-- Worldwide Ski Resorts - Austria - Hintertux --

Hintertux is famous not for the village but for having one of the finest glaciers in the world. The actual resort is quite small and basic with a selection of hotels and some guest houses with a few more hotels near the lifts. Not a place for those looking for retail therapy or exotic nightlife but more suited to the serious skiers. Open in Winter and Summer and a guarantee of good snow is a big bonus here but be prepared for the cold of the glacier especially in midwinter. If snow is lacking in nearby resorts this is where the winter sports fans come to especially those who are reasonably experienced.

Situated at the end of the Tux valley there are plenty of smaller villages to visit all linked with a good bus service. Vorderlanersbach and Lanersbach are on the bus route and both are traditional and rustic with narrow streets in the quiet centres which are by-passed by the main traffic. The national ski teams are attracted to this area for their summer coaching. Reliability of snow has to be mentioned again away from the glacier even the slopes are facing north and are high promoting good cover but snowmaking is used on the runs from Tuxer Ferner.

With extensive slopes and an excellent glacier this where the seasoned keen skiers are heading. Not quite so suited to beginners or the hesitant intermediate even with a nursery slope at valley level the glacier is not ideal to practice. For the confident intermediates there are long runs and some tree lined pleasant ski routes to the valley. Black runs are 14%, Red are 60% and Blue 26%, and with some challenging Black runs, steep slopes and off piste almost unused the experts love it!

It has been said that even after several weeks untracked snow is still to be found. 62 lifts have overcome the long queues especially when the other resorts are low on snow. There is a terrain park and Hintertux also has the highest World Cup half pipe on the glacier. Off piste Snowboarders have a great opportunity to get stuck in to some serious sport but T bars are possibly a little lacking. There are good schools some with racing and touring training which cater for all the resorts in Tux. All the schools cater for the children from ages 4 to 14 and lunch is provided. The mountain restaurants can be busy but mostly self service everyone gets fed and watered and the views make up for the wait. New restaurants are being planned on a regular basis.

Up until 2 a.m. there are free buses to ferry you to different villages and resorts but there are some good bars in Hintertux with good food on offer but spread your wings if looking for nightclubs and discos. Most of the restaurants are within the hotels where the food is good and saunas and steam rooms provide the perfect relief from a hectic day on the slopes. If something a little more refined is what you have in mind bimble over to Rinderhof for a Tea dance and also enjoy a local beer in the local bars.