Gamsleiten II, Obertauern, Austria. The most legendary ski slope in the Obertauern ski area provides wow factor moments when you look at it. A spectacular chairlift takes all the brave ones to the entrance, which is not for the faint-hearted. It’s not only steep here, the view is also breathtaking. Photo (playing card) by Dietmar Körbler.

Obertauern – straight from bed to the piste

Obertauern is located 90 kilometers south of Salzburg, Austria, at 1740 meters above sea level, in the middle of the Hohe Tauern around the Radstädter Tauern Pass. The Austria’s snowiest ski area starts at 1630 meters and extends up to a height of 2313 meters.

Obertauern – a ski area in a class of its own | Photo: © Tourismusverband Obertauern

Due to its geographical location, Obertauern is fortunate to receive large amounts of snow from the north as well as snowfall from the south. Coupled with its high altitude, this makes Obertauern the snowiest winter sports resort in Austria. Another special feature: the mountains around Obertauern form the shape of a bowl. This means that you can find slopes of all exposures, and if you want you can ski all day in the sun.

Obertauern – accommodations

In Obertauern there are around 150 hotels, guesthouses, youth hotels, vacation apartments, private rooms, apartments and self-catering huts. Of these, 3 hotels have 5 stars, 9 hotels belong to the 4-star S category, 26 hotels are classified with 4 stars, 20 hotels and guesthouses with 3 stars.

Obertauern – lift facilities

26 cable cars and lifts are arranged around the village to form a ski circus. The red Tauern circuit runs clockwise, the green Tauern circuit counterclockwise, so you can ski the whole Tauern circuit from one lift. The car can be left during the winter vacation, because the lifts can be reached directly from the hotels with skis. It is Ski In & Ski Out. 11 different entry points to the ski area, prevent long queues at the lifts.