2026/27 Ski season in Austria: When do the ski resorts open?
Most ski resorts in Austria will kick off the winter season between November 27 and December 5, 2026. If you want to hit the slopes earlier, head to the glacier: Skiing at the Kitzsteinhorn in Kaprun is scheduled to begin on October 10, 2026, and the Sölden glacier ski area will open in mid-October.
We’ve compiled the season dates for all ski resorts where AlpenParks has properties—from the Salzkammergut through the Salzburg region and Tyrol all the way to Vorarlberg. We’ve also listed the accommodation option that’s closest to the lifts for each location.
A note before we begin: All dates are subject to weather and snow conditions. For some resorts, the opening date for the 2026/27 season has not yet been set. We update the table regularly.
2026/27 Season start and end dates at a glance
| Ski resort | Region | Planned start | End of the season | Accommodations nearby |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kitzsteinhorn (Glacier) | Zell am See-Kaprun | 10. October 2026 | May 2027 | Orgler Kaprun |
| Skicircus Saalbach Hinterglemm Leogang Fieberbrunn | Saalbach, Pinzgau | 27. November 2026 | not yet confirmed | Sonnleiten Saalbach |
| Gletscherskigebiet Sölden | Ötztal, Tirol | Mid October 2026 | 2. Mai 2027 | The Secret Sölden |
| KitzSki – Resterkogel | Jochberg, Tirol | 6. November 2026 | 4. April 2027 | Taxacher Kirchberg |
| Skigebiet Sölden (Giggijoch, Gaislachkogl) | Ötztal, Tirol | 12. November 2026 | 18. April 2027, Spring skiing through May 2 | The Secret Sölden |
| Obertauern | Salzburger Land | 20. November 2026 | 18. April 2027, Partial operations through May 2 | Carpe Solem Mariapfarr |
| KitzSki – Hahnenkamm & Fleckalm | Kitzbühel/Kirchberg | 21. November 2026 (first ski weekend), continuously starting November 27 |
29. März 2027, Finale through April 4 | Taxacher Kirchberg |
| Schlossalm & Stubnerkogel (Partial operation) | Gasteinertal | 27. November 2026 | 11. April 2027 | Residence Bad Hofgastein |
| Skischaukel Schlossalm – Angertal – Stubnerkogel (Full operation) | Gasteinertal | 11. Dezember 2026 | 4. April 2027 | Residence Bad Hofgastein |
| Sportgastein | Gasteinertal | 18. December 2026 | not yet confirmed | Residence Bad Hofgastein |
| Snow Space Salzburg (Alpendorf, Wagrain, Flachau) | St. Johann im Pongau | 28. November 2026 | not yet confirmed | Alpendorf St. Johann |
| Loser Altaussee | Ausseerland-Salzkammergut | 4. December 2026 | 29. März 2027 | Hagan Lodge Altaussee |
| Warth-Schröcken | Bregenzerwald, Vorarlberg | 4. December 2026 | not yet confirmed | Arlberg |
| Katschberg | Lungau/Kärnten | 4. December 2026 | not yet confirmed | Carpe Solem Mariapfarr |
| Hochkönig (Maria Alm – Dienten – Mühlbach) | Hochkönig | 5. December 2026 | not yet confirmed |
Resort Hochkönig, |
| Fanningberg | Salzburger Lungau | 5. December 2026 | not yet confirmed | Carpe Solem Mariafparr |
| Großglockner Resort Kals-Matrei | Osttirol | 5. December 2026 | not yet confirmed | Apartments Montana, Hotel Montana |
| Schmittenhöhe | Zell am See | Date to be determined | not yet confirmed | Central Zell am See, AreitXpress Zell am See |
| Region Seefeld (Rosshütte, Gschwandtkopf, Geigenbühel, Katzenkopf) | Seefeld, Tirol | Date to be determined | not yet confirmedoch nicht bestätigt | Alpina Seefeld |
Exact operating hours depend on weather and snow conditions and are subject to change.
Early starters: Skiing starting in October
The following areas around the AlpenParks resorts open for skiing long before the rest of the country.
- The Kitzsteinhorn in Kaprun plans to open for skiing on October 10, 2026, and will remain open through May 2027, depending on snow conditions. At an elevation of 3,029 meters, there are 41 kilometers of slopes, served by 19 lifts. The Orgler Kaprun is located 250 meters from the Maiskogelbahn, which connects directly to the glacier via the 3K Connection.
- In Sölden, the glacier opens first, starting in mid-October. The winter ski area, including Giggijoch and Gaislachkogl, follows on November 12, 2026, and closes on April 18, 2027; spring skiing runs through May 2. In between, the Ski World Cup season opener takes place on the weekend of October 23–25, 2026. The Secret Sölden is located 250 meters from the valley station.
- KitzSki also gets an early start: The Resterkogel near Jochberg opens on November 6, 2026, and the first ski weekend on the Hahnenkamm takes place on November 21 and 22. Starting December 11, 2026, the entire ski connection—Hahnenkamm–Fleckalm–Pengelstein–Jochberg–Resterhöhe—will be open.
The ski resorts and your accommodations
Zell am See-Kaprun
The Ski ALPIN CARD connects Schmittenhöhe, Kitzsteinhorn, and the Skicircus Saalbach Hinterglemm Leogang Fieberbrunn: 408 kilometers of slopes and 121 lifts on a single ticket. Schmittenhöhe itself offers 77 kilometers of slopes and the Trass run, the longest black run in the Salzburg region.
There are three hotels in the region: the Central Zell am See in the town center, the AreitXpress Zell am See near the lift entrance to Schmittenhöhe, and the Orgler Kaprun, just a short walk from the Maiskogelbahn.
Saalbach-Hinterglemm and Viehhofen
The Saalbach-Hinterglemm-Leogang-Fieberbrunn Ski Circus kicks off the season on November 27, 2026. With 270 kilometers of slopes, 70 lifts, and two festivals right at the start of the season: the BERGFESTival from December 3 to 6 and Rave on Snow from December 10 to 13, 2026.
The Sonnleiten Saalbach is located right on the Kohlmais slope. From the Rehrenberg vacation resort, Residence Glemmrise, and the Steve Lodge in Viehhofen, you can walk to the valley station of the zellamseeXpress, which takes you to the Schmittenhöhe ski area; the ski bus runs to the Skicircus.
Hochkönig
The Maria Alm–Dienten–Mühlbach ski area opens on December 5, 2026, and offers 120 kilometers of slopes. The most famous route is the Königstour: 32 kilometers of slopes, 6,700 meters of elevation gain, and five peaks in a single day, with wooden “king’s thrones” serving as rest stops.
There are four accommodations in the region: Hotel Maria Alm and Apartments Maria Alm, just a few minutes’ walk from the Natrunbahn; the Hochkönig Resort in Mühlbach, a three-minute drive from the Karbachalmbahn with a ski bus stop right outside the door; and the Wildbach Lodge in Dienten.
Gastein valley
Gastein will open in phases. Schlossalm and Stubnerkogel will begin limited operations on November 27, 2026, followed by the Angertal Ski Center on December 4. The continuous Schlossalm–Angertal–Stubnerkogel ski area will be open from December 11, 2026, through April 4, 2027; after that, Schlossalm will remain open on a limited basis until April 11. Sportgastein opens on December 18, 2026.
The valley’s largest contiguous ski area ranges from 860 to 2,300 meters and features approximately 83 kilometers of slopes; across all four Gastein ski areas, you’ll find about 200 kilometers in total. The Residence Bad Hofgastein is located in town, as is the Bad Hofgastein Ski School.
St. Johann im Pongau
Snow Space Salzburg, comprising Alpendorf, Wagrain, and Flachau, is expected to begin operations on November 28, 2026. The Alpendorf resort is located at the valley station of the Alpendorf Bergbahnen, the gateway to the Snow Space Salzburg and Ski amadé ski networks.
Salzburg’s Lungau Region
Three areas within easy reach, three dates: Katschberg on December 4, Fanningberg on December 5, 2026, and Obertauern, tentatively as early as November 20. The Tauernrunde in Obertauern runs from November 26, 2026, through April 18, 2027.
Obertauern is pulling out all the stops for the season opener: Ski Opening Week, from November 27 to December 8, 2026, will feature Die Fantastischen Vier on November 28 and Anastacia on December 4.
The Carpe Solem Mariapfarr is located in the snow-sure Lungau region, with access to Fanningberg, Obertauern, Katschberg, and Großeck-Speiereck.
Salzkammergut
The Loser in Altaussee is scheduled to open on December 4, 2026, and will operate through March 29, 2027, daily from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. With 34 kilometers of slopes—including 21 blue, 12 red, and one black run—this is a resort for families and anyone who wants to ski without waiting in line. The Loserfenster Fun Park and the freeride areas offer plenty of variety, and the Panoramabahn is wheelchair accessible.
The Hagan Lodge Altaussee chalet village is located right in the Loser-Arena ski area.
Kirchberg in Tyrol
Along with Kitzbühel, Kirchberg is the second valley town in the KitzSki area, offering 188 kilometers of slopes, 45 kilometers of ski trails, and 58 lifts at elevations ranging from 800 to 2,000 meters. Access from Kirchberg is via the Fleckalmbahn.
Taxacher Kirchberg is a 7-minute drive from the Fleckalmbahn; a sports shop with ski rentals is located right next to the house.
Seefeld in Tyrol
The start of the 2026/27 season has not yet been determined. The Happy Ski Card is valid for the Rosshütte, Gschwandtkopf, Katzenkopf Leutasch, Birkenlift, and Geigenbühel ski areas. The Rosshütte ranges from 1,230 to 2,064 meters and offers 19 kilometers of slopes. Seefeld is also a cross-country skiing region—those who don’t ski alpine will find plenty to do here.
The Alpina Seefeld is located 1.7 km from the Rosshütte ski lifts.
East Tyrol
The Großglockner Resort Kals-Matrei will open on December 5, 2026. Hotel Montana Matrei and Apartments Montana Matrei are located in the village, 500 meters from the valley station.
Warth-Schröcken on the Arlberg
Warth-Schröcken opens on December 4, 2026, and is part of the Ski Arlberg ski association. The region is one of the snowiest areas in Austria. The Arlberg Resort is located directly on the slopes of the Warth village lift.
Plan your winter vacation for 2026/27
21 homes in twelve regions, from Altaussee to Warth-Schröcken. Choose the region that appeals to you, and we'll take care of the rest.
