St. Anton ski holidays

Confident skiers first, and mixed groups when the plan is right. Across Ski Arlberg there are 129 km of blue runs, 121 km of red and 50 km of black (Lech Zürs), plus more than 200 km of powder descents away from the groomed runs (Ski Arlberg). St. Anton is the side people come to for that deep snow.

The Valluga, at 2,811 m, is the top of the whole area. The last small cable car to the summit takes skis only with a guide, because the descents from there are off piste (Snowcarbon). For a beginner the morning starts lower down, on the nursery areas at Nasserein and the easy runs at Gampen.

For a family with mixed levels we book private instruction by level rather than one lesson for everyone, so the strong skiers get the powder and the first timers get patient, quiet slopes, and everyone meets again for lunch. Our guide to family ski lessons explains how that split works.

On skis. Since the 2016/17 season the Flexenbahn has linked Stuben with Zürs (Flexenbahn), so St. Anton, St. Christoph, Stuben, Lech, Oberlech, Zürs and Warth Schröcken share one lift network and one pass (Ski Arlberg).

That makes a day in Lech Zürs part of the same holiday, not a separate trip. Strong skiers can follow the Run of Fame, an 85 km circuit through the whole of Ski Arlberg (Lech Zürs); others cross for a long lunch and ride back.

The history is part of the feeling here. St. Anton held the first documented ski race in 1904, one of the first organized ski schools opened in the village in 1921, and the Galzigbahn of 1937 was built purely for winter skiers (Ski Arlberg).

The 2026/27 season is scheduled from Wednesday, December 2, 2026 to Sunday, April 18, 2027, with limited operation possible at either end (Ski Arlberg). The Arlberg averages about 9 m of natural snow a season (Ski Arlberg), so the heart of winter is the time for powder.

Christmas, New Year and the February school holiday weeks fill first, so for those dates we secure the instructor before anything else. Our guide on when to book a ski trip covers the timing week by week.

Innsbruck is the nearest airport, about 100 km away, and Zurich is about 200 km (St. Anton am Arlberg). St. Anton is also a railjet station: international express trains stop in the village center, a short walk from the lifts (Ski Arlberg).

Munich, Friedrichshafen and Memmingen are other options, and the Arlberg Express shuttle runs from Zurich Airport to the Arlberg villages in winter (St. Anton am Arlberg). We arrange the transfer from whichever airport or station your journey ends at, and private charter when the schedule calls for it.

The center of St. Anton puts you next to the station, the lifts and the evenings. Nasserein, at the entrance to the village, is calmer and close to the nursery slopes. St. Christoph and Stuben, up toward the pass, are small and quiet, for groups who want the mountain more than the town.

We do not sell from a fixed list of hotels or chalets. We look at who is coming, how each of them skis and how they like to spend the evening, then tell you where to stay, and why.

Everything between the flight and the last run: where you stay, a private instructor for each level, lift passes, transfers, equipment and a concierge on the ground, with one point of contact from the first message to the trip home.

Patagonia Living is a ski travel agency based in Patagonia and operated worldwide, and skiing is all it plans. The full list is in what a private ski trip includes. When you are ready, plan your next trip with us.