Why St. Anton
St. Anton is where modern skiing grew up. In 1921 Hannes Schneider founded the Arlberg ski school here and taught the world how to ski in parallel. A century later, the village still attracts people who take their skiing seriously: steep pistes, huge off-piste terrain and long days that end with dancing on the tables before the last run home.
It is not the place for a gentle first week on skis. It is, however, one of the most exciting ski resorts in the world for confident skiers, and a brilliant base for exploring the whole of Ski Arlberg.
The ski area in numbers
St. Anton is part of Ski Arlberg, Austria’s largest connected ski area, which links St. Anton, St. Christoph and Stuben in Tyrol with Lech, Oberlech, Zürs, Warth and Schröcken in Vorarlberg.
| Pistes | 302 km: 130 km easy, 122 km intermediate, 50 km difficult |
| Ski routes | another 200 km of marked, unprepared ski routes |
| Lifts | 85 across Ski Arlberg, 38 of them around St. Anton, St. Christoph and Stuben |
| Altitude | 1,304 m (St. Anton village) to 2,811 m (Valluga) |
| Snowmaking | around 73 % of the pistes |
| Signature loop | “Run of Fame”, 85 km across the whole of Ski Arlberg |
The skiing
St. Anton’s ski area spreads across four sectors: Gampen/Kapall above the village, Galzig/Valluga, the Rendl on the other side of the valley and St. Christoph/Stuben towards the Arlberg pass.
- Experts are in their element. The Valluga at 2,811 m is the gateway to legendary off-piste descents; some routes may only be skied with a certified mountain guide.
- Freeriders can use the 200 km of ski routes: marked, avalanche-controlled but never groomed. Real mountain skiing without the full commitment of off-piste.
- Intermediates will love the long reds on Gampen and Kapall and the sunny slopes of the Rendl, which also has a permanent race course and the Stanton Park for snowboarders.
- Beginners are better off in Lech or on the Nasserein area, but St. Anton’s ski schools are among the best in the world.
Lee’s insider tip Take the Flexenbahn over to Zürs and Lech for a day. The cable car, opened in 2016, finally closed the gap between Tyrol and Vorarlberg, and suddenly the whole Ski Arlberg is yours. Start early, have lunch in Lech and catch the lifts back before 3 pm.
Where to eat on the mountain
- Verwallstube (Galzig): one of the highest gourmet restaurants in Europe, right at the top station of the Galzigbahn. Once a week there’s a candlelit dinner with live piano.
- Sennhütte (Galzig, on the valley run): sunny terrace, live music and a famous Kaiserschmarrn.
- Arlberg Thaja (St. Christoph): honest mountain food: Gröstl, Spätzle and pulled pork, including vegan versions.
- Griabli (valley run): cosy, with live blues and rock’n’roll on certain evenings.
Après & nightlife
This is St. Anton’s real claim to fame. On the last run down into the village, the huts along the slope fill up from about 3 pm:
- Mooserwirt: probably the most famous après-ski bar in the Alps, right on the valley run.
- Krazy Kanguruh: a St. Anton institution on the same slope, just above the Mooserwirt.
- Griabli and Sennhütte: a little more relaxed, with live music.
- ARL ONE (formerly Heustadl): at the bottom of the valley run, run by Olympic slalom champion Mario Matt.
Ski down carefully afterwards, or take the easy option and walk the last bit. Nobody will judge you.
Snow: what to expect
We looked at seven winters of measurements (2019/20 to 2025/26) from the GeoSphere Austria station Galzig (2,079 m), right in the middle of the ski area. Average snow depth:
| Month | Average snow depth |
|---|---|
| December | 121 cm |
| January | 152 cm |
| February | 183 cm |
| March | 183 cm |
| April | 147 cm |
The snowpack on the Galzig peaks at around 2.2 m in an average winter. The Arlberg is one of the snowiest regions in the Alps, because weather systems from the west and north get caught on the pass. Down in the village (1,304 m) there is far less: on average under 40 cm in mid-winter, and usually little left by April. January to March is the sweet spot.
You can check today’s measured snow depth and the forecast in the box next to this article.
Getting there
- By train: St. Anton has its own station on the Arlberg railway with direct trains from Zurich, Innsbruck and Vienna. It is the easiest car-free ski trip in Austria.
- By plane: Innsbruck is just over an hour away, Zurich about 2.5 hours, Munich about 3 hours.
- By car: via the Arlberg road or the Arlberg tunnel.
We arrange private transfers from all airports straight to your hotel.
Good to know
- Lift pass: the Ski Arlberg pass covers all 85 lifts, from St. Anton to Warth.
- Off-piste: take a guide. The terrain is huge and avalanche conditions can change quickly.
- Toboggan run: 4.3 km from Gampen down to Nasserein, a great evening out.
Planning a week in St. Anton? A ski-in hotel close to the valley run, a mountain guide for the Valluga and a table at the Verwallstube: tell us how you want to ski and celebrate, and we’ll send you two tailor-made proposals.
Our hotel picks
Hand-picked places we'd happily stay in ourselves. Want us to take care of it? We reserve your room in your name, often with perks you won't get online, and you pay the hotel directly. Prefer to book yourself? Check live prices below.
Hotel Schwarzer Adler
A family-run institution in the village centre, a few minutes from the lifts.
Arlberg Hospiz Hotel
At the top of the Arlberg pass in St. Christoph, ski-in, ski-out and steeped in history.
Hotel Tannenhof
An intimate five-star hideaway above the village with exceptional service.
Prices are shown on Booking.com. If you book through these links, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. It never influences which hotels we recommend.
