Wildkogel Arena in March: spring skiing in the sun on wide Alpine pistes

We arrived at Wildkogel Arena at the beginning of March, when typical spring skiing is already starting in many Alpine resorts. It was warm in the valley, thermometers showed temperatures above zero, and strong sunshine lit the slopes from the morning. The conditions pointed to the classic spring skiing scenario: good mornings, soft snow in the afternoon and long breaks on mountain hut terraces.

Despite the above-zero temperatures, the pistes were in very good condition. In the morning the slopes were firm and well groomed, and for most of the day the snow kept a good texture. Only in the lower parts of the resort, especially on the runs heading down to the valley, did small moguls and a softer surface appear in the afternoon. In weather like this, though, that is completely normal.

Wildkogel Arena lies between the villages of Neukirchen am Großvenediger and Bramberg am Wildkogel in SalzburgerLand. The resort has around 75 km of pistes, most of them blue and red. That makes for smooth, comfortable skiing, and the slopes are wide and well prepared.

The first impression on skis is very positive. This place is nothing like the huge, crowded resorts of Tyrol or the Zillertal. The atmosphere is calmer and the lift queues are short. As a result you can get a lot of skiing in, especially if you pick the long red pistes that run across open, sunny slopes with views of the Hohe Tauern massif and the Großvenediger.

Wildkogel Arena works well in exactly the kind of conditions you get in early March. The resort's aspect helps the pistes stay in good shape for a long time, and the wide slopes keep the skiing enjoyable even when the snow is soft.

The pistes of Wildkogel Arena: relaxed skiing, wide slopes and a few tougher sections

Wildkogel Arena shows its character from the very first run. This is a resort where comfortable skiing on wide pistes matters most, not battling steep walls or kilometres of black runs. In total it has around 75 km of pistes, most of them blue and red. They are what give the place its atmosphere.

The gentlest sections, 35 km of blue pistes, are good for warming up or for skiers who are still gaining confidence. They are wide, clearly laid out and let you ski calmly without stress. You can tell the resort was designed with families in mind, and with skiers who prefer long, flowing descents to very technical stretches.

We spent most of our time, though, on the red pistes, of which Wildkogel Arena has around 30 km. They are the resort's real showcase. The long, well-groomed slopes let you ski at an even pace and carve long turns at leisure. Pistes 3a and 5a stayed with us in particular. They are wide with a very pleasant gradient, so the skiing flows and is great fun, especially on a sunny day with views of the Hohe Tauern massif.

There are more demanding sections too. Across the resort there are around 10 km of black pistes, which make an interesting contrast with the gentler slopes. One of them is piste no. 19, noticeably steeper and more dynamic. On firmer snow it can be fast and adds a bit of sporting excitement after a few calmer runs on the reds.

The resort also has a freestyle side. Wildkogel Arena has a Funslope and a Family Park with features to play on: snow waves, banked turns and simple obstacles. It is more a place for first attempts in a snow park than a big park for pros, but it suits the recreational character of the whole resort well.

Lifts and ski passes: how the resort works

Wildkogel Arena is a fairly compact but well-designed resort. It stretches between the villages of Neukirchen am Großvenediger and Bramberg am Wildkogel, where the two main gondolas start, carrying skiers up to the Wildkogel ridge. From Neukirchen you ride the Wildkogelbahn gondola, and from Bramberg the Smaragdbahn gondola. Both take skiers in a few minutes to more than 2,100 metres, where the resort's main pistes begin. A free ski bus also runs around Neukirchen and Bramberg (in the form of a road train with carriages, which can be an attraction in itself), making it easier to reach the gondola valley stations and letting you leave the car at the hotel.

In total Wildkogel Arena has around 20 lifts. Besides the gondolas there are chairlifts serving the main sections of piste, plus T-bars and shorter lifts for beginners. As a result skiers spread out fairly evenly, and even on busier days there is no sense of long queues. In practice, after one day of skiing it is easy to get your bearings, because most pistes start near the ridge and lead down towards the Neukirchen or Bramberg side of the valley.

The highest lift point is at around 2,150 m, while the gondola valley stations sit at around 820 metres above sea level. The vertical drop is therefore considerable, and the descents, especially down to the valley, can be really long. The whole ski area has around 75 km of pistes, most of them blue and red, which fits the calm, recreational character of the resort.

Ski passes can be bought in several ways. The most traditional option is the ticket offices at the gondola valley stations in Neukirchen and Bramberg, where every type of pass is available, from one-day to multi-day. Many people, however, choose the more convenient route and buy their ski passes online in the resort's official shop. In that case the pass can be loaded onto a KeyCard you already have or collected from a ticket machine by scanning the code from the order.

In terms of prices, Wildkogel Arena sits at the usual level for SalzburgerLand. An adult one-day ski pass costs around €69.50, while for a longer stay multi-day passes are better value, as their price per day is noticeably lower.

A big advantage of the resort is its simplicity. After one day of skiing most skiers know the layout of the pistes and lifts well. That makes it easy to plan your next runs and spend more time skiing than studying the piste map.

It is also worth remembering that Wildkogel Arena is part of a larger ski network in the region. On a longer stay you can also ski in neighbouring resorts. Holders of the Salzburg Super Ski Card ski pass have access not only to Wildkogel Arena but also to many other areas in SalzburgerLand and Tyrol, including Zillertal Arena and KitzSki Kitzbühel/Kirchberg. On a single trip you can therefore combine relaxed skiing at Wildkogel with days in much bigger resorts a few dozen minutes away by car.

Restaurants and terraces with a view

One of the things you quickly come to appreciate at Wildkogel Arena is the calm atmosphere on the slopes and in the mountain huts. There are no huge, noisy restaurants of the kind found in the biggest Alpine resorts. Instead, smaller mountain eateries with terraces dominate, where you can sit in the sun and take a longer break between runs.

During our stay we stopped at the Wildkogel Alm, a restaurant beside blue piste no. 2, which many skiers take down towards Bramberg. On a sunny day the terrace fills up quickly, because it gets plenty of sun and has a very good view of the surrounding Hohe Tauern ranges. In March, when temperatures are already above zero, many skiers stay here much longer than a quick lunch.

The menu is typical of Austrian ski huts and built on simple, filling dishes. A Wiener schnitzel with chips or potatoes costs €19.50, a Salzburg burger with chips €18.50, and the regional Pinzgauer Kasnocken (cheese dumplings with fried onions) €15.90. Gröstl with bacon and a fried egg is also popular and costs €16.50.

For a short break between runs there are simpler snacks too. A portion of chips costs €6.90, as does a ham and cheese toastie, and a sausage with bread is also €6.90.

For dessert you can order classic Alpine sweets. Apfelstrudel with cream costs €7.50, a germknödel with blueberry filling €10.50, and a waffle with apple purée and vanilla ice cream €10.90.

Drink prices are similar to other resorts in SalzburgerLand. A Kaiser Märzen beer costs €5.20 for 0.3 l, a Weihenstephan wheat beer €5.90, and an Aperol Spritz, a slope favourite, €7.90. A coffee costs around €4.90 and a tea €3.50.

The second place skiers often visit is the restaurant at the top station of the Wildkogelbahn gondola in Neukirchen. It is a bigger self-service venue with a large dining hall, so at lunchtime it is noticeably busier. Prices are usually a little lower than in the smaller huts on the slopes, but the atmosphere is more that of a big restaurant by the lift.

Either way, at Wildkogel Arena meal breaks tend to stretch out quite naturally. In good weather that is hardly surprising: the sun, the terraces and the view of the Alps easily turn even a quick lunch into a longer break between runs.

Where to stay in Wildkogel Arena

The area around Neukirchen am Großvenediger and Bramberg am Wildkogel has a well-developed range of accommodation. The valley has many small guesthouses and apartments, but there are also comfortable four-star hotels. The region has lived off winter and summer tourism for years, so its infrastructure is well prepared for skiers. In most places ski storage, boot dryers and the option to buy ski passes at reception are standard.

Many skiers choose to stay in Neukirchen, because this is where the Wildkogelbahn gondola starts, taking you up to the resort's ridge. Bramberg, meanwhile, has the Smaragdbahn gondola, so you can get onto the slopes quickly from either village.

During our visit we stayed at the four-star Hotel Steiger in Neukirchen. It is a family-run hotel a few minutes from the village centre and close to the gondola valley station. The rooms and apartments are furnished in Alpine style, with plenty of wood and mountain views. The hotel also has a wellness area with saunas and a relaxation garden.

The cooking deserves a mention, as it is one of this hotel's strong points. The menu features classic Austrian dishes as well as more elaborate options. During our stay it included beef and veal dishes, as well as crayfish tails, which are not a common sight in Alpine hotels at all.

The hotel also puts together ski packages. In spring there is the “Sunny Skiing” offer, which includes 5 nights with meals and a 4-day ski pass for Wildkogel Arena. Prices for these stays start from €736 per person, and there are other winter packages too, for example week-long stays with a multi-day ski pass included.

Agnieszka Kaszuba / skionline.pl