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Gosau Ski Holidays

At a glance

  • Well-linked ski area with glacier skiing nearby
  • A snow hole so good snow cover
  • Family friendly resort

Great for

  • Families
  • Glacier skiing
  • Intermediates

Ski Holidays in Gosau

With Lake Gosau on one side and the striking Dachstein on the other, this UNESCO protected village guarantees jaw dropping scenery and a relaxing setting for your holiday. Top this with upper Austria’s biggest ski area and a laid back, family friendly village promising as much fun on the slopes as off, and you’ve got a terrific stay in the mountains.

  • Flight Time
  • 2 hours
  • From London
  • Nearest Airports
  • Innsbruck, Salzburg
  • Time zone
  • GMT + 1 hour
  • Language
  • German
  • Currency
  • Euros
  • Ski Season
  • Dec - April

Gosau Stats

Top Altitude
1800m
Bottom Altitude
766m
Resort Altitude
766m
Total Piste
142km
Longest Run
5km
Slope Orientation
N
Vertical Drop
Skiable Vertical
1034m
Night Skiing
Yes
Glacier Skiing
Yes

Gosau is a peaceful village situated in a stunning UNESCO World heritage zone between the enormous Dachstein glacier and the calming Lake Gosau. The striking peaks, meadows, lakes and traditional Austrian farmhouses dominate the landscape in this charming and spacious valley.

While there is no obvious village centre, there are a number of shops, bars and cafes scattered throughout. The village population is small, so you may find that you’ll see more animals than people if you decide to take a stroll along the brook or to the Sebastian church.

The village is just an hour’s drive away from Mozart’s birthplace Salzburg, which is also where the nearest airport is and the closest railway station is located in Steeg, 15km away.

Gosau is part of the Dachstein West ski area, the biggest ski area of upper Austria with 142km of slopes to enjoy. Families are catered for excellently in the ski area, where there are some really fun areas and foodies won’t be disappointed either thanks to numerous mountain huts.

The free bus service runs regularly from the village hotels to the lifts at Gosau and to other resorts in the Dachstein West ski area. The Hornspitzlift is just a four minute ride away and the Panorama Jet Zwieselalmlift is about ten minutes away, while neighbouring resorts such as Bad Ischl and Steeg Bahnof are quite a bit further. The lift system here is extremely efficient with almost no queues, even during peak season.

Free WiFi is available at various spots in the area including the Hornspitz valley and mountain stations, Hornspitzlift intermediate station and the Panorama Jet Zwieselalm valley and mountain stations, so you can show off your ski selfies to everyone back home. The resort is lift-linked to Annaberg and Russbach and other ski resorts can be accessed by the free bus link.

Winter Sports Ratings

Beginners

Intermediate

Advanced

Snowboarding

Gosau Transfer Times

Salzburg68 km, 1 hour’s drive

The nearest airport to Gosau is Salzburg at 68 km or about 1 hour by car

What's the ski area like in Gosau?

From Gosau, using the Hornspitz Express, you access the Dachstein-west ski region, the largest in Upper Austria. More than 80km of pistes connecting Gosau to Russbach and Annaberg , ranging from family descents to mogul pistes and snowparks.

Which other ski resorts are near to Gosau?

The nearest ski resorts to Gosau include Abtenau, Annaberg, Katrin - Bad Ischl, Krippenstein, Obertraun/Dachstein and Rußbach..

Ski Area Facts

LocationAustrian Alps.
Established1952
Downhill142km
Lift Pass€189 (adult 6 day)

Beginner Slopes

34km24%

Intermediate Skiing

96km68%

Advance & Expert Terrain

12km8%

Snowboarding Trails

142km100%

What is Gosau like for Beginner skiers?

The slopes are wide and well spread out, so this is a good resort for beginners, especially youngsters. Gosau is the ultimate ski playground for young skiers as it’s host to child-orientated Brumsiland and Otscher Kidspark. The youngest kids will be taken to Brumsiland where Brumsi, the skiing bumblebee, and her friends will teach them how to ski in a fun environment that includes a magic carpet, Brumsi’s boardercross and a wild slalom flight amongst fairytale figures. Older children are likely to spend a lot of their time in the Otscher Kidspark, a fun place to learn that also has a permanent racetrack. Gosau has mostly red slopes but there are some gentle blues on the Hornspitz and in other parts of Dachstein West ski area. The Strubegg and Hornbaby are very easy slopes at the base of the Hornspitz or access the Talabfahrt Russback piste from the top

What is Gosau like for Intermediate skiers?

For intermediates there is plenty on offer. There are 100km of red runs in the Dachstein West area and while there are some fun long ones on the Hornspitz and the Edtalm, make your way to the Zwieselalm runs for more of a challenge. <

What is Gosau like for Advanced skiers?

The Donnergroll and Schwarzreiter black mogul slopes at Zwieselalm will certainly suit more advanced skiers, as will the Bucklepiste and Free fall runs at Riedlkoff.

What is Gosau like for snowboarding?

Boarders and freestylers will love it here - the exciting Playground Snowpark is next to the lower station of the ski lift, and you also have access to the Dachstein West Snow Park, the Youngsters Freestyle Park in Annaberg and the Rookie Puss Park in Russbach.

What is Gosau like for off-piste skiing?

The Krippenstein Freeride Arena is in the next valley and has some of the best off-piste skiing in the Alps.

What is Gosau like for cross country skiing?

For those who enjoy cross-country skiing there are 65km of trails, some of which pass the scenic Gosaubach stream.

Gosau Restaurants

There are plenty of alpine huts and restaurants in Gosau and the surrounding ski areas. Go-Gosau Alm is a popular mountain restaurant located in the middle of the Dachstein West serving local and international delicacies. The restaurant has a sunny terrace offering fantastic views and if you stay long enough, music and dancing will likely ensue.

Gosau Après Ski

There are several bars located near to the valley lift stations which tend to be quite lively early on – keep your eyes peeled for the local hot apple punch for a lovely winter warmer. Hornspitz Schirmbar is an old favourite near the Ötscher lift, while many of the hotel bars such as Schmied bar are also popular.

Gosau Activites for Non-skiers

If the daytime is not enough to satisfy your ski cravings, then the Playground Snow Park is floodlit for night skiing on Wednesday and Friday or the 2km Rabenkogel child-friendly toboggan track is open at night. Other outdoor activities include sleigh rides, snowshoeing, ice climbing, curling and tennis or there is an indoor pool in the village. Hallstatt Salt World, the oldest salt mine in the world, is located nearby and open to visitors, or the city of Salzburg, an hour’s drive away, has great shopping and other cultural attractions.

Clothing Food & Souvenir Shops

Best Time to Visit Gosau

This is a peaceful village that rarely gets overcrowded and whatever time you visit, it’s unlikely that you’ll find yourself waiting at the lift stations in Dachstein West, which in total can transport 65,000 people an hour. The slopes at Gosau generally open in mid-November, which is earlier than most resorts. Gosau has been described as a snow hole as the mountains in the region trap the clouds, bringing heavy snowfall. This produces sufficient snow to cover the higher mountains, while snow canons ensure that the lower slopes are snow covered if they need a little bit more (122 km of the 142km area have artificial snow coverage).

The village really comes alive during Gosau Hot Air Balloon Week. This takes place in mid-January when people gather to watch as roughly 40 brightly coloured hot air balloons fly over the mountains as teams compete for the annual International Alpine Trophy. On the final day the balloons are flown by night, accompanied by a giant firework display – the whole week is a real sight for the eyes and well worth considering if you’re looking to ski at this time of year.

What's Gosau like at Christmas?

On top of the skiing, Christmas in Gosau usually includes a traditional market and festive excursions to suit all ages.

What's Gosau like in the New Year?

See in the New Year in Gosau with the incredible surrounding scenery and sample some traditional Austrian celebrations.

What's Gosau like in Half-Term?

We love February half term in Gosau for families – little skiers will have bucketloads of fun in the child orientated ski areas.

What's Gosau like at Easter?

The weather will have warmed up come Easter in Gosau which makes it a good time to try the outdoor activities and enjoy the scenery - you’ll also find some amazing snow on the higher slopes and glacier.

Gosau Snow Conditions

Snow Report, History & Forecast

View our detailed Gosau snow report to see skiing confitions now. Our Gosau snow history shows you what snow depths have been in recent years month-by-month. If you're visiting soon, use the Gosau snow forecast to see predicted snowfall over the coming days.

  • Current snow depth at top
    N/A
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  • Current snow depth at base
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This quiet, pretty village makes a super base for a family ski holiday.

The level of instruction here is high, making this a super resort to introduce your little ones to their skis. Gosauer Skischule operate from the Hornspitzbahn valley station and provide a range of skiing and riding courses to suit families of all shapes and sizes.

Brumsiland is the area dedicated to the smallest skiers – Brumsi the Bee is the resort mascot, who helps littluns learn the basics in a fun, safe environment with a magic carpet, fun boadercross and slalom. The ski school looks after 3 to 5 year olds here in the Sumsi-Bambini-Club and the week usually ends with a race on Friday where little champions are awarded medals and certificates. Slightly older children can join group lessons or book a private instructor – the Ötscher Kidspark is fantastic with a snowcross and racetrack if you want to crown a family champion. For more experienced tweens and teens, there are some brilliant mogul slopes – hop on the Törleckbahn lift for the Donnergroll run or head over to the Schwarzreiter slope which takes you to Annaberg. Budding freestylers will love the Playground Snowpark by the Valley Station – you can book freestyle lessons from the ski school.

The increasing numbers of geocaches over the area are a huge selling point for families here – make sure you have the app on your phone before you set off to find a hidden geocache or two. For more family fun, spend an hour or two on the toboggan run, book a scenic sleigh-ride or spend the afternoon in the indoor pool.

Groups after a traditional Austrian mountain experience away from the crowds and noise of the bigger resorts should look no further than Gosau. The Dachstein West ski area has a good selection of runs, particularly for beginners and intermediates and the Gosauer Skischule provide quality instruction, whether you’re splitting into group lessons depending on each person’s ability or joining up to learn together with a private instructor. If you’re skiing for the first time, there are some lovely gentle blues like the Strubegg once you’ve mastered the basics on the learner slope. There are a huge number of reds in Gosau and throughout the Dachstein West ski area for those more experienced on the piste and while there are some challenging blacks in the local area, advanced skiers can always travel to the Krippenstein Freeride Arena in the next valley for some of the best off-piste skiing in the Alps.

Gosau doesn’t rival Ischgl and St Anton where it comes to après, so if you want to party hard, check out the larger Austrian resorts. We love the laid back pace of life here, perfect if you’re a group who like chilled out evenings with a fireside sherry or two, catching up on the day’s events. This isn’t to say you won’t find a few lively venues with good music and a range of tipples - Go-Gosau Alm is a good mountain restaurant with a wide sunny terrace and a party atmosphere later on in the evening. Near the Ötscher lift, Hornspitz Schirmbar usually has a nice lively atmosphere too.

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Ski Extras

How much is a ski pass in Gosau

Maximum and minimum adult Gosau lift pass prices ranged from €202 to €221 for 6 days access to the Gosau ski lift system at the start of the 2025 winter season. Our lift passes are part of a packaged Gosau holiday with accommodation, so prices vary depending on chalet or hotel suppliers. Confirm price for the lift ticket before booking your holiday.

Lift Tickets Child Adult Senior
1 Day Price €16 - €16 €35 - €37 €33 - €35
6 Day Price €91 - €94 €202 - €221 €188 - €210
Age Range 6 - 15 19 - 59 60+

Getting to Gosau

Most of our ski holidays to Gosau packaged with flights include airport transfers. We can also arrange private transfers to Gosau from nearby airports

How long does it take to fly to Gosau from the UK?

Flights from London take about 2 hours to Innsbruck, Salzburg. This table shows approximate transfer times to Gosau from the nearest airports, smaller airports can be more prone to delays.

Airport Distance Transfer Time
Salzburg 68 km 1 hour

How long does it take to drive to Gosau from the UK?

Browse our self-drive ski holidays which include your car channel crossing, or go choose accom-only and book your car ferry or tunnel later.

How long is the transfer from nearest Austria train station to Gosau?

The transfer time from alpine train stations are generally shorter than from airports, Call us for details of Gosau transfers.

Station Distance Transfer Time
Steeg-Gosau 10 km 10 minutes

Gosau Maps

Gosau piste map
Click to Enlarge

Going to Gosau under your own steam

For independant travel to Austria, compare accommodation only with Gosau self-drive packages which include Eurotunnel or ferry.

Accomm-Only & Self-Drive

See driving directions to and from Gosau in Austria.

Enter your start location and click "Get Directions" to view the route:

Gosau Ski Holiday Resources

Need help choose your Gosau ski holiday? Call us on 020 7770 6888 or click Enquire - we love to help!

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Similar Ski Resorts to Gosau in Austria


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