How playful Alpbach adds real charm to family ski holidays in Austria

Could Alpbach give your family the authentic charm you want from ski holidays in Austria? Sam Bradley and his family put it to a few playful tests for you.

Sam and family, Alpbach, Austria © Cristie Bradley

Playful ski holidays in Austria start here

A family that plays together, stays together. I’m hoping the proverb is correct, as our trip to Alpbach in the heart of Tirol in Austria has involved an extraordinary amount of carefree playing.

We’re cruising down the Kids Run of the Wiedersberger Horn Mountain, a gentle blue run dotted with tunnels, turns, bumps, giant hands (which emit a variety of weird and wonderful sound effects when high-fived) and even a mini-jump. It helps that it’s a bluebell skiing day with bright sunshine, fresh snow all around, and a view which stretches out over the aptly named Wildschönau – translated as ‘wild and beautiful’ – valley below.  Alpbach has a reputation for family friendly holidays, and so far it has exceeded our expectations.

Alpbach kids run, family ski holidays in Austria © Cristie Bradley

Learning to ski is easy and fun in Alpbach

‘Life is more fun if you play games’, wrote Roald Dahl, and it’s certainly a sentiment shared by our three daughters. The older two, aged 10 and 7, started off the day with a lesson from the wonderful David from Skicheck, who in an action-packed morning somehow taught them to ski blue runs, and also navigate button and chair lifts back to the top. Now brimming with confidence, they’re giggling as they race for the ‘queen of speed’ title; both crashing frequently, which only adds to the hilarity, and having a great time.

Our youngest, aged 5, is bit more cautious, as my wife and I half carry, half coax her along the trail. Although, she had a great morning on the magic carpet, afterwards proudly showing us her ‘pizza slice’ (snowplough) and ‘french fry’ (parallel ski) techniques.

Ski lessons, Alpbach, Austria © Cristie Bradley

A ski region with a history of playfulness

Ski Juwel Alpbachtal Wildschönau, an area covering 4 mountains, close to Innsbruck, has a history of playfulness. The exact origins of its name are unknown, but may originate from a local fairy tale involving precious jewels in need of protection from mischievous trolls. The fables may have faded, but the area is still known as a great place for children to learn to ski.

Chatting to Stefan Leitner, Head of Marketing and Sales for the area, I learn this is no accident: a lot of planning goes into making the area safe and fun for children. For example, all of the new chairlifts are lower than usual, and boast extra safety mechanisms, and slopes are wide and gentle with ample blue and red runs for beginners. Also, there are plenty of play areas, as well as restaurants on the pistes, which are more than just a place to top up the energy levels: the food is well priced and delicious, and the ambience in the rustic huts doesn’t feel contrived or commercialised.

Alpbach for beginners, ski holidays in Austria © Cristie Bradley

Experienced skiers get to play on 18 black runs

Back on the slopes I manage to sneak off and try a few of the 18 black runs, enthusiastically testing out my new Maier Sports jacket and Dual Vision Panda Optics goggles. Both do the job wonderfully, and I use the detour to visit the ‘Top of Alpbachtal’ observation tower, a 13 metre building with panoramic views and a roof consisting of 25,000 individual shingles, which has won deservedly many awards for its innovative design.

Albachtal Observation Tower © Cristie Bradley

Catch the Lauser Sauser alpine coaster for high-speed thrills

Aside from skiing, there are plenty of other options to keep youngsters entertained. The mascots, Lauser and Juppi, are very popular, and at the top of the Wiedersbergerhornbahn Gondola there’s a ride our kids will probably never stop talking about: the Lauser Sauser. This alpine coaster descends at speeds of up to 42kmph along a track of 1,420 metres, with plenty of twists, turns and squeals of delight along the way.

Over-eights can ride their own toboggan, giving them full control of how much, or little, brake to apply – under-eights need to be accompanied by an adult. Other activities include tackling the winter hiking paths, joining a piste-basher as a co-pilot or spending time in the snowy fun parks.

Lauser Sauser, Alpbach ©ski juwel alpbachtal wildschoenau

Could Alpbach be the most beautiful ski village in Austria?

Alpbach is often referred to as one of the most beautiful ski villages in Austria, and with good reason. Strict regulations mean plenty of picturesque stone and wood buildings in the classical alpine style. None of them are taller than three storeys, so the town still feels small and quaint. It may sound contrived, but throughout our stay I’m blown away by the authenticity of it all: most of the conversations overheard are in German, and we wake up to the smells and sounds of cows and farm life all around.

The schnapps is dangerously strong and the food is delightfully alien and delicious – anyone for Käsespätzle or wiener schnitzel?. And it’s not a show put on for tourists, instead it seems we’ve stumbled across another culture and way of life: a great experience for our children.

Alpine views, family ski holidays in Austria

Why we like Alpbach for family ski holidays in Austria

There are a few disadvantages to visiting a smaller resort like Alpbach, but none which I felt would likely impact a family holiday. The resort has just over 100 kilometres of slopes, less than some of the larger resorts in the Alps but more than enough for most families (the 34 blue and 13 red slopes on offer was more than we could manage).

The town is not quite ski-in, ski-out, but there are frequent and free ski buses to the nearby ski lift. And at 2,000 metres the altitude is a touch on the low side by modern standards, meaning conditions can be less snow-sure late in the season – not an issue for us as none of our children are training for the Olympics yet, and there are lots of snow cannons to support the natural snowfall anyway.

Family fun park, Alpbach

Remembering to have fun in easy in this charming resort

George Bernard Shaw suggested that, ‘we don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing’. As our family ski trip progresses I’m grateful to be reminded by my children to see the fun in everything. They loved the skiing, but they also loved all the other parts that make a ski holiday memorable: throwing snowballs; making a giant snowman; trying new foods or even just the simple delight of riding a ski gondola for the first time. Alpbach feels like the perfect winter fairy tale setting for a special family holiday, and the memories will last a lifetime.