31st December 2024 – 5th January 2025
Choosing a destination for skiing during the New Years period has never been straightforward. It is a very popular time and many resorts sell out months in advance. Also, prices tend to be inflated, which makes finding the right place even more complicated. In recent years this process has seemingly become trickier still, as warmer temperatures and later snowfall appear to have caused problems with the condition of some resorts at this time of the year.
So when we were searching for somewhere to go, one of our main objectives was to find a resort that had a better than average chance of having snow. Thus, we ended up coming across the Stubai Valley. This valley contains four distinct ski resorts, but what caught our attention was that one of them was on the Stubai Glacier and thus it guaranteed snow from October to May. We had also not explored Innsbruck before, which, given its close proximity to the Stubai Valley, made the destination even more appealing.
So, here are our experiences from a few days in the Stubai Valley…
Contents
- Where to stay
- New Years Eve
- Skiing in the Stubai Valley
- Night of Colours in Schlick 2000
- Exploring Innsbruck
- Final thoughts
Where to stay
After plenty of searching, we ended up staying at the Alpenpension Elferblick. We were more than happy with our stay at this old-fashioned, fairly small hotel, situated quite far into the Stubai Valley. The room was nice, a good breakfast was included, and there was a small wellness area, where you could relax tired muscles at the end of a day on the slopes. The owner also was helpful in organising ski passes in the hotel. There were bus stops directly outside the hotel that went in one direction to the Stubai Glacier Ski Resort, and to the other three resorts and then on towards Innsbruck in the other direction. There was also a charging point where we could charge our electric car (but only at certain times and with prior arrangement).
The only real issue was that there was very little in the immediate vicinity in terms of getting food. The hotel itself does not offer meals other than breakfast and the couple of restaurants in easy walking distance were fully booked. But that was our fault – we foolishly arrived quite late on New Year’s Eve without having booked anything. We ended up walking to the next village along and were able to get something there, and the other days we made sure we got main meals when we were out during the day.
We were happy with our choice and would stay there again.
New Years Eve
We had looked in advance at possibly booking one of the cablecars that took you up above Innsbruck to watch the fireworks. But given how expensive they were and the fact that we were driving all of the way from Luxembourg on that day, we decided that it was pushing it too much.
Meaning that when we arrived at our accommodation, we didn’t have any fixed plan. The owner told us that there would be fireworks in Neustift im Stubaital, the next village over. So, we put on our warmest layers and boots and headed out into night. The walk was pleasant enough and mainly followed the river until the path was blocked due to the upcoming fireworks display. We found an alternative route through the streets and made our way to the centre. There were a couple of restaurants open and one luckily managed to squeeze us in.
Afterwards, we had planned on staying in the village until midnight but there was nothing really happening. We had expected some sort of festivities, or at least an appealing bar to two, but didn’t find any. We were therefore left with an awkward amount of time and it was absolutely freezing – our ‘warmest layers’ were not really doing their job. So we decided to walk back towards the accommodation. We made it most of the way and then stopped in one of the fields by the river. The field gave open views down the valley and we weren’t the only ones there; it seemed that the field was a common place for locals to gather to see in the New Year. We had brought a bottle of Crémant (the Luxembourgish equivalent of Champagne) with us and stood in the field, shivering and waiting for the clock to tick down.
It was certainly worth the wait. For such small villages, they had an impressive amount of fireworks! And it wasn’t just Neustift im Stubaital, our vantage point allowed us to see various displays stretching all the way down to the valley entrance. This was in addition to more rockets being set off from houses and farms dotted around. It was a lot better than we’d expected and a really nice way to see in the New Year. Even when the official displays seemed to have finished, there were still plenty people carrying on their own parties. We could have stayed out for ages if it hadn’t been so cold, so we made our way back to our accommodation and yet even by that point we could still see the odd firework from our window. As someone who isn’t the biggest fan of New Years Eve, this one had been very enjoyable.
For a quick clip of the fireworks: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rogenmBGgjE
Skiing in the Stubai Valley
We were very lucky with the weather and thus were able to ski on all four of the full days we had there. We spent three of those days at the Stubai Glacier resort and one day exploring Schlick 2000.
January 1st on top of the Stubai Glacier was a brilliant way to start the new year. The cloudless sky was a brilliant blue that contrasted with the pristine white slopes. Slopes that were pretty empty, well at least in the morning as most people slept off their revelries from the night before. The views from the top station were spectacular and were worth the fact that it was absolutely freezing!
One section of the upper slopes was bathed in sunlight, and during our three days there we found it was best to spend time on these slopes straight away, as being constantly in the Sun meant the snow wasn’t the best by the time the afternoon came.
The main section, however, was on the other side of the mountain and thus large parts were in shadow for most of the morning, and partly into the afternoon. This helped keep the snow at a reasonable level for longer. And we really liked these slopes, with wide open pistes being our favourites, as opposed to narrower tree-lines slopes that you find in some places. I’m afraid we don’t go off-piste, so can’t comment on the quality of the resort from that perspective.
We did find that the lack of snow in the weeks preceding New Year meant that the lower slopes were not the best and thus we did not spend much time there. Also, by the afternoon conditions were getting worse. So, we tended to go early, have extended morning sessions and then take it much easier in the afternoon. But then again, that is our preferred way of skiing anyway. We had a great time at this resort, with good slopes and amazing views.
Our routes on the Stubai Glacier can be found here:
https://www.relive.com/view/vQvxQyjwBBO
https://www.relive.com/view/vrqowgMGKyq
https://www.relive.com/view/vAOZ2dzW5yO
On the 2nd January, we changed things up and went to explore Schlick 2000. This resort is nearer to the centre of the valley, as opposed to the Stubai Glacier resort, which was right at the end. Thus it is generally more popular with people coming from the direction of Innsbruck, as it takes much less time to access, especially on the bus. But given the location of our accommodation, it took just as long to get to.
We first went to the Mittelstation and tried a couple of slopes, but even early in the morning the snow quality was not good. The altitude was just too low given there hadn’t been much snow fall in the weeks preceding our visit. But getting up to the higher slopes did improve the quality, at least in the morning. There were some nice slopes and stunning views along the valley, but it just wasn’t the right time of the year to appreciate it fully. This was the reason that we only spent one day here and also one of the reasons that we decided not to bother trying out the other two smaller resorts in the valley, given that they were also at quite a low altitude. I wonder if it being the only cloudy day also impacted our impression of the resort…
Our route for the day can be found here:
https://www.relive.com/view/v8qVExgXj76
Night of Colours in Schlick 2000
After spending the day skiing at Schlick 2000, we returned in the evening for their lights show. This event takes places next to the Mittelstation, so you need to get the cablecar up. There is a stall with snacks and drinks and then the viewing area, facing the main slope.
The show comprises of different parts. There was an external company that provided dance shows, where the performers had costumes that lit up in different areas, allowing them to perform impressive choreographed routines (it’s quite hard to describe but was fun to see!).
There were also members of the local ski school. There was synchronised skiing down the slope holding lights or flames; whilst there was also some of the members who did jumps and tricks.
As impressive as the other displays were, in my opinion they saved the best to last. Three huge snowploughs came roaring down the slope, with fireworks being launched from their backs. They then proceeded with an synchronised driving routine, with plenty of spinning and spraying of snow. There were some impressive driving skills on show.
All in all it was a fun evening. It’s maybe not worth what you pay for it, but we had fun and it was certainly something different!
Exploring Innsbruck
Whilst I had technically passed through Innsbruck years before, I couldn’t remember it. And Radka had never been, so it was exciting to go and explore somewhere new. So, on our third day of skiing, we had a full morning session at the Stubai Glacier before heading back to our accommodation, getting changed, and catching the next bus heading down the valley to Innsbruck. As part of our package with the hotel, we received a card that gave us free transport in the district, as well as discounts for some of the attractions in the city.
Upon arriving at the main station, we didn’t really know where we were going, so we set out on a vague, meandering route towards the river. The streets of the old town were very picturesque, with impressive architecture and varying colours contrasting with the mountain backdrop. We stumbled upon the Christmas Markets and enjoyed a hot chocolate and cream (with maybe a shot of rum also mixed in…). We then proceeded further into the Old Town, enjoying the views of the Golden Roof and the Stadtturm.
We then made it to the Innbrücke, widely considered to be the most popular tourist spot for taking photos. And we can see why. The colourful, historic buildings of the Mariahilf district lined the river, making for a beautiful setting.
We wandered a bit more before heading back to the Stadtturm, to climb up its tower. The fee was discounted due to our package with the hotel. The climb is pretty steep, but the sights from the top are worth it. Innsbruck really has a beautiful setting, with its colourful and varied design really adding to the views.
It was time to eat and we decided to try our luck at the Stiftskeller restaurant. This restaurant is very popular and specialises in serving traditional Austrian food and drinks. After queuing for a while, we were squeezed in, sharing a 4-person table with another couple. The food and beer were great and I liked our position down in the cellar. The only issue was going to the toilet and trying to find your way back – the place is a maze! So, I would recommend this restaurant, but maybe try and book a table to make sure you can get in.
As we walked towards our final destination, the Innsbrucker Hofgarten, we got to sample a bit of the Bergsilvester, a New Years festival where some of the city’s most prominent buildings were illuminated in various patterns or works of art. It was certainly interesting.
Our reason for going to the Innsbrucker Hofgarten, was that it was hosting the Lumagica installation. Whilst quite pricey on its own, it was included with our package from the hotel. To be honest, we didn’t really know what it was or what it would be like, we just saw it as a curiosity and a way of making back some of the money we’d spent. But we’re really glad we went. The installations were very impressive and led to a really nice atmosphere. Some of the installations were also accompanied by changing lights and music, but even the static ones were nice to look at. There was also a cafe half way along where we could warm our fingers on another hot chocolate. So, if you have the time one evening, then this is an activity that you should definitely consider.
After leaving, we returned to the station to get the bus back. Due to the night schedule, we had to change busses in the valley and instead of waiting in the cold, we decided to walk to the next stop. This worked out really well, as we managed to stay warm but also because we got lovely views of the valley, which was lit up at this point due to the night skiing that was happening on some of the slopes.
Final thoughts
Despite it being a relatively short break, we had a fantastic time in the Stubai Valley, We couldn’t have asked for more in terms of the weather, the activities or the setting. It was a great winter destination but we’d also be tempted to come back in the summer to see what it is like then. Highlights were the Stubai Glacier and Innsbruck, but we enjoyed the other parts as well. We would certainly recommend it. Thanks for making it to the end of the page!
Brit and Czech Abroad 