Zettersfeld

The ski areas around Lienz, the capital of East Tyrol, are by no means all that the area has to offer skiers and visitors. Set in the rugged landscape of the Dolomites, the town has a history going back 750 years, so besides the picturesque snow-covered peaks there is much here worth seeing. From Lienz you can reach two ski areas with a total of just over 40 km of pistes: the larger Zettersfeld and the smaller Hochstein. Most of the pistes on the Zettersfeld are easy or intermediate. Wide, treeless and very sunny slopes predominate. A cable car from a station on the edge of town takes skiers up to the upper part of the ski area. More ambitious skiers should head for the Hochstein ski area, which once hosted alpine World Cup races. The Lienz area is very attractive for cross-country skiers. The trails along the valley floor total 60 km. You can also ski on higher trails that traverse the surrounding slopes. A real treat for cross-country touring fans is the final section of the trail that starts in Cortina in Italy and passes through here. Every year, on the third Sunday in January, a cross-country ski race called the Dolomitenlauf is held on the trails around the town. Lienz is a quiet little town where, because of the nearby border (only 40 km away), Italian influence dominates. Restaurant menus are written in Italian, and shop staff speak the language more or less fluently. Among the local sights, the well-preserved 13th-century Bruck Castle, rising above the town to the west and once the seat of the Counts of Görtz, deserves particular attention. Today it houses a museum. Also worth seeing is the impressive Gothic church of St Andrew, with 14th-century wall paintings, two 16th-century tombs carved from red Salzburg marble and a statue of the Beautiful Madonna (Schöne Madonna) from 1430. From around the church there is a picturesque view of the peaks of the Lienz Dolomites. As for après-ski, there is a wide choice. Besides skiing you can go tobogganing, skate on the frozen Tristach lake, try ice bowling or relax at the modern Dolomitenbad leisure pool with indoor and outdoor pools, among other things. In the evenings there are plenty of bars and discos.