Winter Sports in the Alps: Obergurgl-Hochgurgl, Tyrol, Austria
From the ‘Jewel of the Alps’ to the ‘white roof’ of Innsbruck - we’ve had it all. So this week, it’s time to talk about the ‘Diamond of the Alps’. One look at that picture and you know where this name comes from, so let’s start right into talking about the ski resort of Obergurgl-Hochgurgl, hidden deep in the Ötztal valley.
Obergurgl and Hochgurgl are the names of two villages in the Ötztal valley. Together they form the ski resort ‘Obergurgl-Hochgurgl’ which is located at the very end of the valley. To get there might take you a while. Around one and a half hours by car from Innsbruck to be precise, but there’s also a ski bus that runs from the city. On your way through the valley, you’ll pass by the skiing area Hochoetz, the Ötzi village, the Aqua Dome Thermal Spa, and even Sölden, one of the most famous ski resorts in Austria, where two FIS Alpine Ski World Cup race takes place every October. But more on Sölden another time.
This time, it’s all about the ski resort that comes around 10 kilometres after passing said village. This deep in the valley, there’s nothing else surrounding you than untouched mountains. There are only a few ski resorts that can compete with these views and the Italian border is pretty close as well. To be precise, there are 21 glaciated mountains that are higher than 3,000 metres surrounding the ski resort. Also, the resort is huge and offers you around 110 kilometres of slopes. I tried snowboarding on as many as possible in one day, and believe me, to make it through them all would require you to get up and be fast. I‘ve only been there twice until now, and that’s why I’m currently obsessed with this series of blog posts, as they require me to get out of my comfort zone and try out different resorts instead of sticking to the same five I’ve known my whole life.
And now, let’s head on to the different parts of the ski resort …
Hochgurgl
If you want to start your day on the slopes in Hochgurgl, but are not staying in any of the hotels in the village, it’s easiest to park in Pill (attention, there are lots of villages all over Tyrol called this way) where the Hochgurglbahn starts. This gondola will bring you right up to Hochgurgl and this part of the ski resort. Also, this parking lot is nearly never full, even if you don’t come there early. What I really enjoyed is that by taking a single lift or gondola, you can ski or board an immense length of slopes. Especially for us snowboarders, it’s a great plus if you don’t always have to take the board off and on all the time. Also, you’ll find lots of slopes for all kinds of skiers, whether you’re a beginner or already very skilled.
If you want, you can even ski close to the Timmelsjoch High Alpine Road, on which you can cross over the border to Italy in summer. To do so, you simply have to take the Kirchenkarbahn gondola, which starts exactly where the road takes off in summer. During winter the road is always closed, but you’ll surely have fun there.
For my lunch break, I went to the Wurmkoglhütte in Hochgurgl, but you have a very vast number of self-service restaurants, bars, huts, gourmet restaurants and all kinds of snack stations you can choose from. And honestly, in such a great resort, you can enjoy an impressive view from all these places. Thanks to the great number of places to go, no place is extremely crowded, and so I found a spot easily and got to treat myself to a yummy Tyrolean dumpling with a view. Also, you can simply take a break in a sun chair and do nothing besides listening to music and drink a glass.
The Top Mountain Star
In case you wondered where the name ‘Diamond of the Alps’ came from, just take a look at these pictures. This is the landmark of the ski resort: a giant glass bar/restaurant on top of the mountains. The Top Mountian Star is located at the height of 3,080 metres, and the views are outstanding. After getting off the Top Wurmkoglbahn II, you’ll be greeted with a view that can’t even be described properly. Is it the glass building that is so impressive? Or is it the panorama of endless snow-covered untouched mountains? Or the combination of both? You can either take a break in the bar, or you simply stop to enjoy the view and then head on skiing, but I definitely suggest you walk past the Top Mountain Star, to enjoy an even better view.
View from the Top Mountain Star
Obergurgl
While this year was the first time I got to enjoy the slopes in Hochgurgl, I’ve actually been to Obergurgl before. Last year, I took an Avalanche Safety Camp there and had a lot of fun and learned a lot. As the ski resort is so big, I did not get to enjoy Hochgurgl back then. This time, I decided to change villages during my snowboarding day. How you can change in between villages and what kind of connection there is, I will explain to you in a minute, but let’s talk a bit more about Obergurgl now.
While the village of Obergurgl is bigger than Hochgurgl, I’d say that the skiing possibilities and kilometres of slopes are pretty close to each other. Just as in Hochgurgl, the slopes are pretty long and split very often, so you have a wide variety and can change things up even though you stick to the same lifts. Also in Obergurgl, you find lots of different places to take a break, and the biggest highlight might be the Hohe Mut Alm, from where you have an incredible view over the surrounding valleys and peaks. Other than in Hochgurgl, you’ll find some ski routes here, so there’s really something for everyone.
Top Express Gurgl
The two villages Obergurgl and Hochgurgl are close to each other, but still, a few kilometres are separating them. To overcome this distance, the Top Express Gurgl gondola was built. The gondola covers a distance of more than 3,5 kilometres, and when looking at the pictures below, you’ll understand why this is one of the first lifts to be closed on days with heavy winds. But don’t worry, you won’t be stuck in one village in case this happens, there runs a free shuttle bus in these situations. Also, I visited on a day with winds, and the gondola was open nearly all day. While in the gondola, you’ll enjoy an astonishing view of untouched valleys, so you won’t get bored during the time you spend in there. Thanks to the gondola you can easily change villages for lunch or simply because you like one better than another.
Can you tell how amazed I was by these views? I don’t think I’ve eve take this many pictures on a single day on the slopes - and to me, taking lots of photos is completely normal! While, as mentioned earlier, I had already visited last year, the pictures are all from 2020.
If you are planning on heading to Obergurgl-Hochgurgl, I recommend you check out the link below to get directed to their official website, where you can obtain all the latest information about snow, weather and road conditions. Also, I think it is very important to start early if you want to enjoy a day of skiing there, as you can easily underestimate the one and a half hours of driving on a one-lane road. On busy days there might be lots of traffic surrounding the other hotspots of the valley, first of all of course Sölden.
The SNOW CARD TIROL, FREIZEIT TICKET TIROL, REGIO CARD TIROL & ÖTZTAL SUPERSKIPASS are valid for this resort.
If you, instead, are not sure about which ski resort to choose for your next adventure, head to the link below to read about many more resorts that have different kinds of advantages. If you cannot find the resort you are looking for, leave a comment with your suggestion or write me a message.
Little disclaimer: none of these posts are sponsored. Sponsored posts are clearly marked and if you are curious about how I handle that, I suggest you read about that here.