St. Anton sits at about 1,300 metres in Tyrol, at the eastern foot of the Arlberg pass, and modern skiing was largely invented here: Ski Club Arlberg dates from 1901, Hannes Schneider taught the world his Arlberg technique, and the terrain still has a reputation for rewarding strong skiers.
Since the Flexenbahn lifts joined it to Zürs, Lech and Warth, Ski Arlberg has been Austria's largest connected ski area, with about 300 kilometres of marked pistes and vast off-piste. Then there is the après-ski, which starts on the slopes around 3 pm and is as much a part of the place as the snow.
Ride the Galzig cable car from the village and find your legs on the wide pistes around Galzig, then carry on up to the Valluga platform at 2,811 metres for the view across the whole Arlberg. Lunch at Verwallstube, ski down to MooserWirt around three, and stay steady enough for the last run into town.
Confident skiers take the Flexenbahn across to Zürs, Lech and Warth on the signposted Run of Fame, roughly 85 kilometres of pistes and lifts — start early and keep an eye on the last lifts home. Beginners book a lesson and spend the day on the gentle slopes of Nasserein and Gampen, and everyone regroups on the Dorfstrasse for dinner.
Cross the valley to Rendl, the quieter sector with a freestyle park and runs for every level, so the whole group can ski together for once. In the afternoon walk through the ski museum in the village, then take the bus up to St. Christoph for an evening at the Hospiz Alm and its famous wine cellar.
The summit of the St. Anton side at 2,811 metres: cable cars climb from the village via Galzig, and a viewing platform at the top takes in the whole Arlberg. The last section is for sightseers — skiers may only descend towards Zürs with a guide.
A signposted day-long route across the entire Ski Arlberg area, roughly 85 kilometres of pistes and lifts from St. Anton via Zürs and Lech to Warth and back. Start early, check the last lifts home, and keep it for the confident skiers in the group.
An institution on the piste just above the village, where the music starts around 3 pm and the terrace fills with people still in ski boots. Krazy Kanguruh and Heustadl are its neighbours — then you ski the last stretch down into town, so pace yourself.
The sector across the valley from the village, quieter than Galzig, with a freestyle park and runs for every level. The best place for a mixed group to ski together — and for beginners to find their feet away from the crowds.
A hamlet at about 1,800 metres up on the Arlberg pass, snow-sure and tiny, whose Hospiz Alm is famous for hearty Tyrolean cooking and a wine cellar that is a destination in its own right. Ski in for a long lunch, or take the bus up for dinner.
The pedestrian Dorfstrasse is the heart of St. Anton: sports shops, bakeries, bars and the museum that tells how Ski Club Arlberg (1901) and Hannes Schneider's Arlberg technique shaped modern skiing. A good afternoon for when legs or weather give out.
The centre, with the pedestrian Dorfstrasse, the Galzig cable car and most of the bars within a few minutes' walk. The liveliest base, and the one to pick if the group wants to roll from the slopes to the après-ski to dinner without ever waiting for a bus.
The quieter end of the village, with its own gondola up to Gampen and gentle beginner slopes at the bottom. A shared chalet here suits a mixed group: the learners have their runs on the doorstep and the centre is a short walk or ski bus away.
A village a couple of kilometres east of St. Anton, noticeably cheaper for a chalet or apartment and linked by free ski bus or, snow permitting, by piste. Pick it if the budget matters more than being within stumbling distance of the bars.
A tiny hamlet at about 1,800 metres up on the pass, snow-sure, hushed and home to the Hospiz Alm and its famous wine cellar. For small groups who want early tracks and quiet evenings rather than nightlife.
Fried potatoes, onions and chunks of meat topped with a fried egg, served in the pan it was cooked in. The Tyrolean lunch for a cold day on the hill — order it at Verwallstube on Galzig and watch the clouds roll past.
Soft egg noodles baked with mountain cheese and crispy fried onions, the Alpine answer to mac and cheese. Heavy enough to anchor you for the afternoon, so maybe share a portion between two.
A fluffy shredded pancake caramelised in butter, dusted with icing sugar and served with plum compote. Huts bring it out in a pan big enough for the table — the sweet finish to a lunch on the mountain.
A steamed yeast dumpling filled with plum jam, drowned in melted butter and poppy seeds, sometimes with vanilla sauce. Pure ski-hut comfort food; in the evening, swap it for a Brettljause of Speck and a shot of Schnaps around the chalet table.
Lifts on the Arlberg typically run from early December to late April, and the altitude of the upper area together with some of Austria's heaviest snowfall make it one of the country's most reliable spots, though the lower runs into the village can soften in spring. The most expensive and crowded weeks are Christmas–New Year, the staggered German and Austrian Semesterferien in February, UK half-term in mid-February and Easter. For cheaper beds and emptier pistes aim for early December, January after Epiphany or mid-to-late March. In summer the lifts reopen for hikers and mountain bikers on the Arlberg trail network, and the village is a quiet base for both.
St. Anton has its own station on the Arlberg railway, with direct trains from Zürich in about two and a half hours, Innsbruck in about an hour and a quarter and Munich in around three; Innsbruck airport is roughly an hour away by road, Zürich and Munich airports a transfer further. Once there you won't need a car: free ski buses link St. Anton, Nasserein, St. Jakob, St. Christoph and Stuben, and the Galzig, Rendl and Nasserein lifts leave from the village. Lech and Zürs are reached on skis via the Flexenbahn or by bus.
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St. Anton am Arlberg is an expensive alpine resort, especially in peak season, with lift passes and accommodation driving daily costs higher than many other European ski towns.
