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My personal experience of skiing in Söll, Austria
At the time of my first visit to Söll, Austria I was a young man looking to ski as many kilometres during the day and party hard at night.
Söll back in those days had a reputation for hardcore apres ski and the village still does provide some wild partying if you go looking for it.
I’ve skied Söll on five separate occasions now, the last being part of a 4 month ski and hiking tour of the Austrian Alps.
Wilder Kaiser Region
The village is located in one of the most beautiful parts of Austria in my view, the Wilder Kaiser region. Which translated means “Wild Emperor”. The mountain range dominates the area and it’ll be the first aspect of scenery you’ll notice when you visit Söll.
When I first saw the Wilder Kaiser mountains I was drawn to them like no other mountains I’d seen before. Steeped in history, the first mention of them dates back to the 13th century.
No-one rearly knows where the name comes from. Most probably the Kaiser at the time had a farm in the region. Locally they are known as Koasa.
Hiking in the Wilder Kaiser Region
It’s also worth mentioning that in summer the Kaisertal valley on the northern side is one of the most unspoilt areas in the whole of Austria, being the last valley experience habitation.
Even today there are only a handful of dwellings in the valley. If your interested in hiking the Wilder Kaiser region then take a look at this website.
SkiWelt
There are 9 villages connected to the SkiWelt region, Söll being one of them. Each has it’s own unique character. Söll is one of the most lively villages for apres ski.
If you take a look at the piste information on this page on the upper right hand side you’ll see the region has 284 km of piste, with 90 lifts and several marked ski tour routes.
Hohe Salve Mountain
The Hohe Salve mountain is the centre point so to speak. It’s also the highest point in the SkiWelt at 1829 metres.
The views at the top of the Hohe Salve on a clear day are some of the best in the Tyrol. Take a look at my video below filmed on New Years Day to see for yourself the spectacular panorama.
What it’s actually like to ski in Söll, Austria
First off, it’s one of my favourite ski areas not just in Austria but the entire alps.
The reason for this is the range of skiing available to intermediate to advanced skiers. If your into the top end of advanced and like a challenge then maybe you’d find a lack of piste to really test you. But for the main bulk of skiers the SkiWelt is a skiing heaven.
Söll Piste Map
I’ve skied from one end of the piste map to the other and back in a single day with relative ease, the lift system is so well connected. You’ll find an interactive piste map here.
I personally like to ski a range of slopes in a day. From steep wide reds and blacks to long winding blue runs through the trees. Söll and the whole region has this diversity in abundance.
Highlight of skiing in Söll
One of the highlights of skiing in Söll is the blue run down the mountain back to the village at the end of the day, just as the sun is starting to set.
Ask anyone who has skied this slope will tell you it’s one of their favourites. Take a look at the video below of the entire run filmed from top.
Bars and restaurants in Söll
I’ll focus mostly on the mountains huts here. I’ll be honest the restaurants in Hochsoll are not the best in the SkiWelt. They are overpriced compared to others and the food isn’t the best.
I’d suggest to ski over to Scheffau, Hofpgarten or even Ellmau if you have the ski legs to ski that far.
The actual village itself is well catered for when it comes to food and drink. All I’ll say is you must visit the Dorf Stuben to experience some of the best traditional Austrian food and hospitality.
Final thoughts on the ski village of Söll
The SkiWelt is a place I hope to ski every year until I finally have to hang up my skies and boots. For me it has everything you could ask for in a traditional Austrian ski experience.
Some skiers I know will point out that it’s not the highest of ski areas and the snow conditions are not the best due to the lack of altitude.
They are right of course. However, I have skied from the opening day of the season, right to the tail end of March. There was always plenty of snow, even on the home runs to ski, although they do get a bit patchy in places.
If you want cotton wool snow and higher, steeper ski slopes then I wouldn’t suggest Söll or the SkiWelt as a holiday destination.
For those who are looking to enjoy traditional Tyrolean charm, stunning views of the alps and a broad range of ski runs, I’d suggest taking a look at this charming ski resort.
Check out some of my other favourite Austrian ski resorts.
Austrian Ski Resorts – Overview Guide To Popular Ski Resorts
My first visit to an Austrian ski resort was, it’s fair to say, some years ago now as a 10 year old boy
Saalbach Hinterglemm: Tips for your holiday
An abundance of piste spread across a wide area, great food and drink and lively apres ski.
Niederau Austria: A guide for what to expect when skiing
The stories of apres ski partying are legend in Niederau, Austria.
My father was one of the early pioneers of skiing in the late 1960
Table of Contents
SkiWelt
Piste Information-
Easy - 121 km (114)
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Medium - 127 km (85)
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Difficult - 36 km (25)
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Number of lifts - 90
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Height - 703 - 1829 m
