See Ski Resort Austria
When you see what there is to ski in See, you will see that See ski resort in Austria is a place to be seen on a powder day. When one can ride endless untracked powder on and off-piste for the first few hours of the day with almost no one else on the hill in the second week of February, you know it is ‘paradise found’! The Paznaun valley’s See provided us exactly that.
See ski resort is one of four in the incredible Paznaun valley of the Tirol in the Austria Alps. Along with the popular Ischgl, plus the lower profile but still fabulous Galtür & Kappl, the Paznauntal ski areas offer a serious amount of lifts, skiable vertical & on/off-piste terrain under a single lift pass.
Of interest, and deserving of explanation, is that See translated into English means lake, but upon visiting, one can’t help but to notice that there isn't one! The story goes that when See was established there was a natural lake in the valley just below the current town's location. Apparently in the year 1433, a massive landslide filled the valley, destroying the lake for good. Hanging on to the name for nearly 600 years since is a testament to the locals, we are just not sure what kind of testament!
Pros & Cons for See Ski Resort
Pros
- Outstanding ‘small’ Austrian ski resort that skis as got as the best of them.
- Huge skiable vertical of 1,570m.
- Cold, snow-laden north-aspect terrain with something for everyone.
- No lift lines.
- Endless fresh tracks on a mid-week powder day (as long as the sun is not out - it has human attracting properties!).
- Good range of piste trails for all levels (but less for advanced on piste).
- Expansive, and easy access backcountry terrain.
- Friendly & helpful mountain staff.
- Plethora of well-priced ski-in ski-out & other accommodation in the village & surrounding hamlets.
- Great value local lift pass price with cheap half-day options.
- Fantastic, long rodelbahn (toboggan) trail that can be done easily with a ski lift pass.
- Straight forward public transport access by train & bus plus ample free car parking for day trippers right near the gondola.
- A good spot to catch the free ski bus to Kappl, Ischgl or Galtür for the day & actually get a seat (unlike further up the valley)!
- A new gondola (Furglerblick) for season 22/23, increases the resort’s highest lifted point to 2,570m & adds new terrain.
Cons
- Lifts are getting on in age … except for the Versing gondola. (A quibble!)
- The access gondola (being of an older variety) requires fat skis to be brought inside the small cabin. (Another quibble!)
- Small to medium sized ski resort that may only hold the interest of better skiers for a few days if there is no fresh snow to slay (or if you don’t do some ski-touring).
Pro or Con (depending on your perspective!)
- Quiet après ski compared to up the road at Ischgl, but the Sky Bar is fascinating!
- Not the most charming village in Austria (but far from the least) & has lots of through-traffic heading up to Ischgl. (Plenty of charming small hamlets with accommodation on the valley sides though i.e. like Habigen.)
Skiing & Snowboarding, Lifts & Terrain
The See skiing & snowboarding terrain statistics speak for themselves. A skiable vertical of 1,570m, 43km of trails & a 9km longest run that goes the full skiable vertical from top to bottom, mean it is no lightweight & definitely worth a look. We looked very closely and, despite it being a white-out & blizzard, didn’t need to try too hard to find awesome terrain on our first day in the resort. The slopes are uncrowded, and the skiing can be as difficult or easy as you want it to be. All piste trails are generally intermediate in nature but are wide enough (and deserted enough) to be accessible to progressing beginners as well.
View the ski trail map for See, below.
For powder seekers, whilst a storm is raging, the mid-mountain sector around See's two chairlift provides loads of fun terrain including trees. Steep chutes are available right below the 'Sky Bar' at the top of the Zeinis chairlift. As the weather clears the Adrenalin ski route has some nice pitch & powder and then there are short pitch, low angle, off-piste routes & options in the wide alpine valley served by the Versing gondola. Massive freeride terrain extends off the ridge above the Rossmoos top station (accessible by a new gondola from season 22/23). Fall line off-piste descents into the Istalanztal of 900m vertical will be possible off the new gondola. Ski-touring further up the ridge can extend that vertical to well over 1,000m and even provide the amusing prospect of dropping down into Serfaus Fiss Ladis ski resort over in the next valley. Descents into the Istalanztal finish at See’s main valley trail, allowing for an easy return to the village.
The ski lifts at See are efficient and well placed to cover the expansive terrain with only two gondolas and two chairs. Two beginner areas provide the learning zones with their own dedicated surface tows. Both are easily accessible via the base gondola and mid-mountain facilities. The new Furglerblick gondola, serving 500m of previously un-lifted terrain on the flanks of 2,892m high Blankerkopf, will improve an already funtastic (sic) ski area, exponentially increasing lift-accessed off-piste freeride terrain plus also providing a new highest lifted point & ridgetop beginner trail. Over time one would expect further on-piste trails to be added to the area as well.
Ski Passes
The ski resorts of the Paznaun valley, including See, each have a cost-effective 'local' area ski pass as well as access to the broader Silvretta Pass. The ‘local’ day passes have a morning option with a hefty refund when you finish before 12.30am. The Silvretta Pass is more expensive but includes unfettered access to all the combined ski lifts & trails of See, Galtuer, Ischgl-Samnaun & Kappl resorts. Free local ski buses link the resorts together seamlessly.
View the Paznauntal's Silvretta Pass resort map below.
Where is See Austria?
See is in the Paznaun valley of south-west Tirol, Austria. Around 88km by road from Innsbruck, the nearest major centre is Landeck-Zams, 13km north of the village. See-im-Paznaun is well served from all airports by train & bus via the train station at Landeck-Zams.
Closest major gateway airports are Innsbruck (INN), Munich (MUC) & Zurich (ZRH). For safe post COVID-19 travel, search & book all airport transfers to See.
Landeck-Zams train station is on the main line between Switzerland & Innsbruck. The route 260 bus is free for skiers from Landeck all the way up the Paznaun valley to See. Other free ski-buses run up & down the valley linking all the villages & smaller ski resorts. It is easy to do day trips to See from Landeck by free ski bus. Search & book train tickets to Landeck-Zams. Buy bus tickets from the driver at Landeck-Zams, or if in ski attire, travel for free.
If in a rental car, the journey is straight forward to Landeck-Zams from Innsbruck and then an exit into the Paznauntal. The village of See straddles the main road through the valley. For day-trippers, the free car park is right under the gondola and next to the valley return ski trail allowing for 'ski-in parking'!
Once in the valley, travel between ski resorts is straight forward via the local bus network, which is free for skiers & snowboarders. By from See (and vice versa), Kappl is 15min, Ischgl is around 30min, and Galtuer is about 50min journey time.
See Accommodation
The Paznaun valley has a vast number of accommodation options throughout. Of all the major towns & villages, See (or See-im-Paznaun to be precise) is one of the most affordable & has superb availability, but still provides stellar lodgings within proximity to the access gondola & valley trail. All the requisite services are within walking distance. Transport to the other Paznaun ski resorts is easy via free local ski buses that run up & down the valley, or even easier if you have a rental car. Away from the main village, there are loads of stellar apartments for holiday rental in nearby hamlets like Habigen.
Search & book all See im Paznaun ski accommodation.
For a proper on-mountain lodging experience, the Ascherhütte, located at 2,256m near the Versing gondola provides the best kind of ambiance, food and après ski fun that one could ask for. Well away from civilisation once the lifts close, a night or two here is a wonderful tonic if feeling the weight of the world on one's shoulders. If you don't stay a night, make sure to drop by for a morning strudel, lunch or drink!
Ski Rentals, Lessons & Guiding
Our local partners have a convenient equipment rental location in the centre of See, just near the gondola valley station. Receive a discount when you search & book via this See im Paznaun Ski & Snowboard Rental link.
A mind-boggling array of ski instructors, ski schools & mountain guides ply their trade in the Paznaun valley & its numerous resorts, including See. To narrow down the field, search & book a private/group lesson or mountain guide with the best providers via our Paznaun Valley Ski Lessons & Guiding page.
Other Activities
When visiting See ski resort it would be churlish in the extreme not to sample the excellent toboggan slope (Rodelbahn) that descends for around 8km from the top of the gondola (Medrig Centre) down to the village right near the gondola base and car park. Worth knowing is the sleds can be hired for a few euro from the rental shop opposite the Panorama Restaurant in Medrig Centre at the top of the gondola. You cannot hire them whilst wearing ski boots! Our suggestion is to finish the day an hour or so early and ski down to the car park (or your accommodation) to change out of your ski boots. head back up the gondola as a passenger (using your day pass), hire a toboggan, descend once or more often if inclined. When finished a final ascent in the gondola is needed to return the sleds to the shop. Have a few drinks on the deck of the Panorama Restaurant & descend on the gondola before it closes for the day. The 8km descent on the sleds is quite tiring for first timers and super-fast for experienced rodelbahn operators. There is one short section above town that involves a short walk to the final descent to the village.
New for season 22/23, from mid-mountain is a winter walking track & uphill ski-touring route providing a different way to get up to the Ascherhütte and the (also new) Furglerblick gondola.
Nearby Ski Resorts
The 3 other Paznaun valley ski resorts of Ischgl, Kappl & Galtür, provide an outstanding range of skiing diversity. All are easy to visit and are a must when in the Paznaun. And of course, Ischgl is interlinked with Samnaun in Switzerland ensuring a little cross-border international fun. Another sneaky little resort is on the way to the Paznaun, the secret stash of Venet above Landeck-Zams. it is a beauty on a powder day or for a quick leg stretch. If coming via Innsbruck, the local resorts are sensational and diverse.
Review
The Powderhounds had some of our best ski days ever at See when we visited in the second week of February 2022. Click on the review link in the left column (or top of the page if on a mobile) to read all the reviews.
See how See compares to all the other European ski resorts on the Europe ski resort ratings page.
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