Boasting a whopping 270km of pistes, this is the second largest linked area in Austria. In fact, it’s so huge that to ski the entire skicircus would take an experienced, athletic skier around 7 hours, if they were willing to forgo breaks!
This is one of the best ski resorts in Europe for intermediates. Having said that, there are some great beginner areas and plenty to keep advanced skiers entertained too, so whatever level your skiers are at, this could be a good choice for them.
And, even though this is a popular, well-known resort, the modern, efficient lift system means that you won’t spend all day queuing for lifts, so you can enjoy more time skiing!
Saalbach itself is a very pretty, traditional Austrian mountain village. With welcoming locals and a traffic-free main street, it makes for a great, safe base for school ski groups.
It’s also a bit of a suntrap – something you can make the most of when stopping at one of the 60 cosy mountain huts for a hot chocolate or a snack.
The après-ski activities are as varied as the skiing from curling to alpine rollercoasters, tobogganing and watching ice hockey matches.
And you won’t need to worry about keeping parents up-to-date – there is free WiFi throughout the ski area, so you can update your Twitter, Facebook or Instagram feed as you go!
The first ski lifts were built here shortly after the end of the Second World War, and Saalbach and her sister village Hinterglemm have shared a ski area ever since.
Just above Saalbach, the resort has long been linked to Leogang, which is in the next valley. Leogang’s neighbouring resort, Fieberbrunn, was brought into the fold in 2015/16, when new lifts and pistes were created to link it to Saalbach-Hinterglemm.
For this season (2018/19), a modern 10-person gondola, the Kohlmaisbahn has been installed to replace the old Kohlmaisgipfelbahn. This will make it much faster to travel from the centre of Saalbach up the Kohlmais mountain towards Leogang.
Another new addition for this season is the resort’s two new ‘funslopes’. Designed for younger skiers, they’re made up of twisters, banked turns and waves.
And Saalbach has some fantastic snowparks too, from the Learn-to-Ride park, where beginners can learn on small kickers and boxes, to parks with much bigger features to satisfy the more advanced freestyle skiers and snowboarders. And Saalbach was the first resort in Europe to provide a freeride park, which combines deep snow with specially designed obstacles.
Interested in visiting Saalbach-Hinterglemm on your next school ski trip?
Contact us today for further information or to request your tailor-made quote.