Many travelers planning a winter vacation in Austria would like not to spend precious hours of their vacation on the road to the resort. It is much easier to choose the closest ski resort to Vienna and while other travelers are still traveling by train or bus to their destination, skiing down the snow-covered mountain slopes.
Winter in Austria
Winter resorts in Austria are loved by many tourists for several reasons:
- they are easy to get to via Vienna International Airport, which accepts the planes of about 70 carrier companies;
- Austrian ski resorts offer their guests impeccable service and great pistes throughout the winter;
- 70% of the territory of Austria is occupied by the Eastern Alps, which means that you can return to this country and choose new resorts for your vacation each time throughout your life.
The ski resorts near Vienna are very popular with visitors to Austria. The laziest alpine skiing enthusiasts find a skiing area without even leaving the Austrian capital.
Ski trail in Vienna
Locals joke that the closest ski resort to Vienna is right in Vienna. It's called High Hills, which translates to High Slopes. From the center of Vienna to this resort there is public transport (metro and buses), you can get to it in just half an hour. There are several comfortable hotels at the foot of the ski slope. The skiing area was occupied by the Viennese themselves, who come here on weekends. Local tracks are not very diverse. They are ideal for beginner skiers.
The High Hills ski area has been around for over a century. It was one of the first Austrian resorts, the tracks of which began to be highlighted in the dark. The local slope, 400 meters long, is quite well-groomed. Snow cannons are installed on it, which provide snow lovers with snow even during the thaw.
The closest ski resort to Vienna is Semmering
The High Hills resort, where there are many toddlers already confidently skiing and retirees, is also chosen by those who do not want to devote their entire vacation to skiing. They spend a day or two on the local slope, and the rest of the time they walk in Vienna.
More patient tourists, who can spend a few hours driving from Vienna to the mountains, go to one of the oldest resorts in Austria - Semmering, which is just an hour's drive from the Austrian capital. It is considered the closest ski resort to Vienna.
Semmering at the end of the 19th century was a favorite vacation spot for the Austrian elite. After the construction of the railway in 1854, not only nobles who owned local luxurious villas, but also ordinary citizens, including people of creative professions, began to spend several weeks here in winter and summer. At the beginning of the 20th century, numerous hotels began to be built in Semmering, where mainly ski lovers settled.
The Semmering resort offers its guests day and night ski trails with a vertical drop of 400 meters. To the beginning of the descent, you can climb on three lifts. The resort has areas for snowboarding and cross-country skiing. There is also a 3 km toboggan run.
Semmering, which is home to only 6 hundred people, can be visited in the summer. In its surroundings there are bicycle paths and numerous walking paths that will allow you to spend your time and visit the most picturesque places around this resort.
