Week 165-166: Christmas and skiing in Austria
The final weeks of 2023 were spent celebrating our 4th Christmas and New Year in Austria and embarking on a wintery adventure, skiing down various slopes around the Austrian Alps with our friend, Nate.
Dec 25
We had planned on walking around Hallstatt Christmas morning like we’ve done every year as expats, but when we arrived, there were no parking spots, so we turned around and came back home. Our first year of Hallstatt on Christmas was during the 2020-Covid Christmas. No one was traveling and everyone was inside, so we had the entire snowy fairytale town to ourselves… just seems like it was a dream now.
Christmas morning
Denzel taking a Christmas morning sunbath
Santa Pancake on Christmas morning
Daisy with her Christmas squirrel
Charlie stealing Daisy’s Squirrel and deciding its his
Dec 26
Eric and I picked up Nate from the Salzburg train station and headed to the Salzburg Christmas market.
Salzburg at Christmas
Eric and I have been market hopping since the end of November. Each market is different, yet the same. These markets are a sensory overload of scents, sounds, flavors, and bumping shoulders because they’re so crowded. Between the nutty aroma of roasted chestnuts to the sounds of carolers, I found myself most drawn to the nutcrackers, snow globes, and endless rows of dangling pretzels.
Snow globes at the Salzburg Christmas Market
Pretzels at the Salzburg Christmas Market
Nutcrackers at the Salzburg Christmas Market
Nate shopping at the Salzburg Christmas Market
Dec 28
Of Austria’s 438 ski resorts, 120 offer night skiing. The closest one to Gmunden with enough snow was in Obertauern (2 hours away).
Obertauern Ski Resort
Night Skiing Hours: Monday and Thursday from 7 PM - 10 PM
Price: €18.50/adult I €12/child
Location: Obertauern 143, 5562 Tweng
Click here for more info
Night skiing at Obertauern
This was Nate’s first time skiing.
As we arrived, the slope looked much steeper than what the webcams and maps portrayed. Eric and I started second-guessing if this was the best place to learn to ski. As we were getting ready to turn back around, Nate decided to yeet down the hill towards the chairlift station and the decision was made.
Despite a couple of wipeouts and plenty of pizza-ing, the experience of skiing beneath the stars and a full moon transformed the night into a magical one.
Night skiing at Obertauern
Dec 30
Eric and I were here in week 123, and it was nice to be back on a sunny winter day. The Feuerkogel is Upper Austria's sunniest high plateau with a 360-degree panoramic view of the Dachstein and lake regions.
Feuerkogel
Hours: 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Price: €37,50 / Adult (The snowshoe rental and cable car combined price)
Click here for more info
Ski lifts at the Feuerkogel
Snowshoeing has a different rhythm and a quieter vibe compared to the adrenaline rush of skiing, but it's an experience that connects you with the snowy landscape in a whole new way. It also guarantees at least 1000 calories to be burned.
Snowshoeing at the Feuerkogel
Snowshoeing at the Feuerkogel
The Traunstein from the Feuerkogel
Selfie at the Postalm
The slopes here may not be as steep as some of Austria’s western resorts, but what Postalm lacks in extreme terrain, it compensates with a laid-back charm and crowd-less chairlifts.
The ski lift at Postalm
At midnight, we stood on our roof like we have the last three years and watched the fireworks shooting off at every angle along the Traunsee.
Jan 1
We entered 2024 skiing down the longest ski run in Austria at the Dachstein Krippenstein. Eric and I have paraglided off this mountain, we’ve watched the full moon rise above it, and now we can add skiing down it.
Dachstein Krippenstein
Hours: 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Price: Starts at €45.30/adult (online price)
Click here for more info
Sunset at Dachstein Krippenstein
Skiing at Dachstein is a heart-pounding descent.
At 11 kilometers long and 1500 meters of elevation loss, these slopes are a raw, unfiltered challenge that separates the avid skier from the beginners.
Snowy views at Dachstein Krippenstein
The crisp mountain wind whipping across your face and the panoramic views made this ski day unforgettable. The only downside was the cable cars at Dachstein take a long time to get you from the bottom to the top and there are only 4 ski routes. Perhaps this is why we nearly had the slopes to ourselves.
Snow at Dachstein Krippenstein
Dachstein Krippenstein
Dachstein Krippenstein
The three of us at Dachstein Krippenstein
From the thrill of night skiing at Obertauern to conquering the longest run at Dachstein Krippenstein, we’re happy for a few days of rest before we head to Hungary and Nate heads back to the US.
