1. Home
2. Ski Resorts
3. Austria
4. Kaprun

• Resort Guide

Resort Height: 775m

Kaprun is a large but cosy village, set far below its glacier ski area which peaks more than 2250m above, offering snow sports almost year round. This is one of two local ski areas above the resort, the other being the smaller and much lower Maiskogel area.

The village is more than a thousand years old, developing from a traditional farming community into one of the world's leading ski resorts. Kaprun is paired with its larger neighbour, the lakeside town of Zell am See, and the two offer a joint lift ticket.

Zell am See's ski area on Schmittenhohe, the largest of the three, gives a different experience from the Kitzsteinhorn glacier, a more traditional and lower altitude ski centre with runs cut through the trees.

All three ski areas are linked by a free ski bus network and you can access Schmittenhohe's ski lifts via a gondola from Schuttdorf, a village between Kaprun and Zell am See, so you do not need to go in to the town.

Beginners

Kaprun has beginner slopes right by the village on the small Lechnerberg area. But if snow cover is short down on the lower slopes, and in any case for progression and variety, the larger Maiskogel has beginner runs up at 1665m accessed by cable car and there are still higher blues on the Kitzsteinhorn.

The ski school is highly regarded, and once basic technique is mastered, the possibilities are endless with long blues down to the village from the Maiskogel.

Intermediates

One of the best choices there is for intermediates thanks to the wide range of ski possibilities, the huge vertical and the offer of the full range of terrain from snowsure high-altitude glacier, on powder fields far above the treeline, to classic trails winding down through the forest directly above the resort.

The Maiskogel, closest to the village, has enough terrain to entertain for a few days, but most intermediates will wish to take the ski bus to either the glacier or to the larger ski area on the Schmittenhohe.

Advanced

Highly rated for advanced skiers, there are some great blacks spread around the region, and numerous powder fields, with the open snow slopes of the glacier contrasting with tree skiing on the Schmittenhohe.

Snowboarding

The Kitzsteinhom glacier is a major centre for boarders with three leading snow parks, known as the Mellow Parks, to choose from, all at snow guaranteed altitudes between 2,500 and 2,900 metres. This means that, unlike many snowparks around the world that often have to wait until the new year before there is enough snow to build elements, these parks can open in the early autumn.

Snowboarders and freeskiers will find an area of 30,000 square metres in total containing more than 70 obstacles. A new superpipe was added near the summit station of the Sonnenkarbahnen, between piste no.1 and the Roxy park for the 2008-9 season.

This will be the only superpipe in the Salzburg area and one out of three in Austria. The pipe will be 150 metres long and the walls will be 5 metres high. With all this on the glacier its easy to overlook the fact that there are still more rails and jumps on the Maiskogel above Kaprun and on the Schmittenhohe above Zell am See, making the region one of the world's best for boarders.

Other Activities and Facilities

There's plenty to do in the region if you want a break from skiing and boarding. Outdoors, you can hike on one of the many cleared winter paths, including a two kilometre (one and a quarter mile) altitude walk.

There's also winter horse riding, ice skating on frozen Lake Zell or a small rink in the village and, if you want to try a more horizontal form of skiing, around 200km (125 miles) of trails in the region. Floodlit toboggan runs, ice climbing and sleigh rides are also available.

In the air, paragliding flights and hot air ballooning are both possible when conditions are right.

Indoors there's the Optimum sports centre which has an excellent indoor pool as well as fitness facilities. There are also indoor tennis courts and well as squash courts and bowling. There's a moderate selection of shops in the resort and a far bigger selection in Zell am See.

Après Ski and Dining Out

Staying in Kaprun you have the choice of the full range of après ski you'd expect from a leading Austrian resort, as well as the option to go down to the larger town of Zell am See for a still wider selection.

In Kaprun itself there are nearly 30 bars and restaurants. In common with most Austrian resorts most of these are part of larger hotels. Popular drinks venues include Kuhstall and Winkler' Music Café.

Dining choices include Paletti for pizzas and a wide range of traditional establishments serving hearty Austrian mountain meals such as fondue and raclette. The Taunerhof and Dorfstadl are good choices.

Families

Kaprun is a good choice for families with the friendly, traditional village, the small uncrowded ski areas for beginner and early intermediates and the bigger areas for more advanced family groups. The homely restaurants and facilities such as the leisure pool add further to the family attractions.

Children aged two and older can join Bobo's Mini Club, with those over two and a half able to take simple initial ski lessons too. Although there's no organised care for younger babies, baby sitters can be booked via the tourist office.

Ski/Board Suitability Guide

Suitable for families:	[Yes]
Suitable for beginners:	[5]
Suitable for intermediate skiers:	[5]
Suitable for advanced skiers:	[4]
Suitable for boarders skiers:	[5]

Piste Map for Kaprun

Accommodation in Kaprun

• Abendruh - 3 star, catered
• Abendruh - 3 star, catered
• Abendruh - 3 star, catered
• Annelies - 2 star, bed & breakfast
• Antonius - 4 star, half board
• Barbarahof - 4 star, half board
• Barbarahof - 4 star, half board
• Haus Bergheil - 2 star, half board
• Hohe Tauern - 3 star, half board
• Hohe Tauern - 3 star, catered
• Hohe Tauern - 3 star, catered
• Hotel Toni - 4 star, half board
• Hotel Zur Burg - 4 star, half board
• Mitteregger - 3 star, half board
• Orgler - 4 star, half board
• Sonnblick - 4 star, half board
• Sport Hotel - 2 star, half board
• Sport Kristall - 4 star, half board
• St. Georg Pension - 3 star, bed & breakfast
• Steigenberger - 4 star, bed & breakfast
• Steigenberger - 4 star, half board
• Steigenberger - 4 star, half board
• Tauernhof - 4 star, half board
• Tauernhof - 4 star, half board
• Trauner Hotel - 3 star, half board

Search For Ski Holidays:

• Kaprun
• Austria

Cheap Skiing In Kaprun

• Andorra
• Austria
• Bulgaria
• Canada
• Finland
• France
• Italy
• Japan
• Norway
• Romania
• Serbia
• Slovenia
• Spain
• Sweden
• Switzerland
• USA