Alpine skiing enthusiasts appreciate the extensive slopes with guaranteed snow and the sunny hillsides south of the main Alpine ridge. The atmosphere in Osttirol’s state-of-the-art ski resorts is relaxed and natural, even though they could hardly be more different. With 17 state-of-the-art lifts and 270 hectares of slopes, the Großglockner Resort Kals-Matrei is considered the largest ski resort in the vacation region. At the St. Jakob ski center in the Defereggental Valley, Osttirol’s highest cable car system whisks winter sports enthusiasts up to 2,683 meters above sea level in the blink of an eye.
The high-alpine slopes offer sweeping views of the surrounding three-thousand-meter peaks. Families and leisure skiers are particularly drawn to the Zettersfeld ski area in Lienz, which features numerous new additions for the 2025 season. In the heart of the Dolomites, near the border with South Tyrol and at elevations between 1,000 and 2,400 meters, lies the Sillian Hochpustertal Ski Center. There, winter sports enthusiasts will find a perfect blend of Austrian slope quality and Italian ease. Small but charming and ideal for those first turns is the Golzentipp area in Obertilliach, which, at 1,450 meters above sea level, is the highest village in the Lesachtal valley in Osttirol.
What they all have in common is the variety of ski huts: from rustic and simple to casual and modern, the hosts serve up regional delicacies to hungry skiers in cozy dining rooms or on large sun-drenched terraces. Prices in Osttirol are also family-friendly: The “Sunny Ski Days in Osttirol” package, which includes three nights’ lodging and a two-day ski pass, starts at €240 per person.
Little skiers up to age six ski for free when accompanied by their parents, and the children’s rate applies up to age 18.
