Deep South Austria

It was my love of snow and mountains that led me to Austria. Ever since working a winter in Whistler, Canada at age 21, a seed had been planted. A two-year stint in the snow-rich, backwoods of Japan followed. After that I spent a decade seeking ways to engineer my life to make snow and mountains a bigger part of it.

And so, via a long, twisting path, which also saw me living in Scotland, Spain, and then Slovenia, I find myself living here in Carinthia. Though this exact location – the rural, Deep South of Kärnten – was by fate rather than design, Carinthia suits the snowboarder in me rather well.

Kärnten has some 30 ski areas. The smallest is tiny; a single T-bar with a run either side. Others offer altitudes over 3000m, with modern, high-speed networks of chairlifts, cable cars and gondolas.

However, Carinthia’s ski areas are not of the scale that made Austria famous for winter sports. Even the slopes of Carinthia’s largest resort can be covered in a day by intermediates. Indeed, these mountains are not places where package-holiday makers flock. Those on their annual ski weeks tend to seek larger, higher ski resorts with ample après options.

But priorities look different when you live in ski country. I learned long ago that vertical drop and skiable kilometres mattered not. It was snow that counted. Some of the best snow sessions of my life have been at the tiniest, one-lift areas.

That’s not to say people don’t travel to ski in Carinthia. You’ll see vehicles from Italy, Slovenia, Slovakia, Hungary and further afield in the car parks. But Kärnten’s biggest customers are local Austrians. And that is part of their allure.

The Best Ski Resort in Carinthia

These days, living in Kärnten, my snowboard sessions are measured in hours not days. So the number of lifts, the amount of vertical drop and the après options are obsolete factors for me. It’s simply about the centimetres of fresh snow and how long it takes me to get to it.

And that means the best ski resort in Carinthia could be any one of these places, on any given day. I watch the forecast and get out for a few hours when new snow has fallen. You might think that the highest ski areas always get the most snow. Yet in my experience, that’s not always the case.

Of course, the lower-lying ski areas can struggle with conditions. But at higher elevations, wind can erase snow.

I am a snowboarder who – these days at least – is searching for fresh, untracked snow. I will cruise the pistes if there’s no fresh on offer – but ultimately, powder snow is what I seek. I am also a big appreciator of spring conditions. I enjoy slashing slush when the sun is out, the sky blue, and the days long.

What follows are my personal impressions of Kärnten’s ski areas, through the lens of a snowboarder who at one point was writing for several for ski magazines, winter sports websites, and ski and snowboard guidebooks. For seven years I also founded and ran SnowSphere.com – an online magazine for snow travellers.

Over the last three years, I have visited most – though not all – of Carinthia’s ski areas. I will continue to update this article as I visit the rest.

My Impressions of the ski areas of Carinthia (in alphabetical order)

Ankogel

I have a soft spot for ski areas which are time capsules. Ankogel qualifies. It has a retro feel, with its unusual three-section cable car. And I was impressed with the terrain. Essentially a few groomed pistes that run through an off-piste haven, well above the treeline.

However this season (2024/25), the Ankogelbahn II – the upper stage of the cable car – barely ran at all. When I contacted the resort they quickly replied it was ‘due to lack of snow.’  This is despite Ankogel’s high point being 2636m.

The winter of 24/25 was indeed a dry season. But it highlights that higher resorts don’t always get better conditions. Which is a shame; because after a fresh fall, Ankogel offers some of the best off-piste terrain I have found in Carinthia. But that only counts when you can get to it.

Dreiländereck

I have already written a lament about the death of Dreiländereck. It was always a small, family area. Unless you live very locally, or are a learner, you are unlikely to drive past larger, higher ski areas to reach it.  

But I am a local – or at least – I live locally. Dreiländereck is my hausberg – my home mountain. The perfect spot for a quick weekday shred, it has gifted me pre-work powder sessions.

It was badly run in its dying years; the lifts would often open late and some never opened at all. But I am delighted (and surprised) to report that it appears Dreiländereck will rise again.

According to the local media, new investors have been found and new plans have been drawn up. Let’s see what winter 25/26 brings…

Gerlitzen

Gerlitzen is a well-run, modern ski area, a short drive from my home. This alone puts it into the upper ranks of my hit list on a snow day. However, its proximity to Carinthia’s two biggest cities (Klagenfurt – the regional capital – and Villach) means it also attracts crowds.

One Saturday morning after a big snowfall, I thought I would beat the crowds by heading up early. Everyone else had the same idea; I queued for 30 minutes to get on the gondola which ships people from lake level to the bottom of the ski area. By the time I got to the peak, there was little in the way of untracked snow left.

Saying that – I have come to appreciate Gerlitzen much more this winter. Visiting early, after a fresh fall on a weekday, I have had some wonderful powder mornings. The area also seems well-managed, normally opening on time, and rarely having to close its lifts, unlike Ankogel or Mölltaler.

Goldeck

On my first visit to Goldeck – I was impressed. The upper section offers a substantial off-piste zone. The lift layout is not entirely optimal, with a pesky bottle neck that requires a long cat track to get back to the main zone. But I do like the feel of Goldeck and will likely return.

Heiligenblut

Lying a long way from home, Heiligenblut sits in a valley that time forgot. Which brings a certain charm. It has the feel of an 1970s’ ski area that hasn’t really changed much. And it’s the only place I have ever seen a ‘Tunnelbahn’ lift – a train made of connected gondolas –that runs through the mountain rather than up it.

I have only been to Heiligenblut once and conditions were far from perfect. There was a lot of low cloud, and the lack of snow meant off-piste was off the menu. Yet I warmed to Heiligenblut. It had a wild, time-warped feel to it. Especially when we stopped at a tiny, cosy old hut for a drink, a place where you couldn’t seat more than twenty.

It’s common knowledge that Heiligenblut is in financial trouble. Its remote location, two hours from any large cities, means that it sees fewer visitors than Nassfeld or Gerlitzen.

I have also heard a rumour that Vail Corp – a ski conglomerate that owns some of north America’s biggest ski areas – had expressed interested in acquiring Heiligenblut. Whilst I would rather have a big ski corp invest in the area, than the place to close, such an acquisition would surely change the character and gut it of its rustic, vintage charm.

Skieldorado Hrast

For a ski area named after the mythical city of gold, you might be a tad disappointed. This is the smallest in Carinthia that I have visited – though even smaller ones may exist. Good for learners but anyone else would quickly tire of the two short runs. Incidentally, the factory of the famed snowboard brand Capita, is located three minutes away. Is the ski area of gold their testing ground?

Katschberg

It was a soupy Sunday in mid-March when I visited Katschberg. As the chairlift rumbled me upwards, skiers appeared from the mist, then faded back into it as they passed.

Split across two mountains connected by a bridge over a road, Katschberg is a decent size. To get to the other side, you’ll have to walk, but there is an ingenious conveyor belt to assist.

The lifts are sophisticated and include two modern gondolas and a number of highspeed detachable chairs. Most of the pistes are separated by wooden snow fences – I assume to keep the wind at bay and the snow in place.

Of all Carinthia’s ski areas, Katschberg seems to spend most on advertising. Certainly, I had seen many billboards for it over the years whilst living in Slovenia. And I’d heard radio adverts, featuring Katschberg’s kitschy ‘Katschi’– their blue, heart-shaped mascot – large, plastic versions of which dot the mountain, providing photo-ops for skiers.

Even though the visibility was bad on the day of my visit, the snow was great, and despite the ever present Katschi – I took a liking to the wide, open terrain. I’ll be back…

Klippitztörl

I have only snowboarded in Klippitztörl once. Unfortunately, I experienced some of the worst snow conditions in my recent memory: bulletproof ice. This is no reflection on Klippitztörl’s general snow quality, simply bad timing on my part.

The terrain was quite open, with large, rounded peaks and wide pistes, funnelling down through some forest at the bottom. I would love to visit again in better conditions, but it’s quite far from home, and it’s unlikely I would drive past higher, larger ski areas to get there. Schau ma mal…

Mölltaler Gletscher

Mölltaler is Carinthia’s highest ski area. Indeed, it’s the only one that is on a glacier. As such, it has the longest season, opening first, closing last, and offering possibly the best powder conditions in the region. Certainly, I have had some superb snow here and have been lucky enough to be shown around by a snowboarding South African who knows the terrain well.

Like Ankogel, its sister resort, (they are owned and operated by the same company) it does suffer from high winds and it’s not uncommon for the upper part of the mountain to be closed.

Mölltaler is further away from me than many other ski areas on this list. But it’s normally worth the drive. The snow up there is the lightest I’ve experienced in Kärnten, and there is plenty of off-piste terrain. Avalanches are a common danger though, so heed the warnings and take appropriate safety gear.

Nassfeld

Arguably the biggest and most commercial ski area of Carinthia, Nassfeld is one of the few on this list that might attract people from further afield. The small village of Tröpolach sits at the base, offering a few eating and drinking options, and Nass has enough terrain to keep you happy for at least a couple of days.

I have visited several times, in all conditions, from ankle-deep pow, to spring slush, to pure rain; the wettest day of snowboarding I have ever had in my life. As we descended the mountain and entered the rain zone it was like snowboarding on Prit stick, as my friend Danny so aptly put it. Our boards suddenly gripped the snow like glue, almost throwing us over the handlebars.

But Nass is a great spot; there’s a nice selection of on-slope eateries, including many rustic little places, and the resort is well set up to accommodate larger numbers of skiers, who all come for the Nass’ ‘nice surprise’.

Petzen

I have visited Petzen many times over many years. It’s my other hasuberg in some respects, being close to my Slovenian cabin – which became the underlying story of my second book: Dormice & Moonshine: Falling for Slovenia.

Overall, Petzen’s ski slopes are a little limited. Although there’s a decent enough vertical drop, most of the pistes are confined to a smallish upper area with a long, flat, blue run taking you back to base.

I have experienced some terrible conditions at Petzen. My friend Bob and I joked of The Great Petzen Ice Sheet, after he slid on his stomach for seventy metres down one particulary icey section. Saying that, we both agreed that Petzen does boast The Best Wiener Schnitzel in Austria.

I once had a superb day at Petzen at the very end of the season following a late snow fall. The snow was fresh, the sun was out, but the people weren’t. I got to slurp up all the untracked snow myself. It was my best day ever at Petzen and made me see it in a new light. This also re-enforces my point that it’s conditions – not the size of the skiable terrain – that count.

Turracher Höhe

I had been excited to visit Turracher for some time, but when I finally did, I didn’t quite click with it. Admittedly, the snow was not at its best. But I didn’t particularly like the layout either; it’s strung out along a long road with lifts branching off either side and it felt slightly disconnected.

Turracher Höhe seems to target a more flashy ski set. I’m sure its Piste Butler service, which delivers champagne via snowmobile, delights the Instagram crowd, but it’s a turn off for me.

The ski area is a decent size, and it has modern lift system, but it just didn’t float my boat. And because I live closer to other resorts that I prefer, it’s unlikely that I would drive past them to reach Turracher Höhe on a regular basis.