Akureyri, Iceland

Yar Dmitriev from UNITED STATES writes:

Situated between 500 and 1,000m above sea level, seven kilometres from the Icelandic city of Akureyri, Hlidarfjall is one of the country’s top ski resorts, boasting excellent pistes for beginner to upper intermediate level skiers, cross-country trails and off-piste skiing. Night-time skiing on illuminated pistes is also on offer.

The resort base, located at 500m, has only the most necessary facilities of a single ski lodge (the Stryta lodge), toilets, shops and a cafeteria. However, the city of Akureyri offers a multitude of visitor services, shops, accommodation options and recreational opportunities.

Hlidarfjall is a small, personal resort, with only 12kms of groomed pistes, the longest being 2.5kms. The resort caters mainly for lower level skiers, with only green and blue pistes on offer. There are four ski lifts in Hlidarfjall, able to transport 2,000 skiers per hour. Additionally, the resort encompasses five kilometres of illuminated cross-country tracks, and snowboarders have access to a terrain park with jumps, slides and tables.

Between Hlidarfjall and Akureyri, there are a multitude of alternative winter activities on offer. Visitors have access to a superb ice-skating rink and swimming pools heated by geothermal activity. Sports and leisure activities are also available, including a number of fitness centres.

Hlidarfjall’s ski season runs from mid-December to the end of April, with optimal snow from February to March, and cheaper rates offered at the beginning of the season, in selected weeks in January, and towards the season’s close. The easiest way of accessing the resort is to take a flight to Reykjavik, Iceland’s capital, then a domestic flight to Akureyri, and the Skibus to Hlidarfjall.