Pistemaps printed on a lens cloth! buy now

Visitor reviews for St Anton Ski Resort

---

---

• January 01, 2012
  john from United Kingdom
  

  St Anton is great. We had 2 great trips last year at Christmas and mid April, Great snow, even in April, the mid week dump gave us powder and sunshine. Despite being a party with 4 child beginners ages 4-10 and two adult beginners, they skied it all with our instruction. Though my wife and and I demand more than ski instructors, particularly as skiing is not cheap with our 3 kids and we don't like hanging around, we loved the quiet slopes. The run to Stuben is amazing from Valluga, look out for the gormley,"another place " type bloke. If you're feeding the kids on a budget the bakery half way down the main st is great and gorgeous - good coffee too- avoid Esprit Alber chalet- purely amateur and disorganised (served barely edible food, same pork re heated for three days) but the Regina with Crystal was great, well organised and great food. Although not the best for beginners it is a place we look forward to going back to when all the kids are really proficient.

• St Anton Ratings

  Based on 11 votes. Vote

  Access: 4.0 (1) At least one overnight stop, (2) requires a whole day, (3) requires more than half a day – you may have time for a few turns (4) arrive by lunchtime and ski all afternoon, (5) there is a main airport within an hour of St Anton.	Public Transport: 4.5 (1) There are no buses or taxis to St Anton, (3) there are slow or infrequent buses / trains available, (5) getting to the resort is easy with frequent bus / train connections.
  Scenery: 4.1 (1) An ugly resort in a bland setting, (3) average mountain views and resort, (5) a spectacular setting and a beautiful / historic resort town.	Accommodation: 4.8 (1) No places to stay in/near St Anton, (3) a few places to stay in the resort, (5) a wide variety of accommodation suitable to suit all budgets.
  Cheap Rooms: 3.1 (1) No budget accommodation available, (3) just one or two hostels so book ahead, (5) several cheap hostels and pensions available.	Luxury Hotels: 4.6 (1) No luxury accommodation available, (3) just one or two luxury hotels so book ahead, (5) several up-market hotels in St Anton.
  Ski in/Ski out: 4.5 (1) The ski area is located far from any accommodation, (3) a free ski bus takes you to the ski area in a short trip, (5) Ski-in ski-out accommodation is available.	Childcare: 4.2 (1) There are no child care facilities at St Anton, (5) the resort has excellent child-care facilities including at least one reasonably priced creche.
  Snowsure: 4.5 (1) Occasionally gets enough snow for skiing, (2) is often closed due to a lack of snow, (3) occasionally suffers from a lack of snow, (4) rarely suffers from a lack of snow, (5) St Anton is snowsure even in the poorest seasons.	Snowmaking: 4.5 (1) St Anton relies entirely on natural snow, (3) there are just a few snow cannons, (5) there are snowmaking facilities on all pistes.
  Snow Grooming: 4.6 (1) There are no snow groomers at St Anton, (3) occasionally some pistes are left ungroomed and in a poor state, (5) all the runs at St Anton are groomed daily.	Shelter: 3.6 (1) there is nowhere to ski when it is windy or visibility is bad and lifts often shut, (3) there are some trees for poor visibility but main lifts sometimes close, (5) St Anton is mostly in forest where you can ski in flat-light and windy days, lifts rarely close.
  Nearby options: 3.5 (1) If snow conditions are poor at St Anton, it will be poor everywhere nearby, (3) there are good alternatives within an hours drive, (5) other locations on the same lift pass provide a rich variety of snowsure ski conditions.	Regional rating: 4.4 (1) St Anton usually has poor snow conditions compared to other resorts in region, (3) has average conditions for the region, (5) usually has the best snow conditions in the region.
  Lift Staff: 4.2 (1) The staff at St Anton are rude or unhelpful, (5) lift staff at St Anton are pleasant, cheerful and eager to help.	Crowds/Queues: 3.2 (1) the resort is always busy and there are usually long lift queues, (3) it is quiet apart from occasional weekends and school holidays, (5) it is uncrowded and lift queues are very rare.
  Ski Schools: 4.6 (1) No ski schools available, (2) one or two ski schools but local language only, (3) a few ski schools but book early for multi-lingual instructors, (4) plenty of ski schools and multi-lingual instructors available, (5) excellent ski schools with friendly multi-lingual ski instructors.	Hire and Repairs: 4.9 (1) Nothing can be sourced, not even ski-wax or ptex. (3) there are some ski shops but rentals need to be booked in advance, (5) good quality ski equipment can be purchased or hired and overnight repairs are possible.
  Variety of pistes: 4.7 (1) The ski runs are featureless and unvaried, (3) the ski runs are varied but not extensive enough for a week, (5) St Anton has diverse and interesting pistes including forests and high alpine terrain.	Beginners: 3.6 (1) Beginners can only watch others ski and snowboard, (3) a few gentle slopes but beginners will get bored in less than a week, (3) Vast areas of gentle terrain.
  Intermediates: 4.5 (1) No intermediate terrain at St Anton, (3) intermediate skiers will get bored after a few days, (5) vast areas of cruising runs.	Advanced: 4.7 (1) Nothing for advanced skiers and snowboarders, (3) enough steep terrain for a few days with some good offpiste, (5) Enough steep terrain and offpiste areas to entertain advanced skiers for at least a week.
  Snow Park: 3.4 (1) Not even a kicker at St Anton, (3) average sized park quite well looked after, (5) huge park area and expertly crafted pipes, jumps and boardercross trails.	Off-piste: 4.6 (1) No off-piste worth mentioning, (2) off piste is out-of-bounds, (3) some varied offpiste that stays fresh for one or two days, (5) a vast array of off-piste routes that can stay untracked for several days.
  Cross-country: 3.6 (1) There is nowhere to go for cross-country skiing around St Anton, (3) there are some cross country trails available, (5) the area features many spectacular and well maintained cross-country trails.	Luge/Toboggan: 2.8 (1) No designated luge or toboggan runs, (3) there are toboggan runs that open quite often, (5) St Anton has long and well maintained luge / toboggan facilities suitable for all ages.
  Mountain Dining: 4.4 (1) Nowhere to buy food by the pistes, (3) some places to eat up on the mountain but they are often busy and expensive, (5) there is a variety of excellent mountain eateries right next to the slopes to suit all budgets.	Eating: 4.6 (1) Bring your own food, there isn't even a shop. (5) A wide variety of places to eat and drink in the resort, from fast food to fancy restaurants.
  Apres-Ski: 5.0 (1) Nothing to do, not even a bar, (3) there are a few bars in the resort but nothing special, (5) clubs and bars stay open until very late and have a friendly atmosphere.	Other Sports: 4.4 (1) No sports facilities at all apart from ski lifts, (3) resort has just a small public swimming pool, (5) resort has all kinds of sports facilities, including a full-size swimming pool.
  Entertainment: 3.7 (1) Besides the snow and walking there is nothing to do here, (3) the non-skier will find things to do for few days but may become bored after a week, (5) the resort area is a fascinating place to visit, regardless of winter sports.	Winter Walks: 3.6 (1) Very limited walking and no snowshoe trails, (3) a couple of designated scenic walking/snowshoe trails, (5) extensive and diverse winter walking trails for all abilities.
  Ski Pass Value: 4.1 (1) A 1 week ski pass is overpriced compared to the number of lifts available, (3) the ski pass is averagely priced and covers a reasonable number of lifts, (5) ski passes are excellent value for money and cover a lot of lifts spanning a big area.	Value (National): 3.9 (1) Overall, St Anton is one of the most expensive ski resorts in the country and not worth the money, (3) overall represents average value for money, (5) overall offers the best value resort in the country.
  Value (Global): 4.0 (1) Overall, St Anton is one of the most expensive ski resorts in the world, (3) overall it offers pretty average value for money compared to resorts from other countries, (5) internationally the resort offers excellent value for money.

  Based on 11 votes. Vote

• December 23, 2011
  Rich from United Kingdom
  

  Love St Anton, skied there End of Feb 2011 - gutted not to be going this year as have a mates trip to Hinterglemm in Jan and off with wifey to Dolomites in Feb..... Dolomites has the food and a large ski area but St Anton has the skiing both on & off-piste that will rival Verbier & Whistler and apres-ski that knocks both into a cocked hat...Love the whole white ring - enough variety for anyone with a couple of weeks under their belt to ski and it is an advanced skier's heaven! Just go & do it.

• December 05, 2011
  Edward from United Kingdom
  

  I have skied in many different renowned places, from Meribel to Murren, to Val d'Isere to Aspen. St Anton was favourite by a long way. It offers a mixture of standard piste skiing to the challenge of areas such as the north face of the Valluga. It is linked to Rendl, Stuben, St Christophe, Lech, Zurs, Zug and offers acres and acres of space, it is hard to get bored! Also the nightlife is fantastic from the white party at the end to new years which is epic. I cannot wait to return.

• April 02, 2011
  Michael Tschaban from Australia
  

  I've never been skiing or boarding before and ended up at St Anton to learn. I was told is was not for beginners and they were probably right but I wouldn't go anywhere else to learn. The terrain and pistes were so much fun and challenging and forces you to increase your skills quickly, perfect for learning if you ask me. If you can ski here you can ski anywhere. The Apres was something else, the people were so awesome and the parties were out of this world. I've done one season and it definitely won't be my last. St Anton Rocks!!

• April 01, 2011
  Peter Balfour from United Kingdom
  

  I have been to St Anton a number of times over the past 3 years. I go there usually for weekends when there is fresh powder because it is the closest resort to where I work in N Germany that has the best potential for off piste/ski mountaineering and touring. I find it interesting that people often describe it as not a beginners resort - because st Anton lies in a steep sided valley. The runs that take you back to the town are not very easy but possible for someone with perhaps one weeks skiing under their belt. However, there are plenty of easy blues and greens at the top of the mountain, especially if you head towards and down to St Cristophe. There is also a beginners slope adjacent to the town.

  For intermediate skiers, St Anton is the perfect place, there are a large number of easy blacks and reds that will offer a challenge and provide sufficient variation of terrain and scenery to keep you interested. In terms of on-piste skiing for advanced and expert skiers I think that St Anton provides little of interest. The runs are short, narrow and not particularly steep (I make the comparison of black runs with that of the Face de Belvarde in Val d'Isere).

  However, it is the off-piste that makes St Anton a great place. I have yet to witness perfect conditions but I have been quite lucky to get a few bluebird days with a foot of fresh. There are some extremely good couloirs that are all lift accessed, they are steep and there is excellent variety, there are also some rather nice long off-piste descents that are either 'lift served' or that can be reached with a short hike. There is some great ski mountaineering that with crampons, ice axe and rope will give you access to fantastic scenery and some testing and narrow couloirs and although I have yet to use my skins there the touring looks great for day trips and more.

  St Anton is by no means the biggest resort in the Alps but it is sufficient. The lifty system is not the best in the world but modern and reasonable fast. The nightlife and apres-ski is hard to beat.

• March 27, 2011
  millsy from United Kingdom
  

  It's not a resort for beginners! If St Anton is for beginners so is Telluride, Alagna, Aregentiere, and La Grave. It is misleading to recommend this place to the timid. Do you recommend them skiing on Rendl all week? Lech is a good place to learn with more gentle terrain but not the St Anton side of the Flexen Pass, or try Les Arcs or Alpe d'Huez. Once again, great resort though...

• March 24, 2011
  Will from United Kingdom
  

  It's simply awesome. Lift queues in the morning the only problem. Even with poor snowfall before we went the pistes were incredible and there was off-piste skiing too. The thought of what St Anton must be like following a big dump of snow makes me want to wee myself.

  As for it being challenging, it isn't that tough. And beginners can definitely ski here. Plenty of nice pistes up on the Rendl and down in to St Christophe.

  Never been to Aspen, had wanted to go, on finding out by proxy that St Anton "ain't no Aspen", I have no interest in going to Aspen.

• March 20, 2011
  millsy from United Kingdom
  

  Just returned from St Anton and had a great week. Stayed in Chalet Moos B and were looked after very well by Claire and Ellie of Skival. The ski area itself is fairly extensive, with links to Lech, Zurs, Zug, Stuben etc. but is certainly not for beginners or timid intermediates as the slopes are busy and can be susceptible to the sun, resulting in moguls on many of the runs. Apres in the Kanguruh is a must, followed by drinks in the Funky Chicken, Scottys, Bar Cuba, Piccadilly, Kandahar! Plus points, challenging terrain, and banging apres, Negative points, can be crowded and possibly not for mixed groups. All in all, good fun though!

• March 13, 2011
  Matt Wright from United Kingdom
  

  Hey, just to quickly re-iterate another reviewers point, here's a quick vid of him in St Anton on Saturday (12 March): vimeo.com slash mrmattwright slash stanton (sorry no links allowed!) Bare in mind that this was 2 weeks after the last snowfall, in a terrible season, and that this shot was taken after an obvious 15 minute hike off one of the top lifts, it just shows how massive the area is if this is still possible after 2 weeks of no snow. We had a lovely piste week as well though, and had quite clear skies, toured around over Lech, Zurs, Stuben and Sonnenkopf, which is a hidden gem, and had an amazing time barely skiing the same runs twice. The area is massive and that is just on piste. It was so clear you could see countless off-piste lines and amazing descents. Not as gnarly as Chamonix, but plenty to keep you on your toes when it dumps.

  I would wholeheartedly recommend the resort to anyone, either skiing or boarding, with the possible exception of complete beginners. We had a mixed group of skiers and boarders with different ability levels and all totally enjoyed it and will definitely be back again next year. As well as amazing skiing, scenery, terrain, off-piste and a friendly atmos....there is always the Mooserwirt calling out late in the day. One lovely option is to have drink and a rest at the Ulmer hutte, soak up the alpine air and amazing valley views, wait for the crowds to disperse and the piste bashers to come, then take the run from the top of the mountain to the Mooserwirt with all your friends on fresh groomed snow. It’s a thigh burner, through lovely terrain and you’ll definitely deserve a beer at the bottom.

  I guess you are right....it ain't no Aspen alright.

• March 03, 2011
  Anthony Howard from Canada
  

  It is amazing to me that there are a few people posting negative things about St Anton. I am an avid expert skier who has skied all over the US, Canada and spent the last 8 years predominantly skiing in the Alps. St Anton has to be one of my top 3 favorite resorts anywhere! Yes, it is not the best resort for beginners but this is a well known fact so not sure why a beginner would go there. For beginners I would recommend you head down the valley to Lech where there are plenty of nice cruisers to learn on. The apres-ski is second to none and the skiing is unparalleled especially if you are not afraid to head off piste with the possibilities being almost endless. As one person has posted 'It ain't no Aspen' I have to totally refute that statement having skied Aspen. Aspen is decent enough don't get me wrong but if you ski St Anton the way it is designed to be skied which is getting stuck in to your fair share of off piste then I'm sorry but Aspen is nothing by comparison. A bad spell of snow conditions can happen anywhere and St Anton is no exception even though it boasts a really good snow record on average so don't let people's posts eluding to bad snow conditions put you off! For amazing offpiste head to Stuben!

• February 19, 2011
  Jimbo Feltham from United Kingdom
  

  Me and the boys went to St Anton for a week in January just gone. We were lucky to get some snow as it sounds like it has been rare in the last month.
  St Anton is not great for straight men on the pull. A bit like a building site with a ton of snow: men get all feral when they see a lady on the piste.
  That said, a great resort with lots of great runs and a nice town to party in. The broader resort of Zurs and Lech make it a real winner though. Lech was a fave of mine with the huge off-piste opportunities.
  Definitely one I would do again.

• February 07, 2011
  John Armatige-Shanks from United States
  

  Having recently returned from a week's vacation in St Anton, I must admit that I feel somewhat lucky to still be alive. Conditions weren't so good with 'unskiably' steep slopes.
  It ain't no Aspen buddy.

• January 10, 2011
  susan cooper from Austria
  

  I live in Chamonix and am going to Stuben/St. Anton for a little change of scene and some North facing untracked?? Powder at Stuben after annual visits many years ago. I am also going for the wonderful Austrian friendly atmosphere, the picturesque villages, the friendliness of the Austrians and sheer fun of the evenings but please don't tell me that anything can possibly beat Chamonix and les Grands Montets for sheer grandeur, space and challenge. Watch this space..........

• January 09, 2011
  Geoff Hurst from United Kingdom
  

  I have skied St Anton probably 10 times. Back again this Month (January 2011).

  Its the ultimate ski hard/play hard place

  Skied alot in the big french resort too (Val d'isere and 3 valleys) which I have enjoyed alot

  However If you are good skiers and enjoy a few drinks afterwards then you must try StAnton its an amazing place

  And yes you must do Mooserwirt and KK bars. Both up the mountain

• February 23, 2010
  jon cambell from Canada
  

  St Anton is one of the best resorts I've been to. I've skied in Europe, North America and South America for more than 100 days a season over the past 10 years.

  If you want to ski hard and have a few well deserved drinks at the end of the day then this is your place. If you want an easy ride then you're not going to get it here!

  Pet hates are people that complain about great skiing!

  If you want fun and a great atmosphere then head here...

• February 06, 2010
  Steve Pyle from United Kingdom
  

  Moguls, moguls and more moguls. St Anton is a small ski area with mega busy slopes, oh and did I mention the moguls. Very pricey too. Do not go to this resort if you snowboard unless you are a mogul riding genious. Spend your hard earned cash somewhere else.

• February 03, 2010
  chris from United States
  

  I have been to 15 resorts in Europe but for the last 5 years end up in St Anton. The atmosphere is jovial and slopes are sunny. Off-piste skiing is better than Verbier and Chamonix (no crevasses to fall into) - and the magic of skiing down the untracked powder at Stuben is very special (skiers left at the hut/restaurant at the top of Albona). I ski 40x/ year and love to hike and feel St Anton is probably preferable to experienced skiers - but you also have to love the Austrian atmosphere and good will at the end of the day. Hard for me to imagine that anyone could have a bad time here.

• February 01, 2010
  Reg Roberts from United Kingdom
  

  I have just returned from my first ever visit to St Anton and had an absolute blast.
  Ten of us stayed at Chalet Narnia with Supertravel and although it was a little more than I have paid for chalets before it was worth every penny
  Good food, great wine, all mod cons (especially Sky sports!), jacuzzi, sauna, very comfortable rooms; very important if you are fifty plus.
  I would like to think that most people who go on ski holidays do a bit of research about their destination so any of those complaining about St Anton obviously did not. There is definitely not a lot for timid beginners but the quality of lessons mean that if you are lucky enough to be in a small group like one of our party then you will come on very quickly indeed.
  Again, and this is a purely personal opinion, I found St Anton to be good value for food and drinks both on the mountain and in the town compared with some resorts in France I have visited and the Austrians are a lot more friendly; service with a smile and not a scowl!

  Lech Zurs and Stuben have relatively easier runs but a bus ride is required to access these easily.

  Bottom line, would I go back again to St Anton? Yes. Would I go back to Val D'Isere? Only if the prices came down and the attitude improved.

• January 07, 2010
  John from United Kingdom
  

  I last skiied at St Anton 40 years ago, and am about to realise my dream of taking the sport up again. Then it was only ladies and gentlemen who skied; has St Anton suffered less or will I expect to be buzzed by people on funny plywood saucers and have to fight my way onto chairlifts rather than queue? I know this sounds tongue in cheek, and to some extent it is, but I feel my bravery should be lauded and wonder quite what we are going to find here? We're going on to Engelberg, of which I have fond memories and that always seemed less laddish.

• December 28, 2009
  Nigel Bettinson-Eatch from United Kingdom
  

  The main problem with St Anton is it is not for beginners; the Blue runs are deadly and not for the faint hearted. Taking children on to crowded mogul full steep slopes is not my idea of fun and the whole place is one big rip off; must be the most expensive in Europe. Every lunch for children eating ham toasties, you will be paying a hell of a lot of money. Would not go again.

• December 16, 2009
  Peter Scoffham from United Kingdom
  

  I can't believe people are slating St Anton - I've only been once (for 2 weeks) and I'm totally sold (having skied for over 25 years in France & Switzerland).

  The lifts and queues are civilised and efficient (not the total elbow bashing carnage you get with the rude French & Swiss).

  The bars are frankly the best in Europe - I have the bar presence of a gnat and I got served in under 2 mins in a highly packed Mooserwirt (a visit to St Anton is not complete without going to this amazing bar - get there by 3.30pm for the "full effect"!).

  The skiing is fantastic and yes, it's not so good for beginners - they should go to ski lessons. I can thoroughly recommend a guided day off-piste. There are a lot of runs to challenge improving intermediates and advanced experts. You also have Zurs & Lech on the doorstep.

  Frankly St Anton can't be beaten in Europe (I can't compare to US/Canada as I haven't skied there).

  If you don't like it, don't go - leave this amazing place to those who enjoy it!!

• November 23, 2009
  Simon Heath from United Kingdom
  

  I simply cannot believe that people can direct negative comments around St Anton. It has the perfect balance of testing runs, reliable snow and a great night life. It is a picturesque resort, and the off-piste of Rendl is well worth a visit, especially now there is a new lift.

  The connected areas are also well worth visting. Most people go straight to Lech, but don't miss out on Stuben, if you like roller coaster groomed runs.

  I have been five times to St Anton, and while other resorts may be better in one category only (off-piste in Vail, aggression of Chamomix or the vasteness of the 3V), St Anton combines all the elements to provide the best overall resort and holiday!

  Tchuss

• April 19, 2009
  dom from United Kingdom
  

  I thought that I was at quite a high standard of skiing until I arrived at St Anton. I spent the first day wondering if I should have booked something a little less challenging. However, when you're standing at the top of a blue slope which looks worse than any black you've ever been down when the only way around it is by getting down it, my skiing has improved tenfold and within 5 days I am a completely different skier: stronger, better and more confident. At St Anton you have no choice but to get good quickly. Oh and I brought my wife along too who had never skied in her life before and is scared of heights. She learnt to ski to a standard far quicker than it took me to and would tear up your average ski resort now.

• April 05, 2009
  Jenny from United Kingdom
  

  Can't remember how many times we have been to St Anton now, but the fact we keep coming back shows how great it is, even though we have skied in most of the big European resorts. However, it is not a resort for novices unless you go to ski school. There are some blue runs which have parts that would rate red or more in other resorts, and everything is pretty steep; they dont have green runs.

  If you are a family with skiing parents and small children it is perfect because the Arlberg Ski School is the best. All the instructors speak English and take extremely good care of the kids. My kids, who are pretty good skiers, were happy to stay in ski school right into their teens where the teenagers group are taken off-piste with bleepers and do loads of fun stuff we are not insured to do with them. Their only objection was to ski school lunches when they were small, but as soon as they got past about 10 years old they ate in the mountain restaurants with ski school.

  Investment in new lifts is ongoing at St Anton unlike some swiss resorts.

  In all our years we have never had a real problem with lack of snow, even when other areas have suffered, and in any case they have snow cannons everywhere to ensure the main runs are covered.

  Because of the steepness, if there are heavy snowfalls there can be a delay in getting everything open in the morning whilst they blast the avalanches, but better that than...

  The only time skiers/boarders get caught is when they persist in going into areas that are clearly marked as avalanche hot spots, without guides.

  Night life is great, but there is plenty of accommodation away from the noisy main street if that is not your thing.

  Overall: 10 out of 10

• March 03, 2009
  Scott K from United States
  

  I've been riding in St Anton / Arlberg for 7 seasons, and for me it is the best overall destination I've been to in Europe and N.A.

  I've been to Chamonix, 3 Valles, Verbier, Pitztal, etc, and the terrain in the Arlberg / Vorarlberg is hard to beat. I'm a little biased, as a big factor for me is the proximity to Prague, where I live.

  80,000 acres to play in is more than enough terrain to last a lifetime. I agree that you need to either be in the know as to where to go once things get tracked out (1 day), and to stay safe. There are many avalanche related deaths in the region and most are due to lack of knowledge of the terrain, not heeding avalanche warnings, and a general lack of common sense (like stopping to wait in a gully or unprotected place). You don't go riding that big exposed line when the risk is 4 or 5. The best way around this is to hire a guide, or make friends with locals and seasoners.

  Most people at St Anton are very friendly and willing to answer questions. This is an expensive resort, but there are bargains to be found everywhere if you look for them. The sheer quantity and quality of snow year in and year out keeps most coming back for more. I won't speak much about the nightlife, as I don't come here to party, I come to ride. However, there are lots of bars and restaurants that cater to the partying crowd.

  The off-piste is exceptional, but there are many traverses that better suit skis rather than boards. Also agree that it's a resort that is better suited to riders with a good skill level. It's steep and deep here at St Anton.

  Overall, a great resort. Not for everyone, but what place is?

• February 20, 2009
  Woodies from Switzerland
  

  I did a full season at St Anton. The apres-ski is lively, it is full of Brits and Germans and they are partying right through the afternoon until the wee hours in the morning. You will see lots of drunken people staggering the high street as you go out for your evening dinner. This happens every day/night of the winter season and I do understand why the locals are just a little fed up with it.

  There are a fair amount of good restaurants to choose from at St Anton. Prices are definitely more expensive in Stanton than most other Austria resorts.

  If you are a very good skier then you are in for a treat. The skiing around Arlberg is excellent but definitely not for beginners. Off-piste it’s fabulous when you know where to go. If you don’t know the area that well, then you must take a guide out as there are so many avalanche hot spots in Stanton, this is due too the sheer steepness of this mountain range. There are many fatalities every year and the resort is not in the habit of broadcasting this vital information. More money should be spent on warning holidaymakers especially the frill seekers who are here for just a week; they have no idea just how many trigger points there are here. Most of the skiing is around 2000 meters which means by late Feb early March you can expect the first rain to be arriving. There are no glaciers here so you don’t really have the opportunity to stay high as the slopes descend steeply from all the peaks.

  Beginners should stay away from this resort. I’m from Switzerland and recommend you try Davos or if you want to go to Austria then try Stubai. Both places have very wide, flat easy runs and are not too crowded and a good place to learn snowboarding/skiing etc. St Anton, in contrast, is steep with some narrow pistes that get very congested and that’s not to mention the endless moguls by mid afternoon. Not what you want on your 3rd or 4th day on a board.

  So if you can put up with all the noise of the lager louts and you are a very good skier then you will enjoy what Stanton has to offer. If you are a beginner or you are with children then maybe you’ll find better alternatives at other resorts.

• February 16, 2009
  Finbar from United Kingdom
  

  Having been lucky enough to ski/snowboard a huge variety of resorts in both Europe and the US/Canada I would say that St Anton compares favourably to most and is certainly amongst my top five. I certainly preferred skiing here to St Moritz, Vail and Jackson Hole.

  Yes, there are a few narrow spots on some of the runs that might scare a beginner - but these are also reasonably easy to avoid by skiing other areas. There are also plenty of long runs to be enjoyed both on and off-piste and I have never had a problem with queues for lifts in midweek (other than perhaps the initial queue at first lift in the morning or after lunch, if taking one of the main gondolas) Even at the weekends it is reasonably easy to avoid long queues if skiing the right areas at the right times.

  So if going to St Anton what can you expect?

  I would say a decent standard of accommodation, good food that isn't horribly overpriced, decent and challenging terrain (especially the off-piste), generally good snow conditions, very friendly locals, a range of people from a large number of countries - Brits, Aussies, Dutch, Germans, Scando's and of course Austrians and most of all, fantastic après-ski. The après-ski (especially the on mountain 'après' starting about about 3pm) is typically Austrian in that it is loud, raucous and most of all, fantastic fun.

  If you want a hardcore skiing/boarding holiday then there are resorts with better terrain (Chamonix for example) but if you want an all round holiday with friends where you can have fun both on and off the slopes (or half way down in the case of the Krazy Kangaruh and Moosewit) then it doesn't get much better than St Anton unless you go to Ischgl (but that's another story for another time ;o)

• February 10, 2009
  Ben Postans from United Kingdom
  

  I believe that stats are needed in order to account for the avalanche deaths at St Anton. The theft issue could happen in any resort and has happened to my friends and as for the air lift, if you're going to be rescued then what a way to do it, from those helicopters. I don't think you can find a lift service better anywhere in Europe. In St Christoph they provide fleece blankets at the bottom of the chair lift.
  The ski area offers great variety to skiers and boarders. The town has a great atmosphere. The Rendl has live acoustic music during the day.
  I'm going in 2 weeks time for my 4th time and it won't be the last. St Anton rocks.

• February 05, 2009
  nick from Luxembourg
  

  St Anton is an excellent resort with very, very friendly and helpful local people. As for the cost of being rescued from the mountain, pay 12 euros when buying your ski pass for a full week's cover against such eventualities. The resort has great runs, an enormous selection of areas to ski and a wide variety of skiing to suit all levels. The night life at St Anton is there as much or as little as you would wish.

• February 03, 2009
  Wizard from Switzerland
  

  Overall, I wouldn't recommend St Anton.

  It's true, there is a lot going for it. The people are friendly, the bars are quite lively and attract a good crowd, restaurants cater for all tastes, the off-piste is great when it gets going, access to St Anton is good with the tunnel & train, and joining lift ticket to other areas is great. The snow-making in 2009 has also gone up a level.

  However, there is so much more that can be done to make it better, yet no one seems interested.

  1. Avalanche deaths - obviously this is bad for publicity, but cover-ups don't help anyone. People will go off-piste and need to be fully aware of dangers. All the risks need to be broadcast.

  2. Helicopter evacuation - get ready to drop a thousand euros if you have any accident. Almost all evacuations are done dangling from a wire under a helicopter. Great for pilot/rescue training. Not so good for your back pocket or vertigo.

  3. Dangerous points - there are known tight parts on the pistes (e.g at the end of Steissbachtal, last corner down to Nasserein) that should be widened, but year after year nothing changes. Same thing with the flat parts under Ulmer Hutter and the turn-off to the Mattunbahn, with people carrying too much speed trying to avoid stopping.

  4. Skiing on Rodelbahn - a pet hate of mine, yet no one seems interested in enforcing this as a non-ski area. The last thing kids want on their sleds are stupid skiers and boarders flying past, especially on all the blind hair-pin corners.

  5. Skiing in restricted areas - another pet hate, and mostly boarders to blame here. No one seems to interested in enforcing this either. The forest above Nasserein would be a good place to start.

  6. Reporting theft - obviously people have to secure there equipment properly. But if you ever become a victim then don't expect much help from the police. They apparently view such events as a waste of their time and feel it an imposition to file a report or prepare something for your insurance company.

  7. Wastes of money - seems the money not spent on improving the above dangers are wasted on other things. Examples that quickly come to mind are the V-tunnel moving carpet at Rauz and the safety red/green lights as you get to the top of may lifts (and now being advertised on TV). Surely this cash could be diverted somewhere more useful.

  8. Town council is petty - a visitor here for a week may not notice but other people do. Excessive restrictions on property ownership, having to register for every night of your stay, restricting bar operations only for some operators, etc. Petty and mean.

  St Anton is a good resort, although definitely not for beginners. But, in any case, I recommend you take you hard-earned tourist dollars and spend them where they are more appreciated.