The Austrian Tirol region has been one of the most famous in the world for skiing, ever since the early years of winter sports more than a century ago.
But in recent years, along with its long standing reputation for atmospheric, traditional buildings (no high rise concrete monstrosities here!) and friendly welcome, the Tirol has also been leading the world with innovation and on-mountain comfort, with the latest high speed, high comfort lifts, stylish mountain restaurants and many more attractions opening up on its slopes.
Brits have been responding positively to this investment and last winter, the Tirol region achieved some of its best results to date with UK visitor numbers up five per-cent, making a significant contribution to the almost 5.4 million arrivals during 2012-13 recorded in the region (we’re the third biggest market after the Germans and the Dutch). Our 5% growth was beaten only by the rapidly expanding Russian contingent, who were up 8%, but from a smaller numbers base.
St Anton remains the most popular resort for UK visitors, followed by Obergurgl/Soelden, Mayrhofen, Söll and Kitzbühel but the resorts, which enjoyed the highest overall increase in arrivals, last season included Seefeld (+25.7%), Alpbach (+23.3%) and Wildschönau (17%), the latter two as a result of their inter-connection in the new Ski Jewel area.
New Season News
Rather than rest on their laurels, there’s another long list of new attractions and upgrades across the Tirol for the coming winter.
For tip top dining you can’t get much higher, or much better than the state-of-the-art new restaurant and design statement being built at the top of the Gaislachkogel above Sölden (soelden.com) at 3048m.
The new innovatively designed restaurant features impressive modern architecture, the glass exterior projecting a transparent feeling making visitors feel up close and personal with the spectacular Ӧtztal’s mountain scenery all around.
The technical masterpiece goes one step further, as the roof terrace is connected to the Gaislachkogel mountain peak via a suspension bridge. But the restaurant will reach culinary as well physical heights with a gourmet experience highlight of the new signature wine ‘Pino3000’, a cross-border wine project bringing three top wine growers their best Pinot Noir from Austria, South Tyrol and Germany to mature the wine in a special wine cellar at the Gaislachkogel.
For lots of new lifts this season the Zillertal region leads the way with lift expansions, accommodation upgrades and new mountain huts and restaurants. The Ski Optimal Hochzillertal/Kaltenbach ski area, with access to 88km of pistes, will welcome two new chairlifts, the new 8-seater heated chairlift, the Kristall-Express and the heated 6-seater chairlift Mizun, replacing the old T-bar.
Regarded as one of the best mountain huts in the Alps, the luxurious Kristallhütte will be enhanced by four new two-storey Panorama suites, with private spa and open views of the Zillertal Alps. In Hochfügen, a new alpine hut called ‘Holzalm’ will open, serving specialities from the Tirol and Zillertal region.
At the other end of the Zillertal, in the region of Tux-Finkenberg, there will be a complete €13 million transformation by Hintertux Glacier lift company of the Tuxer Fernerhaus restaurant, which will include a table service restaurant, sun terrace and stairs will be replaced by escalators bringing an end to the ungainly task of climbing up and down of stairs in ski boots! In addition the old Spannagelhaus will be transformed into an inviting table service restaurant with inimitable mountain hut charm, with rustic lounges, open fireplace and warm wood tones with natural stone.
Finally The existing Lämmerbichl double chair lift will be replaced by a highly sophisticated 6 seater chairlift, with full weather protection hoods and heated seats.
Meanwhile the resort of Ischgl (ischgl.com) in the Paznaun Valley, will open up a new ski area on the Piz Val Gronda, with the construction of a new aerial cable car to it. Particular attention has been paid to protecting the landscape and ecosystem during the construction process. From the base at 2295m to the top at 2811m, there are only two support tower required and no cable trench is needed along the route. A new 3km long intermediate piste (no.42) will be created from the new lift which will also open up further freeride terrain.
New Hotels
There are plenty of new accommodation options in Tirol this winter. The new Fairhotel Hochfilzen (fairhotel-hochfilzen.com) in the Pillersee Valley, home to Fieberbrunn, Pillersee and Leogang ski areas, will become Tirol’s first ‘passive energy’ hotel.
Following an environmental philosophy, the hotel minimises energy losses and maximises energy gains, through innovative heating systems.
Offering functional interior design at its best, guest comfort is ensured thanks to Tempur mattresses on beds, and wellbeing with its organic farm-fresh breakfasts. Prices start from €49 per person per night on B&B.
At Axamer Lizum above Innsbruck, Hotel Lizum 1600 (www.lizum1600.at) is part of a new complex built as a training centre for ski instructors. Inghams has introduced the resort and hotel for 2013-14, with prices starting from £739 per person for 7 nights on half board, including flights and transfers.
Finally the brand-new lifestyle Hotel Adlers (www.deradler.com) in Innsbruck is the Tirolean capital’s tallest with an amazing roof-top terrace and impressive restaurant. The excellent, high value local lift pass provides acsess to eight ski areas in the region and bus transport to them. Winter prices start from €135 per room, per night on room only in a Panorama Classic.
New From Tour Operators To The Tirol
Tailor-made ski specialist, Ski Safari (01273 224060, www.skisafari.com), has added Tirolean areas to its programme for the first time, featuring Innsbruck, Soelden, Obergurgl/Hochgurgl, Kitzbühel, St Anton and Galtür.
Cosmos (0871 902 5838, www.cosmos.co.uk) is offering ski and snowboard holidays for the first time including 10 resorts in the Tirol with flights from sister company Monarch airlines to Innsbruck, Munich and Friedrichshafen.
Supertravel Ski (020 7962 9933, www.supertravel.co.uk/ski) has three newly-built, five-or-six bed designer properties in St Anton this coming season with prices start from £1,059 per person, based on six sharing, for 7 nights on a chalet-board basis including flights and rail transfers.
Zenith Holidays (020 3137 7678, www.zenithholidays.co.uk) are exclusively adding the family-friendly resort of Kappl to existing options Ischgl and Galtür in the Paznaun Valley.
After unveiling the stylish Hotel Montjola in St Anton last season, VIP SKI (0844 557 3119; www.vip-chalets.com) will add a further two St Anton chalets for 13-14 with prices starting from £969 per person based on two sharing, including return flights from London Gatwick, transfers and catered chalet board.
Crystal Ski (0871 231 2256; www.crystalski.co.uk) has introduced a limited number of FREE first-time ski or board packages in Seefeld and St Johann, during selected weeks in January and March. Packages includes tuition, equipment hire, lift pass for the week and must be booked by 15 November.
Inghams (01483 371100, www.inghams.co.uk) has introduced the resorts of Axams and Götzens, near Innsbruck, Kirchberg in the Kitzbühler Alps and Going in Austria’s largest ski area, the SkiWelt as well as a new flight route from Southampton to Innsbruck this winter.
Tirol information
For more information on the Tirol region www.visittirol.co.uk or keep updated at www.facebook.com/visittirol