Skiing in Mayrhofen, Austria: A resort review

The minute we opened the door, I knew we’d picked a good one. It became apparent very quickly that it wasn’t just a good one, but a fantastic one. Owned and ran by Christine and Marcus Eder, the hotel sat on the edge of town, only a few minutes away from the main street and Penkenbahn gondola. We were handed a lovely schnapps on arrival and given our first of many excellent dinner recommendations.

We stayed in a Superior room which had been newly renovated and included a ginormous bed, table and seating area, large wardrobe area, balcony and beautiful bathroom. It also included all the usual necessities such as WiFi, TV, hairdryer, safe, towels etc, along with a fridge which, during our stay, was a little redundant due to the sub zero temperatures outside (and the fact that we were only using it for beer). One particular thing that I loved about the room was that it had a built in radio in the bathroom. Now, we were told this was for dancing, but I’m half convinced it was due to the lack of door on the bathroom. Let’s just say, if you didn’t know each other well before this trip, you certainly will afterwards.

After a first great nights sleep we were up, ready and downstairs for breakfast at 7:30am, as all eager beavers are on the first day of a ski trip. Breakfast was a lovely buffet spread of everything from cereals, freshly baked breads and croissants to cheeses, meats and delicate cakes. There was always a little something ready and waiting on your table as well, whether it be a freshly made smoothie, small cake or a quarter of a pineapple. As hot food goes, we were offered scrambled eggs with bacon, an offer we of course always accepted.

The walk from the hotel to the Penkanbahn gondola was only a few minutes, but this walk seemed to feel longer and longer as the week went on. As with most Austrian ski resorts, you do need to take a gondola up to the ski area. This isn’t a problem as such, but it is something to consider, especially if you love ‘ski-in-ski-out’. The queues moved fast but that is probably due to the fact that everyone seemed to shove their way on to any already packed gondola. Beware of parents with kids, they will shove you pretty hard in order to get their child on.

Mayrhofen has two distinct ski areas, the Ahorn and the Penken. The Penken ski area is the larger of the two mountains and is where we spent the majority of our time. It includes the steepest run in Europe, the Harikiri along with the Vans snowpark and many blue, red and black runs, making it perfect for intermediate skiers and boarders alike. Your other option is the Ahorn area, which is accessed by its own gondola, the Ahornbahn. This is only a few minutes walk from the Penkanbahn but you cannot ski between the two areas (as far as I’m aware). The Ahorn area is much smaller and is more suited to beginners and families due to its wide open runs and quieter atmosphere. If you’re an advanced skier, you will be able to ski the Ahorn area in no time at all, and will most likely only spend half a day there. It does, however, have a long black run of 5.5km winding all the way back down to the village which is often fairly quiet. It is also home to the White Lounge, a bar and hotel made completely from snow and ice which is a great place to stop for a drink.

As mentioned previously, Mayrhofen is home to the steepest run in Europe, the Harakiri. It is named after the Japanese term, ‘seppuku’, meaning ritual suicide by samurai – delightful. It is just over 1500m long and at its steepest points, is 78% (or 38 degrees) and is recommended only for ‘well trained skiers’. The run is short but icy due to the fact that it is north-east facing, keeping it in the shade for the majority of the day. After a short, relatively flat start, the run suddenly tapers off and becomes steep and icy. We witnessed many skiers and boarders take a little fall which resulted in them sliding the entire way down to the bottom. Once you’ve started falling, there’s really no stopping it due to the steep incline. In all honesty, I don’t get much enjoyment out of steep icy runs, so I didn’t bother with it. It seemed as though many of the people attempting it were simply just trying to fluff up their egos in front of their friends. Meanwhile, I’d rather be messing around in the powder off piste somewhere, but each to their own. If you do want to give it a shot, make sure to try out the other black runs, especially the Devils’ run, which is seen by locals as a good test for the Harikiri. Tony (my partner, and a great skier) did try out the Harikiri and his review was as follows: steep, icy and in reality, not that much fun. Take from that what you will.

One last thing I have to mention about the ski area is the queues. During our visit there was no school holiday, it was not Easter break, half term or anything like that, yet on some days, mainly towards the end of the week, it was absolutely packed. At times it felt like you did more queueing and waiting than actual skiing. During the 3-4pm rush hour, as I like to call it, certain runs were not that dissimilar to the M25 on a Monday evening. It was carnage, there were people everywhere, the runs were churned up and you had to almost wait your turn to finally get down the slope. Of course, this was just my experience on one given week during the season, but it is something worth considering.

After a full morning of skiing, you will no doubt be on the hunt for a place to grab some food and possibly a beer. Well, you’d better be ready to fight for it. I have never experienced anything quite like it, there are about 3 times the amount of people in each restaurant than there should be and they’re all fighting for a table. Be prepared to stand your ground and move fast or you may still be searching an hour later. The food is anything from pizza to weinerschnitzel (traditionally a breaded veal escolope) to soups with large dumplings and as much apple strudel as you can stomach. Portions are usually very big (and I can really eat!) so if you’re not too hungry or want a cheap option, you could always share a main course. We often shared a pizza which was a very cheap way of getting some carbs in for the afternoon.

Mayrhofen has a bit of a reputation for its lively apres ski but in all honesty, it was less wild than I was expecting. Granted, we weren’t joining the onesie-clad nineteen year olds dancing on stripper poles and downing jagers, but generally, the town seemed quieter than many French resorts I have been to. Apres starts up the mountain right at the top of the gondola and continues down into the town at Ice bar, Brück’n Stadl and Movie Bar, to name a few. Beers are very reasonably priced at around €4 a pint and there is usually a wide range on offer in restaurants and bars to suit your taste. Unlike the UK, smoking is still permitted inside bars in Austria, so be prepared for that and opt for the smoke-free options if it’s a complete no no. One option is Movie bar, a smoke free bar playing sports at the end of town by Hotel Neuhaus.

Like with many places, restaurants right on the main strip aren’t necessarily the best options. Luckily, we were armed with many incredible recommendations by Christine. From traditional Austrian/Tirol cuisine to Italian eats and amazing steak, we found it all. I’m actually going to do a separate post on where to eat in Mayrhofen as I just cannot do it justice in a paragraph or two. Let’s just say, there are a number of great restaurants off the beaten path and they are more than worth the 10-15 minute walk to get to. As I mentioned previously, portions are large so I wouldn’t recommend a three course dinner unless you’re bulking up for World’s strongest man or haven’t eaten in 3 days. Menus are focused around traditional dishes and heavily feature pork, beef and potatoes. I did not see much (if any) fish or poultry on menus at the restaurants we dined in so if you’re particular about what you eat, the traditional restaurants may not be for you. As a vegetarian, your options on the most part would include pasta dishes and salads.

There are some fantastic traditional dishes to try across the resort from apple strudel to the Tiroler Grostl, a dish traditionally made from leftovers (in many cases, bacon), onions and potatoes with a fried egg on top. This particular dish is often one of the cheaper dishes on the menu due to its nature and can be around €12. A particular favourite of mine was the Zwiebelrostbraten, sirloin steak flattened and served with a onion sauce, potatoes and green beans cooked with bacon.

Only a short bus (or train) ride away, you will find there are many more ski areas at your fingertips. If you’d like to venture further afield, opt for the Zillertaler super ski pass, a ski pass that will allow you access to every ski area in the Zillertal valley, including the Hintertux Glacier. This gives you access to over 515km groomed pistes and more variety than you can shake a stick at. Mayrhofen often tends to be the busiest ski area in the valley, so if you want to escape the queues, try nearby Kaltenbach or the Hintertux glacier for incredible views, 365 days a year of skiing and an altitude of 3250m.

We ventured over to the Hintertux glacier by bus (the green line from the centre of town) which took about 30 minutes, winding uphill up the valley. On arrival, we jumped straight on the gondola and headed for the very top. On a blue sky day from the top of the Gletscher Bus 3 gondola you can see for miles. There is an observation deck above the gondola station which is a great little place to stop, marvel at the views and take some pictures. The skiing here was very enjoyable, the runs wide, open, long and less icy than many in Mayrhofen due to the sun exposure. I could have spent days in this part of the valley so if you get the chance, you simply must go.

On our last day we had some spare time before our flight to wander the town, eat cakes and apparently, witness an unusual car racing event. The town is relatively small, but has everything you may need during your visit. It’s full of beautiful buildings, ski shops and restaurants so it easy to kill some time. A great little place we found for coffee and cake was Kostner, a fantastic restaurant stroke cafe with a counter full of every cake, pastry and bread you can imagine. It was also the best coffee we had during our whole stay in Mayrhofen, so if you’re into your coffee like us, head straight there.

After a wonderful week spent here I can well and truly say that it’s a brilliant place for your winter holiday. I will always have a soft spot for certain resorts in France, but the food, hospitality and value for money here is quite undeniable. Whether you’re just learning, already comfortable on all types of runs or even an off piste explorer, Mayrhofen has a little bit of everything for you. Just remember though, you may have to queue for it.

Happy adventuring,

Lorna