Innsbruck and Tirol Austria are gearing up for a wondrous winter season ahead complete with new ski areas, holiday happenings at Swarovski Crystal Worlds, and festive Christmas markets. Ski offerings include the Longest Tri-Cable Gondola in the Alps and Austria’s Largest Inter-Linked Ski Area, while the Innsbruck Christmas Markets offer a number of features unique to the city enticing visitors with delicious punch and local specialties. Here’s our roundup of the best Christmas markets and ski areas in the Austrian Alps.
Christmas Markets in Innsbruck
Experience the traditional, romantic and festive Christmas atmosphere of Innsbruck’s old town. The colorful Christmas market stalls are nestled between attractive medieval buildings and the Golden Roof.
Hav Innsbruck – Urban, Alpine, and Imperial
Alpine, urban, and imperial are at the core of the vibrant city of Innsbruck. The magnificent Nordkette mountains crown the city’s old town full of rich imperial history. It is this unique unity of characteristics that allowed the city to garner Luxury Travel Guide USA’s award for the 2016 Best European Winter Sport Destination.
Skiing takes New Heights at Olympia Ski World
Visitors can expect to enjoy the best views of Innsbruck from the Nordkette Mountains, one of the ski areas of Olympia Ski World Innsbruck. This world-renowned ski destination includes nine ski and snowboard region around Innsbruck and 185 miles of slopes along with everything from a family-friendly resort to the highest and most challenging runs.
Magic Winter Moments at Swarovski Crystal Worlds
Swarovski Crystal Worlds welcomes winter with an array of programs to get visitors into the holiday spirit. This year’s festivities will include a “Winter Wonderland” light installation, transforming the garden of the Giant into glistening landscape from November to January.
Stubai introduces the Longest Tri-Cable Gondola in the Alps
One out of five glacier ski resorts in Tirol can be found in the Stubai Valley, home to the largest glacier ski area in Austria, Stubai Glacier. Visitors will now have easy access to the glacier ski resort this ski season with the new 3S Eisgat cable car lift that opened on October 22. The advanced tri-cable car gondola is the longest of its type to be built in the Alps.
St. Anton am Arlberg joins Austria’s Largest Inter-Linked Ski Area
This December, St. Anton am Arlberg will become Austria’s largest inter-connected ski area with three new cable car systems to connect all ski resorts on the Arlberg. The ski area will soon house a total of more than 217 miles of market runs and 87 lifts and cable car systems. Visitors can also escape the regular marked slopes and enjoy 125 miles of backcountry terrain.
Sölden introduces new Giggijoch Mountain Gondola
Sölden was a star on the big screen last autumn as a filming location for the James Bond film SPECTRE and the resort’s popularity has since continued to grow. This winter, Sölden embraces its influx of visitors with the introduction of the new mono-rope Giggijoch Mountain Gondola. This powerful and sophisticated new gondola will transport up to 4,500 people per hour; the highest capacity of any lift in the world.
