Obergurgl Ski Holidays

Description

The Austrian ski resort of Obergurgl sits at the top end of the pretty Ötz Valley at an altitude of just over 1,900m — an impressive height by any standard — which ensures excellent snow coverage from December through to April. Slopes run up to 3,080m, with a series of generally swift and modern lifts whisking skiers across the valley.

Overall, Obergurgl is not suited to mile-hungry speed-skiers.

Obergurl is a peaceful resort with almost no through-traffic, minimal nightlife and excellent ski schools, which attracts families with children to its gentle terrain. Although not a particularly attractive ski resort (at least compared to places like St Anton or Ischgl) it does have a charm all of its own.

Getting There

The best way to access Obergurgl is to fly into Innsbruck, which is only a 1.5 to 2-hour transfer away. There are package holidays available in the resort which include airport transfers, and a good number of private transfer companies for independent travellers.

When to Go

Where to Stay

Obergurgl is home to a wonderful range of hotels — with reasonably-priced options to suit a broad range of budgets — and attracts many visitors back to the same chalets and hotels year on year.

Parents looking for child-friendly accommodation in Obergurgl have a wide range of options to choose from, but few beat the traditional and welcoming chalet Alpenblume.

Chalet Alpenblume takes pride of place just a 2-minute walk to the closest piste and the Festkogl gondola, for easy access to the snowy slopes above. The principal building is home to bedrooms and suites renovated in 2013, offering warm and welcoming accommodation to family-only groups. The side wing offers further accom options, with three guest apartments and wonderfully spacious family suites. Both parts of the property offer downstairs lounge area for rest and relaxation off the slopes, and easy access to the bedrooms.

Getting around

Apres

The après ski atmosphere is quite lively between the hours of 3pm and 6.30pm, but after that things quieten down wonderfully! Unlike a certain few other Austrian resorts one could mention, this is a very peaceful resort and there isn’t much noise from rowdy revellers late at night at all.

The Nederhutte is a popular venue, and there are some welcoming bars inside the resort’s traditional hotels. Josl Keller is a bustling spot for night-owls, and offers disco and two large bar areas. CU Bar serves cocktails in a welcoming pub/lounge setting, and stays open till late.

Eating out

Although not known for the diversity of its culinary offerings, Obergurgl is home to a good range of eateries, cafes and restaurants, where the food is comparatively inexpensive and reasonably varied.

Good for Couples

Salz & Pfeffer

Gurglerstrasse 90

6456

Obergurgl

+43 (0)5256 6454

Good for Family

Krumpns Stadl

Schlossweg 1

6456

Obergurgl

+43 (0) 5256 6236

Good for Friends

Nederhutte

On piste ski hut

Obergurgl - Hochgurgl ski area

Obergurgl

+43 (0) 5256 6425

Activities

Away from the slopes, there’s a decent range of activities on offer to keep non-skiers or the kids entertained — but perhaps not quite the range you’ll find in larger and busier resorts. The resort offers adventurous outdoor activities such as snowshoeing, tobogganing, ice-skating and curling.

Curling

Kressbrunnenweg 6

6456

Obergurgl

+43 (0) 5256 6340

Edelweiss & Gurgl Hotel Restaurant

Ramolweg 5

6456

Obergurgl

+43 (0) 5256 622

Ice-skating

Kressbrunnenweg 6

6456

Obergurgl

+ 43 (0)699 127 422 34

Tobogganing

Hochgurglerstraße 8

6456

Hochgurgl

+43 (0)5256 6265

Ski School

Getting around

Family ski

For skiing families in search of child-friendly slopes in Austria, Obergurgl is one of the finest resort choices you could make! Here, swift lifts, snow-sure slopes and minimal lift queues combine to offer an ideal infrastructure for families. The ski area is limited, but that’s not typically a problem for parents with little ones in tow, and there’s a wide range of learner-friendly terrain across the valley. The local ski schools have an excellent reputation, and the resort is set up with reassuringly simple access to the snowy slopes – a real boon at the start and end of the ski day.

Obergurgl is set at an altitude of 1,930 metres above sea level, and the slopes stay in great condition from November or December through to the end of April and into May – with this in mind, it’s the perfect resort option for Easter skiing when the schools break up. The nursery slopes and children’s kindergarten ski area in Obergurgl offer ideal terrain for nervous learners, and there’s plenty of gentle terrain for parents looking to push the kids onto more challenging ground – perhaps most notably the rolling blue pistes around the Gaisberg sector. Furthermore, the ski-school meeting point is well-located and easy to get to from town.

Parents visiting Obergurgl in need of childcare can turn to the chalet Alpenblume – perhaps the best property in the resort for its in-house childcare facilities. Here, parents can book their children into childcare services including snow clubs for kids ages from three to eight years old, ski lesson add-ons for youngsters ages three to twelve years old, and evening cocoa clubs for children aged from three to twelve. On top of that, there’s a baby-listening service in the evenings, and organised children’s entertainments during the day for children over the nursery age.

In Obergurgl-Hochgurgl, kids up to the age of 8 can ski with their parents at no charge, but the best terrain for learners can be found in the Bobo children's area at Wiesental, run by Ski School Obergurgl. Here, there are three magic carpets, a tow rope and a welcoming playground area, which combine to offer a haven for youngsters taking to the snow. In 2008, this area was complemented by the Bobo children's area at Pirchhütt, where there’s a further two magic carpets, a tow rope lift and a carousel.

Group Ski

Childcare

For UK families visiting with children and in search of nanny services, Obergurgl offers chalet options with flights, transfers, half-board food, accommodation plus extensive childcare options all rolled into one handy package. Most of the hotels offer a kindergarten service, too.

The Piste

The slopes are actually split into two separate areas, Obergurgl and Hochgurgl, but they are linked by a huge gondola so getting around is easy and you don’t need to use the bus if you don’t want to. The pistes cover around 110kms in total, but you can get over to Solden (20 minutes away) quite easily and ski there for a nominal surcharge.

Beginners or those going out for their first ski trip could do a lot worse than choose Obergurgl – the nursery slopes remain in good condition throughout the season and the run down from Gaisberg is perfect for learners looking for gentle terrain. Intermediates are well catered for but might get a little bored if looking to cover large distances, and advanced skiers are best sticking to off-piste sectors for a real challenge.

There are no snowparks here — for freestyle skiing, you’re better off looking into resorts like Ischgl. Obergurgl is a learner and intermediate skier’s haven, and there’s limited terrain for advanced skiers setting off in search of the steep and deep. There is a lovely long run from the top of the Wurmkogl peak down to the valley road. Vistas are very traditionally Austrian, with lovely villages and rolling mountains.