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Saalbach Hinterglemm Resort Reviews

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  • Saalbach Hinterglemm(Lat Long: 47.37° N 12.61° E)

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Visitor reviews for Saalbach Hinterglemm Ski Resort

Saalbach Hinterglemm Ratings

Overall: 4.3. Based on 34 votes and 45 reviews. Vote

Snowsure: 4.1

(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) Saalbach Hinterglemm is snowsure even in the poorest seasons.

Variety of pistes: 4.4

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

Off-piste: 3.6

(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.

Scenery: 4.5

(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: 4.1

(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 Saalbach Hinterglemm.

Public Transport: 4.2

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

Accommodation: 4.7

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

Cheap Rooms: 4.0

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

Luxury Hotels: 4.8

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

Ski in/Ski out: 4.6

(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 Saalbach Hinterglemm, (5) the resort has excellent child-care facilities including at least one reasonably priced creche.

Snowmaking: 4.6

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

Snow Grooming: 4.5

(1) There are no snow groomers at Saalbach Hinterglemm, (3) occasionally some pistes are left ungroomed and in a poor state, (5) all the runs at Saalbach Hinterglemm are groomed daily.

Shelter: 4.3

(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) Saalbach Hinterglemm is mostly in forest where you can ski in flat-light and windy days, lifts rarely close.

Nearby options: 3.7

(1) If snow conditions are poor at Saalbach Hinterglemm, 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: 4.2

(1) Saalbach Hinterglemm 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: 4.6

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

Crowds/Queues: 3.9

(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: 4.7

(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: 4.7

(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: 4.2

(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: 4.6

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

Advanced: 4.0

(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: 4.2

(1) Not even a kicker at Saalbach Hinterglemm, (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 Saalbach Hinterglemm, (3) there are some cross country trails available, (5) the area features many spectacular and well maintained cross-country trails.

Luge/Toboggan: 3.9

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

Mountain Dining: 4.6

(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: 4.9

(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: 4.9

(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: 3.9

(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: 4.2

(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): 4.2

(1) Overall, Saalbach Hinterglemm 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): 4.4

(1) Overall, Saalbach Hinterglemm 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.

Show all 35 ratings

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January 10, 2019
Louise R from Ski United Kingdom United Kingdom
Just come back from a lovely time in Saalbach Hinterglemm. The people are very friendly and welcoming, lots of fun apres-ski, good skiing and lots of things for the non-skiers too. Whilst we were there they had unprecedented amounts of snow to deal with. Everyone was making a tremendous effort to keep the roads clear and the pistes and resort safe. Quite a few of the links and runs were not open as a result. However, there was still plenty of fun to be had. We normally go to France and felt that the lifts, general customer service / friendliness and prices for food and provisions were all much better. There's loads of really lovely places to eat in Hinterglemm and on the mountain which won't break the bank. We had a non-skier with us and there was plenty to do. Lots of lovely walks, easy to get into Zell Am See to visit the pool or watch the ice hockey. The tree top walk at the Lengau is well worth a visit. ice skating, bowling, tobogganing. Plenty to keep busy. On the downside, the links between lifts and runs at resort level were often complex and required quite a bit of walking and navigating your way around. I'd also say that this isn't the best resort for beginners, so wouldn't pick it if you and your family were having your first skiing holiday. All in all, we really enjoyed the Austrian hospitality and would definitely visit again.
March 12, 2018
Lisa Speight from Ski United Kingdom United Kingdom
We have just returned from Hinterglemm: an aesthetic village with a great ski area. Only downside was the accommodation (Apartment Schonfeld) which is located behind the Landhotel Oberdanner. I understand that some of the accommodation has been refurbished but the two bedroomed apartment, Enzian, on the ground floor is woefully equipped to operate as a self-catering accommodation for four. At the time of booking, the property also erroneously claimed to offer a sauna as a general feature, but this wasn't true. Advert has now been amended on booking.com but not before owner displayed dreadful attitude and shifted the blame from me (for apparently not being able to read) to the booking platform for misrepresenting her property, and failed to accept ownership of her mistake. Still one bad apple in 14 years of skiing isn't too bad a record I guess.
January 21, 2018
Gary Trant from Ski South Africa South Africa
I have traveled to Saalbach for over 20 years, alone and with my family, and have been there at least 25 times. I have also skied in Italy, Bulgaria, Switzerland, Australia and Colorado. Saalbach remains my favorite by far! The things that keep me going back are the great hotels, very friendly locals, great skiing and exceptional apres-ski. Saalbach has become a second home to me and to my family. Every year a fortune is spent on upgrading lifts and infrastructure and the result is an amazing, modern system which is efficient and user friendly. The main lift system is being replaced this coming summer at a cost of 30 million Euros. As such there are no queues and no irritations! There are over 60 huts in the mountains around Saalbach and a drink or great meal are never far away. Two years ago in zero snow they had fantastic skiing with the majority of the runs open and covered in beautifully prepared artificial snow! The rest of Europe was green but the Saalbach infrastructure stepped in and still managed to provide great skiing in Saalbach and connected areas! If you want an exceptional resort full of atmosphere then do not miss an opportunity to ski in Saalbach!
November 29, 2017
Martin Pollard from Ski United Kingdom United Kingdom
Skied Saalbach Hinterglemm in early December 2017. Going back this year for some more guaranteed early season snow. Was amazed how hard pisteurs had worked to get so many pistes open this early in such a low resort. Links to Fieberbrun and Leogang were all open. A little early season gem. Restaurants and locals were excellent and very welcoming. Got a tremendous hire deal on brand new Fisher RC4 skis at Sport Embacher in Viehofen where we stayed. Not worth taking my own BBR's !!
January 29, 2017
JC from Ski Ireland Ireland
I have been here a few times and never been totally convinced. The resort has a lot going for it. With the new link to Fieberbrunn it is one of the largest areas in Austria. There clearly has been a lot of investment in the ski lifts, many of the older queue prone ones replaced by more modern quicker ones. There is a wide variety of terrain from easy beginners slopes to challenging blacks and pretty reasonable off-piste. The mountain vistas are pretty impressive but... The main ski area is south facing and consequently the snow conditions can deteriorate quickly and the pistes in this area are all very similar blues and reds. The main valley is steep sided and has a number of steep side valleys. This very much splits up the ski area, often being linked (if at all) by a single crowded path. Most annoyingly, getting across the valley in either Saalbach or Hinterglemm involves a 5 minute plus, often uphill, plod through the centre of the village. Lugging skis and walking on icy cobbles in ski boots is not ideal to say the least. The valley clearly attracts a significant number of folk who want to party loudly long into the evening; nothing wrong with that but maybe not ideal if you are looking for quiet relaxation in the mountains. Not a bad place to visit. But given local competition from Kitzbuehel / Ski Welt or Ski Amade or further west in the Tirol not sure I would choose this resort for more than a day or two in good snow conditions.
February 11, 2016
Martin from Ski United Kingdom United Kingdom
I've been itching to try Saalbach for years and finally made it here. On paper it seems like the perfect resort with an extensive piste map and with a very modern set of lifts. It feels churlish to moan about the snow as we went in an unusually warm week at the end of January so I'd hope it's not always like this. It gets plenty of snow but with most runs ending at just over 1000m, most seem to turn to slush quickly and in our oddly warm week, there were slush moguls at the summits from 10.30am. While the lift system is modern, it seems to take an age to get anywhere if you want to travel about. E.g. from Saalbach up to the back of Hinterglemm on the right side of the piste map is an endless series of short up and downs to get anywhere. I know what you're thinking, that's just skiing right? True, but when you have in mind a destination at the other end of the map you spend far too long getting there. It's a reasonably priced resort with a few good apres bars in town and more on the hill. We ate at a few good restaurants in town but nothing really special. One final thing that was odd/un-nerving. If you go to a French ski resort, every street has a pharmacy. Saalbach only has one at the edge of town yet there seems to be demand for 3 lap-dancing bars! This may have explained the very male clientele in our hotel and around town. Would I go back? I don't think I'd rush back and I'd be tempted to do a late deal when I knew it was going to be cold enough to keep the snow in shape. I'd stay in Hinterglemm too as the access to the snow seems to make a bit more sense up there.
January 31, 2016
Alero Cave from Ski United Kingdom United Kingdom
Just returned from our second holiday in Saalbach. This is a great resort for all abilities and as a lower intermediate there were plenty of great blues and challenging reds to conquer. The ski area is extensive and beautiful and offers great traditional Austrian meals on the mountains and lively apres-ski at the end of the day. We have used the Snow Academy during each of our two visits to the resort, I would highly recommend the school-patient instructors with extensive language skills. We have also stayed at the Alpine Resort Sport and Spa on both our visits; we have received excellent service and hospitality.
January 26, 2016
Alex Turner from Ski United Kingdom United Kingdom
Saalbach, though pretty, needs a complete piste reclassification; as one shopkeeper put it, 'the blues are reds, the reds are black and the blacks are impossible'. Not much difference between blues and reds, but what makes it worse is the overuse of snow cannons that leave pistes with snow resembling icing sugar especially since not prepared or bashed during the daytime. Edging on artificial snow is tricky, and Saalbach is not piste friendly to low intermediates. Go somewhere else!
December 29, 2015
Skier from Ski United Kingdom United Kingdom
Loads of slopes for all abilities. Loads of varied accommodation including ski in/out. Loads of great on and off-slope restaurants. Loads of great 'apres' bars. Loads of fast comfortable lifts with no queues. Loads of perfectly groomed piste. Loads of snow cannons. You can't ask for a lot more!
November 23, 2015
Steve Groome from Ski United Kingdom United Kingdom
January 2016 will see my 14th season visiting Saalbach-Hinterglemm. I've been going there every year. sometimes twice a year, since 2003 when the British Police started having their race championships there (Ex cop). I've skied many other resorts, having been a BASI qualified instructor, but not yet found anywhere else to beat this resort. Excellent skiing for all standards, slightly harder slopes in Hinterglemm. Looking forward to using the Fieberbrunn slopes this winter as they merge with that resort. The lift company invest heavily every year, upgrading lifts, mostly heated, canopied 6/8 seater chairs. The groomers are always out. Apres-ski is a French term, but the Austrians do it so much better.

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