Ischgl & Samnaun: the insider guide to the Silvretta Arena

Why Ischgl and Samnaun

Ischgl has a reputation that arrives before you do: concerts on the mountain, packed après bars and a party that runs until the early hours. All of that is true. What surprises first-timers is how good the skiing is. The Silvretta Arena is one of the biggest and most snow-sure ski areas in Tyrol, and it doesn’t stop at the border. Ski over the ridge and you are in Samnaun, a quiet Swiss valley that has been a duty-free zone since 1892.

Two countries, two moods, one lift pass. That combination is what makes this place special.

The ski area in numbers

Most of the skiing lies above 2,000 metres, which is the main reason Ischgl stays reliable from late November into May. From almost any point in the ski area you are never more than a few lifts away from where you started, so even big groups find each other again for lunch.

The skiing

The Silvretta Arena is a paradise for confident intermediates. The majority of runs are red, wide and fast, and the lift system moves a lot of people without long queues on normal days.

• Beginners start on the gentle slopes around the Idalp, the hub of the ski area at 2,300 m.
• Intermediates can cruise all day between Idalp, Pardatschgrat, Palinkopf and over to the Swiss side.
• Experts head for the steep black 14a, the long valley run “Eleven” and the open freeride slopes around the Greitspitz.
• Freestylers find one of the longest snowparks in the Alps on the Idalp.

Lee’s insider tip Do the Smuggler’s Round (Schmugglerrunde) at least once: a circuit from Ischgl over to Samnaun and back, following the routes once used to bring duty-free goods across the border. Start early, have lunch on the Swiss side and be back over the ridge before the afternoon rush.

Samnaun: the Swiss side

Samnaun feels like a different world. The village sits at around 1,800 metres in a side valley of the Lower Engadine, close to the Austrian border. Thanks to its historic duty-free status, about 40 shops sell watches, spirits, perfume and sports gear without Swiss VAT. It is one of the highest shopping streets in Europe and a perfect plan for a bad-weather day.

Getting there on skis is half the fun. Since 1995, the world’s first double-decker cable car carries up to 180 people from Samnaun-Ravaisch up to the Alp Trider Sattel.

Where to eat on the mountain

There are around 15 mountain restaurants on and around the pistes. Our favourites:

• Alpenhaus (Idalp): Ischgl’s smartest address on the mountain. An elegant restaurant upstairs for a long lunch, quick self-service downstairs.
• Vider Alp (about 2,300 m): A small hut with a big following. Order the fondue, and ask about the evening toboggan nights.
• Gampenalpe: A stylish hut with a large sun terrace. Käsespätzle, Wiener Schnitzel and Kaiserschmarrn done right.
• Restaurant Alp Trida (2,262 m, Swiss side): A sunny classic at the heart of the Swiss part of the ski area.
• Restaurant Sattel: At the top of the double-decker cable car, with views across Switzerland, Austria and Italy.
• Skihaus Alp Trida: The oldest and most traditional restaurant on the Swiss side.

Dinner in Ischgl: a Michelin village

For a village of its size, Ischgl’s restaurant scene is remarkable. In the 2025 Michelin Guide, three restaurants were awarded stars:

• Stüva at the Hotel Yscla: chef Benjamin Parth, two Michelin stars
• Paznaunerstube at the Hotel Trofana Royal: chef Martin Sieberer, one Michelin star
• Schlossherrnstube at the Schlosshotel: chef Patrick Raaß, one Michelin star

These tables book up weeks ahead in peak season. Tell us your dates and we’ll reserve them as part of your trip.

Après & nightlife

This is where Ischgl earns its nickname, the “Ibiza of the Alps”. The après starts on the last runs down into the village and carries on into the clubs until late. Every season opens and closes with a “Top of the Mountain” concert on the Idalp, with headliners in recent years including Elton John, Lenny Kravitz and Kings of Leon.

Prefer it quieter? Stay in Samnaun or at the edge of Ischgl and take the free ski bus into the action only when you feel like it.

Snow: what to expect

We looked at eleven winters of measurements (2015/16 to 2025/26) from the SLF station Ravaischer Salaas (2,512 m), which sits right in the ski area above Samnaun. Average snow depth:

The snowpack usually peaks at around 1.8 m in late winter, and the station records around 7 m of fresh snow per season (modelled). Add almost complete snowmaking coverage and you get one of the most reliable ski areas in the Alps, especially from February to mid-April.

You can check today’s measured snow depth and the weather forecast in the box next to this article.

Getting there

• By train: to Landeck-Zams, then bus line 260 into the Paznaun valley. Passengers with ski equipment travel free.
• By plane: Innsbruck is the closest airport (around 100 km). Zurich and Munich are good alternatives with more flight options.
• By car: via the Arlberg route and Landeck into the Paznaun. Samnaun is reached from the Swiss side via the Lower Engadine.

We arrange private transfers from any of these airports straight to your hotel door.

Good to know

• The Silvretta Skipass also covers the neighbouring areas of Galtür, See and Kappl, great for a day away from the crowds.
• There are around 80 km of cross-country trails in the Paznaun valley.
• A 7 km toboggan run is lit up for night sledging.
• Peak weeks (Christmas, New Year, February half-term and the concert weekends) sell out early. Book ahead or let us find the gaps.

Planning a week in Ischgl or Samnaun? Party hotel in the centre, quiet chalet in Samnaun or a table at Stüva: tell us how you want to spend your days and we’ll send you two tailor-made proposals.