Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis are three neighbouring mountain villages located on a high plateau in the Upper Inntal Valley of the Austrian Tirol. They have been welcoming visits here for many years and a sense of community, a desire to offer the best hospitality and a wish to maintain the best traditional values whilst also embracing good new ideas are all deep-rooted values here. This straightforward way of thinking and making the best in life is known as ‘Lebensgefühl’ and will help you make the most of your holiday and, if you embrace the same values, your whole life!
Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis © Andreas-Kirschner
You will feel welcome and very quickly like you are at your home-away-from-home when you visit Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis. The magnificent mountain panorama of the Samnaun Group and the Ötztal Alps all around you, the crisp mountain air, the sunshine and the many activities to enjoy will all add to this feeling of happiness.
But whilst these are historic villages with ancient traditions reflected in the warm welcome, cozy accommodations and fabulous food, there are hi-tec surprises in store that show you these are also forward-thinking communities, when it makes sense to move with the times. For example, Serfaus is home to the world’s highest and smallest underground railway which links hotels and key lift stations underground and uses maglev technology for smooth rides, floating on air. Similarly, the mountain lifts are the very latest when it comes to speed and comfort and there are some exciting very modern mountain rides to enjoy if you want a change from skiing for a little while.
The Ski Areas
Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis operate one of Austria’s largest ski areas with 214km of perfectly groomed slopes spread over a big vertical from 1,200 up to a very snowsure 2,828 metres. There are 68 lifts waiting to whisk you up the slopes, including many modern, comfortable and fast chairlifts (16 chairlifts – 2 x 8-seater, 7 x 6-seater and 7 x 4-seater) and 11 gondolas.
Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis Marketing GmbH © Daniel Zangerl
The ski area has terrain to suit everyone from complete beginners through to the most experienced and demanding skiers and riders.
There are special areas for children and beginners complete with conveyor lifts. Kids will love the Kinderschneealm and Murmlipark in Serfaus, as well as Berta’s Kinderland and Kindervilla in Fiss (which also opens one evening a week so mum and dad can have some alone time), all designed for them. Then a highlight for young and old alike is a ride on the Masner Express, a converted piste basher!
For experienced skiers, there are seemingly endless kilometres of smooth blues and reds to whizz down with black runs too for experts, as well as freeride zones and ski touring routes.
Sunrise Hexensee © Andreas Kirschner
One special treat for skiers or non-skiers is to take the Masner Express gondola up to the Hexensee hut at 2,588 metres just as the sun rises. Here you’ll be treated to the magnificent view of a sea of Alpine peaks in the first rays of morning light. Once you’ve soaked it all in, next up is a tasty, filling breakfast at the Hexenseehütte after which skiers and boarders can whizz off on the untouched slopes, and non-skiers can take the lift back down.
Activities
Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis has some great attractions that are either unique to the resort or rarely seen anywhere else, certainly not all together.
Making use of the ski lift network, but making the mountain accessible for non-skiers (or for skiers to enjoy when not skiing) they included the fabulous Fisser Flieger and Skyswing.
Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis Fisser Flieger © Andreas Kirschner
The Fisser Flieger is a kind of hang-glider on a zip wire that takes up to four riding strapped below it on a thrilling ride 47 metres above the ground. The giant Skyswing meanwhile shows what happens when centrifugal and gravitational forces meet to deliver a brief moment of weightlessness before the downward swing!
You can also use the lifts to reach viewing platforms positioned high in the mountains to offer spectacular views. From the M1 platform, 2828m high, there are views of the highest mountain in Germany (Zugspitze – 2,962 m), and a unique view towards the highest mountain in Italy. The viewing platform at the summit of Schönjoch also offers stunning views of the Zugspitze as well as of South Tyrol (Ortler – 3,905 m) and Tirol (Wildspitze – 3,768 m) or the Z1 platform at 2,600m provides magnificent panoramic views of the mountains of the Samnaun group and the Ötztal Alps with their 3,000m peaks.
For more traditional winter activities, there are miles of wonderful, cleared hiking trails available (over 100km in fact) through the pristine winter world and it’s also possible to enjoy snowshoeing over the fresh snow too. For added fun, you can descend the 8km of toboggan runs in the resort.
Cross-country skiing in Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis © Andreas Kirschner
Cross-country skiers have great facilities with 30km of tracks, including 8.4 km at altitude on the high plateau, 2000m up, offering the best snow conditions throughout wintertime.
Back in the valley one unique attraction is the chance to ice skate or enjoy some traditional curling, on the frozen Schlossweiher pond in front of the castle.
For something else a little unique, there’s also the chance to take a behind-the-scenes tour of the ski area and watch the lift operators and other professionals at work and learn about how everything functions.
Dining
It’s no surprise that great food plays a big part in the Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis holiday experience with wonderful restaurants and cafes to explore both in the villages and high on the mountains. Many of those mountain huts can be reached by gondola lift so non-skiers can enjoy the fantastic views too.
Skiing in Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis © Daniel Zangerl
Whilst most of the region’s restaurants are traditional, authentic establishments, Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis embracers the modern once again with the stunning Crystal Cube restaurant, located at 2,600 metres above sea level and a must-visit culinary experience during your stay. Along with fabulous food, it offers a fantastic 360-degree panoramic view of the stunning Tirolean Alps. You can enjoy anything from breakfast with sparkling wine to luxurious lunches and high teas and you can even get married here!
Another special treat is a sunset dinner taking in the mountainscape turning pink at the Monte Mare mountain restaurant, at an altitude of 2,430 metres. Non-skiers can use the Masner Express to reach the restaurant where a fabulous dinner, as well as amazing views, awaits. Skiers can ski there and take the lift back down.
Other great choices include the Ski Lounge up at 2,000m which serves up international cuisine but with Tirolean traditions. There’s also rustic, cosy Leithe Wirt which is a great choice if you really just want to enjoy the best in traditional Tirolean cuisine.
The Zirbenhütte at 2100m offers fabulous views and an interesting menu with a focus on creating dishes using the premier quality Fisser Imperial barley, such as the Fisser Gerstl soup or the gorgeous Gerstl risotto.
The Seealm Hög is another fabulous choice with its open design and panoramic windows, as well as a wonderful sun terrace when the weather is good. The menu always delights with vegan and vegetarian dishes as well as seafood all house specialties. Don’t miss the homemade bread baked in the wood-fired oven or the homemade ice cream!
The cozy Schöngampalm Alpine chalet near Fiss is famed for its Tirolean culinary delights. Warm, friendly and welcoming the shated tables add to the ambience and the hearty meals will fuel you up for the rest of your day on the slopes. The kaiserschmarrn is especially delicious!
Finally, the Sonnenburg family restaurant located directly above Berta’s Kinderland serves up delicious pizzas straight from the stone oven. There’s a large playroom and Berta’s ski TV making it the perfect family spot at the end of the day.
Events
Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis has engaging events you won’t want to miss running most weeks all season long as well as special events through the winter.
Adventure Night in Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis © Christian Waldegger
Adventure Night, organised in Serfaus each week is a breathtaking and colourful spectacle with fireworks, a laser show, artists and acrobats from Cirque du Soleil as well as an impressive ski show by the local ski school. It’s possible to night ski or sledge around the event.
Nightflow in Fiss involves cool dancers, daredevil acrobats and the snow sports instructors from the local ski school rocking the Nightflow Arena, all culminating in a big firework display. Again it’s possible for you to do some night skiing too.
There’s also Magic Ladis which delivers a unique mixture of contemplative pre-Christmas atmosphere, traditional live entertainment and culinary delicacies in a breathtaking setting at the Ladis castle pond right in the village.
More Info
Main Image – Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis Ski © Daniel Zangerl
