Nestled just an hour’s drive from Salzburg, Grossarl emerges as a serene and understated gem in the alpine landscape. This quaint village, perched at an altitude of 924 meters, is the beating heart of the Ski Amadé network and a haven for ski enthusiasts seeking a blend of tranquility and adventure. What sets Grossarl apart is its unique location in a secluded dead-end valley within the less traversed Grossarltal, which runs parallel to the larger and more famous Gasteinertal. This positioning imbues the village with a distinctive character, where accommodations harmoniously meld with the natural surroundings, amplifying the area’s peaceful and authentic Austrian charm.

The ski domain of Grossarl, intimately linked with Dorfgastein, creates the expansive Skischaukel Dorfgastein Großarltal. This network offers an impressive array of nearly 80 kilometers of ski slopes. With a comprehensive ski pass, visitors can explore not only these slopes but also venture into other skiing hotspots in the Gasteinertal, including Bad Gastein and Sportgastein. In total, a staggering 200 kilometers of ski terrain awaits discovery. Moreover, all these areas fall under the colossal Ski Amadé lift pass, granting access to an astonishing 760 kilometers of pistes across five interconnected regions.

Despite Grossarl’s modest population of 3,600, the ski resort located up the mountain is anything but small. It is widely acclaimed as the premier destination in the region for families and intermediate skiers. The resort boasts an array of nursery slopes, gentle blue runs, and manageable reds, alongside more challenging steeper reds and a few black runs for the seasoned skiers.

The Grossarl area, being the larger part of the Skischaukel Dorfgastein Großarltal, offers a delightful selection of lengthy, winding blue and red pistes. These trails meander through picturesque wooded slopes, leading back to the village via two gondola access points. The convergence of lifts from the two villages at the peaks of Fulseck (2,033 meters) and Kreuzkogel (2,027 meters) provides an array of options. Skiers can enjoy numerous bowls and lengthy valley runs that return to the villages. An especially scenic piste runs along the ridge dividing the two valleys, offering breathtaking views and easy access to either side, with gondolas for the return journey. The upper mountain is serviced by a gondola and four chairlifts, making it particularly family-friendly.

Advanced intermediates can challenge themselves on the steep, short reds near the Kreuzkogel peak and explore a couple of longer, ungroomed red routes off the Fulseck-Kieserl ridge. While limited, there are opportunities for off-piste skiing in this area, which is patrolled but not serviced by lifts. Additionally, the linked ski area features only two short black pistes.

Freestyle enthusiasts, particularly skiers and snowboarders, will find the small but well-maintained snowpark on the Sonnenbahn slopes below the Kruezkogel summit to be a delightful playground. It features various kickers and a range of novice-friendly modules, including flat, rainbow, and wave forms.

Despite the seemingly limited altitude range, the resort goes to great lengths to maintain the quality of its slopes. Even after extended warm spells, the valley run often remains open and in good condition.

There are plenty of mountain bars and restaurants dotted around the slopes. Food is exceptional in all three areas with a collection of Ski-Toque huts, mountain restaurants offering signature dishes from top Austrian chefs.

For families and intermediate-level skiers, Grossarl might just be the region’s best resort option. Offering affordability and a small-scale, family-friendly atmosphere, Grossarl stands out as a tranquil retreat away from the bustling crowds, perfect for those seeking an intimate winter sports holiday in Salzburger Land.

In conclusion, Grossarl presents a splendid skiing destination that beautifully balances diverse slopes with an enchanting alpine atmosphere. Its well-groomed runs cater to all levels of skiers, from the gentle nursery and blue slopes ideal for beginners and families, to the more challenging red and black runs for intermediate and advanced skiers seeking a thrill. The off-piste options add an element of adventure for those looking to venture beyond the groomed trails.

Getting there


To reach Grossarl, Austria, by plane, fly into Salzburg Airport, the nearest major airport. From there, you have several options: renting a car for an hour’s drive to Grossarl, taking a taxi or an airport shuttle directly to the village, or using public transport with a combination of bus or train to St. Johann im Pongau and then a connecting bus or taxi to Grossarl.

If you’re traveling by train, the nearest major station is in St. Johann im Pongau. Upon arrival, complete your journey to Grossarl with a short taxi ride or a local bus trip.

Link suggestions

For more information on Großarl, please visit the official website of Großarltal

One of Italy’s best known ski resorts and a classic in the history of winter sports, San Martino boasts some of the most spectacular scenery in Europe, offering a back drop of forested hills backed by 3000m of pink Dolomitic rock. San Martino lies on a wide highland of pastures surrounded by thick woods, on the southern slopes of the Alps, in the area of the Dolomites that is the easternmost part of Italy’s Trentino region. San Martino’s area also extends to include the nearby high-altitude lifts of Passo Rolle which begin by the roadside at 1994 metres giving great late season skiing.

Beauty and elegance

San Martino is, without a doubt, one of the most beautiful and charming thanks to the impressive panorama It offers. Located in the heart of a UNESCO Natural World Heritage Site the ‘Pale di San Martino’ is some of the most stunning scenery in the Dolomites. Next there is the classic feel of San Martino. It’s something that’s hard to put in to words but it’s simply a timeless elegance that a few long-established ski areas have but most don’t. San Martino definitely has it, with lots of characterful shops as well as cafes, restaurants and hotels.

And of course there’s the skiing within the beautiful ‘Paneveggio Pale di San Martino’ Nature Park. It’s not a huge area, perhaps why the tour operators stay away in the modern era obsessed with giant, soulless resorts. The 60km of slopes in the San Martino di Castrozza ski area include 30km of wonderful, red runs where intermediates will be in heaven! The remaining 30km are equally shared out between beginners and advanced skiers meaning no-one feels left out here. The slopes range from 1.404 to 2.357m in altitude, with the Passo Rolle sector known as one of the most snowsure in Italy.

Enough to choose from

There are three ski areas locally, all of which are included on the Dolomiti Superski Pass, the world’s largest lift pass system. Closest to the village, although not the largest , a new six seater gondola runs up to meet the Rosetta cable car base station. The new gondola begins from far closer to the village edge and serves blue and red trails from its top at the Rifugio Col Verde. The spectacular cable car continues up to Rosetta, the resort’s highest point at 2609m (8560 feet) although there are no market pistes down through the treacherous chutes at the top.

The highest and largest single lift served terrain is at Tognola, a wide sunny hillside above the tree line, accessed primarily by the new gondola from Fratazza, a bus journey out of town. Another option is to take the triple chair from the outskirts of the village beyond the ice rink – runs are cut back down through the forests and are largely covered by snow cannons. The third option is to take the ski bus up and over to Passo Rolle. A traditional ‘end of season’ mecca because of it’s high altitude base, all but one of the six lifts are chairs, and all have snow making. Beginners have gentle meadows at the edge of the village on which to make their first turns.

There are three snowparks: the Colverde Snowpark, lit up at night, the San Martino Snowpark and the Rolle Railz Park and for families with younger children Kinderland on the Tognola Alp and a special nursery slope for beginners (Prà delle Nasse).

Thrilling terrain

Experts have only a few black trails and will need to head off-piste with a guide or make use of the Dolomiti Superski Pass to explore neighbouring areas if they are to get the most of San Martino. However the steepest run in the resort, down below the new gondola from Tognola extends for over three kilometres with extremely variable and in some stretches really thrilling terrain, and all the while you have fantastic scenery in front of you. A little more technical in some places halfway down, the Paradiso route on Passo Rolle also has to be tried. The Pale di San Martino and the Lagorai range of mountains offer infinite possibilities for ski touring at every level; from the easy off-piste routes to the real and proper trekking in the vast mountainscape with limitless solitude.

Because San Martino is at a high altitude for a traditional resort, and because these meadows have snow making, conditions are normally good at village level. Otherwise the choice of gondolas to high altitude areas also with easy runs make San Martino a good choice to get started. Moreover, the variety of the slopes and the different directions in which they face there is no problem in finding fresh, powdery snow throughout the winter.

‘greenest’ ski resorts

More good news is that San Martino di Castrozza is also one of the ‘greenest’ ski resorts in the world so your hotel stay and days on the slopes all come guilt-free with zero CO2 emissions. The village has been powered by renewable electricity for over a century. In fact it now produces 10 times as much green energy as it needs and is a net exporter to the grid. It has increased its green credential still further in recent years replacing old individual oil-powered heating systems in hotels with a communal biomass green energy system and petrol pumps with charging points for electric cars. In fact in a nice marketing move, San Martino and Passo Rolle have so much hydro-electricity to spare they offer the chance to charge up your electric or hybrid car free of charge, wilt you recharge your own mental and spiritual batteries out in their stunning mountain scenery.

In keeping with that love for and protection of nature, freeride skiing and boarding come naturally at San Martino. After all that’s what they practiced here before the first lifts were built and the first trail groomers rolled up the mountainside. Thanks to the different exposures of the slopes in this area there’s a strong reputation for long lasting powdery snow with plenty of natural jumps and chutes to enjoy. Just ensure you tackle it all with a guide who knows the local terrain and the conditions.

Getting there

The easiest way to get there is by flying into a nearby airport and then taking a combination of train and bus or a shuttle service.

By Air: The nearest airports to San Martino di Castrozza are Venice Marco Polo Airport (VCE), Verona Villafranca Airport (VRN), and Treviso Airport (TSF). From any of these airports, you can take a combination of train and bus or a shuttle service to reach San Martino di Castrozza.

By Train: The nearest railway stations to San Martino di Castrozza are Feltre and Belluno. From there, you can take a bus or a shuttle service to reach San Martino di Castrozza.

Feltre and Belluno are on the main train line between Venice and the Italian Dolomites, and there are regular trains from Venice and other major Italian cities. You can check train schedules and book tickets on the website of the Italian National Railways, Trenitalia (https://www.trenitalia.com/).

By Bus/Shuttle: There are also direct shuttle services from some airports to San Martino di Castrozza. These services are operated by companies such as FlixBus and DolomitiBus. The journey time and cost will vary depending on the airport and the shuttle service.

Link suggestions

For more information on San Martino di Castrozza / Passo Rolle please visit the official website of San Martino di Castrozza / Passo Rolle

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