Obergurgl-Hochgurgl

Obergurgl and Hochgurgl (known in the skiing world simply as Gurgl) are two high-altitude villages at the head of the Ötztal valley. The third ski village in the area is Untergurgl. It is worth coming all the way up here, past the villages of the Ötztal, including Sölden with all its attractions, because the local ski areas really are first class. Perfectly groomed pistes, modern infrastructure and traditional mountain huts with excellent service: Gurgl has all of this, and many skiers regard it as skiing heaven. Snow lasts on the pistes from November to May, and snowmaking covers 90% of the slopes. A free ski bus runs throughout the resort. A single ski pass is valid here, and also in nearby Sölden. A great advantage is that most pistes end right at hotel doors, so you can get around easily without taking your skis off. Another big plus is the absence of crowds on the slopes; the panoramic Top Express Gurgl gondola, with a capacity of 1,200 people per hour, helps to clear even the longest lift queues. The ride between Obergurgl and Hochgurgl (3.6 km long) takes just 9 minutes. The longest piste in the Gurgltal is the 8 km run from the Wurmkogel down to Obergurgl (1,260 m vertical drop). The queen of Gurgl's slopes is the Hohe Mut, and only very skilled skiers should risk the descent from there. Cross-country skiers have more than a dozen kilometres of high-altitude trails. Equipment hire and lessons with an instructor are available. The Gurgl villages lie above the tree line (Obergurgl 1,930 m, Hochgurgl 2,150 m, Untergurgl 1,800 m), far from the bustle of the main valley. Besides skiing you can go ice skating, curling and winter walking, among other things. The quality of the food here deserves a special mention. More than a dozen mountain huts with top-quality service offer excellent cooking and a genuine atmosphere.