Ellmau
Transportation and Accommodations
Getting There
The Skiwelt ski area is the largest ski area in Austria with 284 km of pistes, mainly blue and red runs and a few black runs. It consists of 6 main villages: Sol, Ellmau,
Scheffau, Brixen im Thale, Westendorf, and Hopfgarten. To travel to the area around Skiwelt, you have a few different options. Munich airport is about a 2 hour drive, Salzburg about 1 hour, and Innsbruck about 1 hour. Depending on the number of people you are traveling with, it may be beneficial to book a private transfer. Split between a small group, this option becomes quite affordable and is especially convenient to have door to door service, especially if traveling with ski or snowboard equipment
- From Munich, a private transfer for 6 people costs approximately 300 - 400 euros. Check out Osa bus for reservations
- From Salzburg to Ellmau, a private transfer for 6 people is about 200 - 300 euros. Check out City Transfers for reservations
- From Innsbruck to Ellmau, a private transfer for 6 people is also about 200 - 300 euros.
An alternative option if traveling to Innsbruck or Salzburg is take a train from the town center to a station near the town you are staying in and then book a cab from the station to your accommodations.
Getting Around
To travel within a village, there are buses available running within the area to the main ski base gondolas. Additionally, there are buses between the towns if you end up skiing down to the base of an area different than your accommodations or you opt to explore a new town.
Check bus schedules here. If staying within a given town, the main area should be quite walkable.
Accommodations
Ellmau - villaforyou has a variety of properties available to rent in town, many very nice and easily accessible to the mountain.
Things to do and see
Skiing and Snowboarding
Rentals
Intersport offers rentals for ski equipment throughout the area. You can rent in advance for an online discount. Most towns may have a few different options in terms of where to rent - in the town or at the base of the mountain. In Ellmau, a large benefit to renting at the base of the mountain is the availability of ski lockers. The
lockers are approximately 50 euros for two people for a week, and enable you to leave all your ski belongings in the lockers after you finish a day of skiing. This is especially helpful so you do not need to carry your ski equipment to and from your accommodations each day. Instead, you can get them at the base and catch the gondola to the top of the mountain when you are starting your ski day, and leave them in the lockers overnight.
Ski passes
Ski passes can be purchased online here, with a variety of options (summary found here). It will be cheaper if you purchase online and choose to pick up in person, rather than purchasing at the counter.
- Single day passes
- Consecutive multi-day passes
- Approx prices
- 4 days: 203 euros
- 5 days: 244 euros
- 6 days: 280 euros
- Multi day passes with a non-consecutive option (i.e. 5 in 7 days - approx. 268)
The Skiwelt pass give you access to all resorts. Once on the mountain, it is easy to ski between the different areas. There is also a superski card which provides access to more ski mountains in the area including Kitzbuhel.
Food and Drinks
A great perk about this area in Austria is the affordability of the food and going out. Meals are fairly priced and quite tasty. Many of the mountaintop restaurants serve good food, more than just a take-away buffet.
Restaurants
Fabels
Ellmau
Apres ski spot at the base of Ellmau with music and fun vibes
Rubezahl-Alm
Ellmau
On the home run down to Ellmau, this is a favorite on the mountain. With great atmosphere, indoor and outdoor seating, the food here is delicious. You cannot go wrong with the schnitzel & chips, tiroler grostl, meat platter or apple pancake. Sometimes there is live German music
Tanzbodenalm
Scheffau
Delicious food - phenomenal apple pancake and tiroler grostl and stunning views
German Hut
Sol
Small interior with cozy vibes, tasty pretzels and great stop for a quick coffee
Gipfelalm Hohe Salve
Westendorf
The highest point on the mountain, the buffet offers indoor and outdoor seating. The outdoor terrace has a small rotating section which enables different tables to enjoy the stunning views. Head up here for a coffee or beer at 1829 meters,
AlpenIglu Village
Brixen im Thale
Igloo bar where you can enjoy a drink in an igloo or outside it!
Jochstubin Bar
Brixen im Thale
Stop here for a stunning view, a pretzel and a beer or aperol spritz in the afternoon
Panorama Restaurant Bergkaiser
Ellmau
Restaurant at the top of the Ellmau gondola, great for a morning coffee as you are hitting the slopes
Vitalhotel Sonnenhof
About a 20 minute walk from the Ellmau town center, this quiet hotel and spa offers a nice spot to sit outside and enjoy a bottle of Austrian wine
Café Memory
Ellmau
Restaurant in town with lots of pizza options, grill selection, salads, and soups.
Traditional Austrian dishes
- Goulash - hearty beef and onion soup often served with potato or cheese dumplings
- Schnitzel - thin cutlet covered in breading usually of veal, pork or chicken
- Tiroler grostl - potatoes and beef, sometimes served with a fried egg too
- Kasespatzle - cheese pasta
- Currywurst - bratwurst
- Frankfurter - hot dog
- Codron bleu - meat wrapped around cheese
- Mixed grill plate - mixture of meats
- Almkaiserschmarrn - Apple pancake
- Apple strudel - apple pastry dessert often served with vanilla sauce or cream
Other Notes
Purchase insurance
It is a small additional cost to both the ski passes and rentals, but provides much needed security if something goes wrong. If you are participating in apres ski, definitely an increased likelihood of injuries, accidents, and loss or damage of ski equipment.
Ski Map
Check out the Ski Map to get an idea on how to navigate the mountain.
Cost Savings
If looking to keep expenses down, consider a few points when planning the holiday. Booking accommodations with a kitchen will help keep costs down as you will have the opportunity to cook meals at home rather than dining out. Compared to some other Alps destinations, Austria is more affordable than its Swiss or French neighbors.
Elevation
Skiwelt is a low altitude ski mountain, with max height at 1800m. This means it is not a prime destination for spring skiing and you are taking a risk by booking a trip in March. If there is heavy snowfall, it could easily be nice, but visiting in late March 2023 provided very minimal snow. The towns also get quiet at this time of year as it is considered the off season. Plan a holiday here in January or February for better snow conditions and livelier towns.
Signage
Better than Italy, worse than Switzerland and France, the maps on the mountain can be a bit confusing. Slopes are named by numbers that lead down to lifts. It can take some time to get used to both the naming convention and the routes.
Navigation
Transportation and Accommodations
Things to do and see
Food and Drinks