Serfaus remains virtually unknown to the English-speaking ski market – yet it deserves to be ranked as one of the top resorts in Austria. The European market swells the peak-season numbers, yet the area is vast enough to handle the increase in visitors. The skiing on-piste is probably best-suited for intermediates but the area has some great possibilities for powder skiing in the right conditions.
Ski Area
Cable Cars, Gondolas, Railway: 12
Chairlifts: 16
Draglifts: 13
The ski area in Serfaus is made up of a series of sunny and open bowls above the villages of Serfaus, Fiss and Ladis and is surprisingly interesting and extensive.
Skiers have a choice of lifts when heading up onto the slopes from the village. Most will head up into the Komperdell area where the ski school meeting places and the access to other lifts in the area directly above the resort is located. The Alpkopf gondola rises a little higher than its neighbour and provides access to a red run which is good as a warm-up run at the start of the day.
Those who are looking to head off to the southern edge of the ski area and the new cable car up the Pezid will need to take the Lazid gondola which rises from the main meeting place on the Komperdell. From the top it is possible to traverse over to either the Scheid chairlift or the Obere Scheid lift. The former has a simple red run down to the Pezid cable car, the latter a slightly more tricky ski route dropping off the back of the mountain.
Booking.comFrom the top of the Pezid a black run leads back down under the lift, while a blue traverse leads over to the two draglifts in the Masner area, as well as the Masner ski hut. The return journey is via the Mooslift drag and a return to the Komperdell area past the bases of the Scheid chairlifts.
In the other direction, the Plansegg chairlift offers a wealth of red runs (along with one blue) and a host of possibilities for off-piste skiing in good snow. Those wishing to head over to the next valley and the village of Fiss will have to return to Serfaus, however, and take the Sunliner gondola up to the top of the northern ridge above the village.
Here a short run will lead to the base of the Sattelbahn and this chairlift rises to the top of the bowl above Fiss and another selection of long intermediate runs. It is possible to ski to Fiss from here, but those wanting to head straight over to the runs at the other edge of the area may like to take the Kerbboden run to the middle station of the Schönjochbahn gondola.
Again, on the other side of the Schönjochl, there are a series of interesting red runs (which can get a bit scraped and icy when it has not snowed for a while) as well as the spectacular Frommes run back to the small ridge between Ladis and Fiss. Skiing this in good weather offers fabulous views across the valley but it is a long run and can get crowded at the end of the day.
Skiers wishing to head back from Fiss to Serfaus will need a way to get to the base of the Sattelbahn, the Puinzbahn or the Waldbahn. The route out of the village is normally to take the Möseralmbahn gondola, which connects to the base of any of the previously-mentioned lifts.
The run from the Sattelbahn down into the Komperdell bowl and back to Serfaus is a long and enjoyable experience for those skiers whose thighs are still working at the end of the day. Those who are feeling the altitude may prefer to stick with the Waldbahn gondola and the shorter blue run back down to Serfaus.
Our ski equipment rental partners Skiset offer big discounts on resort prices for online bookings in advance.
Visitors booking through Ski-Austria get an additional 5% reduction on the prices by using the code 'alpineconcepts':
The live webcam stream below is taken from the Plansegg area in the middle of the ski slopes at nearly 2400m.