Located just an hour and a half from Innsbruck airport, set deep within the Tirol region of Austria, St. Anton is the jewel in the Arlberg ski area’s crown, an alpine powerhouse, this is a resort that truly packs a punch. Situated at 1,304 metres altitude, with 305 kilometres of on-piste skiing and 200 kilometres of marked itinerary off-piste runs, Austria’s largest continuous ski area is a firm favourite with Flagstone Travel. When staying in St. Anton you can ski through Stuben, Zürs, Lech and Warth-Schröcken and back around to St. Anton, all in a day’s work!
St. Anton is best suited to the slightly more accomplished skiers and snowboarders, whilst it has its own distinct nursery and beginner areas, it really comes into its own for intermediate and advanced skiers and snowboarders. They can enjoy the wide variety of runs from the sweeping Red 85 piste which runs into Blue 100 from the top of Schindler Spitze to the infamous Black 52, Kandahar, which is the choppy mogul field that challenges many a skier before the home-run back into resort. A day trip over to Sonnenkopf allows a welcome respite from what can be relatively busy runs as most won’t venture over for fear of having to jump on a bus, but the rewards are more than worth it.
Like the majority of Austria there are state run ski schools, with the two in St. Anton being Skischule Arlberg and Ski School St. Anton – but don’t worry the ski schools are absolutely excellent and the instructors are highly trained. New Generation, known as one of the best alpine ski schools there is, started their first foray into Austria in 2016 and have been going from strength to strength with a growing team of experts. For non-skiers there is the excellent Arlberg Well centre with indoor/outdoor pool and relaxation facilities and for the more active guests the ArlRock centre with rock climbing, bowling and squash is great for a snowy day.
Après ski is where St. Anton really comes into its own, offering arguably the best après ski in the world, and with something for everyone. From the pisteside interlinked bars of Krazy Kangaruh and Taps to the Mooserwirt, St. Anton’s après prowess doesn’t abate at 5pm like the French equivalents but keeps going until 8pm – just watch out you don’t miss out on dinner in your chalet – it’s all too easy to get carried away – read more here. It’s not just on the mountain that there are restaurants and bars to enjoy, the Museum restaurant is excellent for a traditional fine dining experience and Underground on the Piste offers live music, a vibrant atmosphere and good food without having to strap your skis back on at the end of the meal!
If you haven’t sampled all that St. Anton has to offer, then we would highly recommend it. If you have already tried out St. Anton, you might agree that it’s truly one of the best resorts there is and want to return for your next ski trip. Especially if you haven’t taken the slide down to the loo at the Hospiz Alm and seen the huge wine cellar – worth a trip back in itself!
