Brixen Im Thale

Area Profile

Brixen im Thale is one of the oldest villages in the Tyrolean lowlands. It suffered from heavy transit traffic for many years until a bypass was finally built in 2007. With the new gondola lift up the Choralpe built in 2008, Brixen im Thale is now right in the centre of Austria’s biggest ski resort "Skiwelt Wilder Kaiser – Brixental" that became even larger after merging with the Westendorf ski resort. More than 90 ski lifts carry you up to 173 miles of slopes above the villages of Hopfgarten, Soell, Elmau, Going, and Brixen. True, most of the mountains facing the crags of the Wilde Kaiser are gentle and do not even reach 6500 feet. But then again, prices are still affordable here, attracting day-trippers from Munich and families alike.

To the latter the "Skiwelt"offers some real highlights, for not only its lifts and slopes are top-notch. With its more than 70 inns and ski lodges it surpasses even behind party places like Soelden, Saalbach, and St. Anton that are considered Austria’s top ski resorts by many. There are state-of-the-art restaurants like the Bergkaiser panoramic restaurant with its 1500 seats, designer bathrooms reachable by escalators, single get-togethers (for the Munich yuppies) and a diaper changing table (for the families), but also rustic lodges like the Ruebezahlalm where only dwarves can enter without bending down and where the Germknoedel (sweet yeast dumpling served with a butter and poppyseed sauce) is offered for four Euros.

There is a simple reason for this great variety of lodges: The "Skiwelt" covers an area used as farmland in the summer, and during the wintertime many farmers converse the huts on their alpine meadows into inns. Skiers do not come here for binge-drinking, as they might do in Soelden, Saalbach or St. Anton, but to relish typical Tyrolean cuisine. You can try bacon dumplings with cabbage, Schlutzkrapfen (pasta filled with meat) or Kasspatzen (pasta with melted cheese) and, of course, local and often homemade liquor specialities.

It can be a good idea to hire a local guide for your day on the slopes, since the resort extends over a huge area and the resort map does not quite communicate the resort’s complex topography. Seven mountains with slopes streching in every direction are hard to map.

The resort will also challenge your legs, especially the resort’s highest peak, 6000 foot-high Hohe Salve. The slopes down the Hohe Salve, unlike those below the other peaks, are not so easy to handle. Nevertheless you should definitely go up there, even if it is just for the view. You will be rewarded with a 360-degrees panoramic view over the Inn valley, the Wilde Kaiser and the Grossglockner, all of which you can see without even turning your neck, thanks to the rotating sun deck. And if you do not dare to ski down the tricky slopes, you can still take the gondola lift to Soell or Hopfgarten.

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Important Dates

• Projected Days Open: 121
• Days Open Last Year: 130
• Years Open: 69
• Average Snowfall: 197 in.

 

Terrain Type

Beginner Runs: 0%

Intermediate Runs: 43%

Advanced Runs: 47%

Expert Runs: 10%

 

Lifts

• Total # Of Lifts: 91
• Gondolas & Trams: 15

 

• High Speed Sixes: 11
• High Speed Quads: 4

 

• Quad Chairs: 14
• Triple Chairs: 2

 

• Double Chairs: 5
• Surface Lifts: 40

 

Elevation

•  
• Top: 6421 Ft.
• Vertical Drop: 4386 Ft.
• Bottom: 2034 Ft.

 

• Longest Run: 4.5 miles
• Skiable Terrain: 279 acres
• Snow Making: 210 acres