Ischgl is a ski resort located on the border of Austria and Switzerland, in the federal state of Tyrol. The area of this small town is 103 km², and its population does not exceed 1600 people. Today it is one of the most popular ski areas in Europe, which, along with ordinary sports fans, is also visited by world-famous celebrities.
Location
Ischgl is located at the western point of Tyrol – in the Patsnaun valley, which is characterized by ideal snow conditions. The height of the terrain above sea level is 1377 m. The heights in the ski area range from 1400-2872 m, so their difference is 1472 m. Ischgl, together with the Swiss city of Zamnaun, forms the Silvretta highland arena, which makes the resort the third largest ski area in Tirol in Austria.
Trails
If you look at the circuit trails in Ischgl in Austria, you can count 85 slopes of different difficulty levels. Their total length is 239 km, and the area they occupy is 515 ha.
- For beginners, there are 20 blue tracks, the total length of which reaches 38 km.
- For more trained athletes, 40 red slopes with a total length of 127 km are open.
- Well, at the disposal of professional skiers there are 25 black slopes, together covering 45 km.
- The length of the longest route here is 11 km.
Lifts
Such an extensive map of slopes in Ischgl is served by 45 lifts that can transport more than 94 thousand people every hour. Among them:
- 2 gondolas
- 3 cable cars
- 16 ski tows
- 21 chair
- 1 two-story (first in the world)
- 1 two-gondola
- 1 family six-seater funicular
Ski pass
Ski pass prices in Ischgl depend on the age of the athlete and the number of days for which the pass is purchased. There are three age groups: adults (from 17 to 60 years old), children (under 17 years old), elderly (from 60 years old). For children under 8 years old, accompanied by their parents, the ride on the lifts is free.
Ski pass price in Silvretta area
| Number of days / Type | Adult | Elderly | Child |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 \ 4 from 14:00 | € 27.50 | € 27.50 | € 17.00 |
| 1 \ 2 from 11:30 | € 45.50 | € 45.50 | € 25.00 |
| 1 day | € 54.50 | € 54.50 | € 31.50 |
| 6 days | € 256.50 | € 256.50 | € 169 |
Official website: www.ischgl.com. Here you can find detailed information about the resort, including a detailed diagram of the tracks in Ischgl.
Infrastructure
In the Ischgl resort in Austria you can not only ski and snowboard, but also have a great time strolling through its sights, enjoying the tastes of national dishes in local restaurants, and having fun in the nightclubs in the evening.
The resort provides a wide selection of facilities that are part of hotels or private. Among them you can find both gourmet restaurants and simple pizzerias. Most cafes offer a menu with European dishes: Austrian, German and Italian. There are a couple of establishments with international cuisine. For lovers of foam drinks and strong cocktails there are several bars and pubs. Ischgl’s establishments in numbers:
- 15 pizzerias
- 39 restaurants
- 42 cafes
- 15 mountain restaurants
- 18 night and day bars
This resort has one of the best après skiing in the Alps. On its territory there are 26 nightlife venues, among which there are both bars and clubs. Parties in most of them start at 22: 00-23: 00. Most of the parties are held in the Austrian or German style, where they include national music or rock of the 70-80s. One of the largest institutions is the Trofana Show Arena, which is located in the basement of the five-star Trofana Royal hotel. Here, in addition to a DJ and dances of half-naked girls on the stage, you can often find live music and participate in fun contests.
Various events are held throughout the year in Ischgl in Austria. Firstly, concerts with famous musicians are often arranged here. Secondly, various competitions are being organized: for example, a competition of ice sculptures will be held in Ischgl this year. And, of course, in December Christmas markets open here, where you can also spend time with interest. And if you arrive at the resort at the end of the season, then you will have the opportunity to visit the Spring Snow Festival.
Do not exclude local attractions from the list of entertainment. Be sure to visit:
- 15th century baroque church of St. Nicholas
- Nikolausbrunnen Fountain, built in 1986
- Ski Museum, through its exhibits about the history of Ischgl
Where to stay
The choice of accommodation in the Ischgl ski resort in Austria is quite wide. However, when choosing a future place of residence, you should first of all pay attention to the distance of the hotel to the ski lifts. Most of the options presented are establishments of the 3 * and 4 * category, there are several apart-hotels. There are also about a dozen five-star hotels in the resort and its environs, among which Trofana Royal is especially famous. It was in this institution that famous musicians such as Sting and Madonna often stayed.
It is noteworthy that due to the well-planned layout of Ischgl, most of its hotels are within walking distance from the ski lifts. But there are options that span a couple of kilometers from the center. Among the Ischgl hotels in Austria there are several apartments, but their choice within the central streets is not great. The average price tag for a double room here is 150 €. There are budget offers for 50 €, but they are 20 km from the resort, so we do not consider them.
Prices for accommodation in a 3 * hotel in a double room per day are 150-180 €. Some establishments include breakfast, sometimes dinner. Many of them are 1 km or more from the center. Much more options with a convenient location are presented in the 4 * segment, but the rental cost in them is higher. So, to book a double room in a 4 * hotel in the resort center will cost an average of 200-250 € per day. This may include breakfast.
Among the 5 * hotels located in Ischgl itself, and not in the vicinity, only 3 hotels are represented. The cost of renting a double room in them ranges from 480-540 € per night. In the famous Trofana Royal, the price tag rises to 825 € per day. All five-star hotels include free breakfast, and some of them offer dinners.
Having examined the hotels of the Ischgl ski resort in Austria, we highlighted the 3 most advantageous offers with a rating higher than 8 at the booking:
- Elizabeth Arthotel 5 * . Located 300 m from the center. The price for renting a double room per day is 540 €. Breakfast and dinner are included.
- Hotel Gramaser 4 * . Located 600 m from the center. The cost of living in a double room per night is 200 €. The price includes free breakfast.
- Hotel Garni Angelika 3 * . Located just 50 meters from the central part of the resort. Staying here alone for the night will cost 150 €. Breakfast included.
It is worth considering that each hotel additionally charges a tax of 5 € upon check-in.
Climate and ski season
Ischgl in Austria has a continental climate with warm summers and cold winters. The hottest months are July and August, when the thermometer is held at 17 ° C. In winter, the temperature at the ski resort can drop to – 5 ° C during the day, and to – 12 ° C at night. In Ischgl already in late autumn, heavy snow falls, so the skiing season opens here in November and lasts until May 1. You can see more detailed information about the weather during the ski season in the table below.
| Month | Daytime average temperature | Average temperature at night | Number of sunny days | Number of rainy days | Number of snow days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| November | 1.1 ° C | -6.4 ° C | eleven | 2 | 4 |
| December | -4.2 ° C | -11.1 ° C | 12 | 0 | 6 |
| January | -5.0 ° C | -12.5 ° C | 7 | 0 | 8 |
| February | -4.0 ° C | -14.0 ° C | 4 | 0 | 6 |
| March | 0.1 ° C | -10.4 ° C | 4 | 0 | 7 |
| April | 4.7 ° C | -5.6 ° C | 6 | 5 | 4 |
| May | 9.5 ° C | -0.8 ° C | 8 | 14 | 2 |
| June | 14.4 ° C | 3.4 ° C | 8 | nineteen | 0 |
| July | 16.6 ° C | 4.5 ° C | 12 | eighteen | 0 |
| August | 16.8 ° C | 4.4 ° C | 14 | fifteen | 0 |
| September | 12.4 ° C | 1.6 ° C | 10 | 10 | 0 |
| October | 7.4 ° C | -2.4 ° C | thirteen | 4 | 2 |
All prices on the page are for the season 2018/2019.
How to get there
The nearest airport to Ischgl is 100 km in the Austrian city of Innsbruck. Flights from Moscow and Kiev are carried out here regularly, but with transfers in Vienna or in Frankfurt. Therefore, many tourists prefer to get to Austria from Munich, where planes from Russia and Ukraine fly several times a day and without transfers. But the road from the Bavarian capital takes longer, because its airport is about 250 km from Ischgl. So everyone chooses the most suitable option for themselves, and to understand which one is better, consider the routes to the ski resort from both cities in more detail.
In this paragraph, we will describe in detail how to get to Ischgl from Innsbruck by public transport and taxi. Upon arrival at the city airport you need to find a bus stop, which is located near the exit of the terminal. A F-route bus leaves from it to Innsbruck Hauptbahnhof Main Station. The fare is 5.10 €, and the travel time takes no more than 20 minutes.
Next, reaching the railway station, you need to purchase a ticket to Ischgl at the box office. It is worth considering that the train does not go to the ski resort itself. He will take you to the town of Landeck Zams, and from there you will need to transfer to the bus, which goes directly to Ischgl. The cost of such a trip will be 16.80 €. In total, the road will take 2 hours. When buying tickets at the box office, explain that you need to get to the resort. Then the amount paid by you will include both train and bus travel, which will be much more profitable than buying a separate bus ticket on the spot (7.4 €). Transport arrives at the Florianparkplatz station in Ischgl. From here you can do the return route. For a detailed train schedule, see here tickets.oebb.at/en/ticket/timetable.
If you do not want to burden yourself with public transport, you can order a transfer from Innsbruck Airport to the ski resort. The cost of such a trip by economy class car will average 184 €. If you are up to 7 people, it makes sense to pay for the transfer on a minivan, the price of which starts from 180 €.
If you decide to independently go to the resort from the Bavarian capital, then you should carefully read the information on how to get to Ischgl from Munich.
We get from the airport to the railway station in Munich. Upon arrival at the airport you need to find the S-Bahn station, from where commuter trains leave for the city center. The station is located on the ground floor of the airport, and you can easily find it by the green signs with the letter S. To get to the München Hauptbahnhof main train station, you need to take the S1 route at the commuter station. The trains leave from early morning to late evening: the first at 04:31, the second at 05:51, and then every 20 minutes, the last at 23:51. Tickets are sold at the box office, but it should be borne in mind that there are different types of tickets. Since you only need one trip to the railway station, you should buy a standard one-time ticket for 11.20 €.
Hauptbahnhof is also accessible by bus from the private company Autobus Oberbayern. You will find a stop at the exit from the airport near Terminal 2, but this transport also passes near Terminal 1. Buses leave every 15 minutes from 06:30 to 22:30. The fare is 11 € one way. The final stop will be located at the desired railway station. Travel time is approximately 45 minutes.
We get to Landeck Zams in Austria. Get to Ischgl from Munich immediately will not work. First, you need to buy a ticket to the Austrian town of Landek Zams at the ticket offices of the railway station. Trains depart daily every hour, sometimes you can catch several flights in one hour (for a more detailed timetable, see www.goeuro.de here). This trip involves one transfer in the already familiar Innsbruck, from where the train will move to Landek Zams. The fare is quite variable and depends on the time of the trip: for example, the ticket price ranges from 35-57 €. In total, the road can take from 3 to 3.5 hours.
We get from Landeck Zams to Ischgl. Upon arrival at the Landeck Zams train station, you need to find a bus stop at the forecourt. Buses leave for the ski resort every hour (for a detailed schedule, see tickets.oebb.at/de/ticket/timetable here). The ticket price is 7.40 €, travel time is 50 minutes. In Ischgl, you arrive at Florianparkplatz train station, which is located near the center.
If you want to avoid the long road by public transport, use the shuttle service. The distance from Munich to Ischgl by car along the fastest route is 228 km. The cost of a trip to a given direction in an economy car starts from 330 €.
Here, perhaps, are all the most acceptable ways to get to Ischgl, Austria’s ski resort. Let’s hope that having studied this information, you can choose the most convenient option for yourself.
Video: descents in the Austrian resort of Ischgl.
