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Obertauern Resort Reviews

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Visitor reviews for Obertauern Ski Resort

Obertauern Ratings

Overall: 4.2. Based on 18 votes and 21 reviews. Vote

Snowsure: 4.8

(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) Obertauern is snowsure even in the poorest seasons.

Variety of pistes: 4.5

(1) The ski runs are featureless and unvaried, (3) the ski runs are varied but not extensive enough for a week, (5) Obertauern has diverse and interesting pistes including forests and high alpine terrain.

Off-piste: 4.0

(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.

Scenery: 4.4

(1) An ugly resort in a bland setting, (3) average mountain views and resort, (5) a spectacular setting and a beautiful / historic resort town.

Access: 4.6

(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 Obertauern.

Public Transport: 4.1

(1) There are no buses or taxis to Obertauern, (3) there are slow or infrequent buses / trains available, (5) getting to the resort is easy with frequent bus / train connections.

Accommodation: 4.6

(1) No places to stay in/near Obertauern, (3) a few places to stay in the resort, (5) a wide variety of accommodation suitable to suit all budgets.

Cheap Rooms: 3.5

(1) No budget accommodation available, (3) just one or two hostels so book ahead, (5) several cheap hostels and pensions available.

Luxury Hotels: 4.7

(1) No luxury accommodation available, (3) just one or two luxury hotels so book ahead, (5) several up-market hotels in Obertauern.

Ski in/Ski out: 4.9

(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: 3.9

(1) There are no child care facilities at Obertauern, (5) the resort has excellent child-care facilities including at least one reasonably priced creche.

Snowmaking: 4.2

(1) Obertauern relies entirely on natural snow, (3) there are just a few snow cannons, (5) there are snowmaking facilities on all pistes.

Snow Grooming: 4.8

(1) There are no snow groomers at Obertauern, (3) occasionally some pistes are left ungroomed and in a poor state, (5) all the runs at Obertauern 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) Obertauern is mostly in forest where you can ski in flat-light and windy days, lifts rarely close.

Nearby options: 3.8

(1) If snow conditions are poor at Obertauern, 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: 4.9

(1) Obertauern 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: 4.5

(1) The staff at Obertauern are rude or unhelpful, (5) lift staff at Obertauern are pleasant, cheerful and eager to help.

Crowds/Queues: 4.4

(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.

Beginners: 4.0

(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: 4.7

(1) No intermediate terrain at Obertauern, (3) intermediate skiers will get bored after a few days, (5) vast areas of cruising runs.

Advanced: 4.3

(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: 3.5

(1) Not even a kicker at Obertauern, (3) average sized park quite well looked after, (5) huge park area and expertly crafted pipes, jumps and boardercross trails.

Cross-country: 3.7

(1) There is nowhere to go for cross-country skiing around Obertauern, (3) there are some cross country trails available, (5) the area features many spectacular and well maintained cross-country trails.

Luge/Toboggan: 2.7

(1) No designated luge or toboggan runs, (3) there are toboggan runs that open quite often, (5) Obertauern has long and well maintained luge / toboggan facilities suitable for all ages.

Mountain Dining: 4.7

(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: 4.6

(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: 4.0

(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: 3.3

(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: 3.7

(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: 4.4

(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): 3.5

(1) Overall, Obertauern 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): 4.1

(1) Overall, Obertauern 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.

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December 17, 2019
Derion from Ski Greece Greece
Skied there 15-12-2019. One day lift price 48€. Lift price from 13:00 at 29€. The ski center is about two hours far away front Salzbu. It can be easily done in one day trip. The ski center is superb. The snow quality was fantastic. Snow depth 50cm in the base 80cm at the top. No queues. The infrastructure is quite modern. The scenery is very beautiful. There are mostly blue and red pistes. This resort is best for intermediate skiers. Totally recommended it.
December 01, 2014
simon from Ski United Kingdom United Kingdom
I have skiied in Obertauern for the past 6 years and it gets better and better every year. The pistes are accessible and varied plus the resort is snow sure from December to May! There is fabulous apres-ski at "the Lurzer" and up the mountain at "the Hochalm" not to mention lots of choice for eating out. The real jewel was the outstanding 'Steinadler Aparthaus' across the road from the Zehnerkar lift station. The apartment was spacious, warm and very luxurious with all the amenities necessary for a really great holiday. You can ski in / out or just walk across to the ski lift in 5 minutes. All in all, Obertauern is fabulous!
March 09, 2012
Brian Miller from Ski United Kingdom United Kingdom
Obertauern! What a great choice ski resort. I searched about 20 other places in Austria (other high on the list were Ischgl and Obergurgl) and this place has it all. Access to the slopes and the hotels is easy. High altitude ski village to give you that joy of staying in the snow without the dreaded bus trips at the end of the day. The height gives great guarantee of snow. 4 - 8 meters in January for us. Awesome. The hotels are all close to the slopes with a short walk to one of the many access lifts. We actually skied right to the most excellent Petersbuhel hotel door. There was an abundance of snow when we were there in Jan 2012. At least ski down to the next row of buildings and a 5 minute walk to the doors of most hotels. The resort pistes rise either side of a central strip road and is set up for a brilliant circuit in either direction. I ski red/black and was happy with the variety and setup. The slopes scenery is nice some trees lined runs lower. The town has retained a slight village atmosphere with some fun and funky places to apres ski. There are plenty of bars and taverns and restaurants on the slopes to stop in for a break. The Edelweiss bar on the slopes is a real treat at the end of your day - and a 400 meter run down an easy slope into the village after. Oh, nearly forgot what we didn't have... we did not have any lift queues, even on the sunny days, awesome. All in all this resort offered a very good mix of convenience, snow quality, low quantity of drag lifts, fun, scenery. Go for it.
January 06, 2012
Helen Ackrill from Ski Guernsey Guernsey
We have just finished a fabulous holiday here in SeekarHaus. We were my daughter, her husband and three children aged 2,6 and 10. The two elder girls had 5 days ski school and really loved it and improved no end. The little boy was not so happy in the creche and we had to come back to him a few times but everyone managed to get some skiing and the snow was just perfect. We were here for Christmas and New Year. Father Christmas visited on Christmas Eve and the children were entranced! Especially to hear their names called out and to be given a present! New Year was a great evening. We were joined by my partner on 28th December and we stayed on until 6th January. Food was varied and excellent and sauna etc. Great. All in all, a fabulous holiday with best snow ever. Really nice resort. Not cheap though but skiing isn't if you want comfort as well! Probably not so challenging for expert skiers although you can get a ski pass to the whole area and there is plenty of off-piste skiing.
March 20, 2011
David Wright from Ski United Kingdom United Kingdom
Hi, being a Brit living in Austria, I have the pleasure of traveling around at weekends trying out all the local ski resorts in the Salzburg area. Having heard of Obertauern because of the Beatles film HELP! I discovered it to be a bit of a gem. A compact well organized resort with excellent snow conditions that last until the end of April. A good modern ski lift system allows even the most tentative of skiers to cover a lot of the area. A variety of ski passes offers good value for money skiing, be sure to ask about the points cards! 250 points for only 24 euros, 12 euros for kids. This will cut down the costs for any skiers still developing and of course families. With ski pistes that are so well groomed, they will flatter any intermediate. Great apres-ski, for a small resort! Definitely a good choice of destination for intermediate skiers and families. For skiers looking for a bigger challenge there are lots of other resorts within 20 minutes drive of Obertauern. The Ski Amade Ski Pass covers all of the resorts in the Salzburg region.
January 23, 2010
mary from Ski Ireland Ireland
Just back from Obertauern. Have skied over 20 years. Found the resort easy to get around but the runs were too short, and not very challenging, saying that though, there were no Q's because it was off-peak. Stayed in the Hotel Steiner which is the best ski hotel I have ever stayed in. Fab food and spa area, ski-in ski-out literally 20 feet across road to the slopes. Would love to say we will be going here every year, but unfortunately I don't think the skiing is challenging enough. If we went again I would get the most extensive ski pass, and travel to other resorts 1 or 2 of the days for more challening, longer runs. If you could stay in a hotel like the Steiner in a place like Meribel that would be the perfect holiday but it would probably cost you in the region of €2k there! All in all, I would recommend Obertauern to friends, particularly those who are beginners or have skied up to 4 or 5 times.
November 17, 2009
Dave from Ski United Kingdom United Kingdom
After 14 years of skiing in France/Austria/Italy/Germany etc, we found Obertauern as our perfect resort. We have now been skiing there for the past 8 years and settled on our favourite, the Hotel Steiner. The doorstep skiing and layout of the lifts & runs at Obertauern is excellent. The nightlife can be whatever you want it to be: noisy, hectic or relaxed. We plan to go back to Obertauern every year as the snow record is second to none. There is some queing but never like in many other resorts. Transfer from Salzburg is quick and easy. Obertauern is recommended to all grades of skier.
November 03, 2009
sally from Ski Austria Austria
We have a Salzburg season pass and Obertauern is one of closet resorts to Carthinia. We love the place but the fights that break out in the evening are caused by the English.
December 31, 2008
wizzo from Ski United Kingdom United Kingdom
We will be visiting Obertauren for the 4 th time in January. Having skied in Canada, US, and all over Europe I can safely say no one enjoys apres-ski like the Austrians. The resort is fairly small, but it's perfect for beginners and intermediates who don't like it too tough. Staying in the middle of town is best as it gives you easy access to and from the bars and slopes. In case you've not been before the apres-ski party starts at 3 pm in the Eidelweiss hut, found at the top of the Eidelweiss lift. This finishes at 6 pm, but fear not, after a ski down in the dark of no more than 800 yards you'll find yourself at the Lurzer Alm apres-ski hut. If you didn't know about the Ice Bear before you went you certainly will before you leave; you,ll be singing about him all week. The Austrians and Germans can drink and get drunk without having a punch up. You guys rock. See you in two weeks.
April 19, 2008
Simon from Ski United Kingdom United Kingdom
Found this resort just by chance when looking for late snow last week for a short family ski break. Self booked flights, transfer and hotel and found that it was a smooth run being just over an hour from Salzburg. Having been to France in Feb , it was incredible that there was so much snow still at this resort and majority of hotels are pretty much 'ski to door'( that's true ski to door). Whilst the local sense of humour is not great the efficiency of everything from the lifts to the hotels is second to none. Can't say that we saw much in the way of night life other than in the hotels and a distinct shortage of independent restaurants, if you were self catering - but no complaint as we were catered and the food was over and above what we would have expected for a 3 star hotel. BE AWARE - if you are a non-smoker, this is a nation of smokers and they still allow smoking in all public areas. This resort is top of the list for a revisit next year.