Austria 

Spotlight On St. Johann in Tyrol

(Originally written for OnTheSnow.com)
by Ted Heck

St. Johann in Tirol is one of those rare ski resorts in which the number of residents (8,000) exceeds the number of guest beds (4,500), indicating that it is a full-fledged town with all the amenities you could want. It blends a variety of winter sports with commerce and culture.

The town, on the other side of the mountain from Kitzbühel, has a much smaller ski area than its famed neighbor. It won’t hold the attention of experts for an entire week, but families will have a lot of fun on its 41 miles of prepared runs and 22 lifts in the region. Cross country fans have even more miles (46) on which to practice their classic or skating styles. St. Johann is the site of the annual Koasalauf Run that draws 2,000 Nordic contestants from 20 nations.

Most of the downhill slopes are on the north face of the Kitzbüheler Horn, with the highest vertical only 3,280 feet, short by alpine standards, but heady enough for beginners and intermediates. Snowboarders have a fun park and halfpipe in which to get some air.

If expert skiers and snowboarders do in fact get bored, Kitzbühel is only a 10-minute ride away. There are many other ski areas conveniently near. After all, this is the Tyrol, the Austrian state that has 119 ski resorts. Among the closest to the Holiday Region St. Johann are Fieberbrunn, St. Ulrich, Hochfilzen, Waidring-Steinplatte, Kirchdorf and Erpfendorf. A common lift pass covers all of them and gives access to 55 cable cars and lifts and 102 miles of prepared slopes.

St. Johann itself is only 2,300 feet above sea level, making snowmaking on lower elevations essential in order to prolong the ski season. But with its northern exposure, the area is sometimes more snow-sure than some sections of Kitz’s domain.

A benefit of lower altitude here is that skiers susceptible to acute mountain sickness need not worry. They can wander about the traffic-free town center and other charming parts of town without puffing; they can sleep at night without concern over oxygen deprivation.

Vacationers have a good selection of hotels at reasonable prices from which to choose. A room in the four-star Hotel Bruckenwirt, with half -board in high season, can be booked for under $100 a person. Package deals are plentiful in the town.

The region's location in the northeastern part of the Tyrol affords sightseeing opportunities in three outstanding cities. Munich, the gateway airport city, is two-and-a-half hours away; Innsbruck and Salzburg an hour less.

Readers are reminded that there are two St. Johanns of prominence in Austrian ski country. We are talking here about the one in Tyrol. St. Johann im Pongau, another lively resort, is in the state of Salzburg and is one of the many ski areas in Sport World Amade. (See our resort profiles of Flachauwinkl and Altenmarkt/Zauchensee, also from that region.)