SkiWelt Wilder Kaiser-Brixental

SkiWelt lies on the western edge of the Kitzbühel Alps. Its core is formed by low ridges between the Brixental to the south and the deep Sölllandl valley to the north, dominated by the jagged Wilder Kaiser massif. The landscape is strikingly similar to the higher parts of Poland's Beskids: few rocks, a lot of forest, all of it densely criss-crossed by pistes. The surroundings, however, are thoroughly alpine: to the north the Wilder Kaiser, which looks remarkably like the Dolomites, and to the south and east the high parts of the Kitzbühel Alps (where one of the ski areas lies). The whole region is surrounded by deep, easily accessible valleys with eight villages that serve as starting points for the lifts: Brixen im Thale, Ellmau, Going, Hopfgarten, Itter, Kelchsau, Scheffau, Söll and Westendorf. They have a very large and varied choice of accommodation, good restaurants and a full range of additional services and attractions. Proof that everything here really is world class: in the 2013/14 winter season SkiWelt had the highest number of visitors of all ski resorts in Austria, and the third highest in the world. The ski terrain is very varied. Most of it lies between the Sölllandl and Brixenthal valleys, on a fairly fragmented mountain range with six distinct peaks that rise in height from east to west. The easternmost massif of the region is the Astberg (1,267 m), suitable both for beginners and for better skiers. Its landscape resembles Skrzyczne in the Polish Beskids, although you will not find pistes as difficult as the FIS run in Szczyrk here. The next mountain to the west is higher: the Hartkaiser (1,555 m), similar in height and landscape to Pilsko in Poland, but developed on an incomparably larger scale. It is one of the best places for family skiing in the whole region. The pistes are wide and not too long, and lifts converge on the summit from all sides: a T-bar, three chairlifts and a rail-mounted tram from Ellmau. The stylish Bergkaiser panoramic restaurant, which looks like something from a fairy tale against the surrounding peaks, is well worth a visit. The central part of the resort is formed by three peaks close together: the Brandstadl (1,650 m), the Eiberg (1,673 m) and the Zinsberg (1,674 m). They lie between the two largest villages of the region, Scheffau and Brixen im Thale. This is where you have the biggest choice of pistes, mostly blue and red and usually very wide, but it is also usually the busiest part of the region. The westernmost and highest peak in this part of SkiWelt is the Hohe Salve (1,829 m). It should be on every visitor's list, not only for its wealth of pistes, mainly red and black, but above all for the superb all-round panorama from the summit. In good weather you can see a large part of Tyrol and more than 70 peaks over 3,000 metres, and with a little luck even the mountains of the Italian Alps. It is not without reason that this spot is considered the best viewpoint in Tyrol. The second, much smaller part of SkiWelt lies south of the Brixental, already in the Kitzbühel Alps. It has a completely different character: no more Beskid-style rounded hills, but a truly alpine landscape. It is certainly the most beautiful corner of the whole region. It is also the newest: the pistes beyond Talkaser, on the slopes of the Fielding (1,892 m) and the Gampenkogel (1,957 m), were only built after 2009. Red and black pistes dominate here, and the steepest of them, no. 112, has a gradient of 80%, with sections steeper than 45 degrees. In terms of organisation, SkiWelt is run almost perfectly. Every skier will find something here: a huge choice of well-groomed pistes of varying difficulty, a very high standard of service, good regional food and fantastic scenery. Despite its fairly low altitude (all pistes here lie below 2,000 metres), its good and efficient snowmaking system and modern infrastructure ensure good conditions from December to April. It is undoubtedly worth a visit, and thanks to its size you can ski different pistes every day of a week-long stay. Getting there. The SkiWelt region lies in the eastern part of Tyrol. The most convenient route is the A12 motorway along the Inn valley from Munich and Salzburg. For the villages in the northern part of the region (Ellmau, Going, Scheffau, Söll), leave the motorway at Kufstein and follow road no. 173. For Brixen im Thale, Hopfgarten, Itter, Kelchsau and Westendorf, take the next junction, Wörgl, and head east on road no. 170. Approximate distances from the largest Polish cities: from Warsaw about 1,150 km; from Kraków about 890 km; from Wrocław about 780 km; from Poznań about 950 km; from Gdańsk about 1,240 km.