When it comes to skiing or booking a ski holiday, one topic is often in focus: snow reliability. Which ski resorts are most likely to have snow even in autumn or spring, and where will I have guaranteed snow in winter? The answer: in glacier ski areas! The pistes on the millennia-old ice are all extremely high up and in some cases offer continuous snow, so winter sports enthusiasts can actually indulge in their hobby here all year round. But which glacier ski areas are there in the Alps? SnowTrex knows the 11 most popular ones and shows what characterises each one.
An overview of the most popular glacier ski areas in the Alps
| Ski area | Highest point | Glacier slopes | Kilometres of piste in the ski area | Summer ski |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Matterhorn Glacier Paradise | 3,883 m | approx. 21 km | 200 km | yes |
| Saas-Fee | 3,573 m | approx. 20 km | 100 km | yes |
| Les 2 Alpes | 3,523 m | approx. 26 km | 200 km | yes |
| Tignes/Val d’Isère | 3,456 m | approx. 20 km | 300 km | yes |
| Pitztal Glacier | 3,440 m | approx. 21 km | 40 km | no |
| Sölden | 3,340 m | approx. 34 km | 144 km | no |
| Hintertux Glacier | 3,250 m | approx. 60 km | 52.4 km | yes |
| Stubai Glacier | 3,212 m | approx. 42 km | 42 km | no |
| Mölltal Glacier | 3,122 m | approx. 17 km | 162 km | yes |
| Kaunertal Glacier | 3,113 m | approx. 22 km | 34 km | no |
| Kitzsteinhorn | 3,029 m | approx. 42 km | 61 km | yes |
1. Matterhorn Glacier Paradise (Switzerland)
In winter, the Zermatt ski area, the highest ski area in Europe, offers a total of around 200 km of pistes. Some of these are located on the Klein Matterhorn glacier, allowing winter sports enthusiasts to ski up to 3,883 metres in the Matterhorn Glacier Paradise ski Eldorado. And even in August, the 21 kilometres of pistes there still offer perfect conditions for tackling a descent or two. However, not only piste lovers but also freestyle fans get their money’s worth in the shadow of the Swiss Confederation’s Alpine landmark. The Snowpark Zermatt in the glacier ski area on the Matterhorn is one of the best in the Alps and is also open all year round in ideal weather conditions.
2. Saas-Fee (Switzerland)
Attention Switzerland fans: In addition to Zermatt, Saas-Fee also offers a glacier ski area that reaches an altitude of up to 3,573 m and is located just one valley further east! Of the 100 kilometres of pistes, almost 20 km are on the glacier at Mittelallalin. This piste area is also open in summer and is mainly used as a training centre by professional skiers from the World Cup. Those who not only want to follow in the footsteps of the sports stars on the various pistes, but also want to get their freestyle hearts racing, can of course venture into the spectacular snow park.
3. Les 2 Alpes (France)
Ski holidaymakers will not only find snow-sure glaciers in Austria and Switzerland, but also in France. Here, high-altitude glacier ski areas allow skiing well into the summer. Another advantage: thanks to the southerly location, the Mediterranean influence can be felt every year in the sun-kissed French Alps. This is exactly what you can feel in the Les 2 Alpes glacier ski area with around 200 kilometres of pistes, the majority of which are on the Glacier de la Girose or the Glacier de Mantel. The highest point of the ski area is at 3,560 metres, ideal conditions for months and months of skiing from the beginning of December to the end of June. The icing on the cake of the sunny glacier skiing experience is the impressive view of the majestic summit of Mont Blanc (4,809 m) from the mountain station at any time of year. Les 2 Alpes is also the venue for the annual SnowTrex season opening “PowderWeek”.
4. Tignes/Val d’Isère (France)
Snow-sure glaciers are not only to be found in Austria and Switzerland. In France, too, high-altitude glacier ski areas make skiing possible right into May. And that is important, because due to its southern location, the Mediterranean influence is noticeable in the sun-drenched French Alps. With around 300 km of pistes in winter, the Tignes/Val d’Isère ski area on the Grand Motte glacier is one of the largest in the Alps. The special feature: in summer, around 20 km of pistes are opened for glacier skiing. From the end of June to the beginning of August, you can enjoy the sun while skiing on the glacier slopes up to 3,456 m above sea level.
5. Pitztal Glacier (Austria)
With an altitude of up to 3,440 m, the ski area on the Pitztal Glacier is the highest ski area in Austria. Winter sports enthusiasts can expect a snow-white panorama and around 21 kilometres of pistes. The highest café in Tyrol, the Café 3,440, offers a magnificent view.
6. Sölden (Austria)
In Sölden, too, skiing is possible right into May. Of the total 144 km of pistes in the entire ski area, a part leads across the eternal ice: on the Tiefen- and Rettenbachgletscher, 34 km of perfectly groomed glacier pistes await ski fans. The two glacier ski areas are connected by the Schwarze Schneid ski tunnel. At snow-sure altitudes between 2,675 and 3,340 m, 8 modern lifts transport guests to glacier skiing fun. In winter, the Ötztal Superskipass even brings you a whole 356 kilometres of slopes!
7. Hintertux Glacier (Austria)
At the end of the picturesque Tuxertal valley is the entrance to Austria’s largest year-round ski area: the Hintertux Glacier ski area. With a total of 60 km of pistes, winter sports enthusiasts are offered fun on the slopes 365 days a year, because even in summer, almost 20 km of the pistes, which reach up to 3,250 m, are open for skiing.
8. Stubai Glacier (Austria)
The Stubaital sets the standard for glacier skiing with about 42 kilometres of pistes (64 km including ski routes). The Stubai Glacier ski area is the largest glacier ski area in Austria! Due to its altitude of over 3,210 m, the ski area is usually open for sun skiing until the beginning of June. In addition to prepared pistes and ski routes, a fun slope and a race track await ski guests here.
9. Mölltal Glacier (Austria)
With an altitude of up to 3,122 m, the ski area on the Mölltal Glacier is the only glacier ski area in Carinthia. True to the motto “small but nice”, around 17 kilometres of perfectly groomed pistes invite you to enjoy glacier skiing. Due to its sunny location in the southern part of the Hohe Tauern, the ski area benefits greatly from the Mediterranean weather conditions, so that skiers can enjoy several hours of sunshine, especially in spring and early summer. The Mölltal Glacier is also the official training area of the Austria Ski Team and the German National Alpine Ski Team. The ski pass includes a total of 162 kilometres of slopes.
10. Kaunertal Glacier (Austria)
The ski area at Kaunertal Glacier – Fendels is also known as the cradle of snowboarding in Europe. When the trend spilled over from the United States about 30 years ago, the small glacier ski area welcomed the trend sportsmen with open arms and built one of the first halfpipes in the Alps. Today, the glacier ski area still attracts winter sports fans from all over the world from December to May with its total of about 34 km of groomed slopes at up to 3,113 m above sea level.
11. Kitzsteinhorn (Austria)
At 3,029 m above sea level, the Kitzsteinhorn is not only the highest elevation in Salzburg, but as part of the Kitzsteinhorn/Maiskogel – Kaprun ski area (61 kilometres of pistes), it is also home to the only glacier ski area in the province. On the glacier on the Kitzsteinhorn in Kaprun, sunny skiing is offered until the beginning of June – and on 42 kilometres of all levels of difficulty. But guests who don’t ski also get their money’s worth: the “Gipfelwelt 3,000” offers entertainment for all age groups with the Ice Arena or the National Park Gallery.
