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Austria’s a land of seriously pretty langlauf – whether you’re a beginner, skate skier or classic skier, there’s tons to discover: Hundred-year-old hamlets, icy lakes, medieval castles and glorious Narnia-like forests.
Bring a car and explore a new place each day, or spend all week on trails that are moments from your hotel. With many resorts having floodlit slopes, there’s no end of opportunity to ski your socks off...
Austria: Top 10 for Cross Country Skiing
Seefeld has good reason to call itself Austria’s ‘home of langlaufen’, and it might just be the XC capital of Europe to boot. A big chunk of the 279km trail network works its way over the glorious Leutasch plateau – which twice hosted Nordic events in the Winter Olympics and… + more
Squidged in the whopping Silvretta Massif, Galtur’s network of trails total 100km. And, at altitudes up to 2000m, they tend to stay ship shape from the beginning of December, on into the spring, giving the area the longest season in the Paznaun. A quick trip up the Alpkogelbahn… + more
The 27km of trails here wind their way through some of the Arlberg’s most dazzling landscape – and last time we checked, it was all free to access. Aided by altitude, shedloads of snow and nightly grooming, these sun-blessed tramlines are known for their pristine condition. The… + more
In the world of langlauf, the Wilder Kaiser mountain range is far more than a jaw-dropping background... 500km of flawless snow is groomed throughout the Brixen Valley and up into Pass Thurn, where the high-altitude routes have been given the thumbs up by Austrian Nordic Ski team… + more
Crammed with history and snuggled in a corner of the SkiWelt, Ellmau has trail links with a number of neighbouring resorts. Altogether, 60km of trails form spider web across the area, with the same run coming up trumps every year: The 10km Kaiserloipe, which skips from the… + more
Combining glaciers, mountains and lakes, Zell’s cross-country is some of the world’s most beautiful. 55km of lovingly groomed trails line the landscape, creeping into small-town resorts like Kaprun. Take the CityXPress up the Schmittenhöhe and you’ll be met with the serene 3.1km… + more
It’s hard not to be swept up in cross-country in St J. – especially when the international Tiroler Koasalauf Euroloppet takes place in February: After watching the fast-paced 28km and 50km competitions, even keen Alpine skiers can be seen raring to hit the tracks. Easing newbies… + more
When St Anton crops up in conversation, it’s not ALWAYS about the après ski and powder terrain – this is also a big name in cross-country circles. 50km of routes have been awarded the quality seal by Tyrol, thanks to pristine snow, varied trails and plenty of prettiness. High-… + more
Straight out of a snow globe, Alpbach’s cross-country is as pretty as it gets. 100km of classic and skating tracks are spread out across the area, reaching history-rich towns like Münster and cute hamlets like Inneralpbach. An all-round favourite is the Schönauer trail, an easy 15… + more
In the spectacular Wildschönau Valley, 50km of free-to-use groomers are usually open from December through to mid-March, and they’re some of the most peaceful routes you’ll ski. A case in point: The 14km Niederau to Penningdörfl course, where only the occasional bump interrupts… + more
This list shows SNO’s 10 favourite resorts for Nordic skiing in all of Austria, which have the most trails, top notch grooming and excellent learning and rental facilities.
If you want to widen your search, check out our top tens for XC in France, Italy and Switzerland. Or to experience the best of the best, see our top ten resorts worldwide.
Austria cross country ski resorts
| Resort | Length of Nordic ski trails | Best cross country trail |
|---|---|---|
| Seefeld | 279km | Unterleutasch trail (13.7km) |
| Galtur | 100km | Bielerhöhe (18km) |
| Lech | 27km | Sonnen Höhenloipe Gaisbühel (4km) |
| Kitzbuhel | 500km | Sonnenloipe (19.7km) |
| Ellmau | 60km | Schwendter Loipe (8.9km) |
| Zell am See | 55km | Golfplatzloipe (5km) |
| St Johann | 250km | Euroloppet (28km) |
| St Anton | 50km | Loipe Stanzertal (22km) |
| Alpbach | 100km | Schönauer (15km) |
| Niederau | 50km | Niederau – Penningdörfl (14km) |
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