Söll, Austria - Europe's Best Kept Secrets | The Ski Europe Report 05-20-04

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Vol. 4 No. 15, ISSN 1535-5993	May 20, 2004

Europe’s Best Kept Secrets: Söll, Austria
by Chryss Cada

For beginner and intermediate skiers looking for a vast network of trails surrounded by scenic Austrian beauty, Söll is the ideal location.

Located at the foot of the famous Hohe Salve Mountain and flanked by the mighty Wilden Kaiser mountain range, Söll is part of the Ski Welt Circuit. The Circuit is Austria’s biggest ski area with more than 200 kilometers (125 miles) of runs serviced by more than 90 lifts. In addition to Söll, Itter, Scheffau, Ellmau, Going, Hopfgarten, Brixen and Westendorf make up the circuit.

Beginners will be pleased to discover an acclaimed ski school, with gentle beginner slopes, just outside the village. Novices who are steady on their skis can take the gondola up and enjoy the view on their way down the gentle slopes of Hohe Salve. There is a long, cruiser “family” run down through the woods back to the nursery slopes. Intermediate skiers will find a wide variety of red runs to keep them busy, as well as a downhill racing trail from the top of the Hohe Salve.

Advanced skiers will find far less to keep them challenged at Söll. The resort’s terrain is only 10 percent black. Söll is known to have a welcoming attitude toward snowboards and offers three half-pipes and a funpark with jumps not too far from the Hohe Salve summit. But like their two board counterparts, expert single plankers will find little to challenge them here.

Due to heavy investment in snow cannons, many of the low runs have good snow reliability during the whole season. In addition, Söll is one of the best resorts in Austria for night skiing. The resort has three kilometers (1.86 miles) of illuminated trails to ski down.

Non-downhill skiing activities in Söll include cross-country skiing, snow hiking, tobogganing, and sleigh riding. The ice rink also offers curling.

The village itself is small (population of just 3,000) and rich with Tyrolean charm. Surrounded by breathtaking mountain views, the town is a short distance from the main lift stations, but there is a free bus that keeps a regular schedule.

Söll carefully cultivates its small-town image with an array of establishments whose operators are overwhelmingly friendly and strike up a conversation in English at the first opportunity. The resort is a favorite with the English and becomes a “little England” during heavy tourist seasons. The main street is full of visitors at almost any hour of the day or night. While traffic is heavy, pedestrians take priority.

As a complement to Söll’s Alpine village character, the restaurants also follow the Alpine tradition. Local specialties abound, and cozy wooden mountain inns serve up delicious, heartwarming meals. One of the best restaurants in Austria is the Schindlhaus in Söll. A young chef here brings Mediterranean influences that are blended with local mountain foods.

Söll’s après-ski scene can be quite fun and lively with several great clubs and bars to enjoy. Still, Söll probably does not rank in the top tier of Austrian nightlife destinations.

The entire ski area is perhaps the most accessible in Austria to skiers coming in from Germany. It’s only 20 minutes from the Kufstein border crossing, which is about an hour from Munich.

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