Travel Eye on St Johann (Austria)

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Overview:

St Johann is part of the 'Schneewinkel' pass, which offers a total of 182km of runs. Even though Kitzbuhel is only just over the mountain, the two aren't lift-linked due to bureaucratic conflicts.

There are only 60km of pistes locally and these are very much for beginners and lower intermediates. This is predominantly a family resort or a place to learn. This is equally true for boarders, with the ski school and childcare facilities further emphasising the beginner/learner element of the resort.

Most of the slopes are north facing so snow is pretty well preserved, but the resort has a good record for snow anyway. This does mean that if snow fails in other areas, St Johann can become overrun by day-visitors, with the same holding true for weekends. 'Langlaufers' have an impressive 75km of trails to use.

The village itself is traditional and traffic-free, with lots of good restaurants and reasonably quiet nightlife. It is quite a busy place and most people stay in hotels that are located near to the lifts, although it is still a five minute journey. For those who don't want to ski, there are plenty of other things to do.

St Johann has its own railway station, so access from Salzburg or Innsbruck is very easy.

There is a middlemarket option, where families are welcomed. This resort is perfect for intermediate skiers but is not very challenging for advanced.

There is a good choice of mid-range, traditional hotels with homely atmospheres, a lot of them orientated towards families. A few upmarket properties for the more affluent.

Locality:

St Johann is situated in N-central Austria, in the north east Tyrol (45 mls SW of Salzburg and its airport, 60 mls NE of Innsbruck and its airport, 80 mls SE of Munich and its airport). In a wide part of the valley with mostly N-facing slopes. "Wild Emperor" (Wilder Kaiser) Mountains to N, Kitzbuheler Horn to the W.

Entertainment/Facilities/Attractions/Things to do:

Entertainments in the daytime include the usual range of winter activities, including sleigh rides, winter hiking, ski-bobbing, ice-skating and curling.

There is a leisure centre with pool, sauna, massage, solarium, fitness room and tennis.

In the summer, mountain biking and hiking and even an outdoor swimming pool.

The nightlife consists of many pavement cafes, a couple of discos and several "pubs" offer lively entertainment. Folklore eveningsfor a little authenticity. Floodlit tobogganing allows the adrenalin to pump at night as well as the day. Indoor bowlingis also available.

There are numerous traditional restaurants offering local and international cuisine, a couple of pizzerias and even a Chinese.

Take a local excursions a half day tour of the Wilder Kaiser (Wild Emperor) Mountains, and of historic towns of Kufstein or Rattenberg.

A full day tour may take you to Innsbruck, Salzburg, Grossglockner high alpine pass, and Krimml Waterfall.