With over 2,000km of pistes and 22 ski areas, Salzburgerland offers a rich variety of winter sports, from skiing to snow biking.
It’s hard to believe that I was in London just a few hours ago. One of the beauties of visiting Obertauern (obertauern.com), one of Austria’s oldest purpose-built ski resorts (established in the 1900s, although the first lift wasn't built until 1948), is that it’s so quick and easy to access. I land at Salzburg airport — 56 miles north of the resort — at 10am and, after a one-hour transfer and speedy equipment rental, am skiing by 1pm. It’s a refreshing change from the lengthy travel days of my previous skiing holidays in the French Alps.
And the snow isn’t bad, either, even on a sunny spring day. I visit in March, and, despite being late in the season, my skis glide over soft, fluffy snow that’s natural instead of the hard, artificial stuff made by snow cannons. The town is located at around 5,700ft, making it the highest winter sports resort in Salzburgerland, and you can ski up to an altitude of 7,580ftfrom November through to April. It mainly attracts Austrians and Germans (Munich is less than a three-hour drive away), and I only hear the occasional British accent during my stay.
This story is from the Salzburgerland 2018 edition of National Geographic Traveller (UK).
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This story is from the Salzburgerland 2018 edition of National Geographic Traveller (UK).
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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