mayrhofen ski resort
Mayrhofen is located at the end of the long flat Ziller valley and is one of Austria's best-known ski resorts. A good mix of upmarket hotels and cheaper pensions and apartments makes for an interesting atmosphere in the ski resort and the nightlife and après ski is renowned for its duration and variety.
The skiing - and snowboarding - on offer is spectacular and ranges from the Hintertux glacier a few kilometers away to the high alpine slopes of Gerlos. But most visitors to Mayrhofen will spend their time on the two local areas - Mount Penken, a substantial and well-linked collection of mountains and slopes, or Mount Ahorn, the smaller alternative reached from the edge ofthe town.
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Last updated: 12.08.24
quick ski facts about mayrhofen
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Location: 6290 Mayrhofen - Tyrol - Austria
The Ziller valley is sometimes credited as being the cradle of tourism to the Tyrol. Mayrhofen certainly has a rich history in catering first for city-dwellers who wanted to visit the mountains for the scenery and the clean air in the summer and later for winter sports enthusiasts who took to the mountain slopes in the colder months.
The town itself is quite busy and lively during the day and at night, and, although the main traffic is kept away from the centre, the buses and taxis still do a roaring trade with people staying here and visiting from the other resorts in the Zillertal.
The ski slopes are easily reached from most accommodation - the Penken gondola
leaves from a central point in the ski resort and the ski runs on the Ahorn mountain can be reached by a regular ski
bus service. Intermediate skiers can take the ski runs here down to the edge of the town. The other resorts on the valley ski pass (the Zillertal Superskipass) are also well-served by public
transport.
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information about the Mayrhofen skiing
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information about the Hintertux glacier skiing
The valley floor of the Zillertal is unusually flat for the Austrian Tyrol, which helps when travelling in bad weather, but the easy access to Innsbruck airport can make the road
extremely busy for those attempting to drive to Mayrhofen at the weekend. Train
connections are possible with a change in Jenbach to the local Zillertal valley line.
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information about getting to Mayrhofen
Mayhofen is the busiest resort in the ski area and offers the widest range of accommodation. Quieter villages nearby with good access to the same ski area as the Penken mountain include Hippach and Finkenberg, as well the other hamlets on the way up towards the Hintertux glacier.
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information about Mayrhofen accommodation
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information about accommodation in Finkenburg & Tux
Those who are interested more in the glacier skiing itself can find some accommodation in the small settlements near the end of the Tux valley. These are also connected to the main winter ski area by the local ski bus.
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information about Hintertux glacier accommodation
Why choose Mayrhofen for a ski holiday...
- nightlife - active and young resort ready for apres ski and later festivities
- sizeable ski area with relatively easy access to glacier and nearby resorts
What are the drawbacks...
- main ski area requires taking ski lift up and back down at end of day
- ski area can be crowded in high season
Nearby Ski Resorts
- Gerlos
The Zillertal Arena ski area links the small village of Gerlos near the Tyrolean border with Salzburg to the town of Zell am Ziller in the Ziller valley, just north of Mayrhofen. The underrated skiing is the largest in the Zillertal, with almost 150 kilometres of skiing and 52 ski lifts. - Kaltenbach
The Ski-Optimal Hochzillertal is another ski area linking two different bases further north towards the entrance to the Ziller valley. The skiing above Kaltenbach is linked with the high-altitude hamlet of Hochfügen. - Fügen
The skiing above the village of Fügen itself is a relatively small family-friendly village ski area with a ski bus link to the skiing at Hochfügen from the bottom of the Panoramabahn gondola.