Sankt Leonhard Guide & Reviews Pitztal Valley Ski Area, Apres-Ski, Children, Resort Activities
Resort Review
Sankt Leonhard sits at the upper end of the Pitztal Valley and is one of 4 villages in the 25km narrow valley floor. Its actually a collection of hamlets, the first being Wiese at 1182m followed by several more until you reach Mittelberg at 1735m and the local ski area of Rifflsee.
Après-ski
For a relatively small village, Sankt Loenhard has a surprising number of pubs, bars and restaurants to choose from. Pitztaler Ice Schirmbar in Mittelberg is a good place to try out straight off the slopes and then the Schirmhaserlbar in Mandarfen. The apres-ski is basically your typical Austrian "knees-up" - great fun and lively.
| Key information (whole area) | |
|---|---|
| Altitude | 1640m |
| Top lift | 3440m |
| Family | |
| Beginner | |
| Intermediate | |
| Expert | |
| Piste (km) | 81 |
| Longest run | 4 km |
| Off piste | |
| Cross country | 12 km |
| Season | Sept - May |
| Snowboard parks | 1 |
| Heli Skiing | ✘ |
| Summer skiing | ✔ |
| Glacier skiing | ✔ |
| Babysitting | ✘ |
| Creche | ✔ |
| Apres ski | Traditional |
Pitztal Valley Ski Area Guide
The local ski resort is called Rifflsee and is perfect for beginners, families and early intermediates with a great beginners area and wide cruising blue runs. The new funicular connects Rifflsee with the Pitztal Glacier and this is where intermediates and experts head.
There is also a third ski area is called Hochzeiger which provides a further 40kms of pistes between 1450m and 2450m plus a 6km toboggan run. Hochzeiger is situated at the start of the Pitztal Valley and is a good alternative to Rifflse for beginners and early intermediates.
Beginners
First timers will enjoy the nursery slopes at Rifflse before progressing to the gentle blues high up on the Pitztal Glacier. This is what makes Pitztal special as it gives beginners the high mountain experience usually reserved for intermediates and advanced skiers.
Intermediate
With plenty of long reds, intermediate skiers and boarders are very well catered for in Rifflse and throughout the other ski areas in the Pitztal valley.
Advanced
For the advanced skier, there are some challenging ski tours starting from the top of the Pitztal Glacier. One of the best tours starts from the top of the Gletscher Express lify at 2840m. Its a 3 hour climb using skins and occasionally crampons, to the top of Wildspitze at 3774m and then its downhill all the way in deep virgin powder.
Snowboard
There is a terrain park on the glacier that is suitable for all levels of boarder from novice to expert.
Other ski holiday activities
If you don't fancy skiing or the weather is not that great, then there are plenty of other activities to keep you occupied...
- Snowshoeing
- Cross-country skiing
- Sledging
- Ice skating
- Indoor tennis
- Tubing
- Ice climbing
- Curling
- Sleigh rides
- Thermal spa at Langenfeld
Children
If you are travelling with a young family, children are extremely well catered. The lift pass is one of the best value tickets in Austria and for children under 10 years old and accompanied by a parent travel for free! For children aged between 10 and 15, the lift passes are discounted too. There are also various play areas...
- Kinderland with conveyor belt near the Brunnenkogel ski lift
- Tubing and sliding arena right next to the Kristall sun terrace
- Practice lift in Mandarfen with adventure playground
- Child-friendly facilities, for example, the child-safe Sunna Almbahn chair-lift at Rifflsee.
Featured ski chalets & apartments
Sankt Leonhard accommodation
The numerous hamlets that make up Sankt Leonhard provide a good stock
of holiday rental accommodation including chocolate-box chalets and self catering apartments.
For families, friends and group, renting a chalet is great value and provides
the flexibility, freedom and space to do what you want, when you want.
Our view on Sankt Leonhard
The ski areas in the Pitztal Valley cater for all levels of skier and boarder including ski touring enthusiasts who enoy exploring the back-country. What sets Sankt Leonhard apart from many resorts is that its uncrowded, family friendly and has not lost its traditional look and feel - an authentic Tyrolean alpine village.
