Solden is a popular ski destination sitting at 1377m in the beautiful Ötztal valley. Innsbruck airport is only an hour away and Ötztal train station only 40 minutes away (which provides bus services to take you to the resort).
With a river running through the village and traditional Tyrolean style buildings, Solden is a fairly compact town with most hotels, restaurants and clubs on the main street overlooked by the striking parish church.
Three smaller villages are connected with the main resort. Traffic-free Hochsolden is the highest up at 2,090m – it's ski-in ski-out and has an exclusive atmosphere complimented by traditional wooden architecture. Two smaller villages lie between Solden and Hochsolden: Zwieselstein and Vent. Nearby resorts, including Obergurgl, can be easily reached from all four.
One of Solden's main attractions is undoubtedly its snow-sure slopes and fantastic ski area. The Solden/ Ötztal ski pass covers 140km including 2 mountains - Giggijoch and Gaislachkogl – and 2 glaciers – Rettenbach and Tiefenbach. The area is unique in Austria with 3 peaks above 3000m - Gaislachkogl (3,058m), Tiefenbachkogl (3250m) and the highest Schwarze Schneide (3340m). After much investment, Solden's 31 modern lifts can carry 68,000 people/hour (meaning less queuing), and this is one of Austria's first resorts to have free Wi-Fi in the main ski areas.
Location: Austria, Alps.
Established: 1890
Open: October-May
Downhill: 144km
View our detailed Solden snow forecast or snow report and see all live webcams, piste maps, road and travel maps and lift pass prices. For a picture of historic snow conditions see the snow depths month by month with our Solden snow history.
Nearest Airport & Transfer Time: | |
Innsbruck Airport | 85km, 1 hour |
|
|
Top Altitude: | 3340m |
Bottom Altitude: | 1350m |
Resort Altitude: | 1377m |
Longest run: | 15km |
Slope Orientation: | N,S,E,W |
Vertical Drop: | 1900m |
Skiable Vertical: | 1900m |
Night Skiing: | Yes |
Glacier: | Yes |
Downhill Runs: | 144km |
Beginner slopes: | 48% |
Intermediate: | 31% |
Advanced slopes: | 21% |
Lift Pass Price: | €246 adult 6 day |
Nearby resorts: Obergurgl |
A decent variety of ski schools make this a great place to both learn and improve. Innerwald (near the bottom of Gaislachkogl gondola) has some excellent nursery runs where learners can get to grips with the basics without contending with faster skiers.
There’s plenty available for beginners with 67km of blue routes including some excellent runs on the Tiefenbach glacier. Practice on the Blue 38 from the top of the Tiefenbach – it’s a roomy, simple but long 11km down. The Blue 13 on Giggijoch is another run suited to new skiers as it’s wide and well-maintained.
This is a fantastic place for intermediates too. There are nearly 50km of red routes, and 20% of the ski area is above red in difficulty if you fancy a challenge – with Giggijoch and Gaislachkogl providing some terrific descents. The red runs back to the bottom of Giggijoch (like 19) from the top of the Gondola or Hochsolden are super for intermediates, and another terrific piste is red route 1 from the top of the Gaislachkogl lift (which has a near 1000m drop along its route). Several other Gaislachkogl runs are similarly challenging.
Advanced skiers will also find a decent selection of routes. The toughest on the piste is the steep 15km descent from Schwarze Schneide to Gaislachkogl – which has a 2000m height change. Decent off-piste opportunities exist too – Wasserkar is one of the better powder areas and can be easily accessed from the top of the Gaislachkogl gondola.
6-day ski passes include access to all ski areas in the ÖTZTAL region, including Obergurgl just 10 minutes away by bus.
You'll find much to do in Solden. Apres begins in the bars at the bottom of the Giggijoch mountain such as Cuckoo's, Marco's and Schirm Bar at around 4 pm and then continue into the night in the bars and clubs on the main street. Popular venues include the Fire & Ice bar and Katapult club. If you want to keep up-to-date with sport, head over to Chris & Co Irish Bar for a few beers and a good time.
After you've worked up an appetite on the slopes, there's a brilliant selection of restaurants in town to suit all tastes. For a traditional meal in an exclusive environment, book a table in Culinaria. We also love Gampe Thaya and Hotel Bergland who serve tremendous food at very affordable prices. For a truly unique experience, book a table at the ice Q restaurant on the Gaislachkogl peak, where the James Bond film SPECTRE was filmed. Film fans can also visit the cinematic installation (museum) dedicated to the world of James Bond.
With tobogganing, paragliding and ice skating, anyone fancying a bit of time off the slopes is well catered for. The Freizeit Arena is a fantastic wellness centre in the main town – a beautiful building where visitors can soothe aches and pains in saunas and pools. A little further out (about 15 minutes in the car), the Aqua Dome in Längenfeld is another stunning place to relax – it's an incredible wood, stone and glass structure with facilities including an outdoor brine pool, sunbeds and several indoor pools.
With glacier skiing available and 3 peaks above a whopping 3000m, conditions are usually good throughout the season. You’re unlikely to contend with too much queuing either – the lifts in total carry 68,000 snow lovers /hour.
Special events such as the Gay Snowhappening and Electric Mountain Festivals may well determine your ideal time to ski. Gay Snowhappening is normally an action-packed week towards the end of the season. The Electric Mountain Festival takes place over 6 or 7 dates throughout the season, including performances from big-name DJs. Even if you don’t make it here for these, weekly events include the Night Ski show – which usually runs until March and the Söldenparty so whenever you visit there’s likely to be something good going on!
The quietest times tend to be early in the season, in mid-January and towards the end of the season.
Christmas in Solden is certain to give that festive feeling. Most restaurants put on special festive menus and with Solden’s reputation for après ski, you’re more than likely to find the odd Christmas party. Solden Christmas ski holidays ‣
Celebrate the New Year in Solden in style with famously buzzing après ski. Enjoy special menus for the occasion in most restaurants and exciting New Year parties in several bars and clubs. There’s also the chance to do a hut evening – an unforgettable treat involving food, music and fireworks. Solden New Year ski holidays ‣
There are many options for families over February Half-Term in Solden – besides glacier skiing and freestyling in Area 47 and Fun Zone, you can ice skate or toboggan. Solden Half Term ski holidays ‣
Even late on in the season, the high peaks in Solden and most of the routes having snow-making facilities mean skiing conditions are fantastic during Easter In Solden and the resort should be quieter giving more chance to enjoy the opportunities the town has to offer. Solden Easter ski holidays ‣
Solden does an excellent job for families, and there is a selection of family-friendly hotel accommodation. In terms of the ski area, you’ll have 144km of routes to explore including a good selection for all levels. For those learning to ski or looking to improve their technique, Solden has plenty of ski schools. There is also some fantastic beginner runs too for learners such as the nursery runs near Innerwald. Overall, 47% of routes are blue (we like the Blue 38 near Tiefenbach glacier) making the resort brilliant for less confident skiers. More fearless skiers also have a fantastic selection of routes like the 15km run from Schwarze Schneide to Gaislachkogl. For refuelling at lunchtime, the mountains restaurants welcome families with open arms – the Stabele Schirmbar has a menu to suit everyone (they do super burgers).
There’s plenty to do as a family once skiing is done for the day. Popular activities like ice-skating and tobogganing should keep everyone well entertained for the evening.
We have the best holiday packages for families – and our ski specialists can help find your ideal holiday. Most holidays come with flights, transfers and accommodation and we also have some self-drive and accommodation only deals.
From the slopes to the après-ski, Solden is hard to beat for groups. Routes cover all abilities – from easy runs for beginner skiers in Innerwald to more challenging routes on Gaislachkogl. While the skiing is good, the bars are even better – Solden has some brilliant clubs and bars including the Fire & Ice and Katapult nightclubs. If you all fancy a few beers while you keep up to date with some live sport then head to Chris & Co. Several events run throughout of the season attracting big crowds and bringing a buzzing atmosphere.
Quality hotels offer hassle-free accommodation for various sized groups, most located a stone’s throw from the resort’s amenities. Most of our packages include flights, transfers and accommodation. If you’d prefer to drive yourselves, our self-drive options may be just what you’re looking for. If everyone is coming from different destinations, booking accommodation-only may be the best suggestion – call our ski specialists to get everyone organised and to the mountains.
Accommodation | Number of nights | Price (per person) from |
---|---|---|
Hotel Tyrolerhof | 7 | £ 1389 |
Hotel Sölderhof & Residenz Tamara | 7 | £ 949 |
Riders In | 7 | £ 1199 |
Das Central - Alpine. Luxury. Life | 7 | £ 1734 |
Sunny Sölden | 7 | £ 1000 |
Die Berge Lifestyle Hotel | 7 | £ 1025 |
Hotel Bergland | 7 | £ 1674 |
Gästehaus Kneisl | 7 | £ 765 |