Austria’s Ski amadé region, located just 50km from easy-to-reach Salzburg Airport, is one of the largest ski regions in the Alps, with 760km of perfectly groomed slopes, divided into 356 individual runs served by 270 lifts, spread across five ski regions and linking 25 ski villages.
But it’s important to realise that Ski amadé is much, much more than just a seamlessly inter-connected lift pass; it’s your key to a perfect ski holiday in many more areas too!
(c) Ski amadé
To begin with, on top of the incredible range of downhill skiing, there are lots more experiences to be had. That could be freestyling in the 10 snowparks or just having a ball on the 13 fun slopes and funcross trails, speed-measuring routes or following the local gourmet tours.
The Highest Farmer’s Market in the Alps is here, and there are endless culinary highlights in hundreds of award-winning ski huts with much more on offer throughout the five regions of Ski amadé, including Salzburger Sportwelt, Wagrain-Kleinarl is a village in the Salzburger Sportwelt Schladming-Dachstein, Gastein, Hochkönig, and Grossarltal.
There are lots of ways to make more of your Ski amadé holiday, and many of them can be easily accessed wherever you are by downloading the “Ski amadé App”. This marvellous multi-function tool can do everything from showing you the shortest routes to the best places and ski huts in the mountains. There is even an integrated friend tracker in the app in case you get split up.
Ski amadé Holiday Hacks
Join “my Ski amadé Friends Club”, the place for everyone who loves the region, where you’ll get ski pass reductions, promotional deals from business partners and additional offers for popular holiday specials.
You can join now at www.skiamade.com/my
Holiday specials include the 4=3 Online Package, ‘Learn2Ski in 3 days,’ the Easter Family Special, Ladies Week 1+1, and the Best Ager Week, along with Special Weeks throughout the season offering particularly affordable packages for families, small children, young people, seniors, and couples.
(c) Ski amadé
Up to 760km of fun on the slopes with one ski pass – only Ski amadé has that. Check out your ski pass now at the best price with the online early booking system at skiamade.com
If you need ski kit, there’s no need to drag it to Austria. You can reserve for the whole family online in advance via Ski amadé’s 27 Intersport rental shops across the region. Then collect your reservation quickly and easily on-site at the start of your holiday
The Ski amadé Made My Day initiative turbocharges your day in the mountain with lots of ‘wow’ moment activities like ski-yoga, gourmet safari, backcountry ski touring, video coaching, breakfast at the highest peak or in a gondola over the valley – always accompanied by a guide.
Visit: skiamade.com/mademyday
Ski amadé is home to the highest farmer’s market in the Alps, which you can visit on a board or on skis, going from hut to hut and trying the wonderful local delicacies. At more than 15 ski huts you can discover, taste and of course buy all different sorts of cheese, bacon, salami, farmhouse bread and many other treats. An extra highlight of the Ski and Wine Enjoyment Week from 15-22 March, 2025. Find out more at: skiamade.com/taste
(c) Ski amadé
There’s a huge range of accommodation in the many resorts across Ski amadé, from quiet and idyllically situated family hotels and traditional B&Bs to luxury chalets and 5★ hotels.
Ski amadé is very easy to reach, located just 50km from Salzburg with excellent transport links making it easy to reach quickly by car, train or shuttle. For more flight choices, though, Munich airport is only a two-hour drive away.
The Ski Areas
Ski amadé’s 25 ski villages are each part of five ski regions within the full pass area.
They include the Salzburger Sportwelt region, which is home to the tourist town Wagrain-Kleinarl, and the world-famous ski resorts Schladming-Dachstein, Gastein, Hochkönig and Grossarltal.
© Miriam Lottes
Schladming-Dachstein (schladming-dachstein.com) boasts over 230km of perfectly groomed, snowsure slopes spread across 10 ski mountains served by fast, comfortable, modern lifts – two of them new this winter. Highlights here include the 4-Mountain Ski Link with Hauser Kaibling, Planai, Hochwurzen, and Reiteralm, which takes you past many of the 100+ cosy mountain huts where delicious traditional cuisine like Kaiserschmarren, cheese spatzle or cheese dumplings are served up! The Dachstein glacier – with its new mountain station including Ice Palace, Stairway to Nowhere, Stairway to Heaven, suspension bridge and a brand-new restaurant at 2,700m – is a must-visit.
The Hochkönig ski area (hochkoenig.at/en) is home to the three villages of Maria Alm, Dienten and Mühlbach and offers 120km of varied ski runs served by 34 ultra-modern ski lifts in front of a breathtaking Alpine backdrop. There are also three great snow parks and a funslope to add to Hochkönig’s many attractions. The area is also famed for its culinary ski tours along the Königstour from ski hut to ski hut. At each stop, guests can expect a dish from a coordinated three course menu. The individual “Culinary King Tours” differ in their gastronomic themes: from traditional Austrian to gourmet cuisine to a purely vegetarian or vegan menu.
Wagrain-Kleinarl (wagrain-kleinarl.at) is home to 210km of slopes to suit all abilities spread over 12 peaks and served by 70 state-of-the-art lifts. From demanding World Cup slopes to numerous cosy family downhill runs and the most modern cable car facilities to internationally renowned freestyle and freeride spots, winter sports fans will find one of the most varied ski regions in the Alps. Beyond the stats, there’s an area of spectacular natural beauty, where you can ski, sledge or trek snowy trails or just head to the Absolut Park, Austria’s largest, to perfect your freestyle skills. You’ll find 26km of cross-country trails with the Jägersse trail a highlight, 20km of winter hiking trails and a fun-packed 6.5km natural toboggan run to enjoy.
The Grossarltal (grossarltal.info) is famed for its modern lifts, 70km of amazing slopes, and cosy mountain huts. The new 10-person “Kieserl” gondola, which opened last year after an £83m spend including new shops and restaurant, whisks you to the summit and the heart of the skiing fun. Four hundred modern snowguns ensure cover until late April. Families love the free adventure meadow with lift, magic carpet and huge winter playground with kids’ snowpark and fun park. Enjoy the magnificent nature of the Hohe Tauern National Park too. Grossarltal has three luxurious 5★ hotels, 20 4★ hotels too and great deals like 7 nights half board in a 4★ hotel, including a 6-day Ski amadé pass, from €1,104.00 pp.
Main Image © Hochkoenig Tourismus GmbH
If you are looking for the perfect destination for your next trip, our Resort Guide has everything you need to know.