When I was young I learned to snowboard in skigebiet Saalbach Hinterglemm, but then did not go for 10 years. This year at the end of the season I went back and reviewed this lovely ski resort for you. I will tell you everything you need to know about Skicircus Saalbach Hinterglemm Leogang Fieberbrunn as it is known for nowadays, the good, the bad and the ugly.
Interested in reading about my winter road trip in Austria? It was big fun and I got to ski in a bunch of different ski resorts: skiing in Sölden, snowkiting in Obertauern, partying in Ischgl, family holiday in Wilder Kaiser Brixental, glacier skiing on Hintertux.
1. Skicircus Saalbach Hinterglemm Leogang Fieberbrunn
Back in the days it was just called skigebiet Saalbach Hinterglemm but nowadays they also added Leogang and Fieberbrunn to the name. This is because all 4 ski areas are connected by lifts and together form one of the biggest ski areas in Austria.
In February 2019 I went snowboarding in Leogang and stayed at Stockinggut by Avenida, a ski in ski out hotel. Read here about my adventures.
2. Where is Saalbach Hinterglemm?
Saalbach and Hinterglemm are located southwest of Salzburg in the same valley about 1,5 drive from Salzburg and less than 3 hours from Munich. Leogang is just on the other side of the mountain still in Salzburg. Fieberbrunn is part of Tyrol, a different state in Austria, but not far either.
Be aware: if you miss the last lift and have to drive from Fieberbrunn to Saalbach expect to be in the taxi for an hour.
Shuttle from Salzburg and Munich airport to Saalbach
From both airports you can book a shuttle service. From Salzburg you pay €44 per person one way and from Munich it cost €98 per person one way.
3. Best time to go for skiing in Saalbach
The season starts in the beginning of December and end on April 8th. Since Saalbach is not the highest mountain resort in Austria at the beginning and the end of the season snow conditions can vary. Best time to go skiing in Saalbach is Januari and February.
Check out the winter holidays for countries like Germany and Holland to avoid peak season:
4. Snow conditions Saalbach
The ski resort lies between 830m – 2096m and therefore snow conditions are not always perfect. In the middle of winter you will be perfectly fine, but towards the end of the season the snow gets slushy when the temperatures get above freezing level. Sometimes there can even be rain in the valley and then snowboaring in Saalbach is no fun. But when the snow conditions get bad, there is more time for the fantastic apres ski in Saalbach. More about that later! :)
Visit Saalbach in summer and try downhill mountainbiking, hiking or do a mountain lodges tour.
Got your newest winter gear already?
5. Skicircus Saalbach webcam
A good reference is to have a look at the Saalbach webcam, which can at all times be found here. Also perfect to figure out the current weather conditions.
6. Skigebiet Saalbach Hinterglemm Leogang Fieberbrunn
The ski area of Saalbach Hinterglemm Leogang Fieberbrunn is one of the biggest in Austria. With a total slope length of 270km this is the 10th biggest ski resort in the world. All these slopes are groomed and you are able to ski to and from every village in the ski area. There are a total of 70 lifts to bring you back to the top.
For a reference: the biggest ski resort in the USA is Park City with a total slope length of 250km.
7. Ski in ski out
One of the best things about the Saalbach skigebiet is that almost all hotels have ski-in ski-out. Most accommodations are in very near proximity to the slopes. Therefore taking buses is reduced to a minimum.
8. Difficulty ski area
More than 50% of the slopes are blue (easy), 40% is red (intermediate), 10% is black (difficult).
9. Ski tour
Great thing about the skiing in Saalbach is that you can make a tour around the whole area. The circle around the villages can easily be completed in one day and this way you will constantly take a different lift and track.
10. Snowboarding in Saalbach
Because I am a die-hard snowboarder I always rate ski resorts based on my snowboard experiences as well. For snowboarders there are no extra difficulties as there are hardly any flat areas.
11. Freeride madness
With the addition of Fieberbrunn Skicircus Saalbach Hinterglemm added a real powder heaven to its ski resort. Fieberbrunn is known for its amazing freeride opportunities and the Freeride World Tour is being held in Fieberbrunn every year, mostly at the beginning of March. There are several freeride courses from beginners to experts that you can sign up for.
All you need to know about apres ski in Saalbach
To me Saalbach Hinterglemm always had the name of being one the best ski resorts for apres ski in Austria. More than 10 years ago I came to snowboard here and what I remember the most were the absolutely amazing apres ski parties in Saalbach.
12. White Pearl Mountain Days
The last two weeks of March you can find a slice of Ibiza on the mountain. Every day there are organized parties with live performances on saxophones, drums and a DJ playing funky tunes in the early spring sun. On sunny days White Pearl Mountain Days provides summer vibes that are unrivalled. Click here for the party calendar of the WPM days Saalbach. Entrance is free but you will need a valid ski ticket to get to the huts on the mountain. The White Pearl Mountain festival is one of the official and annual recurring apres ski parties in Saalbach Hinterglemm.
13. Dutchweek Saalbach
If you are Dutch or you like to hang out with Dutch people and party with them then get here around the 3th week of March. There will be organized parties with beats that you can hear from far away.
14. Rave on Snow
In the beginning of the season around mid December there is Rave On Snow, an event that this season already celebrated its 25th anniversary. This year over 3 days & nights there were more than 70 DJ’s and live acts.
15. Bergfestival
In the first week of December there is the Bergfestival to officially open the season. All over the mountains there will be open-air stages with famous (local) artists playing apres ski and rock music.
With more than 60 huts on the mountain it is not hard to find a place to apres ski in Saalbach. Not every hut on the mountain is designated for apres, so these are the best ones from what I have found.
Really yummy local Tirol Grostl in a mountain hut in Saalbach.
16. Schwarzacher Hinterglemm
Completely refurbished a couple years ago and now one of the hotspots of apres ski in Hinterglemm. Directly at the bottom of the piste there is most of the times a DJ outside playing a mix of German/Dutch apres ski music and pop music. The food is really good here too.
17. Bauer’s Ski Alm Saalbach
This used to be the number one place for apres ski in Saalbach and I have had many wild parties here. This time when I got back it was still busy and the outdoor patio was full of people but the music was not as loud and the party was not as rocking as it used to be. Things got a little more quiet over the years but still a good party place according to locals.
18. Goaßstall Hinterglemm
They name themselves the biggest apres ski venue in Austria. Every day around 4pm there is the opening ritual when the unbrellas open and cover a big patio. It is 100 meter up on the mountain so everyone comes directly from the slopes. I loved it a couple years ago and it is still a great party. Although I gotta say that the commercialization of constantly mentioning to buy Goaßstall goodies got annoying after a while.
19. Bigfoot Bar Hinterglemm
Apres ski on the mountain in Hinterglemm. Bigfoot bar lies half way on the mountain next to Mittelstation Zwolferkogelbahn. This small charming schirmbar organizes open-air parties with DJ’s and starts playing tunes in the early afternoon.
20. Tanzhimmel
Last but not least is The Tanzhimmel in the center of Hinterglemm. This big apres ski bar lies on the main street and plays a mix of mainstream apres ski, dance music and golden oldies until 9.00pm. For those who want to continue at that time can go downstairs to the London Pub, a proper nightclub.
Other amazing huts on the mountain in Skicircus Saalbach Hinterglemm are:
21. Alte Schmiede Leogang
Just a couple meters away from the top of the Azitsbahn and the Steinbergbahn on 1760m altitude you can find the tranquil museum restaurant Die Alte Schmiede. On a sunny day you definitely want to sit here and in weekends there sometimes is local live music. Opposite is the AsitzBrau also recommended.
Photo: Alte Schmiede Facebook Page.
22. Sonnhof Hinterglemm
A perfect place to sit with your face in the sun half way on the mountain in Hinterglemm. Not really an apres ski bar, but plenty of beach chairs to chill and the food is good too.
23. Larchfilzhochalm Fieberbrunn
One of my favorite places to chill in Fieberbrunn is the Larchfilzhochalm. On the side there are some sofas to chill and the view is amazing.
Other things to do in Saalbach in winter
24. Daily night skiing in Hinterglemm
Unlike most other resorts night skiing in Hinterglemm can be done on every day of the week apart from Sunday. There is a floodlit slope of more than 1 kilometerthat is open till 9.30pm. A great addition is the funpark that is also open at these times. The lift that is open is called the Unterscharzacher next to the famous Schwarzacher apres ski bar.
Best thing about this: there are NO extra costs with a valid lift ticket. :)
25. Golden Gate Bridge Saalbach Hinterglemm
All the way at the end of the valley there is the highest tree-top trail of Europe and a suspension bridge that could be the little brother of the Golden Gate Bridge. Great place to go for a hike when you arrive early on day 1.
Hotel in Saalbach
I stayed in Avenida Mountain Lodges Saalbach, a new luxury lodging complex that houses many different luxury suites. Have a look at all their deals for the ski season.
My overall experience about apres (ski) in Skicircus Saalbach Hinterglemm Leogang Fieberbrunn
Coming back to Saalbach after 10 years was a great experience. Back in the days I loved the mountain resort for its endless apres ski huts on the mountain and I have a feeling that only got better. There are so many organized parties that when the sun came out I did not even feel like skiing. All I wanted was to celebrate how amazing life on the mountain can be when there is sunshine, funky tunes, good food and drinks. I really felt blessed to experience the White Pearl Mountain Days event and would totally recommend you guys to go there.
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For experienced snowboarders and skiers I am not 100% sure Saalbach is your resort. As the difference in altitude from base to top is only like 1,200 meters slopes are not the longest plus there are a lot of easy runs that tend to get full of beginners. If you are a die-hard snowboarder and this is your main goal for your holiday I don’t think Saalbach is the best resort for you, unless you are a fan of freeriding then definitely check out Fieberbrunn.
Skicircus Saalbach is the perfect destination for people looking for an overall amazing experience. Apres ski is honestly unrivaled and the number of huts on the mountain is impressive. Saalbach is one big happy place for an amazing holiday with a group of friends.
Also want to know more about snowboarding in Sölden? Click on the link to read 37 facts about (apres) ski in Sölden.
For more ski resort recommendations in Austria click here or have a look at my snowkiting and snowbiking adventure in Obertauern.