Snowsure: 4.3
- Occasionally gets enough snow for skiing
- Is often closed due to a lack of snow
- Occasionally suffers from a lack of snow
- Rarely suffers from a lack of snow
- St. Anton is snowsure even in the poorest seasons
Visitor reviews for St. Anton Ski Resort
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(NOTE: Reviews may be edited by our content team for the purposes of ensuring accurate and relevant information)
(NOTE: Reviews may be edited by our content team for the purposes of ensuring accurate and relevant information)
Latest
February 01, 2010
Reg Roberts from
United Kingdom
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
USA - California
Scott K from
USA - California
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
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
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)
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