Resort 580m | Top Lift 2502m | Lifts 49
One of the best kept secrets in the Zillertal Valley and well beyond, the Zillertal Arena offers superb relatively high altitude skiing between 4 very diverse ski holiday resorts. The fact that it is little known outside of the Austria, German and Dutch markets makes it a place where bragging rights of discovery still exist. The four ski holiday resorts of Zell am Ziller, Gerlos, Konigsleiten and Hochkrimml are all lift and ski piste linked and the high altitude link between Zell am Ziller and Gerlos is one of the best in the entire region. Zell am Ziller is a regional town with its own brewery and has an authentic feel to it. Gerlos is at the heart of the Zillertal Arena and has great skiing on either side as well as excellent apres ski. Konigsleiten is a ski-in, ski-out ski holiday resort located at some 1600m, whilst at the eastern end of the Zillertal Arena, Hochkrimml is a ski-in, ski-out resort that is ideal for beginners and family skiers.
[ppmaccordion] [ppmtoggle title=”Gerlos”]Resort 1250m | Top Lift 2502m | Lifts 49
Located in the heart of the Zillertal Arena, Gerlos offers excellent intermediate skiing both west and east of the resort. The skiing in Gerlos centres around the Arena Centre lift complex and is perfect for lower intermediates in this area. There is also a beginners ski area with lifts located at resort level in Gerlos. Heading in the westerly direction above the resort the superb link into the Zell am Ziller meanders across a high altitude valley some 2500m high. From there the skiing drops down into Zell am Ziller with great views of the Zillertal Valley and skiing that is ideal for good intermediates. In the easterly direction out of Gerlos the ski area above Konigsleiten is reached which has some great off-piste skiing as well as ski pistes that runs through the heart of the ski-in, ski-out resort and beyond over to Hochkrimml. The Zillertal Arena ski region is one of the that is in fact far larger in reality than it appears on the piste map and for those looking to cover serious distances then the Zillertal Arena is better than almost all other in the region for this.
[/ppmtoggle] [ppmtoggle title=”Zell am Ziller”]Resort 580m | Top Lift 2502m | Lifts 49
Zell am Ziller is the furthest ski holiday west of the ski holiday resorts in the Zillertal Arena ski region. It is the only resort (of those in the Zillertal Arena ski region) in the main Zillertal Valley, the others being located down a side valley of the main Zillertal Valley. Zell am Ziller is linked from the valley by twin gondolas located on the edge of the resort / town and the ski area in Zell am Ziller offers some of the steeper intermediate skiing in the Zillertal Arena region. Zell am Ziller also boasts the highest point in the ski region at over 2500m on its border with the Gerlos ski area. For intermediates looking to cover big distances then the ski from Zell am Ziller, through Gerlos and Konigsleiten into Hochkrimml and back is one of the very best in the region and the distances are genuinely large.
[/ppmtoggle] [ppmtoggle title=”Konigsleiten”]Resort 1600m | Top Lift 2502m | Lifts 49
Konigsleiten is something of a rarity in Austria – a purpose-built ski-in, ski-out ski holiday resort high up on the mountain at 1600m. Fortunately for everyone the architects weren’t French and the resort is all low-rise and charming with ski pistes winding through the resort and beyond to the lower beginners ski area and the piste that links into the Hochkrimml section of the Zillertal Arena. Konigsleiten is probably the most convenient ski holiday resort in the Zillertal Arena and offers more resort facilities than the other ski-in, ski-out resort of Hochkrimml. Above the resort the Konigsleiten offers some great intermediate terrain whilst on the side leading into the Gerlos ski area there are some huge off-piste areas on offer – these should be tackled with a guide. There is also some off-piste (but really on-piste) terrain located beneath the Falschbachbahn that offers easy access to those who are new to the world of off-piste skiing and snowboarding. Intermediates should make the journey over to Zell am Ziller through the Gerlos ski area for a great ski safari.
[/ppmtoggle] [ppmtoggle title=”Hochkrimml”]Resort 1680m | Top Lift 2502m | Lifts 49
The highest ski holiday resort in the Zillertal Arena, Hochkrimml is located at the furthest point east in the ski region. It offers a range of ski-in, ski-out accommodation and has views across the local reservoir and onto the ski holiday resorts of Gerlos and just across the valley, Konigsleiten. Hochkrimml is the resort in the Zillertal Arena best suited to beginner skier and the ski area is also popular with family skiers. Ideally for progressing skiers then Hochkrimml links by lift and ski piste into some pretty gentle skiing on the Konigsleiten side of the valley. For intermediate skier and snowboarders staying in Hochkrimml then there are huge distances to cover when heading west over eventually to Zell am Ziller in the Zillertal Valley. For better skiers and snowboarders then the off-piste between Konigsleiten and Gerlos is somewhere that should be looked at.
[/ppmtoggle] [/ppmaccordion]