St Anton, Austria

* Extensive, varied, snow-sure slopes...

* World class expert and off-piste terrain...

* Legendary nightlife...

St Anton is renowned the world over for its challenging slopes and legendary nightlife. You don’t have to be an expert to appreciate the terrain here, but it helps if you’re adventurous - there are plenty of steeps and some of the finest off-piste in the Alps.

The après-ski is St Anton’s other main draw – lively from mid-afternoon onwards (both in resort and up the mountain) with plenty to suit all tastes and pockets.

St Anton at a glance...

Resort height:	1305m
Slopes:	1305-2650m
Pistes:	127km	(340km - Arlberg region)
Snow rating:	☆☆☆☆☆

Suitability			Skiing
Beginners	☆☆☆☆☆		Blue runs	●	40%
Intermediate	☆☆☆☆☆		Red runs	●	48%
Advanced	☆☆☆☆☆		Black runs	●	12%

Resort			Transfer time
Charm	☆☆☆☆☆		Innsbruck	1hr30
Convenience	☆☆☆☆☆		Zurich	2hr
Après-ski	☆☆☆☆☆
Family	☆☆☆☆☆
Non-skiers	☆☆☆☆☆

Snow reliability

General snow cover	4/5
Snow quality – upper	4/5
Snow quality – lower	3/5
Resort level snow	3/5
Powder potential	4.5/5

The skiing

St Anton's main slopes are spread over a number of connecting mountains that culminate in the famous 2810m Valluga.

Despite the large number of blues on the piste map, there are few gentle runs and the area is best suited to confident skiers. Most of the really challenging terrain is off-piste which has a reputation as some of the finest in the world.

On the other side of the valley, the smaller, quieter Rendl area offers a good mix of runs for all levels and further top class off-piste. It also has plenty of trees, and is one of the few spots to offer much in the way of shelter in bad weather. St Anton's third area, Stüben, also offers some worthwhile yet under-used runs.

The extended Arlberg ski area, which links St Anton with the intermediate-friendly slopes of Lech-Zürs and Warth-Schröcken, provides a total of 340km of pistes for skiers of all abilities, and yet more high quality off-piste.

The resort

St Anton is a large, but pleasantly traditional Tyrolean village set in a deep valley at the foot of the Arlberg pass. It is also one of the liveliest resorts in the Alps, with a huge range of après-ski options beginning on the slopes in the early afternoon, and continuing through the evening and night back in town.

There are lots of alternative sporting activities for non-skiers in St Anton, including a superb pool complex.