Travel Eye on Ischgl (Austria)

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Overview:

Ischgl, set in the beautiful Paznau Valley, offers some of the best skiing that Austria has. It also provides a link into Switzerland at Samnaun for tax free shopping (take your passport). It is a lovely Tyrolean village that has high altitude and good snow, an excellent lift system and great higher intermediate skiing and boarding. There are 200km of runs, with a bus link to Galtur for a further 65km.

Beginners will have to take a lift up and back to Idalp to access the easier slopes and these can get very busy during the day. Experts also have a few problems with limited challenging stuff, although there is some great powder when the snow is good.

Also, while there are two runs back to town, they are both tough reds and do get very cut up in the afternoon. Boarders have been welcomed at Ischgl for over ten years and the terrain is great for them. There is also a big half-pipe and a highly-rated specialist park.

New lifts have markedly reduced lift queues to the slopes, while the village has a largely traffic-free centre. It is an attractive place, although expensive, with a good selection of accommodation, hotels and very lively après-ski, favoured by Germans and Scandinavians. There is a reasonable range of non-skiing opportunities including shopping (see Samnaun).

The ski-school, with over 100 instructors, meets at Idalp at 7,617 ft; courses are offered in downhill, touring, cross-country and snowboarding. A ski-kindergarten caters for children from 3 yrs, with an alternative for toddlers and babies.

This area is very cosmopolitan, attracting dedicated middle- to upmarket skiers from all over Europe; its comparative remoteness and high altitude attract experienced skiers. There are many less expensive options elsewhere better suited to beginners.

Overall, Ischgl is one of the best of the Austrian resorts, particularly for better intermediates and boarders. It's expensive, but an ace choice if you want to sample an Austrian holiday at its finest.

Locality:

Ischgl is in western Austria, in the south west corner of the Tyrol region, near both the Swiss and Italian borders. (it is 20 mls SW of Landeck. 70 mls SW of Innsbruck and its airport. 147 mls SW of Munich (Germany) and its airport. 165 mls SE of Zurich (Switzerland) and its airport). It is nestled high up in the Paznaun Valley on the Silvretta Pass road (closed in winter), on the south bank of the Trisanna River; flanked by the Silvretta Mountains to the S and the Verwall Mountains to the north.

Entertainment/Facilities/Attractions/Things to do:

There is a basic selection of shops, but more than enough for the average visitor. There are a few elegant boutiques, various sports retailers selling and renting a variety of ski-equipment; a couple of small supermarkets; souvenir shops; and a number of banks. Neighbouring Landeck has a more extensive choice, or there is the duty-free area of Samnaun in Switzerland, accessible on skis.

During the daytime activities include cross-country skiin, the floodlit 4½-ml toboggan run, winter hiking, ice-skating, curling and horse-drawn sleigh rides. Silvretta centre has an adventure swimming pool, sauna, solarium, steam bath, bowling alley and billiards. In the summer there is tennis, an outdoor pool, a range of sports activities at the Fun Sport City centre and mountain biking and hiking.

The nightlife offers numerous cafes, bars, discos and, at a price, sophisticated international floorshows make apres-ski really swing!

You will find traditional and international cuisine to suit all tastes and pockets, ranging from cafes, pizzerias and restaurants in the village to mountain huts and ice bars on the slopes.