Vorarlberg Ski Resorts Austria

Vorarlberg in western Austria is one of the snowiest regions in Europe & has a wonderful combination of world-class powder ski resorts with all the luxury one could desire & including Lech, Zürs, Silvretta Montafon, Warth Schröcken, & Damüls-Mellau to name a few. What it also has is a host of smaller 'secret stash' resorts for the more adventurous, where there are fewer international visitors & powder hunters pillaging them. Some are amongst our favourites in Europe including Diedamskopf & Gargellen; and then there is Sonnenkopf-Klösterle plus a few others .... aaaah Vorarlberg!

Skiing & Snowboarding in Vorarlberg

Vorarlberg may not come immediately to mind when thinking of skiing & snowboarding in Austria, particularly when compared to the popular Tirol state. However perusing the list of ski resorts below will highlight the many well-known resorts, plus (just like in Tirol!) the gorgeous gems hidden amongst them. The list is more or less from largest to smallest, NOT from best to worst, as each has its merits! Ski resorts with a highest lifted point of less than 1,500m are not mentioned. Note also that a large chunk of Austria's largest interconnected ski area, the fabulous Ski Arlberg region, is in Vorarlberg (including the Stuben sector of St Anton!), hence Lech, Zurs & Warth Schröcken are listed first in the list. Another popular Vorarlberg ski region, Kleinwalsertal, is listed as its individual ski areas.

• Lech is where the rich & famous go to play in the snow & the rest of us go to watch them and laugh at them whilst we score all the powder! Lech is part of the fabulous Ski Arlberg ski region in one of the snowiest parts of Austria. Expect some fabulous skiing at Lech.
• Zurs has an intimate village high up a mountain pass in the Arlberg region. Zuers is lift interlinked with Lech, Stuben & St Anton but is far enough away from them to provide the best skiing on powder day mornings.
• Warth Schröcken is in one of the snowiest places in Europe. Warth Schröcken is lift & ticket interlinked with the fabulous Ski Arlberg skiing area which includes nearby Lech, Zurs & St Anton.
• Silvretta Montafon is an extensive area of over 140km of trails across two mountains, with a deserved reputation for great snow & amazing freeride terrain on powder days. Long summit to valley piste trails, modern lifts & loads of activities ensure it has appeal for all snow enthusiasts. Numerous villages provide all manner of lodging options in classically Austrian Alps style, plus the region is accessible by train - even better!
• Damüls Mellau. Damüls is alleged to be one of the world's snowiest villages, so how bad can the skiing be? We found it to be pretty good on a powder day, but its snow surety & terrain make it perfect family friendly ski area too.
• Brandnertal is a traditional ski resort above the city of Bludenz at the start of the Montafon valley. It shares a multi-day lift pass with its neighbouring ski resorts of Golm & Silvretta Montafon.
• Diedamskopf is a sneaky powder stash above the authentic town of Schoppernau. Wedged between Damuls & Warth Schröcken ski resorts, Diedamskopf provides plenty of powder on its 1,200m skiable vertical.
• Kanzelwand-Fellhorn is an Austro-German ski area straddling the border near Oberstdorf. The German Fellhorn side of the ski area is more expansive and both are very popular and can get hectically busy.
• Heuberg-Walmendingerhorn
• Sonnenkopf-Klösterle. A sneaky addition to the Ski Arlberg lift pass region, Sonnenkopf is above the village of Klösterle and has 1,300m of skiable vertical on cold, north-aspect slopes. The valley station is conveniently located just off the motorway.
• Golm is a family friendly ski mountain that has few international visitors & could be worth a look on a quiet powder day. Accessible by train, which is awesome!
• Gargellen is known as the 'Smugglers Village'. It is nestled in a high alpine valley below the peak of Madrisa and is known for its easy-going pistes & fabulous steep freeride terrain. Ski tours to Klosters in Switzerland & skiing Silvretta Montafon are a must when visiting the region.
• Laterns is not far from Feldkirch and relatively unknown to international visitors. Its 700m+ of skiable vertical look like it could be alot of fun on a cold powder day.
• Ifen is regarded by many as the best of the Kleinwalsertal ski areas. Its modern lifts and long descents are complimented with what is often the deepest upper mountain snowpack in Austria.
• Hochhäderich is a lesser-known ski area that straddles the German border east of Bregenz, with reasonable lifts, a magnificent ski-in ski-out hotel at its base, loads of snow in the right storms, and its slopes can be very quiet during the week.
• Sonntag-Stein a tiny, relaxed traditional ski area that can only be reached by cable from the opposite side of the valley. Cheap lift pass can be included with Damuls-Mellau-Faschina.
• Faschina has a compact village on a high pass near Damuls, with a strange ski area combining easy groomers & some gnarly off-piste ski routes.

Vorarlberg Cities

The major cities in Vorarlberg are all in close proximity to the Swiss border and include the following:

• Bregenz (the state capital) on the shores of Lake Constance. Bregenz is pleasant but aside from its train station, unlikely to be visited by too many chasing snow. It is however the 'gateway' for access to some of Vorarlberg's lesser-known ski areas throughout Bregenzerwald like Alpenarena Hochhäderich. From nearby Hittisau, one can drive to the disconnected part of Vorarlberg during winter, Kleinwalsertal, via a fascinating road through the Bolgenach river valley into Germany and onward to Oberstdorf over Riedberg Pass.
• At the southern end of the state, Bludenz holds much interest as the entry point to the Montafon-Brandnertal region which is laced with several great ski resorts.
• In between, the larger city of Dornbirn is often utilised as a transit stop for trains & buses between Austria & Switzerland, but also importantly for travel toward the harder to get to Damüls-Mellau, Diedamskopf & Warth-Schroecken ski resorts.
• Finally, Feldkirch, hard up on the border with Liechtenstein (& Switzerland!). A lovely city which amongst its many attributes includes a wonderful 12th century castle (Schattenburg) with a fabulous traditional restaurant serving delicious Austrian fare in surrounds that transport one back to the days when sharp swords were the dominant spice! Feldkirch has often been a transit point for the Powderhounds as we travel between Germany, Austria & the Swiss Graubünden region. It is possible to day trips by train from Feldkirch to resorts such as Golm & Silvretta Montafon (we have done it!).

Reviews & More Info

The Powderhounds have skied multiple ski resorts in Vorarlberg and will always ski this region. Click on the various ski resort links via this overview or our website menu to see all the reviews.

See how the Austrian ski resorts compare 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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