Ski Resorts near Salzburg
Your complete guide to the best skiing within easy reach of Salzburg
Salzburg makes an excellent base for a ski safari. The ski resorts near Salzburg range from small family slopes to serious alpine terrain, and within two hours you can reach more resorts than you can cover in a week.
The three best options are Obertauern (95km, ~65 min), Zell am See (100km, ~75 min) and Saalbach (120km, ~90 min). For reliable snow from November to May, Obertauern is the pick. For the biggest ski area, Saalbach’s Skicircus covers 270km of pistes. Zell am See suits mixed groups and families. Beyond those three, over 30 ski areas sit within 2.5 hours, including hidden gems like Hochkönig and Katschberg.
More famous resorts like Kitzbühel and Schladming lie technically in the Tyrol and Styria, but both are easily reachable from Salzburg and worth the drive (explore car rental options).
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Best Ski Resorts near Salzburg
Interactive Map: Ski Resorts near Salzburg
More Ski Resorts near Salzburg
Untersberg
The closest area to Salzburg with very limited skiing.
Hintersee
Small ski area rising to just under 1600m
Abtenau
Unken
Hochkönig Ski Area
Impressive small ski area around Dienten, Maria Alm and Mühlbach.
Dachstein West Ski Area
Linked ski area from villages of Gosau, Russbach and Annaberg
Alpendorf
The ski resort is described more fully on Ski-Austria.
Wagrain
The ski resort is described more fully on Ski-Austria.
Flachau
The ski resort is described more fully on Ski-Austria.
Zauchensee
The ski resort is described more fully on Ski-Austria.
Grossarl
The ski resort is described more fully on Ski-Austria.
Dorfgastein
The ski resort is described more fully on Ski-Austria.
Bad Hofgastein
The ski resort is described more fully on Ski-Austria.
Rauris
Picturesque crosscountry skiing centre with small ski area
St Johann in Tyrol
The ski resort is described more fully on Ski-Austria.
Bad Gastein
The ski resort is described more fully on Ski-Austria.
Kitzbuhel
The ski resort is described more fully on Ski-Austria.
Kaprun
The ski resort is described more fully on Ski-Austria.
Schladming
The ski resort is described more fully on Ski-Austria.
Katschberg
The ski resort is described more fully on Ski-Austria.
Söll
The ski resort is described more fully on Ski-Austria.
Scheffau
The ski resort is described more fully on Ski-Austria.
Niederau
The ski resort is described more fully on Ski-Austria.
Ellmau
The ski resort is described more fully on Ski-Austria.
Alpbach
The ski resort is described more fully on Ski-Austria.
Weißsee
Small (23 km) glacier area above Uttendorf.
Wildkogel
Interesting medium-sized area under the Großvenediger peak.
Gerlos
The ski resort is described more fully on Ski-Austria.
Mallnitz
Small snow-sure Ankogel area rising to over 2600m.
Mölltaler Glacier
Good-sized glacier ski area above Flattach.
| Ski Resort | Distance from Salzburg | Descriptions | |
|---|---|---|---|
Untersberg | 10 km | The closest area to Salzburg with very limited skiing. | |
Hintersee | 30 km | Small ski area rising to just under 1600m | |
Postalm | 50 km | Limited beginners area near St. Wolfgang | |
Abtenau | 50 km | Near Postalm, small ski area on the Karkogel | |
Unken | 50 km | Tiny family area with draglifts only | |
Lofer | 50 km | Good-sized family ski area above the village. | |
Werfenweng | 50 km | Small ski area near Werfen | |
Hochkönig Ski area | 60 km | Impressive small ski area around Dienten, Maria Alm and Mühlbach. | |
Dachstein West Ski Area | 70 km | Linked ski area from villages of Gosau, Russbach and Annaberg | |
Alpendorf | 70 km | The ski resort is described more fully on Ski-Austria. | |
Wagrain | 70 km | The ski resort is described more fully on Ski-Austria. | |
Flachau | 75 km | The ski resort is described more fully on Ski-Austria. | |
Zauchensee | 80 km | The ski resort is described more fully on Ski-Austria. | |
Grossarl | 80 km | The ski resort is described more fully on Ski-Austria. | |
Dorfgastein | 80 km | The ski resort is described more fully on Ski-Austria. | |
Bad Hofgastein | 90 km | The ski resort is described more fully on Ski-Austria. | |
Rauris | 90 km | Picturesque crosscountry skiing centre with small ski area | |
St. Johann in Tyrol | 90 km | The ski resort is described more fully on Ski-Austria. | |
Bad Gastein | 95 km | The ski resort is described more fully on Ski-Austria. | |
Kitzbuhel | 100 km | The ski resort is described more fully on Ski-Austria. | |
Kaprun | 100 km | The ski resort is described more fully on Ski-Austria. | |
Schladming | 105 km | The ski resort is described more fully on Ski-Austria. | |
Katschberg | 115 km | The ski resort is described more fully on Ski-Austria. | |
Söll | 120 km | The ski resort is described more fully on Ski-Austria. | |
Scheffau | 125 km | The ski resort is described more fully on Ski-Austria. | |
Niederau | 130 km | The ski resort is described more fully on Ski-Austria. | |
Ellmau | 130 km | The ski resort is described more fully on Ski-Austria. | |
Alpbach | 145 km | The ski resort is described more fully on Ski-Austria. | |
Weißsee | 145 km | Small (23 km) glacier area above Uttendorf. | |
Wildkogel | 145 km | Interesting medium-sized area under the Großvenediger peak. | |
Gerlos | 180 km | The ski resort is described more fully on Ski-Austria. | |
Mallnitz | 180 km | Small snow-sure Ankogel area rising to over 2600m. | |
Mölltaler Glacier | 180 km | Good-sized glacier ski area above Flattach. |
More City Skiing Guides
How to Get to the Ski Resorts near Salzburg
Salzburg is one of the best cities in Europe for combining sightseeing with skiing. From Salzburg city or Salzburg Airport, many ski resorts can be reached within one to two hours.
Airport Transfers from Salzburg
Many travellers prefer private or shared transfers for convenience, especially for short ski trips. These transfers take you directly from Salzburg Airport or Salzburg City to your accommodation.
These transfers can be booked through Alps2Alps, offering reliable service to all major ski resorts near Salzburg.
Car Rental from Salzburg
Renting a car allows visitors to travel more flexibly and reach resorts faster. This is especially convenient for groups or families with ski equipment and luggage who want to ski more than one Ski Area.
For car rental options in Salzburg Downtown or Salzburg Airport, we recommend DiscoverCars.com. The platform compares prices from major car rental companies and allows easy booking.
Public Transport from Salzburg
Visitors can reach many resorts using ÖBB trains to major ski resort towns or regional buses connecting smaller ski areas. We have a dedicated article about rail skiing in Austria which shows all major rail routes and Ski Resorts reachable by train.
Check timetables in advance, especially for weekend and holiday travel when services may be more limited.