Venet Ski Resort Austria
Venet ski resort in the Tyrol of Austria is a compact & easy to get to mountain near the transport hub town of Landeck-Zams. Like many small European ski areas, Venet is hugely under-rated & fabulous on a powder day when in need of a quick fix! Steeps, trees, sidecountry & long cruisers make Venet a tasty entree before sampling the region's many main courses!
With its central location, awesome transport links, free ski buses, & affordable accommodation with availability, Landeck Zams can be the perfect base for a bargain basement ski safari of the Tirol.
Pros & Cons for Venet Ski Resort
Pros
- Long skiable vertical of 1,240m.
- Uncrowded.
- Quality on-piste trails for intermediate skiers & snowboarders.
- Surprisingly good variety of off-piste terrain including challenging steeps & trees.
- Superb local accommodation (including ski-in ski-out on the summit), with all season-long availability.
- Affordable lift pass.
- Stupendous views.
- Easy public transport access by train & bus plus ample free car parking for day trippers right near the cable car.
- Close to a feast of Austrian ski resorts, many linked by free ski bus from the centre of Landeck.
Cons
- Cable car runs on a very ‘relaxed’ timetable - be patient or get up to the chairlift base at Rifenel.
- Limited beginner & advanced on-piste terrain.
- Low elevation base areas.
- Ski lifts becoming dated.
Pro or Con (depending on your perspective!)
- Small ski area only good for a limited time.
- No high-end (5-star et al) accommodation in the area.
- Villages of Landeck & Zams are traditional & distinctly non-resort like!
Skiing & Snowboarding, Lifts & Terrain
For a smallish ski resort, Venet punches well above its weight in the terrain stakes. Everyone will note the steep north-aspect chutes, open spur-lines & larch forests under the cable car on the journey to the summit from Zams (if the cable car is in fact running!). They are as good as they look. make sure you are equipped for the exit as it will require a traverse back, skin up or valley route and a bus ride. Further up the mountain, a climb to the summit looks fun & adds another 300m+ vertical above the resort.
Check out the ski trail map for Venet below.
Away from the steeps, aside from a small novice area at the Zams base (which may no longer be running), there is little for beginners at the resort. On-piste trails are predominantly intermediate & long. The runs from the summit into Rifenal include a thigh destroying 1,240m vertical. One shouldn't be surprised how good they were, such runs are par for the course in Austria. Sheltered, tree-lined, north-aspect & served by two quad chairs, the lower slopes would be wonderful during a blizzard. The south-facing slopes from the summit to Venet Sud may get sun-baked, but there loads of off-piste potential on its 700m (ish) vertical. The ancient double chairlift that once served the terrain is now closed, seemingly for good (victim of age & climate change?). The cable car base area at Zams is a low elevation 780m & has no valley trail to it, necessitating a cable car download back down the hill at the end of the day.
Where is Venet Austria?
The Venet ski resort is perched above the major transport hub of Landeck-Zams along the Inn River valley, in the Austrian Tirol. The ski area cable car base is in Zams, less 1km northeast of the train station, and a little over 2km from the centre of Landeck village. The Rifenal chairlift base is around 5km from the Landeck village centre.
Innsbruck is only 75km to the east by road or rail. For intercontinental visitors, the airports of Zurich (ZRH) or Munich (MUC) are best. We would recommend using Zurich as the entry point to the region. Unless one has rented a car (or has their own), train is the only way to travel to Landeck-Zams. Landeck-Zams station is located on the main railway line between Zurich & Innsbruck, providing access via Intercity & Regional train services.
Search & book train tickets to Landeck Zams.
Once in Landeck (or Zams), you can easily walk the 2km from the Landeck town centre to the cable car base, or take one of the many buses that go along the route. Buses from the bus station in the centre of Landeck link directly to St Anton, Serfaus Fiss Ladis, Ischgl & with one change, Kaunertal Glacier. Check the timetables out when you arrive in town. Some buses are free for anyone in ski gear (to Venet & Ischgl) others have a small fare that often doesn't appear to be required!
Venet Accommodation
An awesome base from which to explore this entire fabulous ski region is the major town of Landeck-Zams located along the Inn valley. Actually two separate towns, the larger Landeck's position, shops, bars, restaurants, services, bus terminal & train station are perfect for a ski safari base by public transport, but even better if one has their own car.
The centre of Landeck is 2km from the valley station of the Venet cable car (which is situated near the centre of Zams). Mid-week accommodation is usually available in the centre of town just 100m from the free ski bus terminal at the ever reliable Hotel Schrofenstein. Midway between Landeck & Zams, the 4-star Hotel Enzian provides fabulous contemporary lodgings. Above Landeck in a ski-in position if the snow is good, Huber Hotel Tramserhof is the ultimate classic Tyrolean hotel stay in the area. Numerous apartments are available throughout the town as well.
Venet itself has several ski-in, ski-out & other conveniently located quality accommodations near the ski lifts in & around Zams. On the summit at the top of the cable car is the Venet Gipfelhuette. Its unsurpassed views and exclusive access to the slopes would make it a perfect powder morning starting point. Lower down the mountain at the base of the chairlift at Rifenal, the Wally Berg Apartments are a delightful self-contained option. Lower still, at the base of the cable car in Zams, Hotel Jaegerhof is a classic Tirolean 4-star treat.
On the outskirts of the towns & out into the countryside, a plethora of affordable home-stays, farm-stay apartments, guesthouses & pensions are available for those with their own transport. Near Landeck, try the simple & easy Ferienhaus Kristille if looking for comfortable rooms with shared kitchen, dining & bathrooms. Near Zams, the wonderfully peaceful Gasthof Kronburg is the place to stay to avoid the 'sins of the city'!
Search & book all Venet ski accommodation.
Nearby Ski Resorts
Venet is in the heart of the Tyrol, an amazing Austrian ski region. Glacier skiing at Kaunertal, mid-sized powder secret stashes like Nauders, Kappl, See & Galtuer, mega resorts at Serfaus Fiss Ladis, Ischgl & Ski Arlberg ..... the list goes on.
Review & More Info
The Powderhounds reviewed Venet in 2019 & were surprised by what it has to offer to skiers visiting Austria. Much has changed since our last visit with less terrain & a shortened ski season - climate change is certainly having a say in some of the lower elevation ski areas of the world. Still worth a look on its day though. Click on the review links on this page to read our thoughts & observations.
See how Venet compares to the rest of the Austrian ski resorts on the Austria ski resort ratings page, or compare to the rest of Europe on the European ski resort ratings page.
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If you have a question about skiing & snowboarding at Venet or elsewhere in Europe, CONTACT US.