I’m a creature of habit when it comes to travel, finding it hard to resist the allure of the familiar once I discover a good spot. And so after many years skiing (and dancing) in the French Alps, I steeled myself to expand my horizons.
Ignoring the pull of pasta and the Dolomites, I set my sights on Austria, where skiing has shaped the country’s national identity since the 20th century — an essential means of transport for one of the planet’s most mountainous countries. Here 62 per cent of the nation is wrapped in Alpine peaks.
The Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis ski area, which sits 1,436m above sea level and 500m above the Inn Valley, is not the most famous in the Alps, nor the most dramatic. You won’t find the vertiginous drops of St Anton, nor the glossy sophistication of Lech. But what you will find is a sunny plateau scattered with pasture-wrapped villages, plus 200km of immaculately groomed pistes and a lift system that runs with stunning efficiency and smiling, patient operators. For British skiers — especially intermediate ones — this spot is pretty close to ideal. Runs are wide and confidence-boosting, which means you can cover serious ground with nerves intact.
Stronger skiers may argue that it lacks pizzazz, although I can attest that the vertiginous Directtissima black at the top of the 2,596m Zwölferkopf offers plentiful thrills.
Food up the mountain is good. On the recommendation of our ski instructor Shane, we tried Schöngampalm and Zirbenhütte, both offering simple, tasty Austrian fare in cosy chalet surrounds at prices comparable to the resort below.
Arriving via Innsbruck airport is a revelation; first for the spectacular descent between snowy peaks and subsequently for a thrilling lack of queues. Travelling easyJet has never felt so luxurious. Thereafter is a swift and pretty 60-minute drive up to the Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis plateau.
Serotonin-boosting too is Schlosshotel Fiss, a 1940s hunting lodge turned homely but high-end bolthole. With a turreted, sizable silhouette above the village, its interior is by contrast cosy and grounded. Timber, stone and soft lighting deliver warmth and cosiness over show. Bedrooms are generous, many with front-row views across the valley’s peaks and designed with a refined but practical eye: there’s plentiful storage, sink-in seating, deep tubs and deliciously soft beds.
A strength of this hotel is how intuitively it works. The in-house ski shop and boot room opens directly onto the piste, the only ski-in-ski-out accommodation in Fiss. Guides and instructors wait here for their charges, so that everything happens without fuss. This hotel eases friction wherever possible.
Skiing aside, a vast indoor-outdoor pool and subsidiary bubbling baths stretch towards the mountains at the spa, while there is a separate pool and 48-metre slide for kids. A fleet of saunas and steam rooms await post-ski.
This is an unapologetically family-friendly hotel. Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis has built its reputation on tending to children (the Berta’s Kinderland ski school is reputedly brilliant) and Schlosshotel leans into this. There are beautiful, dedicated play areas, supervised clubs, a kids’ cinema, media room for teens and the children’s food is varied and delicious.
And from what I saw, travelling this time without my brood, it works. Families will find it easy and welcoming, while there are plenty of intimate nooks for those travelling babe-free to relax. If you are after tranquility — as I was — time matters and school holidays are best avoided.
Austria excels at food, and the offering here is generous, delicious and follows a gratifying rhythm: a substantial breakfast, indulgent sweet and savoury kaiserschmarrn-laden afternoon spread and elegant multi-course dinner. The sommelier is ever on hand to guide you through an 800-strong wine list. Also more than worth a mention is the Michelin-starred Beef Club restaurant. Not open when I visited, but by all accounts excellent.
As I handed back my skis, packed my bags and began to wind my way back down the zig-zagged road to Innsbruck, I found myself thinking, “I’ll be back.” It seems that old habits die hard. Rose Beer
