We had the most wonderful time celebrating New Years during our week-long ski vacation in the small ski town of St. Anton in the Austrian alps!
Hotel Grischuna
We couldn’t have picked a more perfect place to stay while celebrating New Years in St. Anton than Hotel Grischuna. This cute boutique hotel is a quick walk to downtown St. Anton and main ski lift gondola. The rooms are bright and modern with views of the mountains and ski slopes. We loved the breakfast that was included every morning which had foamy cappuccinos, pastries, cheeses, charcuterie, granola, eggs to order and more, We stayed here for a week and loved eating a breakfast every morning before going skiing.
Our favorite thing about Hotel Grischuna was the heated outdoor pool, steam room and sauna! Perfect after a day on the slopes! We would come in at least once a day and soak our bones in the warm water while watching the skiers come down the mountain. It was really special be able to to go for a swim outside while it was snowing!
One of the most convenient things about staying at Hotel Grischuna is that inluded with your stay you get free ski and boot storage at shop steps away from the Galzigbahn. We could either take the complimentary shuttle from the hotel in the morning or walk 10 minutes through town to getthere. It was super easy and made it a breeze to ski everyday without lugging around your gear!
Ski Saint Anton am Arlberg
The main reason we visited St. Anton was to ski one of the best ski resorts in the world! It’s one of the largest inter-connected ski resorts in Europe and with five little Austrian villages that you can ski between - St. Anton, St. Christoph, Stuben, Lech, Zürs.
Ang had just switched from snowboarding to skiing and had a lot of fun skiing in Saint Anton. There are a lot of beginner, intermediate and advanced slopes for all ski levels. After a fresh snow storm Jeff was able to ski some fresh powder with new friends too! One of the best days of the trip was New Years Day when we decided to ski to all 5 villages! It took all day to get to the furthest point but we had a blast following the piste map, taking ski lifts, an stopping for beers along the way.
Enjoy the Mid-Mountain Lodges
One of the best part about skiing in Europe is getting to explore and enjoy all the wonderful restaurants and bars you can find scattered throughout the mountain-side. With unreal views, delicious food and tasty beers these little mountain huts are incredible.
We loved stopping at all the mountain lodges throughout our ski day. We would either warm up by a cozy fire inside or bask in the sun on the deck admiring the views. We would sip on weissbeirs, and mulled wine, and filled our bellies with goulash before heading out for more skiing.
Eat and Drink at Hospiz Alm
We came to this awesome little mountainside restaurant, Hospiz Alm, twice during our trip. First in the afternoon for lunch when we skied down into the small village of St. Christoph. The sunny outdoor deck is always packed with skiers drinking schnapps and having lunch in their ski boots.
Käsespätzle is Bavaria’s version of mac and cheese with homemade noodles oozing with cheese and topped with caramelized onions! The käsespätzle we had on the deck of Hospiz Alm was delicious!
We also made a reservation to have dinner at Hospiz Alm Restaurant and it was the best meal of the entire trip! At night you can dine inside Hospiz Alm’s rustic Tyrolean Farmhouse Parlor. The ambience is cozy with a large open fire in the middle of the restaurant. We ordered the duck for two which was two courses of mouthwatering duck dishes that blew us away. Another quirky thing about Hospiz Alm is that they have a built-in stone slide you can take downstairs to the bathroom. It was built to help skiers in their ski boots be whisked downstairs quickly. We had a great experience dining at Hospiz Alm and would highly recommend it!
Après-Ski at the MooserWirt
No visit to Saint Anton would be complete without going to MooserWirt! This legendary ski-in après bar claims to sell more beer than any bar in Austria! Make sure to grab a seat on MooserWirt’s sundeck in the afternoon to enjoy one of the most fun après parties in Europe. We danced in our ski boots, drank jagerbombs, and had a blast. There is nothing quite like après-ski parties in Europe.
When the sun goes down everyone still has to ski down to the village and it’s funny to watch people ski after a few drinks, sometimes in the dark. On New Years Eve we got caught in the dark and skied down with our phone lights. Worth it!
Fondue at Fahrner Stub’n
One of the best places to eat fondue in Saint Anton is this cozy little restaurant called Fahrner Stub’n. This family-run restaurant is authentic and homey. We loved cheese fondue and this one really good!
Underground on the Piste
This hidden ski hut is the perfect place for a fun après drink. This lively little pub serve warm holiday cocktails and gives away free shots of Schnapps during happy hour. Come to cozy up in a corner with a drink and listen to live piano music.
We had the best week celebrating New Years in Saint Anton, Austria. We can’t wait to explore more European ski destinations in the future!
