Obergurgl is perhaps the perfect family resort, with friendly Austrian locals, high altitude and child-friendly skiing with almost guaranteed snow and a short transfer, it’s a magical combination that proves almost impossible to find elsewhere. Situated just an hour and twenty minutes away from Innsbruck airport with skiing from December through to springtime and great ski access, it makes for the ultimate family-friendly ski holiday.
Obergurgl and Hochgurgl are linked by the Top Express Gondola which opens up 110 kilometres of perfectly groomed beginner and intermediate pistes. Hochgurgl is comprised of the familiar cruisy blue runs that Obergurgl is home to, but tending to be longer, it’s well worth skiing over to and enjoying the whole of the ski area. If you catch first lifts you can often enjoy serenely quiet and empty pistes even during school holidays, by comparison to the more well known alpine ski resorts, the pistes are quiet. Obergurgl sits at an altitude of 1,903 metres and is normally the first resort in the Alps to open each year that doesn’t have it’s own glacier with heights reaching 3,080 metres.
The area is best suited for beginners, intermediates, families and those who find the twisting turns and long transfers of the French alps a daunting prospect. Guests return year on year after falling in love with the area and even advanced skiers are catered for admirably. Advanced skiers can use the area lift pass to access (via bus) the more technically demanding resort of Sölden in the Ötztal Valley, use a guide to find fresh tracks off-piste, or later in the season enjoy the ski touring opportunities on offer.
As a resort that is well designed for improving skiers and snowboarders, the ski schools are superb with Skischule Obergurgl and Skischule Hochgurgl offering excellent tuition from four years. Bobo Miniclub offers tuition from three years and up and Skischule Exclusiv is a fantastic choice for making the most of an off-piste guide. For non-skiers the beautiful Austrian scenery extending through to Italy is a pleasure to be a part of, but there’s also the Aqua Dome Spa Centre down the valley, perfect for a day out, or equally Innsbruck is within reach.
Whilst après ski is not top of the list of Obergurgl’s priorities, Nederhütte found by the Hohe Mut 2 lift offers lively après ski on the mountain and then the option of catching the lift back into resort afterwards, or a ski down depending on how sturdy ski legs are feeling afterwards. The Hohe Mut Alm restaurant offers a charming traditional Austrian ambience on the mountain with amazing dumplings and traditional fare. Whilst over in Hochgurgl, Top Mountain Star is a great spot to stop for a drink and enjoy the panoramic vistas on offer. Back in resort Pizzeria Belmonte is a great dinner option for families, with quick service, tasty pizzas and it is also very reasonably priced.
Whilst one limitation of Obergurgl is that much like the rest of Austria there is a distinct lack of chalets, with a range of high quality hotel options in excellent situations, it’s a unique and perfect resort for many. This means that the options do get booked up exceptionally quickly for peak dates, especially Easter, so we would highly recommend booking early.
