Snow Space Salzburg Ski Resort Austria
Snow Space Salzburg (a.k.a SSS) joins the ever-increasingly long list of huge Austrian interconnected ski resorts that combine super-modern lifts, multiple village bases and over 200km of piste trails. The resort is an integration of several ski areas including Flachau, Wagrain & St. Johann (Alpendorf), plus a lift interconnection with the Shuttleberg (Kleinarl-Flachauwinkl) and Zauchensee resorts. Snow-Space-Salzburg delivers a world-class destination ski resort experience less than an hour drive from the sensational city of Salzburg.
Pros & Cons for Snow Space Salzburg Ski Resort
Pros
- Can receive loads of snow in the right weather conditions.
- Long skiable vertical over 1,200m.
- Vast network of modern lifts & ski trails.
- Superb quality on-piste trails (particularly for beginner & intermediate skiers & snowboarders).
- Incredible high standard of slope grooming.
- Wide range of accommodation styles to suit all budgets in the region.
- Multiple high-quality mountain restaurants and après ski bars.
- Public transport access by train & bus is good.
- Loads of free car parking right near the ski lifts for day-trippers.
Cons
- Minimal high elevation alpine terrain (above 1,800m altitude).
- Short(ish) skiable verticals in much of the western sector toward Alpendorf.
- Relatively low elevation villages may not have natural snow for parts of winter.
- Limited advanced & off-piste terrain.
Pro or Con (depending on your perspective!)
- Like many large, interlinked ski areas, connecting lifts like the G-link cable car are tediously long, however that’s the price one pays for no walking or shuttle buses between the ski hills.
- Multi day lift passes are valid in the entire Ski amadé area but come at a hefty price if only skiing one sector!
- Accommodation can be relatively expensive & is quite popular; but affordable alternatives nearby are readily available.
Skiing & Snowboarding, Lift & Terrain
The Snow Space Salzburg skiing & snowboarding terrain sprawls across a vast area of mountains encompassing 210km of trails, over 1,400m of skiable vertical and longest run of 6km. The main ski sector of St Johann-Wagrain-Flachau includes around 125km of trails spanning a distance of 15km from one end to the other over three main peaks - Hirschkogel (1,755m), Sonntagskogel (1,850m) and Griessenkareck (1,991m). The Panorama Link cable car connects the Flachau’s Grießenkareck mountain in Snow Space Salzburg with the Shuttleberg peak in Kleinarl-Flachauwinkl, hence allowing further interconnection with Zauchensee. The Kleinarl-Flachauwinkl and Zauchensee sector adds another 85km of trails to the overall network, spanning the 3 peaks of Shuttleberg (1,980m), Gamskogel (2,188m) and Tauernkar (1,890m).
Check out the ski trail map for Snow Space Salzburg below.
The ski terrain is a paradise for beginner & intermediate skiers & boarders. The St Johann-Wagrain-Flachau sector alone boasts over 80km of intermediate trails, more than enough to keep visitors occupied for a long, long time. The longest skiable vertical drop that one can ski in one hit around 1,200m from the Grießenkareck summit all the way down into Flachau.
The ski lifts at Snow Space Salzburg are undeniably modern, fast, comfortable, and efficient. The more recent construction of linking cable cars and gondolas (G-Link & Panorama Link) has revolutionised access and connectivity between the previously disparate ski areas. The new Winkl Lift (from season 24/25), crosses the road between Flachauwinkl & Zauchensee to complete the full integration of the ski region.
Lift Passes
A standard day lift pass covers the entire Salzburger Sportwelt ski resort area from Alpendorf(St Johann)-Wagrain-Flachau-Kleinarl-Flachauwinkl-Zauchensee-Altenmarkt-Radstadt. The only area not lift interlinked is the small, family oriented Radstadt-Altenmarkt area.
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Where is Snow Space Salzburg Austria?
Snow Space Salzburg spans the mountains between the villages of St Johann im Pongau, Alpendorf, Wagrain and Flachau. Depending on where you are heading, the ski lift bases are between 70 and 80km south of Salzburg. Driving times to the ski lifts from Salzburg is around one hour.
The most useful gateway airports are Salzburg (SZG) & Innsbruck (INN) (for travellers from within Europe or the UK) or Munich (MUC) (for everyone else!).
The train station at St. Johann im Pongau provides the best public transport access to Snow Space Salzburg and can be easily reached by train from Salzburg. Trains depart Salzburg every 30min, with the journey taking between 56 & 71min depending on the service. Ski buses meet the trains & can take you directly to the lifts in Alpendorf within 10 minutes. From Innsbruck Hbf, it is possible to arrive at St-Johann-im-Pongau in well under 3hr but requires a change of train at either Wörgl or Salzburg. Alternate access to the region is via the Altenmarkt im Pongau railway station at the eastern end of the ski area. The Altenmarkt station is only 10min by taxi from Flachau village and is the best entry point if heading up to the Zauchensee village.
Search & book here for train tickets to St Johann or Altenmarkt-im-Pongau.
Anyone with an unnatural aversion to public transport and driving on winter roads may want to avail themselves of a private transfer direct to your accommodation.
Search & book here for all airport transfers to Snow Space Salzburg.
An intricate network of ski buses link all the villages and lift bases throughout the resort.
If hunting out a sneaky powder day from Salzburg, driving a rental car is easy from the city. Parking in the resort village is free and ample.
For hints, tips & warnings about getting to Austria ski resorts in winter, see our Travel in Austria page.
Snow Space Salzburg Accommodation
The accommodations available in Snow Space Salzburg are in the numerous resort base villages including (from east to west) Flachau, Wagrain, Alpendorf & St Johann-im-Pongau, plus near Kleinarl (valley south of Wagrain) and Flachauwinkl (south of Flachau). Each village (except St Johann im Pongau) has direct access to the ski lifts. However, Wagrain is central to them all, providing the most convenient location from which to explore the entire resort.
Search & book here for all Snow Space Salzburg ski accommodation in and around Wagrain.
For the most authentic Austrian Alps experience, there are a handful of excellent ski-in, ski-out lodgings located high in the mountains including the Kogelalm & Jandlalm above Wagrain. All of them have some rollicking après ski action too!
If looking to stay in the eastern sector of the resort, search & book Flachau & Flachauwinkl accommodation.
If coming by train and staying in the western sector of the resort, search & book accommodation at St Johann im Pongau or Alpendorf.
South of Wagrain, Kleinarl is in a lovely valley with no through traffic and with some stellar ski terrain above it. Search & book Kleinarl accommodation.
Whilst not technically part of the Snow Space Salzburg, Zauchensee village is part of a separate ski resort that is lift pass and soon to be ski lift integrated with SSS via the new 10-person gondola called the Winkl Link. Its accommodation and skiing options are in its own review. Suffice to say, Zauchensee is the most 'snow-sure' resort in the region (on a par with nearby Obertauern) and a fantastic base for ski-in ski-out convenience, particularly on a powder day.
Ski Equipment Rentals
Ski rentals are available throughout Snow Space Salzburg via our local partners in Flachau, Kleinarl, St Johann im Pongau/Alpendorf & Wagrain. Receive a discount when you search & book via our Snow Space Salzburg Ski & Snowboard Rental page.
Review
The Powderhounds visited Snow Space Salzburg in January 2022. We an awesome time ripping down the wide groomers at warp factor 10 on cold, chalky snow and searching out some off-piste powder. Click on the review link in the left column (or top of the page if on a mobile) to read all the reviews.
See how Snow Space Salzburg compares to the rest of the European ski resorts on the Europe ski resort ratings page.
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