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Are you planning on skiing in Fugen? From the best ski runs to the best restaurants, this is my expert guide to help plan your trip to Zillertal!
Austria is one of my favourite countries in the world, but it’s a place that still flies completely under the radar. When people think of panoramic mountain views, they think of Switzerland. And when they think of skiing, they think of the French Alps.
The thing is, Austria has both of these things, just without all the crowds. That’s why it’s such a brilliant place to visit. Hopefully in this article you’re about to find out why!
I recently spent a few days skiing in Fugen and I absolutely loved it. This was actually my first time skiing in Austria and I can’t understand why more people don’t have their winter holidays here. It’s the perfect winter wonderland.
The pistes are really well groomed, there are loads of ski lifts and connections, and the food in fantastic too. Actually, the food really surprised me in Fügen, but more on that later.
If you’re planning on skiing in Fügen, then hopefully this will help plan your trip here. I’ll talk about where to eat, where to stay, and some of the best runs too. I’ll also talk about some of the best things to do in Fugen that’s not skiing. I really hope you enjoy your winter holiday here as much as I did!
If you’re planning another ski trip, then check out my other guides to skiing in Chatel, skiing in Meribel and skiing in Madonna di Campaglio in Italy.
Contents:
Getting to Fügen
Fugen is located in the heart of the Zillertal Valley in Tirol, Austria.
The closest airport to Fugen is Innsbruck Airport. By far the quickest and easiest way of getting to Fügen is by taxi or airport transfer. This only takes around 45 minutes from the airport.
Saying that, it’s also relatively easy travelling via public transport if you’re looking at keeping costs down. This is what I did, and was very straightforward.
Once you fly into Innsbruck, you catch the F bus from directly outside the airport to Innsbruck Hauptbahnhof (the main train station in Innsbruck). This takes around 20 minutes.
Once at the train station, you catch the CJX1 to Jenbach. Again, this takes about 20 minutes. Then from Jenbach, you catch the ZB1 to Fugen. That’s only a 15-minute journey.
In total, it will take you around 70 to 90 minutes travelling from Innsbruck Airport to Fugen, so it really isn’t very long at all.
Skiing in Fügen
Right, now you’re in Fugen, it’s time to go skiing!
Fugen is the name of the little town at the bottom of the Zillertal Valley. Fugen itself is a super cute alpine town. It’s not like the big ski resorts you’ll find in other parts of the Alps. It’s a much more authentic Austrian experience that caters for older demographics and families.
Because of that, it’s much more chilled here than other places I’ve been to. I felt that people really wanted to immerse themselves in the skiing and the beauty of the mountains as opposed to the apres ski. It made things a lot calmer I can tell you that!
When it comes to skiing in Fugen, there are actually a few ski resorts here to choose from. These are Hochfugen, Hochzillertal and Spieljoch.
Spieljoch is actually in the heart of Fugen itself. This resort is perfect for beginners with lots of baby slopes, and families with some lovely long runs.
Then there’s Hochfugen and Hochzillertal, both much bigger resorts further up the mountains and connected together via gondolas. This is where you’ll guarantee much better snow and conditions.
Spieljoch – 19kms of slopes (8% easy, 92% intermediate). Highest point is 2,054 metres. There is a top-to-bottom run that is 7km of groomed piste that just has to be skied.
Hochfugen-Hochzillertal – 93kms of slopes (35% easy, 48% intermediate, 17% hard). Highest point 2,500 metres. There are so many different runs to choose from here and some fantastic restaurants too.
Getting from Fugen to Hochfugen is very easy. There is a free bus service included in your ski pass that will take you up the mountain. From the centre of town this takes about 25-30 minutes depending on traffic and conditions.
Depending on where you’re staying in Fugen, you can actually walk to Spieljoch. Alternatively, you can catch the same bus as above to drop you off at Spieljochbahn. This bus will take 5-10 minutes.
One thing that I was really impressed with about the skiing in Fugen was all the gondolas, lifts and connections were really well managed and taken care of. It made getting between the resorts and mountains really easy.
Beginner skiing
If you’re a real newbie, then the best place to start is Spieljoch. Here you’ll find a few baby slopes with magic carpet rides to the top, great for getting your ski legs under you.
Once you’re ready, here some runs I’d recommend. These are all easy blue runs:
1a (Mosel) – This a really enjoyable blue run of 800 metres. Towards the bottle, you hit the tree line and ski through the trees which is always fun.
In Hochfugen, the main blue runs are 11, 12 and 13.
11 (4SB 2000 Berg zu Tal) – At 2,400 metres this is a fun long blue that has some lovely views of Fugen and the Zillertal Valley.
13 (8er Jet Berg zu Tal) – At 3,800 metres this is the longest blue in Hochfugen and my favourite easy run. Again, the views are just stunning, and there’s a really nice section that takes you on a flat but fast bit so get your speed up. Zoom zoom.
Intermediate and expert skiing
I spent most of my time skiing in Hochzillertal and Hochfugen. This is where they have the most intermediate and expert ski runs.
10 (DSL Pfaffenbühel Berg zu Tal) – This is a really nice run on the Hochfugen side of the mountain. Nearly 2,000 metres but not too difficult at all.
1 (Zillertal Shuttle Berg zu Tal) – At 3,000 metres, this is a really good run to push yourself on. I found the last section quite difficult in the afternoon as the snow mounds started to build up, but it was all good practice.
3 (6 KSB Berg zu Tal) – At 3,123 metres, this is the longest run in Hochzillertal, so strap yourself in for a good time. I really enjoyed this run the most while skiing in Fugen.
13 (Wedelexpress Normal) – Even though this is a lot shorter at 1,600 metres than some other runs in the area, this one is a beaut. It starts with an unbelievable view of the mountains – I think they look like the Pyramids covered in snow!
Mindbender Canyon – I could resist skiing down Mindbender Canyon. This is a small canyon running between two rising cliffs, and it creates almost a half-pipe through the canyon. It looks quite tricky to ski, but it was great fun once I got over the mental side of it. It really did bend my mind to begin with though!
Hochzillertal-Hochfugen ski map
If you need to get your bearings, here is a map of the whole Zillertal region. This will show you some of the runs I’ve talked about above, and also where the mountains are. As you’ll see, Hochzillertal and Hochfugen are the ones in red. Even though it doesn’t look as large or as high at Hintertux Gletscher, it is much more accessible and a fantastic place to go skiing.
How much does a ski pass cost?
A day ticket gives you access to the three ski areas of Hochfügen, Hochzillertal and Spieljoch.
All multi-day lift tickets of 2-days duration or more include the other Zillertal ski areas of Mayrhofen, Hintertux Glacier & Zillertal Arena. All are connected by train or free ski shuttle bus, making the valley a ‘one stop shop’ for a huge ski holiday.
Where to get your ski equipment
I hired my ski gear from Schischule & Schiverleih Kostenzer and I thought these guys were brilliant. They were so knowledgeable and they really wanted me to have a good experience on the slopes.
They have a couple of shops: one in Fugen itself, and one at the base of Hochfugen. I really liked the fact they had a shop at the ski resort – that means you can leave your ski gear here at the end of each day so you don’t have to lug it around with you.
They also have a ski school too incase you’re looking for skiing or snowboarding lessons.
As for ski rental, prices start from around 26 euros per day for their bronze package up to 41 euros per day for the platinum package. Obviously the longer you rent, the cheaper it is per day.
Other things to do in Fugen
Fire and Ice show
If you’re skiing in Fugen, then you absolutely have to go and see the Fire and Ice show. I can’t tell you how much I loved this one.
Every Thursday evening at 21:00, they put on this incredible fire and light display on the slopes of Hochfugen. This show had everything – skiers doing backflips, girls doing fire poi, an electric plane and helicopter doing stunts in the sky. There is A LOT going on here. It’s one of those shows you just have to see with your own eyes, because I can never do it justice writing about it.
However, my two favourite bits were the synchronised skiers with fireworks strapped to their back. Not too sure about the health and safety on that one but it looked damn cool as they skied down the mountain.
Then finally, the coup de grace was seven piste bashers doing a synchronised dance while completely destroying one of ski jumps. I don’t think I’ll ever see a synchronised piste basher dance again, so don’t miss this one!
The best bit is the Fire and Ice show is completely free (it’s included in your ski pass). I couldn’t believe that this was a free show – I would’ve paid a lot of money for this!
Eating at the Wedelhutte
One of the things Zillertal have really concentrated on compared to other resorts is top quality restaurants to eat at. They know people don’t just want burgers and raclette. When you’re on a holiday, you want the finer things.
Well, one place that was a cut about the rest was Wedelhutte at Hochzillertal. I actually thought this was just a restaurant, but it’s a luxury hotel too with 12 boutique rooms. They also have a spa and the highest wine cellar in the Alps. I told you people wanted the finer things in life!
The restaurant here is damn good too. I had the beef tartare and it was genuinely one of the best I’ve had in a very long time. It came with caperberries, flakes of strong parmesan, a hard boiled quails egg, and my favourite bit lots of truffle shavings. The restaurant was absolutely packed, so I would recommend booking in advanced so you don’t miss out.
Eating at Mountain Loft
Another place you just have to eat at is Mountain Loft at Spieljoch. Run by chef Paulo, this offers everything from traditional mountain food, to yummy pizzas, to more intricate plates of food. As you might be able to tell from the name, Paulo is Italian so the pizza and pasta is next level good here.
I had the beef tartare as it was their signature, followed by the ravioli. I really enjoyed the ravioli as each one was different. There was a deer ravioli, a tomato and mozzarella ravioli, a spinach ravioli, and my fave a beetroot ravioli. The plate was like a work of art it was so bright and colourful.
Escape Room Zillertal
Okay, so this is a random one, but there’s an escape room in Fugen which is the first in Tirol. This is based in a real castle, with real medieval equipment. Think you can escape?
This escape room is for 2 to 7 people, so it can be for quite a big group. It also takes 90 minutes which is rare for an escape room. At 90 euros it’s on the pricey side, but spilt that between 6 or 7 of you and it’s actually cheaper than a lot of other escape rooms. It’s definitely different though – I bet you didn’t think you could do an escape room on a ski trip!
Where to stay in Fügen
Hotel Kosis
For my ski trip to Fugen, I stayed at Hotel Kosis which was a lovely 4* hotel located in the heart of the town.
Hotel Kosis was the first hotel in Fugen, but its recently undergone a refurb giving it a new lease of life. All the rooms are wood-panelled giving it those chic alpine mountain vibes.
One of my favourite areas at the hotel was the spa. Here they’ve got a bio sauna, a Finnish sauna, a steam bath and a fitness room. After a hard day’s skiing on the slopes, the sauna is the perfect recovery.
The restaurant was great too. For dinner it’s either a 4-course meal or a buffet. I had both while I was here and all the food was delicious.
Another bonus about staying at the hotel is the ski shuttle bus to Spieljoch and Hochfugen picks your up directly outside which is handy.
Austrian Lebensgefuhl
One thing I would like to add in is this Austrian Lebensgefuhl. I’ve already told you how beautiful the landscapes are, but it’s the people of Austria and their unique way of life that make it such an incredible place to visit. It’s that Austrian Lebensgefuhl, that Austria way of life, which is why I keep coming back here.
Everyone I met, from the chair lift operators to the ski instructors to the chefs to the shuttle bus drivers, everyone was so kind and helpful. It really does make a difference meeting so many people who genuinely love their jobs and the country they live in. Hopefully you get to experience that Austria way of life when you’re here too.
This post was in association with Visit Austria and Visit Tirol showcasing some of the best things to do in Austria in winter. As always, all views are entirely my own and without bias.
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