The beautiful scenery of the Ziller Valley surrounds the very pretty Austrian ski resort of Finkenberg. Belonging to the ski area of Zillertal, it is rated as being excellent for beginners and intermediate skiers and good for expert skiers. 143km of downhill pistes and 20km of cross-country trails ensure all will enjoy the skiing. Here you will have access to 130 individual pistes.

Hotels in this resort

• Eberl
• Eberl (chr)
• Gratzerhof
• Kristall

Finkenberg Guide

With the correct ski lift pass you are able to ski or snowboard in the other ski resorts of Zillertal. These are Hippach, Fïagen, Hintertux, Mayrhofen and Kaltenbach. Finkenberg has pistes above 2500 metres. This pretty much means that skiing and snowboarding is guaranteed all season. There are a total of sixty-two lifts in Finkenberg.

This includes four quad chairs, seven double chairs, two triple chairs, twenty-seven surface lifts and one high speed quad. These are able to carry over 60,000 skiers or snowboarders every hour. Because of the excellent snow making facilities, which cover nearly 200 hectares of runs, the skiing is near enough guaranteed providing the temperatures are cold enough. A shuttle that is free and runs from early in October will take skiers up to the Hintertux glacier, which is about 14km away. Taking people up to 3250m is the Glacier Bus 3 lift.

Then the choice is yours; they include the Sommerbergalm and the Tuxer Fernerhaus. Then comes the 12km descent back down below. Throughout the area there are a lot of wide pistes, which is perfect for intermediates cruising. In the Ziller Valley’s biggest ski area there are specific circuits that are recommended for those who want to get to know the area, this includes the Glacier Circuit, which has 72km of fantastic ski runs. The steep long rolling piste which is found under the pylons of the Schneekar chair is a must for both advanced skiers and boarders alike.

Definitely something that will give them a great challenge. The steepest but groomed piste here in Austria is called the Harakiri Descent. This is only suitable for excellent expert riders however. If you want to challenge family or friends then try one of the three free permanent racetracks, all with timers, the ideal opportunity to do so. Snowboarders in Finkenberg will enjoy what it has to offer. By the Sunjet quad you will find The Burton Park. Here there are many different jumps and rails that will challenge both snowboarders and free skiers. One of Austria’s best freestylers can be seen here, Mayrhofen’s Tom Eberharter. For newcomers to snowboarding, Burton Park also has smaller jumps and rails which are great for beginners.

Nightlife

For apres-ski in Finkenberg there are a couple of excellent pubs plus some great apres-ski bars where visitors can have a great time until the early hours. The Laterndl pub will often host live performances. They also have an apr�s-ski bus to take guests direct from the pub over to the landlords in Finkenberg.

The Finkennest is very popular as it is more like a theme bar than a pub. Here you will find different themes throughout the week such as Tequila night, happy hours, table dancing and more – plenty to keep you entertained after a day on the piste!

Eating Out

There are a good choice of restaurants and cafes including: Alt’n Bruk’n, Eber’l, Neuwirt, Dorfstube and Finkenbergerhof

Other activities to enjoy whilst in Finkenberg are ice-skating, curling, bowling, paragliding and tobogganing. In the summer there are plenty of activities to enjoy including hiking, mountain biking, swimming and horse riding.

Accommodation

Accommodation in Finkenberg varies. You can rent a holiday home or apartment, which is ideal for those wanting to self cater. Guesthouses offer bed and breakfast accommodation and a real homely atmosphere. Hotels vary but are all of a high standard. Most are traditional chalet style hotels but facilities vary considerably. Some have swimming pools and spa facilities, bars and restaurants, while others offer a choice of room only or bed and breakfast. Whether three star or 5 star the standards in this resort are all first class.

The Sporthotel Stock is a great hotel and comes highly recommended. This hotel is owned by the former downhill ski champion Leonard Stock. If you would like to be able to relax in a spa at the end of the day then this hotel is the one to choose. It is also right near the gondola station, which is an added bonus. Another good hotel to consider is the Eberl, which offers superb food, great customer service. The Kristall 4*** hotel has a great ‘wellness spa’ on site as well as being very close to the gondola. If you want picturesque surroundings and fantastic skiing with convenient access to the whole Zillertal area, Finkenberg is a great choice.