Travel Eye on Soll (Austria)

Write a review or view peoples experiences in Soll.	Hotels in Soll.	Flights	Car Hire/Rental

Want to contribute to the writings of this travel guide? If so, Click here

Overview:

The traditional view of Soll is of a pretty, cheaper, louder alternative to other Austrian villages, with good nightlife and inexpensive accommodation. While this is still partially true, the resort has consciously tried to up its family appeal by improving its ski school and childcare.

The Ski Welt area is one of the largest in Austria with a total of 250km of pistes. However, its component parts make the territory rather similar, as it's basically made up of a number of smaller, lift- or bus-linked resorts. You can also access the massive 'Kitzbuheler Alpen' pass for nearly 700km of runs.

It is an informal, unsophisticated village with a history going back 1,000 years, although the first tourists didn't arrive until the 1950s. It has a pretty, pedestrianised centre and an impressive, onion-domed, 18th-century church which dominates the largely low-rise skyline. The main concentration of buildings fans back for around ½ ml from the N side of the main road which runs through the village, with most of the ski- and sports facilities located on the S side

This area is a firm favourite with British tourists. Its is very popular with the young and energetic, but it has a good family feel too. Children are well catered for within the resort. The reasonable prices within the area attract beginners, intermediates and advanced skiers have easy access to the "Ski-Welt" (Ski World) Wilder Kaiser, one of the largest connected ski-areas in Austria.

The accommodation of the resort varies from small, informal B&Bs to middle-range traditional hotels and a few newer, more sophisticated offerings, nearly all built in traditional chalet style for an authentic Alps retreat.

Eating out tends to be in the hotel restaurants, while mountain eateries are good but crowded. Soll has a poor snow record and this can really affect a holiday. The SkiWelt has invested heavily in snowmaking facilities (100km of pistes now covered), but Westendorf's altitude is low (622m), shortening the season. However, there are some decent non-skiing activities (walking, sightseeing and indoor sports).

Locality:

Soll is situated in W Austria, in the NE of the Tyrol region (67 mls SW of Salzburg. 43 mls NE of Innsbruck; 46 mls NE of its airport. 67 mls SE of Munich and its airport). Soll is located in the broad Sollandl Valley, facing NE towards the Hohe Salve Mountains and flanked by the Wilder Kaiser ("Wild Emperor") range.

Village: 2,400 ft. Highest lifts: 6,000 ft. Slopes are mostly N facing. The season runs from mid-Dec to the end of March. Over 130 mls of piste and a variety of blue, red and black runs. 18 snow cannons ensure good cover.

Entertainment/Facilities/Attractions/Things to do:

Skiing - Night skiing.

Snowboarding - Snowparks: 1, Halfpipes: 1, Boarding on all pistes:

Other Snow Sports - Cross country: 120km, Cross country equipment available, Snow shoeing, Snow shoes available, Sleigh rides:

In the daytime the main winter activities include ice-skating on the lake, curling, sleigh rides, winter walking and tobogganing. There is also a swimming pool and leisure centre offering sauna, massage, solarium and Turkish bath, squash courts and bowling.

In summer, tennis, asphalt curling, minigolf, lake bathing, fishing, horse riding, paragliding, hang-gliding are all available.

The nightlife in the area offers a large choice of informal bars for relaxing apres-ski but only a few genuine "hot spots", there are folklore evenings and fondues. Floodlit tobogganing and skiing is also present.