Zillertal snow forecast

Skiing in Zillertal

The Zillertal is one of Tirol's busiest ski valleys, and a single Zillertal Superskipass covers four large ski areas along it, with more than 500 km of pistes, valley ski buses and the Hintertux Glacier. The areas are not linked to each other on skis.

Mayrhofen, near the head of the valley at about 630 m, has two mountains. The Penken is the lively one, with long red runs, a well-known terrain park and the steep Harakiri piste; the Ahorn, reached by one of Austria's largest gondolas, is gentler and suits beginners. Together they have around 150 km of slopes. The valley floor is low, so skiing back to Mayrhofen is often not possible and many people ride the lifts down.

Hintertux Glacier, at the head of the Tux valley, climbs to about 3,250 m and is skied all year round, with around 60 km of pistes. It is the area's snow insurance, though its exposed upper lifts close in strong wind and the cold at the top can be severe in midwinter.

Hochzillertal-Kaltenbach, further down the valley, rises from the valley floor at Kaltenbach to well over 2,000 m and is linked with Hochfügen; its higher, open terrain often holds good snow and it is a quieter alternative to Mayrhofen.

Outside the glacier, the main season runs from early December to mid-April, and later on the higher terrain. The Zillertal railway runs from Jenbach, on the main Inn valley line, to Mayrhofen; Innsbruck and Salzburg are the usual airports.