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)
With around 300 kilometres of pistes, the Tignes/Val d’Isère ski area on the Grand Motte glacier is one of the largest of a total of 32 in the Alps in winter. It even features something special: in summer, around 20 kilometres of pistes are opened for glacier skiing. This means that winter sports enthusiasts can enjoy the glorious summer sunshine on the glacier pistes at an altitude of up to 3,456 metres until the end of July.
5. Pitztal Glacier (Austria)
The ski area on the Pitztal Glacier is the highest ski area in Austria at an altitude of up to 3,440 metres. A snow-white panorama and around 21 kilometres of pistes await winter sports enthusiasts. Winter sports enthusiasts can also enjoy the view over a hot chocolate with cream and a delicious Kaiserschmarrn in Tyrol’s highest café, Café 3,440.
6. Sölden (Austria)
In Sölden, too, you can ski well into spring. Of the total of 144 kilometres of pistes in the entire ski area, some lead over the perpetual ice: almost 34 km of perfectly groomed glacier pistes await ski fans on the Tiefen and Rettenbachferner glaciers. Both ski areas are connected by the Schwarze Schneid ski tunnel. At snow-sure altitudes between 2,675 and 3,340 metres, eight modern lifts transport guests to glacier skiing fun. In winter, the Ötztal Superskipass even opens up an entire 356 kilometres of pistes to its holders!
7. Hintertux Glacier (Austria)
At the end of the picturesque Tux Valley is the entrance to Austria’s largest year-round ski area: the Hintertux Glacier ski area. With a total of 60 kilometres of pistes, it offers winter sports enthusiasts fun skiing 365 days a year, as almost 20 kilometres of pistes at up to 3,250 m above sea level are also open for skiing in summer.
8. Stubai Glacier (Austria)
With around 42 kilometres of pistes (65 km incl. ski routes), the Stubai Valley sets standards in glacier skiing. The Stubai Glacier ski area is the largest glacier ski area in Austria! Thanks to its altitude of over 3,210 metres, the ski area is usually open for sunshine skiing until the beginning of June. In addition to groomed pistes and ski routes, there is also a funslope and a race course for skiers.
9. Mölltal Glacier (Austria)
With an altitude of up to 3,122 metres, the ski area on the Mölltal Glacier is the only glacier ski area in Carinthia. True to the motto ‘small yet splendid’, around 17 kilometres of perfectly groomed pistes invite you to enjoy glacier skiing. Thanks to its sun-kissed location in the southern part of the Hohe Tauern, the ski area benefits greatly from the Mediterranean climate, meaning that skiers can enjoy many hours of sunshine here, especially in spring and early summer.
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 USA around 30 years ago, the small glacier ski area welcomed the trend-following sports enthusiasts 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 every year from December to May with a total of around 34 km of groomed pistes at an altitude of up to 3,113 metres.
11. Kitzsteinhorn (Austria)
At 3,029 metres above sea level, the Kitzsteinhorn is not only the highest peak in Salzburg, but as part of the Kitzsteinhorn/Maiskogel – Kaprun ski area, with a total of 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, sunshine skiing is offered until the beginning of June – on 42 kilometres of slopes of all difficulty levels. Guests who are not just travelling here to ski will also get their money’s worth: After all, the “Gipfelwelt 3,000” with the Ice Arena or the National Park Gallery offers entertainment for all ages.
FAQ’s on glacier ski areas
How many glacier ski areas are there in the Alps?
In addition to the well-known glacier ski areas in Austria, Switzerland and France, winter sports enthusiasts can also enjoy the slopes in the Alps in Italy, some of which are thousands of years old. There are still a total of 32 glacier ski areas in Europe’s largest high mountain region.
Where is the largest glacier ski area in Austria?
Austria’s largest glacier ski area is located on the Stubai Glacier. Around 42 kilometres of pistes (65 km including ski routes) are available to winter sports enthusiasts here every year, usually from autumn to the beginning of June. The ski area also boasts an altitude of up to 3,210 metres.
How high is the highest ski resort in the Alps?
The highest ski area in the Alps is also the highest glacier ski area: the Matterhorn Glacier Paradise. Winter sports enthusiasts can ski and snowboard up to an altitude of 3,883 metres in the local ski area of the prestigious resort of Zermatt. In the high season in winter, a total of over 200 kilometres of pistes are available here in Switzerland, extending across the border to Italy. As a year-round ski area, the conditions on the Matterhorn are still so good in midsummer that 21 kilometres of pistes remain open.
