Salzburg is famous for being the birthplace of Mozart and the filming location for The Sound of Music… so let’s see if I can shoehorn in references to both of those in this article.
The Ski amadé region – pronounced “a-ma-day”, kinda like saying “Amadeus” (that’s one reference ticked off) is part of the SalzburgerLand area of Austria.
It’s a vast area covered by one ski pass with five regions, 25 resorts and a massive 760km of slopes and 260 lifts. Accessibility to the region is great – just 50 mins or so from Salzburg airport, and around two hours from Munich.
We were based in Flachau which is in the middle of Ski amadé and part of the Salzburger Sportwelt region.
The five Ski amadé regions are: Schladming-Dachstein, Gastein, Hochkönig, Grossarltal and Salzburger Sportwelt
Daily ski passes are sold for individual regions, but booking a pass for anything over a single day will cover the whole area.
Ski amadé is known for its reliable conditions: even around the challenging weeks of Christmas 2022, they were 90% open.
The geography makes it a little colder than nearby areas and they make great use of artificial snow and natural snow to keep as much of the area open as possible.
Fabulous For Foodies
If you’re a foodie, you’re very well looked after. Rather than the large food and drink venues in France you may be used to, most Austrian resorts are more open based around smaller ski huts; with more traditional offerings. Food and drink is hearty: Goulash, schnitzels, lots of sausages and sauerkraut and a serious addiction to desserts – a popular option in the region is the Kaiserschmarrn, something that translates to ‘Emperor’s nonsense’ and is definitely worth trying.
A great place to eat in Flachau is the Burgstall-Hütte, the food is delicious and the building is an old – very old – mining and farming building with ancient tools lining thick the wooden walls.
The Lumberjack is a newer addition – a market hall with a bar serving a mix of foods and coffee that opened three years ago. All produce is organic and locally sourced and while it’s not in the traditional alpine style, in good weather the large windows open out to a terrace giving a great view down the valley. This is a good place to try the traditional Kaiserschmarrn desert, followed by a local schnapps made from the berries on the trees surrounding the venue.
The 12 Peaks Trophy
Across the Ski Amadé region there are 275km of easy blue runs, 390km of intermediate reds and 95km of challenging blacks. There are nine snow parks across the region, with The Absolut being the biggest and used for training a lot of Austrian free riders.
If you’re after a challenge, there’s the 12 Peaks Trophy, running across the Salzburger Sportwelt area. As you’d guess, it covers 12 peaks across five valleys and as long as you register your ski pass online you’ll be in the running for a medal – black if you get it done in a day, red over two days, and white for any longer.
To beat the challenge in a day is only for the committed. Remember as well that it’s not a circuit so plan your route home accordingly!
One last thing, before you throw away your ski pass, take a note of the number on the front. With it you can head to www.skiline.cc and glory in a graph of your efforts on the slopes. If you used it at any of the photo or video areas – the short slalom routes have cameras – you can see yourself here too.
Off The Beaten Piste For Brits
UK travellers to the region make up less than 5% of all visitors, with Germany being the biggest, then Austrian, then the Netherlands. Don’t let this put you off – almost everyone speaks English (though do try your German!).
Between winter and summer, the split is 55% winter tourism, 45% summer. In summer you could imagine yourself spinning around, running across a green open field, surrounded by mountains, singing your heart out. There’s the Sound of Music reference.
Après Options
Flachau is the place to be for après, if that’s your thing. We’re talking pitchers of Steigl (brewed down the road), shots of schnapps and singing. Lots of singing.
You can also arrange to go tobogganing which is a fun alternative to schnapps and singing. There’s a restaurant at the top of the run we did that puts on a meal and then a toboggan to get down the mountain (though this is closed some days, so do check). It’s a fun ride down the mountain and comes highly recommended.
For a more relaxed activity, you can take a horse and cart ride up the mountain for food and drinks in the serenity of the mountains.
Filzmoos and Radstadt
Filzmoos and Radstadt are two quieter resorts, both accessible on the local ski bus, which are more for families and beginners. While smaller resorts, they’re worth visiting if you’re looking for a slower pace. There are kids’ zones to have some fun in and in Radstadt the pistes are gentle and wide and, certainly when we were there in March 2023, quiet.
In Filzmoos there’s a tree-lined pisted slope all the way down the village, giving the feeling of skiing in the forest.
Where To Stay in Flachau
We were staying in the four star Hotel Reslwirt in Flachau, a family run hotel that’s around a five minute walk to the central ski area. If you’re having a drink in the bar, you may be offered a schnapps or two served from a pram. Do not be alarmed by this.
So, to finish up, it’s a vast area in total providing lots of options depending on what kind of ski trip you’re looking for, from hard challenges, to great après and more relaxing family holidays. If you’re after a little culture as well, you could easily have a couple of days getting your fix in Salzburg, then taking the short transfer to Flachau for a few days skiing.
We have a regular Podcast called The White Out where we review the latest gear, talk about the latest snow forecast and updates on where is best to ski now, as well interviews with absolute ski legends AND we spotlight a resort every week and so much more. You can check out our regular podcast here Apple | Spotify | Podcasts or search The White Out on your chosen podcast directory.