St Anton Ski Resort Austria
The pedigree of St Anton-am-Arlberg as a premier ski destination is difficult for other ski resorts to rival. St Anton ski resort has vast off-piste terrain plus a consistent, deep snow-pack and powder. It is particularly popular with expert skiers, but equally enjoyed by families and intermediates. How do you improve one the world's great ski resorts? Fully lift link it into one of the world's best fully integrated ski areas - Ski Arlberg.
The village of St Anton is bustling, but still cosy with a distinct Austrian charm at its heart, in contrast to the vibrant après & party atmosphere happening on the periphery near the lifts. You come for the skiing; you stay for the world-renowned nightlife!
For ease of interpretation, we have included the villages, pistes & ski lifts of St Christoph & Stuben-am-Arlberg in this St Anton review. Some will be aghast at such an insult, but most will understand the expedience!
Pros & Cons for St Anton Ski Resort
Pros
- Quality snow & deep, reliable snowpack.
- Modern & efficient lift system.
- Endless variety of on-piste trails for all abilities.
- Sensational off-piste powder, marked routes & challenging terrain.
- Vast lift-accessed backcountry terrain.
- Quality food on-mountain restaurants.
- Some of the world’s best après ski action & nightlife.
- Very good value for money lift pass considering the size & quality of the resort.
- Superb access to the resort by train from either Zurich or Innsbruck.
- Ski-in accommodation options in a village that has retained much of its tradition.
- Village is easy to get around on foot.
- Exquisite access to the ski lifts in the central village of St Anton, Nasserein, St Christoph & Stuben
Cons
- Piste trails can get extremely busy during peak periods and can suffer damage accordingly.
- Lunchtimes at most on-mountain restaurants & bars is bedlam (eat early or late).
- Accommodation can be expensive & hard to get.
- There is alot of competition on a powder day for fresh tracks (do not sleep in!).
Pro or Con (depending on your perspective!)
- Can sometimes be difficult getting into pubs for après, especially when there is live music.
- Very popular ski resort.
- Epic Pass is now conditionally valid in the resort!
Skiing & Snowboard, Lifts & Terrain
St Anton has something for everyone but is an especially good experience for advanced skiers. Even though there are relatively few black runs on-piste, the off-piste routes & freeride terrain is vast. For extreme riders, the tight chutes near the Valluga summit and other areas will scare the pants off most. In good snow conditions the off-piste skiing is generally superb but note that most of the terrain is south facing and can become sun affected if temperatures creep up above freezing.
Check out the ski trail map for St Anton & the interlinked Ski Arlberg Region below.
For intermediates there is wonderful terrain in any conditions due to superb grooming & snow-making facilities, plus a huge range of runs to choose from. The 'Run of Fame' is a great Ski Arlberg Tour for intermediates that don't mind a long tough day 'day at the office'! It involves 85km of skiing & 18,000m of vertical. Great way to see the entire region but can get busy, so start early & only do it once!
St Anton's novice and beginner runs are easy and mellow down near the village, graduating to relatively challenging up higher. The upper mountain piste trails tend to be crowded & runs can become loaded with nasty moguls requiring rapid 'up-skilling' for the unprepared. That said, the learn-to-ski & family skiing facilities located at the St Anton base area in Nasserein plus up at St Christoph are excellent.
Ski Lifts
The Sankt Anton ski resort lift system is state of the art & includes a range of new cable cars & gondolas plus various fast, comfortable chairlifts (many with hoods & heated seats). 5 major lifts extend from the centre of town to all points on the compass (3 gondolas & 2 chairs), meaning most accommodation is either ski-in, or very close to it!
Aside from some recent new gondolas replacing old chairlifts in the resort, the most significant additions to the lift system were back in 2016/17. A gob-smacking group of four new gondola systems (Flexenbahn et. al.) were installed, opening new terrain & fully linking St Anton with the other Ski Arlberg resorts of Zurs, Lech & Warth Schroecken. The ski resorts of Zürs, Lech, Warth Schroecken& Zug are all covered by the same lift ticket as St Anton, the Ski Arlberg Pass. The Ski Arlberg trail map highlights the massive terrain with a total of 87 lifts & over 305km of interconnected piste trails - not to mention the endless off-piste & freeride areas. For international guests, the Vail Resort's Epic Pass is now valid for use on the lifts with strict conditions.
Great ski resorts like St Anton are inevitably popular & even with the modern, super-efficient lifting system there are still lift queues. Fortunately, in a n effort to ease congestion, the lift infrastructure is continually being updated. The latest lift to be replaced in winter 23/24 is the old Albonabahn I double chairlift which was built in Stuben am Arlberg in 1983. Its replacement is an 8-seater gondola, which certainly future-proofs one of the better, quiet zones in the resort. When in St Anton you will have to suppress your memories of polite Japanese & Canadian lift queues & assert yourself (possibly with the use of your elbows) whilst trying to line up on a busy day! Or avoid any queues & stay in Zürs!
Snow & Weather
St Anton is in the heart of one of the snowiest places in Europe. With nearby Warth Schroecken getting a reputed 11m of snow per year. St Anton itself gets a very healthy average of 7m of snow per year, guaranteeing powder days. Whilst much of the terrain is south-facing (i.e. sunny), elevation & cold temperatures will tend to keep the snow in good condition for most of winter. North-facing terrain in Stuben & on Rendl has the best snow quality (& the fewest people!).
For more information on lifts, terrain, passes & snow, see our St Anton Skiing & Snowboarding page.
Where is St Anton, Austria?
St Anton is located on the far western border of the Tyrol in the Arlberg region of Austria, close to the great ski-city of Innsbruck. Otherwise known as Sankt-Anton-am-Arlberg, the town is blessed with its own train station for a wonderful ease of access from all over Europe. It is perfectly located 100km west of Innsbruck (70min by train or car) and 194km east of Zurich (2⅓hr by train or car). The gateway airports are Innsbruck (INN), Zurich (ZRH) & Munich (MUC).
St Anton ski resort has been interlinked with the adjacent resorts of St Christoph & Stuben for so long that for the purposes of this overview we are including them all as the one 'resort'.
The train is the recommended mode of transport to St Anton. Once in town, numerous local buses (cheap) or taxis (costly!) will get you where you need to be. The main village & lifts are a short across the river from the station. Search timetables & book train tickets to St Anton.
For some visitors, public transport may not appeal. A private airport transfer, particularly if in a group of 3 or more people is the best alternative. Search & book all private transfers to St Anton.
For more information on the best ways to get there, see our Travel to St Anton page.
St Anton Accommodation
The town of Sankt-Anton-am-Arlberg & the surrounding villages have a massive range of accommodation to choose from. And unlike many ski resort villages, it has worked hard to avoid the development excesses so prevalent in some ski areas (i.e. many French Alps resorts). Excellent hotels, chalets, pensions & apartments for all tastes & budgets abound, many of which have ski-in convenience. St Anton has 2 main centres for direct ski lift access. The central village near the station being one & the Nasserein area the second. Both are within walking distance of each other.
Search & book all St Anton ski accommodation.
The two villages of St Christoph & Stuben have traditionally been associated with St Anton. Both provide quieter options to the excitement at St Anton. St Christoph accommodation is in a sunny location with its own beginner area & chairlift access to the main ski slopes. The Stuben hotels & pensions are deep in shadow for much of the day in winter, but prices tend to be cheaper & access is awesome to near-deserted slopes above the village, particularly now with a new gondola installed in the heart of the village.
For detailed info & recommendations on the best accommodation, see our Where to Stay at St Anton page.
Ski Rentals, Guiding & Lessons
Ski rentals are available in prime locations near the ski lift base areas in the central village & Nasserein. Receive a discount when you search & book via our St Anton Ski & Snowboard Rental page.
A confusing amount of ski instructors, ski schools & mountain guides ply their trade in the St Anton ski resort & adjoining valleys. To narrow down the field, search & book via our St Anton Ski Lessons & Guiding page.
Also, see the Resort Facilities & Services page for more information about the town of St Anton.
Restaurants & Nightlife
The vibrant après & nightlife in St Anton is world-famous. The main street & side lanes of the town are lined with restaurants & bars. In the evenings, the streets are characterised by euphoric skiers & boarders returning from a big day on the slopes and in the après bars. At night the live music venues are overflowing, so get in early.
For more information, see the St Anton Food & Nightlife page.
Other Activities
St Anton is not just about skiing. Numerous on & off slope activities are available to widen the scope of a St Anton snow holiday. On the slopes there is winter Klettersteg (via ferrata) on Rendl, a 4.5km long 500m vertical sledding trail from Gampen into Nasserein & limited heli-skiing drops are also available.
Off the alpine slopes, a cinema, curling, sleigh rides, ice-skating & saunas. tobogganing, saunas, squash, swimming in the local pool, indoor rock climbing, & meandering along winter hiking trails are all on the cards. Maybe even a spot of shopping?
For more information, see the St Anton Activities page.
More Reasons to Ski St Anton
You may think that a trendy ski resort like St Anton would be incredibly expensive, but like most other Austria ski resorts, St Anton provides good value for money & can cater to a range of budgets. You can pick a luxurious hotel or chalet if you wish or stay in an inexpensive pension. The expense of your St Anton ski holiday will largely be dependent upon how much you want to spend in the bars & restaurants!
St Anton should be on the bucket list of every serious (and not so serious) skier because it is a great all-round ski experience. The only problem is it’s no secret how fabulous the resort is, & as such St Anton is one of the busiest ski resorts in Austria. Sankt Anton is an ideal choice for the hard-drinking, action-loving holiday maker who can hack the pace. It is less suited to those who like a quiet skiing holiday & uncrowded slopes. If the latter is your style, perhaps head to Stuben, or north to Zürs, Zug or the outskirts of Warth Schroecken.
Reviews
The Powderhounds are constantly reviewing new ski resorts & having a second or third look at old ones. We most recently skied St Anton-St Christoph-Stuben in February & March 2024, enjoying the incredible powder in the backcountry off the backside of Valluga. We will ski here again soon........ you should too! Click on the review link in the left column (or top of the page if on a mobile) to read our fearless appraisal!
See how St Anton compares to the rest of the Austrian ski resorts on the Austria ski resort ratings page, or compare to the rest of Europe the European ski resort ratings page.
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