Skiing Meets High Culture In Salzburgerland
SalzburgerLand province in western Austria is home to 22 diverse resorts where skiers and winter sports enthusiasts will find their every whim catered for. Discover 2700 km of perfectly prepared piste, 30 snow parks, 2400 km of cross-country and winter hiking trails, tobogganing (100 runs), ice-climbing, snow kiting and dancing outside pop-up bars at the foot of the slopes. This is also where skiing meets high culture, a combination peculiar to SalzburgerLand. www.salzburgerLand.com
In 2026, Salzburg City is celebrating the 70th Mozart week (22 Jan to 1 Feb) which coincides with the composer’s 270th birthday. Seventy live performances include a new production of The Magic Flute, Mozart-themed entertainment (lectures, readings, screen broadcasts) and the charming Salzburg Puppet Theatre shows. Why not add a few nights in the city before or after the annual winter holiday to make the most of the cultural riches on offer? Or take an awayday from the slopes: many of the resorts are no more than an hour from Salzburg and none are more than two.
That’s SalzburgerLand: endless skiing, stunning landscapes, a vibrant apres-ski scene, flawless hospitality, exceptional dining from simple bistros to haute cuisine, luxurious spa hotels and natural thermal baths.
Below, news from the resorts listed in alphabetical order:
Flachau launched Dips & Drops www.dips-drops.com/en in May 2025 to present a new value-for money year-round sports hotel ideal for skiers in winter and cyclists in summer.
Gastein‘s first season-opening music festival, Gastein Sounds (12-13 December), begins with an open-air concert in Bad Hofgastein. Art on Snow Week (1-7 Feb), in its 14th year, now offers prizes for those who visit seven of the nine installations using the SummitLynx app (free to download). Other annual events include: Full Moon Dinners (3 and 31 Jan, 2 and 4 Mar, 1 Apr) priced at €138 per person for a 5-course meal and transfers; Ski and Wine week (14-21 Mar); early morning ski tours (alternate Wednesdays from 8 Jan to 19 Feb)
Hochkönig has added a new family run in Mühlbach. Starting at the Zapferl Alm, the adventure slope includes wave tracks, a speed-check section, steep turns and is accessible for all levels. There is also a new experience of a two-hour piste basher ride (€134 per ride; reservation required).
Obertauern brings its 60th year since the filming of The Beatles film HELP! to an end with a winter kick-off concert (28 November) in the centre of town. A second concert will be staged one the slopes (5 December) - tickets from €69 pp per concert. The Christmas market has expanded to offer more artisan stalls, and complimentary advent hikes (1½-hours; accessible for all abilities) are on offer on two weekends in December. Obertauern’s famous season-closing treasure hunt, the Gamsleiten Kriterium (17 April at 12 pm and 18 April at 1.30 pm - €65 entry fee), gives hunters 2½-hours to dig for 30 high value prizes, a new BMW being top.
Skicircus Saalbach Hinterglem Leogang Fieberbrun news from Saalbach Hinterglemm is the opening of a new five-star hotel, Falkensteiner, located next to the Reiterkogelbahn, for the 2025/26 winter season https://www.falkensteiner.com/en. And, in Saalfelden-Leogang a new bar and restaurant, Hüttengaudi Leogang, opens this winter near Leo’s Kinderland by the Asitzbahn valley station. The Asitz mountain has a new video piste – Fisherman’s Friend SkiMovie. The Steinberg piste has a new Funslope and the Schanteilift a Funcross for all ages and abilities. Annual events include: Jazz festival with 9 concerts over three days (23-25 January); White Pearl Mountain Days (20-29 March) celebrating Alpine lifestyle with live music and yoga; Asitz Winter Nights (weekly concerts on the Asitz mountain). The area has signed up to the Epic Pass partnership: Alpin Card season pass holders receive 50% discount on lift passes at 37 North American resorts, Epic Pass and Epic Adaptive Pass holders receive five ski days within the Alpin Card network (Saalbach/Fieberbrunn/Zell am See-Kaprun). www.alpincard.at, www.epicpass.com
Salzburger Sportwelt ski area’s Zauchensee sees the Audi FIS Ski World Cup Races (10-11 Jan) and the Spring Battle Contest (14-22 Mar) – a freeskiing and snowboarding contest in the Absolutpark. Four refurbished hotels reopen across the area for this winter season: Hotel Oberforsthof www.oberforsthof.at/en in St Johann im Salzburg/Alpendorf; Hotel Wenger Alpenhof in Werfenweng www.werfenweng-hotel.com; Hotel Neubergerhof in Filzmoos www.neubergerhof.at/en; and Zauchenseehof in Altenmarkt-Zauchensee www.walchhofer.at/. Zauchensee/Flachauwinkl’s Schwarzwandbahn four-man gondola has been completely renewed.
Zell am See-Kaprun has created two new winter hiking trails - one starting at Langwied, the other at the top station of Gletscherjet 4 – leading into beautiful terrain beneath the Hohe Tauern peaks for breathtaking views. Two fully refurbished four-star hotels reopen in December: the Revier Hotel in Kaprun (formerly Hotel Active by Leitner https://revier.kaprunhotel.net/en) and ski-in/ski-out Berghotel Schmittenhöhe (https://www.berghotel-schmittenhoehe.at/). The Gletschermühle Restaurant at 2450 m on the Kitzsteinhorn opens after a complete makeover, and at the top of the AreitXpress the Kids Indoor Park Areit 1400 offers a new indoor play area, ideal for little ones and all kids in poor weather. Zell am See-Kaprun also joins the Epic Ski Pass Partnership.
Sustainability is central to the region. This year, the Guest Mobility Pass (www.guestmobilityticket.at/en/), launched May 1st, encourages visitors to leave hired cars behind and use public transport. The digital pass provides free and unlimited use of public transport (regional buses, S-Bahn and regional and long-distance trains) throughout the entire region for every paying overnight guest. It is issued by the accommodation provider once check-in is complete: if done in advance, this also covers transfers by bus or rail from Salzburg Airport to the destination. Ski area lifts are not covered.
For more information: www.salzburgerLand.com
