The Overview
Michael Fulton
Melbourne-based skier and snowboarder with 50+ resorts across 5 continents. Specialises in Australian resorts and international resort comparisons.
St. Anton am Arlberg serves as the gateway to Ski Arlberg, Austria's largest interconnected ski area spanning 305 kilometres of marked pistes and 200 kilometres of off-piste terrain. The vertical drop of 1,507 metres stretches from the village at 1,304 metres to the Valluga summit at 2,811 metres. Ski Club Arlberg was founded here on 3 January 1901, making the region the cradle of alpine skiing - where Hannes Schneider developed the Arlberg technique and established the first ski school in 1921.
The terrain across the Ski Arlberg pass divides into 43 per cent beginner runs, 41 per cent intermediate and 16 per cent advanced, with 141 marked pistes. Expert terrain includes ski routes such as Schindlerkar and Mattun, plus the guided-only descent from Valluga's backside down to Zürs. The longest run stretches 10.2 kilometres from Valluga to St. Anton village. Sectors span Gampen, Galzig, Rendl and the quieter Albona runs above Stuben.
St. Anton retains authentic Tyrolean village character whilst delivering one of the Alps' most vibrant après-ski scenes. Slope-side bars line the Steissbachtal trail above the village, and 15 cafés, 8 ice bars and 7 bars operate in town. The pedestrianised centre sits within walking distance of all major lift stations. Eighteen mountain restaurants are scattered across the ski area, ranging from self-service to à la carte dining.
The single Ski Arlberg lift pass covers St. Anton, St. Christoph, Stuben, Lech, Zürs, Warth-Schröcken and Sonnenkopf. Adult day passes run from €62 in low season to €72 during peak periods, with six-day passes priced at €310 to €360. The resort hosted the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships in 2001 and continues hosting Women's World Cup speed events. Strong intermediates seeking off-piste progression and experts chasing powder find their ideal terrain here.
1507m
Vertical
141
Runs
302 km
Piste
3m
Annual snow
The Terrain
141 runs across 302 km of piste
St. Anton am Alberg spreads 141 runs across 302 km of piste of terrain. It leans beginner at 43%, with 61 beginner runs to find your feet and 24 advanced or expert runs when you want to push.
Terrain split
141
runs
141 runs across 4 grades
Beginner61 runs · 43%
Intermediate56 runs · 40%
Advanced20 runs · 14%
Expert4 runs · 3%
Time it right
When to visit St. Anton am Alberg
The 2025-2026 season runs from 3 December 2025 to 19 April 2026, spanning 138 operational days. Ski Arlberg divides pricing into three periods: Wedel Ski Weeks at season start, the main season from 20 December to 6 April, and Sun Ski Weeks in spring. The Rendl sector typically opens a week or weekend before Christmas to commence the main season. Lifts generally operate from 8:45am to 4:30pm daily.
St. Anton benefits from consistent natural snowfall averaging approximately 380 centimetres annually at resort level, with around 8 metres recorded at 2,000 metres elevation. The lee-side position below the Arlberg Pass captures additional deposited snow, with estimates of up to 12 metres annually between the Ulmer Hütte and Valluga. Historic data shows average upper mountain depths reaching 276 centimetres in February and 304 centimetres in March. Snowmaking backs natural accumulation across 102 kilometres of runs.
January delivers the most reliable powder conditions, with the second week typically recording the highest snowfall - averaging 62 centimetres across 3.2 snow days. February and March offer deeper base depths whilst spring conditions develop. Weekdays, particularly Tuesday through Thursday, see notably lighter crowds and shorter lift queues. The south-facing main slopes require careful timing later in season, whilst the north-facing Rendl runs and shady Albona terrain above Stuben retain snow quality longer.
The Stanton Ski Open festival from 5-7 December 2025 marks the season opening with free ski testing, live music and avalanche safety seminars. Women's World Cup downhill and super-G races return in January. The Tanzcafé Arlberg Music Festival delivers performances across the region, whilst the cult White Thrill ski race closes proceedings in late season. Wedel Weeks and Sun Ski Weeks offer reduced lift pass pricing.
Season 2025 - 2026
5 Dec 2025
Opens
20 Apr 2026
Closes
136
Days open
3 m
Annual snow
Getting there
Getting to St. Anton am Alberg, and where to stay
St. Anton am Arlberg sits at 1,304 metres elevation in the Stanzertal valley, positioned on the Rosanna River in Tyrol, western Austria. The village lies at the western edge of Tyrol province, near the border with Vorarlberg, surrounded by the peaks of the Arlberg massif. The Arlberg Pass connects Tyrol to Vorarlberg, with the historic Hospiz St. Christoph - founded in the 14th century as traveller shelter - located at 1,800 metres just up the valley.
Landeck, the regional hub at the entrance to the Stanzertal, sits approximately 30 kilometres east. The neighbouring villages of Pettneu (6 kilometres), Schnann (9 kilometres) and Flirsch (12 kilometres) fall within the St. Anton holiday region, connected by free ski bus services operating across 37 stops. St. Christoph am Arlberg lies at the pass summit, whilst Stuben sits on the Vorarlberg side.
The S16 expressway passes just minutes from St. Anton, connecting to the A12 autobahn towards Innsbruck and the A14 through Vorarlberg towards Switzerland. The 14-kilometre Arlberg Tunnel ensures reliable passage in winter conditions, though tolls apply. The Austrian motorway vignette is mandatory. Drive times reach Innsbruck in approximately 75 minutes, Zurich in under 3 hours, and Munich in around 2.5 hours.
Innsbruck Airport lies approximately 100 kilometres east, with transfers taking around 75 minutes. Zurich Airport sits 200 kilometres west, accessible in roughly 2.5 hours by road or direct train. Friedrichshafen (130 kilometres) and Memmingen (170 kilometres) airports provide budget airline options. St. Anton's train station sits centrally in the village, a short walk from the Galzigbahn and Rendlbahn. International Railjet and Eurocity services connect directly to Vienna, Zurich, Innsbruck and Munich every two hours.
Where to stay
Search all stays →Hotels and lodges near St. Anton am Alberg, powered by Stay22.
Latest News
From the SnowStash desk
FIS Weighs Holding World Championships in Almost Every Winter, Starting 2032
The International Ski and Snowboard Federation is looking at a major shake-up to its title events calendar. From 2032, World Championships could run not just in odd-numbered years but in every non-Olympic winter too, effectively putting a global title event on the calendar almost every season. The FIS Council has approved the concept following a feasibility study, though an accelerated rollout as early as 2028 is also under consideration.
4 Sept 2026
Mount Buller Becomes Latest Australian Resort to Call Time Early on 2026
Mount Buller closes out its 2026 season this Sunday, joining Falls Creek, Hotham and Charlotte Pass in a cluster of closures landing almost simultaneously and roughly a month ahead of schedule. The culprit is stark: Spencers Creek's benchmark snow depth hit 31.2cm on 3 September, just 18% of the 73-year average and an all-time low for this point in the season. Six of Victoria and NSW's best-known resorts will have shut their lifts early within a span of about two and a half weeks.
4 Sept 2026
Tremblant to Add New Timber Summit Ski Sector for 2027/28 Season
Tremblant has confirmed a major expansion of its Quebec ski area, with a new Timber Summit sector adding 62 acres of terrain, eight trails and a high-speed quad chairlift for winter 2027/28. It's part of a CAD 42.5 million investment that also includes a new beginner learning zone at Versant Soleil opening this coming season. The project has grown considerably since it was first announced back in 2020, when it carried a far smaller budget and an opening date that never eventuated.
2 Sept 2026
Mount Hotham to Close for the 2026 Season on Sunday, September 6
We knew when the Bird Bath Pond Skim showed up on Hotham's Instagram that the season was on its way out. It's been a rough one - I only managed two days on snow all year, at Falls Creek - and now Baw Baw, Selwyn and Hotham have all called it, possibly the worst Australian season I've seen in a decade. Hotham's last day of lift operations is Sunday, 6 September, with a Retro Day, Father's Day après and closing sales before the lifts stop turning for good.
1 Sept 2026
Thredbo to Replace Ageing Gunbarrel Quad With New Six-Seat Chairlift for 2028
Thredbo Alpine Resort has confirmed plans to replace its 37-year-old Gunbarrel quad chairlift with a new six-seat Doppelmayr D-Line, targeting winter 2028. The AUD 35 million project will keep travel time roughly the same but lift capacity from 2,800 to 3,000 skiers per hour. It's part of a broader investment push that also includes doubled snowmaking capacity at Friday Flat for 2027, with the ageing Kosciuszko Express now flagged as the resort's next major lift replacement after Gunbarrel.
31 Aug 2026
Aerial Tram Collides With Crane at Alpe d'Huez: 23 Injured
An aerial tram carrying around fifty passengers struck the boom of a construction crane on the route to Pic Blanc at Alpe d'Huez on Wednesday morning, injuring 23 people, three seriously. The cabin tipped on impact before the operator reversed it to right the car. Most of the injured were treated on site, with five taken to hospital in Grenoble, including a pregnant woman assessed as a precaution.
28 Aug 2026
Why Glaciers Are Collapsing - And What Happens When They Do
A deadly flood on the Nepal-China border, a decade-old tragedy on Italy's Marmolada, and an unstable glacier right now above a village near Zermatt - three very different mountain ranges, the same underlying story. Warming ice is destabilising terrain that was considered settled for generations, and the results range from catastrophic floods to slow-motion monitoring situations that could go either way.
27 Aug 2026
Pitztal Glacier Set to Reopen for the 2026/27 Ski Season on 26 September
Tyrol's highest ski area is gearing up to open a full month ahead of most of the Alps. The Pitztal Glacier is scheduled to start its 2026/27 season on Saturday 26 September, running through to 2 May 2027, with the lower-altitude Rifflsee area following in December. High-altitude terrain up to 3,440 metres gives the glacier a head start on snow, though as always, the actual opening extent will depend on how September's weather plays out. Early online ski pass bookings can save up to 30%.
26 Aug 2026
St. Anton am Alberg Lift System
Ski Arlberg operates 88 lifts across the interconnected ski area, with a combined hourly capacity of 151,000 passengers. The network comprises 17 gondolas and cable cars, 44 chairlifts across various configurations, and surface lifts including 21 T-bars. Within the St. Anton sector specifically, 38 lifts service the terrain with capacity around 60,000 passengers per hour. Most chairlifts feature weather protection covers and heated seats.
The Galzigbahn Funitel stands as the headline installation, rebuilt in 2006 with an innovative Ferris wheel-style boarding system enabling level, barrier-free access. The Vallugabahn aerial tramway reaches the 2,811-metre summit - historically Austria's highest cable car when constructed. The Nassereinbahn 8-person gondola from the Nasserein district to Gampen opened additional access and reduced pressure on central St. Anton lifts. The new 10-person Schindlergratbahn gondola replaced a 40-year-old triple chairlift.
From St. Anton village, the Galzigbahn and Rendlbahn gondolas depart from Terminal West near the train station, whilst the Nassereinbahn services Terminal Ost. The Galzig sector connects onward to Valluga via the Vallugabahn and links to St. Christoph and Stuben. From Stuben, the Flexenbahn provides the crucial connection through to Zürs and the Lech side of the ski area. The Rendl sector operates somewhat separately across the valley.
The €45 million Flexenbahn project in 2016 transformed the region, adding four new gondolas - Flexenbahn, Trittkopfbahn I and II, and Albonabahn II - creating Austria's largest fully interconnected ski domain. The 2013 Auenfeldjet had previously linked Lech-Zürs with Warth-Schröcken. Snowmaking covers 102 kilometres of piste via 602 snow cannons. Lifts operate from 8:30am to 4:00-4:15pm, with the Rendl sector typically opening first each season.
85lifts across 8 types
5
Aerial Trams
12
Gondolas
2
8-Person Chairs
17
6-Person Chairs
13
Quad Chairs
11
Double Chairs
21
T-Bars
4
Surface Lifts
St. Anton am Alberg lift system
St. Anton am Alberg is served by 85 lifts, listed here by type. Check which lifts are turning against the live conditions before you plan your first laps - early lifts and high-speed chairs get you to the best snow fastest.
More St. Anton am Alberg intelligence: trail map, snow report, webcams, resort overview.