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One of the most popular European ski resorts for Brits, St Anton has plenty going for it.
The pretty town is a base for some of the best skiing in Austria and beyond, with brilliant snow conditions and a vast range of pistes for all abilities of skiers to enjoy.
The thrills continue once the sun goes down, too - St Anton’s après ski offerings are among the best in Europe (if not the world), with iconic establishments like Mooserwirt and Krazy Kanguruh bringing the energy.
As a major Alpine town, there’s plenty of accommodation to choose from with all ski holiday types catered for - from family-friendly hotels to large chalets for groups, and everything in between. Have a look at our St Anton ski deals for plenty of offers that’ll be sure to catch your eye.
We’ve liaised with St Anton frequenters and ex seasonnaires to give you nine key reasons why St Anton is a great ski resort.
READ MORE: If you're keen on skiing in Austria but want something a bit quieter, Obergurgl could be a great alternative. Find out all the reasons why Obergurgl is a great ski resort.
Alternatively, there's many reasons why Courchevel, in France, is such a popular ski resort for Brits.
1. Brilliant snow conditions
Although the actual town of St Anton isn’t unusually high at 1,304m, the vast majority of its ski slopes certainly are.
The area also attracts an unusually high amount of snowfall compared to other resorts at a similar altitude. Over the last 11 years, it’s averaged a massive 46cm of snow per week in January, as well as 37cm in December, 35cm in February and March, and 27cm in April - the latter of which is incredibly high for the last season of the month.
Every month has seen an average of at least 3 snow days per week, while the 2023-24 season was a whopper - between December and March its upper slopes (up to an eye-watering 2,811m) took in more than 300cm of the white stuff each month, while its lower slopes received more than 60cm of it.
St Anton is safely within Iglu’s top ten snow-sure ski resorts.
2. Access to an unbelievable ski area
St Anton is a great hub to get quickly whizzed up to the stunning Ski Arlberg region, giving you access to St Christoph, Lech and Zürs.
Ski Arlberg is Austria’s largest ski area, with 304km of pistes connected by 85 chairlifts, gondolas and other types of lifts. Iglu Ski Head of Sales, Phil Wright, points out that "not long ago, Brits had to catch the bus if they wanted to visit Lech and Zürs from the St Anton and St Christoph side of the mountain range".
However, the incredible Flexenbahn gondola put an end to these terrible first world problems, meaning you can now whizz endlessly around the 123 blues, 130 reds and 51 black runs. There are also 5 snowparks (found in St Anton, Lech and Warth), while the longest run stretches for close to 10km, from Velluga down to St Anton.
The area has it all - vast open bowls and a plentitude of pretty tree-lined trails.
3. St Anton is a proper town (with plenty to do)
Originally a tiny stopping refuge for travellers, St Anton boomed into a tourist town when the railway was built through it, and gradually specialised in ski holidays. Thanks to its long history, it’s had time to morph into a proper town, giving you a genuine taste of the exquisite alpine atmosphere - it’s not just a collection of ski shops and accommodation.
The centre of town has been well-designed to create a car-free zone, meaning there’s an amazingly peaceful atmosphere for you to relax with family and friends. Beers are slightly more expensive than the UK, with a nice one setting you back about €7.90.
There’s also a number of great activities for when the skiing has finished for the day. You can visit the huge indoor climbing centre over at the strangely named ‘arl.park centre’. Here, you can also have fun on a trampoline park, or go ten-pin bowling. There’s also tennis and squash if you want some more traditional sports.
Of course, thrill-seekers can get back outdoors and give cross-country skiing a go, as well as winter climbing, tobogganing, snowshoeing, horse sleigh riding and even paragliding.
4. Top-notch nightlife
Widely agreed to be among the best in Europe, the après ski and nightlife in St Anton is simply brilliant.
Iglu Ski's Lucas Lambert did a season in St Anton, and says that "the party begins before you’ve even got off the slopes - Mooserwirt and Krazy Kanguruh are two party havens found on the easy Number 1 Blue Run which is accessible for just about anyone who can’t ski (you can just walk down from the gondola if needs be!)".
Since the mid-1980s, Mooserwirt has blasted out The Final Countdown at 3:30pm every day, signalling the start of the party, as waiters get unleashed to the crowds with trays stacked with up to 30 (thirty!) beers at a time.
Neighbouring Krazy Kanguruh is owned by world slalom champion Mario Matt and has similar table-dancing vibes and lively DJs.
Don’t worry if relaxed pubs and bars are more your thing - there’s plenty of those in town too.
Meanwhile other lively bars and nightclubs await the tipsy skiers once the slopeside options close for the night.
Check out the best of St Anton's après scene in our dedicated guide.
5. St Anton is great for mixed-ability ski groups
If you’re part of a group where not everyone is quite at the same level of skiing ability, St Anton could be the place to choose.
This is particularly true if you have some advanced skiers in the group - the resort is known to be great for its intermediate and expert pistes that you can tackle. Examples for the latter would include the thrilling mogul-dominated Kandahar run, or ‘The Fang’, which is a World Cup-worthy black run.
Intermediates should try the long Schindler Spitzer run or the interlinked reds and blues from the Schindlergratbahn chairlift to Stuben.
Crucially, though, beginners can also enjoy a good week here. Iglu Ski's Alice Barlow also did a season in St Anton, and she said that "absolute beginners will be happy in the nursery area in Nasserein (where discounted beginner passes are available) before progressing smoothly onto gentle skiing in the Gampen area (via the Nasserein gondola) and the upper slopes of the Rendl area".
While the progression of beginner slopes is admittedly a bit faster in St Anton than most, you can also hop on a beautiful 30-minute bus over to Lech, which has even more beginner offerings.
Read more:
If you're a beginner skier looking to tackle the slopes of St Anton, make sure to check out our beginner's guide to skiing in St Anton. Find out for yourself if St Anton is a good ski resort for your beginner level and more information on what to consider when skiing St Anton as a new skier.
6. Fantastic off-piste skiing
St Anton and the Ski Arlberg region boast superb off-piste skiing, particularly due to its frequent snowfall. You can soak in the incredible views and throw yourself about in the fresh powder to your heart’s content.
MaienPlatt is one such example - suitable for intermediates upwards, there’s 3.7km of skiing going down 800m in altitude in a sun-drenched spot. To reach it, head down the Blue 64 Run after jumping off the Galzig gondola until the piste gets thinner and a sharp right turn appears. Go down here, then turn left and then you can race into a vast open area, with flat and steep bits.
Experts can also try the darkly named ‘Schongraben’. Meaning ‘Beautiful Grave’, this area is not as dangerous as it sounds, as long as you stick to the safety of the tree-lined area. On it, you can cruise all the way from the top of Kapal down to the village, with loads of pillows and small drops, while you weave in and out of bushes and trees. You’ll then reconnect with a piste that takes you back to Nasserein.
Overall, there’s plenty of off-piste to tickle your fancy in the St Anton and Ski Arlberg region.
7. Wind down at St Anton’s state-of-the-art wellness centre
After a long day of skiing (or instead of!) the first thing you’ll want to do is get those legs recovered in a gorgeous complex.
Head straight over to the Arlberg WellCom, which is a relaxation haven, equipped with a connected indoor-outdoor pool that has unbelievable mountain views. The pools also have a waterfall, whirlpool and counter-current system.
There’s also a whole sauna complex (kelo sauna, dry-heat sauna, sanarium, steam room and herbal sauna!) as well as a lovely massage room and pool bar offering salads, ice cream and hot and cold food.
Children are also catered to with a wide waterslide and wet play area, while there’s also a fitness space to get in shape.
The complex is open from 8am to 8pm, although certain aspects may open later or close earlier
8. Take advantage of the train station
St Anton has a station right in the centre of the village, making train transfers really simple. Trains leave Innsbruck’s main station every two hours, and take just an hour and fifteen minutes to get to this resort.
Lying on the line between Innsbruck and Zurich, you can go on some day trips along the valley and truly explore the Austrian mountains.
From London, it takes about 12 hours with a couple of changes in Paris and Zurich - although this isn’t too much longer than flying when you factor in getting to the airport, security, departure lounge waiting, check out and a subsequent transfer.
Travelling by train is much less harmful to the planet - and therefore the very existence of skiing as a sport - than flying. A flight from London to Innsbruck emits about 500kg of carbon per passenger (not including transfers), compared to about 4kg if by train.
Human-induced climate change (caused by carbon emissions among other things) is raising average global temperatures, which will have (and is already having) an impact on almost everything, including skiing.
9. Embrace your inner Chalet Girl
St Anton is an iconic resort for all the reasons we’ve mentioned above, but it was also the setting of one of the most popular ski films ever - Chalet Girl.
Starring Felicity Jones, Ed Westwick and Bill Nighy, the film helped popularise Austrian ski holidays for youngsters, and especially shone a light on the raucous nature of après ski in St Anton.
Discover how great St Anton is for yourself
If you’re keen to book your next ski holiday, then have a look at our best St Anton ski deals or get in touch with our helpful sales team, who can also guide you through booking a complicated group holiday.
We’ve been at the top of our game for 25 years in the ski industry and can proudly say that we’re the UK’s biggest ski travel agency - a feat that doesn’t happen for no reason. Let us help you make the best choice for your next magical trip abroad.