Skiing & Après Ski in Obergurgl – Hochgurgl, Austria: A Curated Guide

last updated: November 2023

Standing at an altitude range of 1,930m to 3,080m (6,330ft to 10,100ft), the interlinked Obergurgl and Hochgurgl resorts (AKA Gurgl) is one of the first ski areas in Austria to open the season. The high altitude ensures excellent snow conditions for the majority of the season throughout their combined 112km (70miles) of ski slopes. For non-skiers, tobogganing (on what looks like a traditional Austrian sled!), cross country skiing and show-shoeing are amongst the many activities available. The ‘Diamond of the Alps’ may be keeping a low profile, but is certainly world class ski resort material!

We spend a week skiing in the interlinked Obergurgl and Hochgurgl resorts. This blog post will help you plan and get the most out of your ski trip to the Obergurgl-Hochgurgl ski area.

SKI RESORT OVERVIEW: OBERGURGL-HOCHGURGL

Obergurgl and Hochgurgl are effectively two separate ski resorts interlinked via the Top Express gondola. The two ski resorts together are known as Gurgl, the diamond of the Alps, a medium sized ski area which features a total of 112km (70miles) of pistes roughly equally shared between the two. Up at 1,930m (6,330ft), Obergurgl is one of the highest villages in the Alps with an impressive snow record. Perched even higher, at 2,150m (7,150ft), Hochgurgl itself feels like an eagle’s nest, standing solitary and proud at the mountaintop. Obergurgl village predates the ski resort, something that is evident in the old charming buildings. Hochgurgl is a small modern hamlet of purpose built facilities and hotels.

The area’s biggest draw is the historically reliable snow conditions which is particularly important for those skiing early or late in the season. The high altitude location also means that its slopes can be quite exposed when stormy weather sweeps in. Nevertheless, the charming community attracts a following of repeat visitors; a cosmopolitan mix of Europeans seeking an authentically Austrian ski holiday experience. Many return to the same BnB’s and hotels year after year.

This medium sized ski area features plenty of blue pistes, perfect for skiers eager to practice and step into intermediate territory. However, true beginners might find these blues (equivalent to a mix of France’s green and blue pistes) challenging. Having said that, intermediates will have plenty of opportunities to showcase their skills.

FOR A TYPICAL TRIP OF 6 FULL SKI DAYS: IS THERE ENOUGH SKIING IN GURGL?

We stayed in Obergurgl on the basis of a typical Saturday to Saturday ski trip itinerary. This was a nice amount of time that allowed us to ski in Obergurgl, Hochgurgl and Sölden. We were, thus, able to experience the varied terrain and ambience that the wider area has to offer. As I’ll explain more later, if you are based in Gurgl, you don’t necessarily have to go to Sölden. However, I think that adventurous and experienced skiers (capable of covering a lot of terrain in a day) might feel the need to discover slopes further from Obergurgl-Hochgurgl after, say, day 4-5. Luckily, this is very easy to do.

SKIING FROM OBERGURGL TO HOCHGURGL & BACK

Obergurgl and Hochgurgl are interlinked via the Top Express gondola. This gondola enables skiing between the two resorts. However, those sticking to easier pistes may wish to use the frequent free ski buses running throughout the day.

More specifically, as you can see from the piste map, going from Obergurgl to Hochgurgl involves going up Robkarbahn or Festkoglbahn and down red run No12. We heard that this particular red is quite tricky. At the time of travelling to Gurgl, I was still an early intermediate skier sticking to easy reds. So, to get to Hochgurgl from Obergurgl, my boyfriend and I took the bus from the centre of the village. We were there in 10 mins. On the return journey, however, from Hochgurgl’s pistes, a descent to Obergurgl village via blue pistes only is very much possible with the Top Express gondola.

TOP TIPS -SKIING IN OBERGURGL-HOCHGURGL

Download the Gurgl app on your smartphone. It is nicely organised and provides you with an interactive piste map, ski tracker, information on restaurants, and, of course, weather and snow conditions. 

Private lessons are very expensive in Gurgl. I imagine this is because Austrians have such easy access to the mountains that they all learn at a very young age in group lessons -lucky them!

DAY SKIING IN SOLDEN

Gurgl’s friendly atmosphere, superb snow conditions and high quality hotels are the ingredients for a great ski trip. Nevertheless, advanced skiers might wish to pop to Sölden for the day for more variety and harder pistes. Those seeking for a dancing-on-the-table kind of lunch or a more rowdy après might also benefit from the short bus ride to Sölden.

Luckily, the Gurgl ski domain can easily be combined with the Sölden ski area through the Ötztal Superskipass. This is the automatic upgrade for a 3+ day skipass giving access to an exciting winter playground guaranteed to satisfy absolutely everyone in your group. Make sure to check out my Skiing in Sölden blog post too!

PISTE CLASSIFICATION IN AUSTRIAN SKI RESORTS

Austrian ski resorts have a blue / red / black piste categorisation system that signifies easy / intermediate / advanced level of difficulty, similar to Switzerland. On the contrary, French, Italian and North American ski resorts classify easy pistes as green with blue and red signifying intermediate and advanced.

Before visiting the Gurgl ski domain we thought (or rather hoped) that this more generic classification may mean that Austrian slopes are slightly more forgiving than elsewhere. Judging from Gurgl and Sölden, this is not the case, quite the contrary! Maybe that is why Austrians are known to be very good skiers… And pretty much the majority of skiers we came across on the mountain in Gurgl were very good indeed!

WHAT CAN NON-SKIERS DO IN OBERGURGL-HOCHGURGL? 

There is a variety of other winter activities in Gurgl like Nordic ski, tobogganing and snowshowing. We only skied so I cannot really comment on these, but, if you are interested, head over to the official Gurgl website. 

THE VILLAGES OF OBERGURGL, HOCHGURGL & HOW TO GET AROUND

The centuries-old village of Obergurgl has been around long before the ski lifts. There is an authentic feel and charm in many of its buildings such as the 18th century church and various old timber barns. Note that Obergurgl is a small place. There is a supermarket, pharmacy, medical centre, ski school and a couple of restaurants. Nevertheless, there are plenty of nice-looking hotels and quite a few shops selling and renting ski gear. 

Hochgurgl is even smaller.  However, there is plenty of high quality accommodation with facilities such as spas and gourmet restaurants. The atmosphere is laidback and the après low-key, so it is ideal if you prefer relaxed evenings. Grab your favourite après ski tipple and get cosy by the fire in the hotel bar.

You can easily walk from one side of Obergurgl to the other. There is a free, frequent shuttle bus service connecting it to Hochgurgl which takes about 10mins. From there (on the same bus), it takes another 15-20min or so to get to Sölden. 

WHERE TO STAY IN OBERGURGL?

If you go on ski trips to the Alps regularly, you will be well aware that accommodation is very often unattractive yet expensive. So, finding good value hotels with great amenities and a feel good ambience is always a delight. Hotel Gurglhof ticks all the boxes.

Beautiful alpine yet contemporary design, spacious rooms, elegant spa and great service; all a 5-min walk from the start of Hohe Mut Bahn and Robkarbahn. We particularly loved the proper welcome upon check in. We sat at the bar with the hotel manager as she enthusiastically talked us through everything the hotel and resort have to offer!

Our room was simple, but fur and timber touches made it cosy and welcoming. Thankfully, there was also ample storage space for our gear. The beautiful spa has a nicely sized pool overlooking the snowy mountain, a quiet room and several therapy rooms where I had a lovely massage. There is also a ski storage room. Ski passes can be bought at hotel reception.

Breakfast and dinner are served at an elegant restaurant next to the cosy bar. The breakfast buffet had incredible variety; à la carte dishes were also available. Dinner included a three course meal and buffet. Dishes were tasty and quite sophisticated with emphasis on good quality and local ingredients. Lastly, between 3pm-5pm, there was a tea time buffet. If you think that was just cake, well, think again! It was actually a proper late but free lunch with a variety of savoury and sweet dishes. A very generous treat for guests! 

Overall, a hotel stay I would definitely repeat and easily recommend to anyone. From decor to room size, meals and pool, we liked everything in hotel Gurglhof! Did I mention that staff wore traditional Austrian uniforms?

WHERE TO EAT & APRÈS SKI IN OBERGURGL-HOCHGURGL?

On the slopes

Obergurgl:

On the right-hand side of the resort, Zirben Alm is a cosy restaurant with a lovely terrace. Since it is close to the village, it is accessible even on a bad weather day. Further high up, Hohe Mut might just be my personal favourite of the lot. Cosy alpine timber interiors with a roaring fire and with really tasty local dishes, this is just the kind of restaurant you want to go when you dream of skiing, the Alps and Austria! For those who seek a little adventure even at lunchtime, Schonwieshutte is an alpine restaurant accessible only by being pulled by a small snowplough up the steep slope. We prefer more relaxed lunches but we were told that it is a great place! 

On the way down from both sides of the Obergurgl ski area, you can find Nederhutte, known for both its lunchtime menu and its fun après live music sessions. It is actually really strategically located. It is high enough to still be within the ski area yet close enough to the village that you won’t need to plan your departure too much in advance.

Hochgurgl: 

Have a drink or hot chocolate at Schermer Schirm for a nice mid-morning or afternoon break. For lunch, we had warming frankfurter sausages and sauerkraut at Wurmkoglhutte Mittelstation which had the typical ski resort cheap and cheerful lunch buffet. Due to bad weather, we unfortunately did not get a chance to visit Top Mountain Star. It is famous for the panoramic wraparound terrace from which you can sip your drink while picking out the famous summits of the Ötztal Alps and the Dolomites. Another special lunch venue is the Top Mountain Crosspoint right next to Europe’s highest motorcycle museum. With its unique theme, terrace and industrial chic interior, this is far from your typical Alpine restaurant. 

In town

There is a handful of restaurants in Obergurgl as well as quite a few pleasant hotels with restaurants. As I said previously, we really enjoyed our evenings in hotel Gurglhof; the hotel bar was delightfully busy during cocktail hour and all the meals we had at the restaurant were great. So, if you are in Obergurgl and looking for a nice dinner venue or just a place to grab a cocktail by the fire, then look no further than hotel Gurglhof. 

WHAT TO PACK FOR A SKI TRIP TO OBERGURGL-HOCHGURGL?

Isn’t packing for a ski trip a delight? I love it! If you need some new ski gear, you are a skiing newbie or you just like packing guides (my guilty pleasure), then, check out my ski packing list as well as my après ski packing tips.

PLANNING YOUR SKI TRIP TO OBERGURGL-HOCHGURGL

HOW TO GET TO OBERGURGL-HOCHGURGL?

The Gurgl ski area is easily accessible via an 1H40min drive from Innsbruck airport which is the nearest airport. We travelled from London with Crystal ski who organized our flights with TUI to Innsbruck, our transfers via coach as well as our accommodation in Hotel Gurglhof. Overall, we had a smooth booking and travelling experience. Nevertheless, travelling independently should be fairly straightforward as well since Obergurgl and Hochgurgl can be reached via bus / shuttle from Innsbruck.

If you are starting your journey from Austria, Germany (Hamburg, Düsseldorf, Nuremberg, Munich and others) or Switzerland (Zurich), it’s worth considering getting to Gurgl by train. The nearest train station is Ötztal Bahnhof (approx 1h drive from the resorts). Routes, schedules and tickets can be found at OEBB.at and Deutsche Bahn. Note that there are frequent bus services from the train station to the resort, refer to the Ötztal Tourism website.

ANY OTHER DESTINATIONS TO COMBINE WITH OBERGURGL-HOCHGURGL?

You can easily ski in Sölden from Obergurgl-Hochgurgl by using the free ski bus; it is frequent and quick (20-25mins). We skied there on three separate occasions as the weather there was better. Truth to be told, we are James Bond fans and also wanted to visit the 007 Elements exhibition! Apart from 007 aficionados, Sölden is a world class resort and appeals to a variety of skiers and snowboarders. Its size alone places it on an another league compared to Obergurgl-Hochgurgl. It also has quite the party scene. Definitely consider splitting your stay between Sölden and Obergurgl-Hochgurgl if you are keen on covering more terrain and indulging in some… vigorous après!

Another option is to create a hybrid ski & city trip and combine your stay in Obergurgl-Hochgurgl with a visit to lovely Innsbruck. 

IS GURGL SUITABLE FOR A SHORT SKI BREAK?

A shorter ski break in Obergurgl-Hochgurgl is possible because of three time saving factors. First of all, transfer times from Innsbruck are quite short. Secondly, the fact that Obergurgl is a small village at the base of the resort makes it unlikely that your accommodation will be far away from the slopes; even more so if you are staying in Hochgurl. Lastly, even though Obergurgl-Hochgurgl is not a small ski area, experienced skiers could cover its highlights in less than the typical week long trip -depending on your energy levels and the weather.

FINAL THOUGHTS: IS A SKI TRIP TO OBERGURGL – HOCHGURGL WORTH IT?

Obergurgl-Hochgurgl’s high altitude makes it a great choice throughout the skiing season but even more so towards its beginning and end. The interlinked ski resorts are ideal for beginners and intermediates but suitable for everyone. While you can easily spend a week here, combining it with a few visits to Sölden opens up the variety of landscape and entertainment to suit even the most demanding of skiers and snowboarders. Despite the fact that it is an under-the-radar destination (for non-Austrians), there is plenty of high quality accommodation. Furthermore, the lack of party obsessed ski crowds make it an ideal destination for families but also anyone who just wants to ski without spending precious time waiting in line for the chairlift! Lastly, our stay in hotel Gurglhof was a truly enjoyable experience. We look forward to more hotels in the Alps following their example of value for money, service and design.