Ski holidays in Sölden, Austria

Sölden in the Ötztal is one of Austria's most spectacular ski resorts, sitting at 1,368 metres with skiing reaching all the way up to 3,340 metres on the Rettenbach and Tiefenbach glaciers. It is one of the few places in the Alps with three peaks over 3,000 metres linked together in a single ski system, known as the BIG3.

The resort gained international attention as a filming location for the James Bond film Spectre, and the futuristic ice Q restaurant complex atop Gaislachkogl has become a landmark. Sölden is also known as the venue where the Alpine Ski World Cup traditionally opens its season each October on the Rettenbach glacier.

With 144 kilometres of pistes and 31 lifts, Sölden offers varied skiing for all levels, though the resort has a clear focus on sporty and advanced skiers. The long descents from the glacier peaks down to the village provide fantastic vertical drops and unforgettable runs. Snow reliability is top class thanks to the high altitude and the glaciers.

Après-ski life in Sölden is high quality, with well-known bars and clubs lining the main street. The atmosphere after a day's skiing is energetic and lively, making the resort popular with young adults and groups. Sölden also has a wide range of restaurants and activities beyond the slopes.

5 tips about Sölden

1. Avoid the World Cup weeks Try to book outside the period when the World Cup opens the season on the Rettenbach glacier, as the village fills up with spectators very quickly and prices climb. The weeks just afterwards bring quieter pistes and better accommodation rates.
2. Make the most of your lift pass Take the opportunity to travel between the Rettenbach and Tiefenbach glaciers via the underground tunnel railway, which opens up the whole BIG3 network without unnecessary queuing. That way you get the most out of your lift pass in a single day.
3. Early mornings on the glacier Head up to the highest peaks early in the day, when the snow is at its best before the sun softens it. The altitude means conditions stay good for longer than in the lower parts of the ski area.
4. Lower slopes for families Beginners and families feel most at home on the gentler terrain closer to the village, while the long descents from the glacier summits are best suited to sporty, more advanced skiers. Choose the right part of the area to match your group's level.
5. Sample the local home cooking After a day on the slopes it is well worth trying traditional Tyrolean food, which is often served in the mountain huts along the pistes. It is an easy way to experience the local culture in the middle of your ski holiday.

Pistes and lifts in Sölden

Sölden's 144km of pistes stretch from the village at 1,368m up to 3,340m on the Rettenbach glacier. The three BIG3 peaks, Gaislachkogl (3,058m), Tiefenbachkogl (3,250m) and Schwarze Schneid (3,340m), provide enormous variety. 31 lifts, including three gondolas and an underground funicular connecting the two glaciers, transport skiers efficiently. The piste distribution favours intermediate to advanced skiers, with plenty of red and black runs.

Piste map for Sölden

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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 Sölden

Sölden is considered one of Austria's most snow-sure resorts thanks to its unusually high setting. The village lies at 1,368 metres, but the skiing reaches all the way up to 3,340 metres on the Rettenbach and Tiefenbach glaciers, which means snow is available well into the season.

With no fewer than three peaks in the ski area, Gaislachkogl, Tiefenbachkogl and Schwarze Schneid, sitting above 3,000 metres, the higher slopes rarely suffer from a lack of snow. The altitude of the glaciers acts as a reliable buffer even during spells when lower-lying resorts may have poorer conditions.

Best time to travel to Sölden

Thanks to the glaciers, Sölden has one of the longest seasons in the Alps, running from October to May. January and February bring the best snow across the whole system. March and April offer sunny glacier skiing with excellent conditions.

Will there be lift queues in Sölden?

The lift system in Sölden carries 71,368 people an hour across 31 lifts. 20 of the 31 lifts are gondolas, cable cars or high-speed chairlifts, the kind that clear a queue quickly. The fastest lifts carry up to 4,500 people an hour, for example Giggijochbahn. 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 Sölden 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 Sölden 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.

Major events in Sölden

• ★ World Cup season opener, 24 to 25 October 2026. The season opens on the glacier with giant slalom for both women and men. A festival in autumn, but the ski season in the village itself has barely started.

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 14 October 2026 at 20:24.

The lift pass included. The stay comes with the Ötztal Superskipass lift pass, which covers 363 km of piste. The pass is worth around €460.

How to get to Sölden

Last-minute deals in Sölden

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.

Sölden is suitable for

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Frequently asked questions about Sölden