At the end of January this year the stars finally coincided and we were able to enjoy a proper week long ski holiday after a two years long break due to the pandemic and later on pregnancy. Going away for skiing was something I used to do every season since I can remember but after I moved to Germany in 2010 this became logistically difficult so I only had a couple of ski days here and there in the last decade. Therefore this getaway to Austrian Wildkogel ski are felt even better. Unfortunately Lu could not join us, as German schools are too strict for days off outside of official holidays and the state he lives in actually doesn´t even have winter holidays except the holiday days around Christmas. So it was Charlie, me and Mila then. And our friends from abroad. Two more families, so there were a total of six of us adults and five children, ages 8 months to 8 years. While staying in a beautiful chalet we had a little bit of everything regarding weather conditions – from wonderful sunny days to a real snow storm. Read more about our chalet and the excellent family ski resort in the Austrian Wildkogel Arena in the continuation of this article.

I admit, I have never heard of WILDKOGEL ARENA before last November, when we were looking for suitable accommodation for our gang. Oops. But the more I read about this FAMILY SKI RESORT between the KITZBÜHEL ALPS and the HOHE TAUERN NATIONAL PARK, the more excited I was. The journey from our place in Ljubljana, Slovenia, to our chalet on the outskirts of NEUKIRCHEN AM GROßVENEDIGER took less than 4 hours, which was really comfortable and easy.

NEUKIRCHEN AM GROßVENEDIGER, Austria

WILDKOGEL ARENA ski area connects two major towns in the valley, namely NEUKIRCHEN AM GROßVENEDIGER, where we also stayed at, and BRAMBERG. From Neukirchen, you can reach to the top of the ski slope with the WILDKOGELBAHN gondola, and there is also plenty of SHOPS, RESTAURANTS, SKI SCHOOLS, TOILETS, HIKING TRAILS and other recreational opportunities. So it´s a great place to go, even if you get unlucky with the weather weather, you won’t be bored here.

NATIONALPARK CHALETS, Austria

I have never received so many questions about the place we were staying at as this time! Totally understandable though, our chalet was really gorgeous. As already mentioned, we spent this week together with two other families with children and that is why we were looking for a detached house or a cosy chalet for about 10 people. Searching online we stumbled upon Nationapark Chalets and were immediately hooked, since it ticked off all of our wishes. We wanted the possibility of ski in – ski out, a sauna, terrace or balcony and enough bathrooms.

We got all of that and more! Each adult couple had their own BATHROOM, the SAUNA had access to a special TERRACE, we also had a huge shared balcony, three BEDROOMS on the lower floors, another terrace and the fourth bedroom with its own balcony. The KITCHEN together with the LIVING ROOM with fireplace provided a comfortable space for our fun evenings, we could PARK 2 cars in front of the entrance, and the chalet also had its own  SKI ROOM with heaters for ski shoes and enough place for other equipment. There was also an option to order fresh bread for the morning.

Right next to the chalets there is an easy SKI SLOPE FOR BEGINNERS which is really awesome if you come with smaller kids or if you are just starting to learn how to ski. This piste is free of charge and is open every day. It was also great for sledding here. Otherwise, to reach the main gondola in Neukirchen one had to first walk just a little up and then descent on skis to the town where there was a SKI BUS connection to the gondola. Alternatively one could walk, it wasn´t so far. A special ski bus was also organized to connect the chalets to the gondola station a few times day.

The TOTAL PRICE also included the costs of cleaning and a deposit, we divided the amount fairly between the families, so our share was € 800. It’s not exactly the cheapest, but for what it offers, and considering that everything is completely new, the price still didn’t seem excessive to us.

WILDKOGEL ARENA SKI PLACE, Austria

WILDKOGEL ARENA FAMILY SKI RESORT is located in the HOHE TAUERN NATIONAL PARK in the heart of the KITZBÜHEL ALPS and offers 75km OF PISTES that are suitable for both beginners and more advanced skiers. In addition, there are many SKI SCHOOLS for shildren and grown ups. Surrounded by gorgeous mountain peaks, the top of the ski area is located at 2100m above sea level. You can reach the top with WILDKOGELBAHN from Neukirchen or with SMARAGDBAHN from Bramberg.

The ski resort has won several awards for the BEST FAMILY SKI RESORT, but for those who need a little bigger skiing challenge in terms of longer and more difficult pistes, there is the famous ZILLERTAL ARENA with about 300km of pistes not all that far away.

Because it was snowing heavily during our stay we ended up having excellent ski conditions towards the end of the week when the skies cleared up and the sun came out. Fresh powder snow and amazing views down the valleys from the top of the ski area. Overall, this year’s winter in Austria was wonderful as far as snowfall is concerned, there was really a lot of snow. For all sledding enthusiasts, there is one more interesting thing – here you will find is the LONGEST ILLUMINATED SLIDING TRACK IN THE WORLD! It is 14 km long and looks really cool for all the adrenaline junkies.

For those who like to stop for LUNCH during the day or just for a quick drink, there are several pleasant sunny terraces with great service and CULINARY CHOICE. Kaiserschmarn, Germknödel, Käsespätzle, steaks, strudel, soups or a burger with baked potatoes, what would you choose? Next year we will definitely return for skiing to some place in Austria! The pistes in Wildkogel Arena are also great for an (extended) weekend and for us it´s convenient because it is not that far from home.

Our FIRST SKI HOLIDAY WITH MILA was a hit and I can only say that we chose a great location. Both the ski resort and our chalet provided maximum comfort on the one hand and just the right dose of sports on the other. The ski in – ski out option allowed Charlie and me to easily change in the middle of the day, when one of us spent the morning with Mila, while the other skied, and vice versa. We all went up to the ski resort a couple of times, since it is possible to buy tickets for the main gondola as a non-skiing visitor at a much lower price. We enjoyed some drinks and food together at the top in the sun. I can totally recommend this area to ski-loving families with small children, even babies.