SkiWelt Tour in the Wilder Kaiser region

What are the major features of SkiWelt Wilder Kaiser-Brixental?

Touted as “insanely big,” SkiWelt Wilder Kaiser-Brixental most definitely lives up to the hype. In this ski region straddling the Wilder Kaiser range in Tyrol, you are greeted by

• 275 kilometers of pistes
• in 8 different ski resorts: Westendorf, Hopfgarten, Söll, Itter, Scheffau, Ellmau, Going, Brixen im Thale
• more than 21 valley runs
• 81 modern lifts
• roughly 80 ski huts and mountain restaurants.  

In the course of the SkiWelt Tour, you will explore all 8 resorts of SkiWelt Wilder Kaiser-Brixental in a single day. This “insanely big” Tyrolean ski region is just a one-hour drive from Munich, Salzburg, and Innsbruck.

SkiWelt Scheffau: A very promising start

Our skiing marathon begins at the Brandstadl 10-person gondola in Scheffau at 8:15 a.m. It just snowed overnight, and the first patches of clear sky are beginning to appear. The “Koasa,” including the Scheffauer, Ellmauer Halt, and Maukspitze peaks, is swathed in the glow of the rising sun…
At the top, we take a moment to enjoy the view and get our bearings. The vastness of the SkiWelt Wilder Kaiser-Brixental and the extent of our planned tour become apparent.  
Our first descent leads us down freshly groomed, still-empty slopes. The snow: perfect. This is what skiing is all about! 😎 The next lift is truly impressive, whether or not you are into lift technology: The Eibergbahn, which went into service in winter 2024/25, is one of the highest-capacity heated 8-person chairlifts in the world.

Brixen im Thale: Hitting slope after slope!

Our first valley run leads us to Brixen im Thale. From there, we catch the SkiWeltbahn up to the Choralpe in the Westendorf ski area.
SkiWelt Brixen im Thale boasts three valley runs and some outstanding hills for broad carving turns, including at the Kälbersalvenbahn and the Zinsbergbahn lifts. The Zinsbergbahn summit station also boasts a panoramic viewing platform that’s well worth a visit in its own right (even despite our time crunch!)!

SkiWelt Westendorf: The highest point of the SkiWelt Tour

In SkiWelt Westendorf, we enjoy a few brief forays into the powder snow next to the groomed pistes. We soon reach the highest point of the SkiWelt Tour on the Fleiding (1,892 meters) and gaze out at the Hohe Tauern, the Grosser Rettenstein, and the Brechhorn. On the way up the Gampenkogel, we watch the shapers at work in the Big Playground, SkiWelt Westendorf’s mega fun park; Old Man Winter has definitely given them plenty to do overnight. Our next destination is Ki-West: a long, sporty, and scenically stunning valley run. From here, you can also take the free ski bus to connect with the neighboring KitzSki area (Aschau/Kirchberg/Pengelstein) as part of the KitzSkiWelt Tour.

Hopfgarten, Hohe Salve, Itter: for ultimate mountain scenery

Back on the Choralpe, we descend the 5.3 km-long Kandleralm run back to Brixen, then take the Hochbrixen gondola to the Hohe Salve ski area. Our next ride: over the Kälbersalve to the valley run dropping down to Hopfgarten and the Salvenbahn.    
From the summit of the Hohe Salve, more than 70 three-thousand-meter peaks – including the Grossglockner and Grossvenediger – come into view. The 360-degree panorama is breathtaking. Also located here is Austria’s highest pilgrimage church. Yet despite the stunning scenery and all that excitement, our muscles are starting to protest a bit – definitely time for a spot of lunch!

SkiWelt Söll: Exciting Adventures for All, Summer & Winter

Up to now, I’ve only been familiar with SkiWelt Söll in summertime: The “Witch’s Water” attraction, with its interactive stations – including a witch’s cottage, barefoot paths, Kneipp pools, and water channels – is particularly appealing to families with kids. In winter meanwhile, you are greeted by wide slopes as well as exhilarating, black-rated runs.
One by one, we take on the Hexen 6er (a fantastic carving hill!), the Keatbahn, the Filzboden, the Jochbahn, and the Kummereralmbahn back to SkiWelt Scheffau. Just two more stations remain before we’ll have completed the SkiWelt Tour.