Winter in the mountains
Winter holidays in Austria – rent a ski hut or winter hut
Straight onto the piste, off with the sled, a quiet loop through the snow or simply light the stove. 26 huts, chalets and holiday apartments for your winter holiday in the mountains – personally visited, with sauna or stove for afterwards and honest information on winter access. And if you do not yet know whether ski hut or cabin in the snow: ask us. We know our accommodation personally.
Personally checkedReal huts
in the snow
in the snow
1
Piste or silenceFrom ski-in/ski-out to the quiet hutSki hut on the piste or cabin in the snow without a lift – we have both.
2
Warmth afterwardsSauna, stove and warm parlourAfter the day outside your own sauna, the tiled stove or the hot pot in the snow.
3
Honestly describedAccess and lift are statedMinutes to the lift, cleared road, chains – you find this clearly stated for every hut.
4
Personal adviceWe know our hostsTell us what your winter should look like. We help with the choice.
Three winter huts we especially recommend today
Every day we show you three different places from our selection – from the ski hut with ski-in/ski-out to the alpine hut with tiled stove. All 26 winter huts are further down and of course in the hut finder.
Two kinds of mountain winter
Ski hut or quiet winter hut?
We have both – and each is a different holiday. A ski holiday in Austria means with us: small, snow-sure ski areas at altitude – the Hochrindl in Carinthia, the Kleinwalsertal in Vorarlberg, the Stubaital and the Kitzbühel Alps around the Alpbachtal in Tyrol. Which ski area is nearby and how many minutes it is to the lift is stated for every hut.
The ski hut
Short distances to the lift, ski boots in the hallway, back to the hut once at midday. Closest is the Pietschacher Almhütte on the Hochrindl: ski-in/ski-out, 20 kilometres of pistes, plus cross-country trails and sledding run. The six lodges in the Kleinwalsertal also have short distances to the piste – cable cars included.
See Pietschacher AlmhütteThe cabin in the snow
No lift, but a stove, snow right to the door and tracks in the white that nobody has made yet in the morning. Snowshoes instead of skis, sled instead of ski pass, your own sauna in the evening.
Snow cabin rentalOr both, one after the other
Two days of piste, three days of peace – that is the winter many of our guests end up booking. If you do not yet know which kind suits you: we have been to each of these huts ourselves and are happy to advise.
Get personal adviceSledding, snowshoes, winter walks – winter away from the piste
Many of our guests do not come to ski at all in winter. They come for the sledding run, the cross-country trail, the winter walk from the door and the sauna afterwards. Here is what works especially well where – and which huts suit it.
Sledding
Walk up, laugh down – the winter joy for families, couples and whole groups of friends. Sledding runs nearby are listed for every hut.
- Pietschacher AlmhütteHochrindl · sledding run right at the door
- Riedhof-ZuahausBreitenbach · sledding runs in the Alpbachtal
- Sonnseitn KarwendelFritzens · central for sledding runs across Tyrol
Winter walks and winter hiking
Cleared paths, crunching snow, sun on your face – and at the end the warm parlour. At these huts the winter path begins at the house.
- Waldhüttl at the KarwendelKarwendel · winter paths right at the house
- Sternenhimmel in the Tuxer AlpsKolsassberg · winter paths from the door, view of the Inn valley
- Pferdeheimat am KarwendelGnadenwald · winter hiking paths at the door
Snowshoe hiking
Tracks in the white that nobody has made yet in the morning. Most beautiful from secluded huts – snow right to the door included.
- Breitberg AlmZillertal · secluded at 1,100 m, snow right to the door
- Kochhäusl in the Tuxer AlpsWattenberg · secluded, sauna for afterwards
- Berghütte ArtliebBischofshofen · secluded at 960 m, hot pot in the snow
Cross-country skiing
Steady movement, clear air, calm rhythm – and the trail only a few minutes from the house.
- Alpenrehblick at the KarwendelVomp · trail in three minutes, own sauna
- Alpenfamilienglück am KarwendelGnadenwald · trail at the door
- Pietschacher AlmhütteHochrindl · trails next to piste and sledding run
Winter at the farm
Stable instead of ski cellar: horses, farm animals and snow outside the window – for children often the best winter of all.
- Alpenfamilienglück am KarwendelGnadenwald · horse farm, riding lessons in winter too
- Pferdeheimat am KarwendelGnadenwald · holiday apartment at the horse farm
- Troadkammer am RiedhofBreitenbach · farm with animals
And afterwards: sauna, stove, hot pot
The winter evening is often the part everyone remembers. Warmth just for you – sauna, stove or hot pot all to yourselves.
- Tiroler Hütte at the KarwendelKarwendel · private hot tub in the snow
- Oberbrixen HütteBischofshofen · barrel sauna and hot pot
- Chalet Time StubaiStubaital · jacuzzi on the roof terrace, spa in the house
A good snow day may also be over at three o'clock
Then tea, sauna, stove and cooking together await. Choose how you travel – we show you the matching winter huts.
With children
Small ski areas, short distances
Families with children need short distances, a ski school in the village, sledding, snow in front of the house and enough room to dry the ski gear.
Huts for families →As a couple
Stove, sauna, silence
Small cabins in the snow, chalets with hot tub and places where the winter evening belongs to you alone.
Huts for couples →With friends
Ski day, hut evening
Huts and holiday houses for 6 to 12 persons – piste or sled by day, everyone at the same table in the evening.
Huts for groups →With dog
Snow to romp in
Huts where your dog is expressly welcome – with winter paths from the door and a warm place by the stove.
Huts with dog →What should your winter look like?
All 26 huts for winter in the mountains
Not decided yet? Here are all ski huts, winter huts, chalets and holiday apartments for your winter holiday in Austria – with number of persons, rooms and what makes winter special there.
Renting a ski hut
What matters when renting a ski hut
“Ski hut” means for some the alpine hut with the piste outside the window, for others the après-ski stop with music in the afternoon. We mean the first: a house you have to yourselves and from which the ski day begins.
Calculate distance honestly. “Near the ski area” can mean many things. Ask for minutes, not kilometres – and about the road in fresh snow. With us this is stated for every hut.
A suitable ski area counts more than the shortest distance. A small area with sledding run and practice lift makes families happy; those who want many kilometres of piste gladly take the ski bus for ten minutes.
Room for the equipment. A dry room for boots and skis is worth more in winter than a second bathroom.
And if it is not about skiing at all: then the snow cabin is the nicer choice – same landscape, different pace.
Good to know
Winter in Austria away from the slopes: toboggan, sleigh and winter hike
Winter holidays to Austria in your own hut
An Austrian winter holiday in a hut is a winter experience of its own: the winter landscape outside the window, the wood stove inside and the ski resorts of Tyrol, Salzburg and Carinthia a short drive away. Our huts and chalets in the Austrian Alps are family-run or looked after by hosts who live next door – authentic winter in a Tyrolean mountain village instead of a hotel corridor.
Toboggan run, sleigh ride and winter wonderland
Away from the pistes, winter in Austria is just as lovely: a natural toboggan run near the hut, a horse-drawn sleigh ride through the snowy valley, a winter hike or snowshoeing along quiet hiking trails, ice skating on a frozen lake. Winter holidays with children work especially well this way – skiing and tobogganing in the morning, a snowball fight and cocoa in the afternoon.
Skiers and non-skiers under one roof
One learns to ski, one goes winter walking, one stays by the stove: in a hut everyone can have their own winter day and meet again in the evening. Winter sports are close by – from the small family lift to skiing in powder in the Zillertal – and the Hohe Tauern National Park or the Karwendel are right outside the door for a tranquil winter.
City break to Innsbruck from the hut
Several of our huts by the Karwendel are half an hour from Innsbruck: a city break with the Christmas market, apple strudel in the city centre and mountain peaks all around – then back to the cosy hut in the evening. Sturdy footwear, goggles and warm gloves belong in the luggage; everything else, from winter tyres to the cleared access road, we tell you before you arrive.
Frequently asked
Winter in the mountains – briefly answered
Which hut suits a ski holiday?
For a ski holiday what counts is the minutes to the lift or ski bus, winter access, a ski room and the room layout. Ski-in/ski-out is at the Pietschacher Almhütte on the Hochrindl, short distances to the piste at the lodges in the Kleinwalsertal – cable cars included.
Can a winter holiday be nice without skiing?
Yes, very. Sledding, winter hiking, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, sauna and quiet days by the stove are just as much part of the mountain winter – many of our guests book exactly this mix.
Do I need snow chains for the hut?
That depends on the road and the weather. Every hut states whether the road is cleared and whether chains are useful. On mountain roads winter tyres are compulsory and chains in the boot a good idea.
Is snowshoe hiking safe?
On cleared or marked winter paths it is easy to plan and suitable for beginners. In open alpine terrain it needs avalanche knowledge and experience – we tell you which paths around the hut suit you.
Which accommodation suits families in winter?
Short distances, a small or family-friendly ski area, a sledding run nearby and enough room to dry clothes. Farms with animals and holiday apartments with a cross-country trail at the door suit especially well.
What belongs in the car in winter?
Winter tyres, ice scraper, warm clothing, gloves, a blanket and, depending on the mountain road, snow chains. Check the road conditions briefly before you travel – then you arrive relaxed.
You know what your winter should look like – but not yet where?
Tell us who you are travelling with, whether piste or peace, and when you have time. We know every hut personally and tell you honestly which one suits your winter.
Discover more
Winter huts by region
Winter huts in TyrolWinter huts in SalzburgWinter huts in CarinthiaWinter huts in VorarlbergWinter huts in East TyrolWinter huts in Lower Austria
Matching accommodation types
Rent an alpine hut & mountain cabinRent a chaletHoliday house in the mountainsHoliday apartment in AustriaFarm stay
Holidays and experiences in winter
Advent in the mountainsChristmas in the mountainsNew Year's Eve in the mountainsSafe in the mountainsSeasonal calendarFood at the hut