Mayrhofen Ski Holidays, Austria

“Massive amount of skiing on offer, vibrant après-ski scene”

Mayrhofen lies at the heart of the Ziller Valley and offers extensive skiing for all abilities and a legendary après-ski and nightlife scene just one hour from Innsbruck. Don’t be put off by the low valley altitude - Most of the skiing takes place higher up closer to 2,000 metres and the Ziller Valley (Zillertal) enjoys a long winter season with extensive snow-making.

From Fügen at the top of the valley all the way to the snow-sure glacier slopes of Hintertux, the Zillertal offers a huge amount of skiing with over 530 kilometres on the Zillertal SuperSki pass. Plenty of quality accommodation options, some great mountain huts and traditional Tyrolean hospitality make this one of Austria’s most popular destinations.

On the Mountain 

Mayrhofen’s ski area is split over the smaller Ahorn and main Penken Ski area and offers 139 kilometres of piste with snowmaking across all runs. The Ahornbahn is Austria’s largest gondola and one of its swiftest with a journey time of less than 7 minutes and the all-new 3S Penkenbahn from the centre of Mayrhofen makes for a speedy trip up and down the Penken mountain.

Mayrhofen is lift-connected with Finkenberg and Lanersbach and is perfect for beginners through to strong intermediates with some decent off-piste too. Penken Park is one of the leading freestyle snowparks in Austria and there are fun parks for children and novices too.

The other main Ski Areas in the Ziller Valley are easily accessible via the free ski bus or train network and include the Zillertal Arena (the largest Ski Area in the Zillertal linking Zell am Ziller, Gerlos and Koenigsleiten, 143 km of piste), HochZillertal (Hochfügen-Kaltenbach, 90 km, great freeriding, Wedelhutte and Kristallhutte both well worth a stop!) and the snow-sure slopes of the Hintertux glacier (3250m, 60 km piste).

Off the Mountain 

There is a vibrant après-ski scene in Mayrhofen which kicks off from early afternoon in the bars at the top of the Penkenbahn (Pilzbar) and rolls on in to the Ice Bar in the resort centre. The Brück’n Stadl close to the Ahorn lift opens from 3pm and stays open until the early hours with other popular nightspots including the long-standing Scotland Yard Pub and Arena nightclub. If you’re after a quieter scene, there are plenty of cafes, shops, restaurants and cosy, low-key bars to explore.

Other activities include tobogganing, winter walks, ice skating, tandem paragliding and the resort swimming and leisure centre.