Winter holidays in Austria’s Stubaital: fun beyond the ski slopes

Over 80km of cleared and well-marked winter hiking trails criss-cross the Stubaital valley, ranging from leisurely walks through the valley to tranquil high routes. Right in the middle of it all: our Alphof. Just step outside, savour the slower pace of the mountains, and let your thoughts wander.

With snowshoes on your feet, the Stubaital valley reveals itself to you in a whole new light. Just 5 minutes from the hotel, a snowshoe trail leads from the Schlick 2000 valley station to the Schlickeralm hut. Through dense spruce forests and across vast Alpine pastures, the route takes you into landscapes that remain almost untouched in winter.

A rhythm that feels almost meditative after just a few glides: cross-country skiing in the Stubaital valley is a winter sports lover’s dream. Over 40km of perfectly groomed cross-country ski trails for both classic and skating styles await you here, at all elevations and with magnificent views. You can access the network of trails just a few minutes’ walk away from the Alphof. Cross-country skiing on the floodlit night trail in Milders is also a wildly romantic experience: gliding off, soaking up the silence, and returning with a sense of deep inner peace that only the mountains can give you.

The Stubaital valley deserves its title as “Tyrol’s largest tobogganing arena”: over 40km of toboggan runs await you here near the Alphof, ranging from leisurely runs for families to fast-paced natural toboggan runs. The absolute highlight: the toboggan run down Mt Elfer. The 6km route runs straight down to the centre of Neustift and is one of the longest routes in Tyrol. If you’d like to marvel at the natural beauty of Stubai by moonlight, night tobogganing is a real must: on selected evenings, the ski lifts open, the toboggan runs are illuminated, and you whizz back down the valley with a smile that lasts right until breakfast.

Ski touring is the best way to experience the silence and freedom of the Stubai mountains. The ski-touring routes on the Stubai Glacier, around the Serlesbahnen lifts in Mieders, and the Elferbahnen lifts in Neustift are among the most scenic in Tyrol: ascents through magnificent forests, across vast Alpine meadows, and up to majestic peaks, which are almost entirely yours alone in winter.

If you fancy a change from mountain sports during your winter holiday, the Stubaital valley has no fewer than 3 ice rinks for you to choose from: the Fulpmes Ice Arena right in the town centre, the artificial ice rink in Neustift with floodlights for atmospheric evening skate sessions, and the Klaus Äuele natural ice rink, which is free to use.

Ice climbing is a unique winter sport, and that’s why our Stubai is so popular with ice-climbing fans: the ice falls in the Pinnistal and Unterbergtal valleys are among the most important ice-climbing routes in Austria. If you’re venturing onto the ice for the first time, you’ll find the ideal conditions for doing so on the courses led by mountain guides at the ice climbing tower in the Stubai Glacier ski area.