Anton, The Rendl, Zurs and Lech, and are serviced by 81 lifts. St Anton and the Rendl are right next to the main town of St Anton Am Arlberg, on opposite sides of the valley, and a short, relatively cheap bus ride away over the Arlberg Pass are Lech and Zurs, which are connected by lifts as well as the bus.

The St Anton ski area is the most easily accessible from the town, from one end by the Nassareinbahn onto the Gampen area, and by the Galzigbahn to the Galzig area. Gampen and Galzig togther make up the St Anton area. The thing that stands out about this area are the lifts. They are fantastic. A product of the 2000 World Championships, the extra money has brought in a fantastic system. Most of the chairlifts are covered and either 4 man or 6 man, and fast too. The gondolas are also first class, but there are still some annoying t-bars about. The runs, however, are not so good. While we were there, there was a lot of snowfall, and while the snow falls, they don't groom the pistes, which was heavy going. There is also little difference between Blues, Reds and Black runs (Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced), which can cause confusion. However, the runs are generally well marked. Don't miss the Valluga - a huge cable car to the top of the mountain with amazing runs back down. The area became a little crowded over the weekend, but other areas were quiet, so avoid St Anton during the weekend.
I visited St Anton at Easter, and by that time, despite heavy snowfall higher up, the snow had almost disappeared in the town, and the runs back to the village were very limited, and not recommended for beginners due to heavy conditions. This does limit the area as there are many runs back to the village, but the availability of runs higher up and the excellent lift system mean this is not too much of a hardship. At the end of the holiday there was nothing in the village, but 460 cms at the top - so Easter skiing is no problem. There is also cross country skiing available at St Christoph - 40 kilometres of it.

Nicknamed 'Rendl Beach' because of the far greater amount of sun this side of the valley gets, for reasons unknown to me. It was definitely noticeable - don't be despondent if it's nasty on the Gampen, it may well be better on the Rendl. Unfortunately, this area is far less extensive than St Anton, with only 10 or so runs, and to get to it you need to take the Rendlbahn - an aging gondola. The Rendl is really for snowboarders because it has a snowboard park, but there is also something for skiers too with a speed trap and timed slalom course - as well as the breathtaking red run down to St Anton am Arlberg - possibly the best run in the entire ski area.

Zurs is across the Arlberg Pass from St Anton - a free bus ride from St Christoph. This is another excellent area, covering both sides of the valley, with some excellent red runs, and skiable connections to Lech. Like the Rendl, this area does not have the best lift system ,especially compared to St Anton, but the skiing does make up for it. There are 10 or so red runs, many blues, but no real blacks. Again like The Rendl, the weather is better here than St Anton in my experience - I have been to Zurs and Lech in sunshine only to return to St Anton to a blizzard!
the definite highlight of Zurs is the massive unpisted red down to Zug. It has to be skied to be believed - on a par with the Rendl run for the best run in the area. It took a long time to get there, but for an intense half hour of non-stop skiing with a massive vertical change, it is unparalleled across the Alps. And when you get to Zug, another short chair lift gets you to the top of the Lech area.

Lech is where the Royals go to ski - and you can see why. The pistes are the best, easily on a par with Courchevel, with good lifts to back it up. It is easily the best part of the area for beginners, with many slopes for the beginner, and easy reds further up to boost your confidence. Unfortunately, the bus from St Anton all the way across to Lech is not very cheap - unfortunately I can't remember the exact figure - but it is possible to ski right across for free - if you ski to St Christoph from St Anton, then a free shuttle bus across to Zurs, then there are a few routes across - but this may take a good part of the morning - and you'll still have to get back so I wouldnt recommend it for beginners.
Lech is not featured in most top ski operators brochures because of the expense, which is mirrored in food and drink prices - £5 for a hot chocolate? Is this France? But there are free things - like another Speed Trap which is always fun :o)

I stayed in the Hotel Rendlhof, with Crystal as my tour operator. It was one of the best hotels I have ever stayed in for the price. The room was small but clean and simple with a good bed, and thrown in for the price is a breakfast buffet in Austrian style - not to be missed. It also has a Sauna, and a swimming pool is available for use in the Hotel Arlberg (4.5 star) about 100 metres away. Dinner is also served in the Arlberg, which was a five course spectacular - absolutely amazing quality food, with a choice of 3 main courses - or spaghetti bolognaise if you don't fancy any of them. I don't think everyone from the Rendlhof has dinner in the Arlberg, but that's the way it is with Crystal. Summer prices full board are £24 per night!!
As for nightlife, there is a good scene. Drinks are generally expensive due to the remoteness of the town (about £1.50 for a half at least), but there are a wide variety of bars for your viewing - I recommend Scotty's as a quiet bar, The Funky Chicken as a loud bar, The Underground as a good piano bar, with a little live place downstairs, Bar Cuba for dancing, and Cartouche as possibly the seediest club in town - with great cocktails, leopardskin stools, and an amazing atmosphere - not to be missed for anything! The drinking age is 16.
There are lots of shops, including supermarkets for budget skiers, craft shops, souvenir shops, and an Internet cafe.

As I have already said, St Anton is 90 minutes from Innsbruck by road or 150 minutes from Zurich. There are also regular trains to Innsbruck, and further on to European destinations.

Lift Passes are not cheap - for 6 days £112 in low season and £125 in high season, payable at the main gondolas. Ski hire is also a little expensive, but the service is impeccable at the shop at the base of the Nassareinbahn. Ski hire is about £47 for 6 days including poles, and £26 for boots, Board hire is £67 for 6 days, plus £28 for boots. Eating out and drinks are also a bit dear, but the quality is very good so in a way the price is justified. Instruction for 6 days at 4 hours per day is £87.

St Anton is a good resort. Apart from Lech, it is not the greatest for beginners although tuition is highly rated. It is far better for intermediate and advanced skiers, with lots of off-piste options. Snowboarders are also well catered for with board parks on the Rendl and at Lech. The lifts are excellent at St Anton and good elsewhere, the snow is very reliable higher up, but the pistes arent too well groomed. The town is a little expensive, but great fun, and there is fun for all the family, as well as larger groups. Highly recommended.

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