Ski holidays in Hopfgarten, Austria

Hopfgarten lies in the heart of the Brixental, a village that has kept its Austrian character despite sitting next to one of the country's largest ski systems. The baroque church with its pale towers rises in the middle of the village and gives the feeling that time has moved a little more slowly here than in more developed resorts.

Above the rooftops looms the Hohe Salve, the mountain that gives the whole valley its character and has drawn skiers and walkers alike for generations. The streets of Hopfgarten, at 620 metres, are lined with timber houses, farms and small cafes rather than large hotel complexes.

At the same time, the village is one of the natural gateways to the SkiWelt Wilder Kaiser-Brixental, a linked ski system that stretches across several valleys and villages. From here you can travel a long way without changing resort, which suits both families who want a safe base and more adventurous skiers looking for variety day after day.

If you want to stay in the middle of the Austrian village tradition and still have the whole SkiWelt within reach, Hopfgarten is a natural choice. Accommodation with lift pass included is booked through us.

5 tips about Hopfgarten

1. Beginners on the valley floor Around Hopfgarten there are several gentle practice slopes close to the village, ideal for finding your feet before tackling the larger SkiWelt system.
2. Make the most of the SkiWelt With 275 km of pistes and 81 lifts, it pays to plan day trips between the valleys of the system rather than staying on the same slope all week.
3. The vertical range adds variety From Hopfgarten's 620 metres up to the top at 1,869 metres there is a clear difference in snow conditions, and higher up the snow usually holds better and for longer.
4. Travel outside the school holidays Book weeks outside February half-term and Christmas for quieter slopes and often a better price on accommodation with lift pass included.
5. Intermediate is the norm With 121 km of red pistes against 39 km of black, the system suits skiers who want to cruise long, moderately demanding runs without constantly meeting steep sections.

Pistes and lifts in Hopfgarten

The SkiWelt Wilder Kaiser-Brixental offers a total of 275 km of pistes and 81 lifts, with a vertical range from Hopfgarten's 620 metres to the top at 1,869 metres. Of the pistes, 115 km are blue, 121 km red and 39 km black, which gives a clear majority of moderately demanding descents and suits skiers who want to cruise long stretches without constantly meeting steep sections.

Piste map for Hopfgarten

Download the piste map See all piste maps

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 Hopfgarten

Hopfgarten sits at 620 metres, while the ski system climbs to 1,869 metres, a considerable vertical range within the SkiWelt Wilder Kaiser-Brixental. Snow is not guaranteed, particularly on the village slope, but the higher parts of the system generally fare better thanks to the lower temperatures at altitude.

Winter temperatures in the valley drop below freezing at night from December to February (between -6 and -4 degrees), while daytime temperatures already climb to around 11 degrees in March and 14 degrees in April. That makes the peak season in December and January the most reliable choice if you want to be sure of good snow conditions.

Best time to travel to Hopfgarten

With the village at 620 metres and night-time temperatures that often sit below zero from December to February, snow conditions tend to be stable in the peak season. December and January are the safest bet if you prioritise cold and a firm base.

March and April bring milder daytime temperatures of around 11 to 14 degrees, which suits anyone who wants to combine skiing with sunshine on the terrace.

Will there be lift queues in Hopfgarten?

Hopfgarten is part of SkiWelt Wilder Kaiser-Brixental, and the lift system there carries 146,520 people an hour across 81 lifts. 36 of the 81 lifts are gondolas or high-speed chairlifts and 22 are drag lifts, which take longer to get through when it is busy. The fastest lifts carry up to 4,570 people an hour, for example Eibergbahn. 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 Hopfgarten 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 Hopfgarten 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 18 October 2026 at 20:24.

The lift pass included. The stay comes with the SkiWelt Wilder Kaiser - Brixental lift pass, which covers 275 km of piste. The pass is worth around €528.

How to get to Hopfgarten

Last-minute deals in Hopfgarten

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.

Hopfgarten is suitable for

Read more about ski holidays

Frequently asked questions about Hopfgarten