Ski holidays in Hochkönig, Austria

The Hochkönig region in Salzburgerland, comprising the villages of Maria Alm, Dienten and Mühlbach, offers 120 km of linked pistes at the foot of the majestic Hochkönig massif (2,941 m). This is one of Salzburgerland's most picturesque ski areas, combining great skiing, genuine alpine culture and affordable prices.

The ski area stretches as a long chain of linked sectors along the northern side of the Hochkönig massif. The popular Königstour takes you through all three villages on a full-day ski tour with varied terrain and fantastic views of the snow-capped Hochkönig peak. It's one of the region's most cherished skiing experiences.

Maria Alm, the largest of the three villages, has a charming church with Salzburgerland's tallest church spire and a pleasant village centre with cafés and shops. Dienten and Mühlbach are smaller and quieter, perfect if you're after total relaxation. All three villages share a genuine Salzburg tradition, with friendly locals and good food.

The Hochkönig region is an excellent choice for anyone wanting to avoid crowds and high prices. The pistes are rarely overcrowded, the lift system has been modernised, and the relaxed atmosphere suits families and couples alike. With the Ski Amadé pass, you can also explore one of Europe's largest ski areas.

5 tips about Hochkönig

1. Beginners in Maria Alm Maria Alm has the widest and most accessible runs in the region, ideal for anyone who has just learned to ski. The village centre is also close to the pistes, which makes life easy with children.
2. Take on the Königstour Ski the full day-long circuit through Maria Alm, Dienten and Mühlbach to experience the variety the area has to offer. Allow a whole day and set off early so you can complete the round at a relaxed pace.
3. A quieter base in Dienten If you want to escape the crowds, Dienten and Mühlbach are a better bet than Maria Alm, with quieter pistes and a more laid-back atmosphere.
4. Make the most of Ski Amadé Your lift pass covers the entire Ski Amadé system with its 760 km of pistes, so do mix things up with trips to neighbouring resorts if the weather or snow conditions change.
5. Travel outside the school holidays Prices in Hochkönig are already lower than in many other big Alpine resorts, but the weeks outside the half-term and Christmas holidays offer even better value and shorter lift queues.

Pistes and lifts in Hochkönig

Hochkönig offers 120 km of pistes and 34 lifts linked across three villages: Maria Alm, Dienten and Mühlbach. The piste profile is family-friendly, with a good spread of wide blue and red runs. The Königstour circuit through all three villages is a classic. With the Ski Amadé pass, you can access the whole region's 760 km of pistes.

Piste map for Hochkönig

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The map downloads as an image file. On your iPhone it lands in the Files app. Tap the icon at the bottom of the address bar to open the map straight away.On your iPad it lands in the Files app. Tap the icon at the top right of the address bar to open the map straight away.On your phone it lands in the Downloads folder. Tap the download notification that appears to open the map straight away.The file lands in the Downloads folder. You can also look for the icon at the top right of the screen and open the map from there.

Snow reliability in Hochkönig

Hochkönig has its village base at 850 metres and pistes rising to 1,900 metres, a moderate altitude compared with many other Alpine ski areas. This means snow cover in the lower sections can vary more over the course of the season, particularly at village and valley level.

The upper parts of the area, closer to 1,900 metres, generally hold better snow conditions later into the season. As the ski area is not classed as snow-sure, it is well worth keeping an eye on the snow reports before you travel, especially if you are planning a stay early or late in the season.

Best time to travel to Hochkönig

January and February offer the best snow conditions. March brings sunnier skiing, but the moderate summit height (1,900 m) means the snow can turn heavy later in the season. The north-facing slopes of the Hochkönig massif help preserve the snow.

Will there be lift queues in Hochkönig?

The lift system in Hochkönig carries 53,443 people an hour across 34 lifts. 15 of the 34 lifts are gondolas or high-speed chairlifts and 15 are drag lifts, which take longer to get through when it is busy. The fastest lifts carry up to 3,000 people an hour, for example Schönanger. That is roughly the same capacity per kilometre of piste as an average resort on this site, so queues only build when it is really busy. The queue you actually notice is almost always down in the valley between eight and half past nine. If you are on the lift before eight you avoid it.

When is Hochkönig busiest?

How busy the slopes get is not decided by the English half term but by when the local families and the neighbouring countries are on holiday. These are the weeks that fill Hochkönig in the 2026/2027 season.

• Austria: The Semesterferien are taken one week at a time, state by state, during the first three weeks of February.
  1 to 6 February: Vienna and Lower Austria
  8 to 13 February: Burgenland and Carinthia
  15 to 20 February: Tyrol, Salzburg, Upper Austria, Styria and Vorarlberg
• Germany: Germans are the largest foreign group in the Alps and their winter holidays are spread across early February.
  1 to 6 February: Berlin, Brandenburg, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia
  8 to 12 February: Bavaria and Saarland
  8 to 19 February: Saxony and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
• England: The English February half term is 15 to 19 February 2027 for most councils, with a few areas breaking up a week earlier. The Easter holidays run from 26 March to 9 April.
  8 to 12 February: half term in a few council areas, for example Hull
  15 to 19 February: half term in most of England, including London, the Midlands and the North
  26 March to 9 April: Easter holidays for most English schools
• Easter holidays: Easter 2027 is early, on 28 March. Austria and Germany take their holidays around the weekend, while the French holidays fall after Easter, in April.
  20 to 29 March: the whole of Austria, all states at the same time
  22 March to 3 April: most German states, including Bavaria, Hesse and North Rhine-Westphalia
  3 April to 3 May: the French zones, which fall after Easter 2027 and only affect the highest resorts
• Long weekends: Long weekends fill the slopes with day visitors from the nearest cities, even when no schools are on holiday.
  26 December to 3 January: Christmas and New Year, the most expensive period of the year
  6 January: Epiphany, a public holiday in Austria, Italy and parts of Switzerland
  27 to 29 March: the Easter weekend. Easter Monday is a public holiday across the Alps, but Good Friday is a working day in Austria, Italy and France
  1 to 2 May: May Day, a public holiday across the Alps

If you want quieter pistes and lower prices, the weeks in mid-January and late March are clearly the best. Neither the Germans nor the Austrians are on holiday then.

Snow right now. There is no snow cover in the valley or at the top right now. The figures are modelled by Open-Meteo, not measured by the lift company, and were fetched 15 October 2026 at 20:24.

How to get to Hochkönig

Last-minute deals in Hochkönig

Last-minute offers, that is late dates the operator still wants to fill, appear from January onwards. Once the season is under way we will show them here on this page.

Hochkönig is suitable for

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Frequently asked questions about Hochkönig