Fabulous ski slopes, amazing landscapes, glacial expanses, thermal springs and endless meadows – this is all the Austrian Zillertal region offers to vacationers.
Fügen is a small ski resort in Austria , located at the very beginning of the Zillertal valley at an altitude of 550 meters above sea level. The resort itself, together with the neighboring Fügenberg, forms an ancient town of the same name, located in the midst of wonderful landscapes, a glacial kingdom, alpine meadows and stunning ski slopes, which today is one of the most popular ski resorts. Skiing resort areas are Mount Spieljoch and Hochfügen, which ripple with a variety of tracks for skiers and snowboarders of all abilities.
The ski season opens here in December and lasts until the beginning of May.
How to get there
The nearest airports to Fügen are the airports of Innsbruck (Innsbruck) in 40 kilometers and Munich (Munich) in 130 kilometers. The nearest railway station is Jenbach, 13 kilometers away.
Skiing areas and lifts
In the Austrian Fügen, the skiing area is located from 550 meters above sea level to 2,050 meters. Thus, the height difference from the lowest to the highest point is 1,450 meters, which is a good indicator for this region. The main skiing area is dominated by “red” tracks of medium difficulty. The total length of the marked trails at this resort is 51 kilometers, of which the “blue trails” stretched for 12 kilometers, the “red” for 32 kilometers, and the most difficult “black” for 7 kilometers. These descents are served by 19 lifts, of which 12 are rope lifts, 5 chairlifts and 2 gondolas (funiculars). In addition to ski slopes, Fügen has an excellent snow park with a half-pipe and snow figures, as well as 35 kilometers of high-quality cross-country ski trails, including 9 kilometers of alpine trails.
The resort is especially good for beginner skiers, because there are quite wide and well-groomed tracks. In general, the predominance of red slopes, which differ in steepness, is emphasized. The most interesting of them are the tracks running parallel to Bugel lift No. 6 and the track on the descent from Onkeljohu. A decent black track can be found at Hochfugen. Tracks for cross-country skiing with a total length of 35 kilometers are also planned.
Scheme of Fugen slopes
Skiing prices in Fügen
At the Fugen resort, vacationers can purchase one of several types of ski passes. Ski passes differ not only in the number of skiing days (one, two, three …, 21), but also in the coverage of the territory. You can buy a ski pass only for the lifts of the Fügen resort or immediately buy a “super ski pass” for all the lifts in the valley. The cost of such a two-day pass is 97.5 euros for adults, 78 euros for teenagers and 44 euros for children. The cost of ski passes to the Fügen ski areas costs about 45 euros per day for adults and 23 euros for children. When purchasing a ski pass, a refundable deposit of EUR 2 will be charged, which will be returned in exchange for an undamaged plastic lift pass.
For those tourists who do not yet have their own equipment, there are rental points in Fügen. The most popular is the Sport 2000 Unterlercher of the international network. This rental offers equipment from the world’s best manufacturers. In addition, the resort operates Sport Stock, Skiverleih skiCHECK, Schischule Kostenzer Fügen rental companies. The average cost of one day of ski equipment rental for adults is 16 – 35 euros, depending on the equipment category. A children’s kit will cost 9.9 euros per day. You can rent a snowboard kit for a day for 27.5 euros for adults and 9.9 euros for children. The necessary equipment can be booked in advance on the official website of the rental point.
By the way, those who will take private or group lessons at the resort’s ski schools can count on discounts at equipment rental points. On the slopes in Fügenthere are several schools that offer both individual and group lessons in mountain skiing, cross-country skiing, and snowboarding. In addition, the schools employ instructors who specialize in teaching children winter sports. The cost of one group lesson is about 60 euros, and six lessons will cost 155 euros. For children, the price of group lessons is 59 euros for one lesson and 154 euros for six days. Snowboarding lessons are a little cheaper – about 50 euros for one lesson and 126 euros for six days. If you study with an instructor individually, such lessons will cost about 53-59 euros per hour, 105-115 euros for two hours and 189 euros for the whole day (four hours). In Fügen, like a number of other resorts in Austria, you can get to a foreign language coach only for individual lessons. It is very difficult to get into a group study with a foreign language specialist. However, local instructors have a lot of experience in teaching practically without words, using gestures and a personal example, so the problem of language barrier during training, as a rule, does not arise.
While parents conquer the snow-covered mountain peaks, children can have fun with their peers in one of the kindergartens on the slopes. One of the most popular in Fügen is the Zwergerl Club nursery school, which accepts babies from three months to 7 years old. A stay in the garden is possible hourly (6 euros per hour), for half a day (21 euros) or for a whole day (31 euros). The Skischule Aktiv kindergarten is popular thanks to the transfer service, i.e. children are picked up from the hotel and brought back to the hotel after the end of their stay in the kindergarten.
Accommodation and meals
Fügen has a huge number of different hotels, guesthouses, apartments and chalets, which can accommodate up to five thousand guests.
When choosing accommodation options in the Fugen resort , tourists usually focus on hotels located near the ski lifts or near the ski bus stops. One of these options is the Appartement Abendstein 4 * hotel, two kilometers from the lift and next to the free bus stop. The cost of staying at the hotel is from 89 euros per day. A good budget option is the Haus Markus hotel (82 euros per day). For 115 euros, you can rent an apartment in the Alpenhaus Pfitser, while among the best hotels in Fugen is the four-star Sport Und Wellnesshotel Held Fugen (from 190 euros per day).
Worthy representatives of three-star hotels are: Landhaus Zillertal, Edelweiss, Central, Sonne Haus Romantik and other hotels, prices for a double room do not exceed €65-80 per day.
In local restaurants, you can order the most ordinary French fries, omelet or scrambled eggs. But still, the original cuisine of Fügen is worth getting to know, at least in general terms. In addition, local chefs follow the formula “simple, tasty, satisfying” and are not too fond of adding a lot of spices or exotic ingredients.
You can relax after an active day on the ski slopes in an excellent town called Pizz Pub, where not only the guests of Fügen like to visit , but also the residents of the city. The hall is decorated in a royal style, the lounge bar delights with a pleasant relaxing atmosphere, and the wine list pleasantly surprises with its variety. In addition, gourmets will appreciate the signature cuisine, and young people will appreciate the fun apres-ski entertainment. The Billard Treff bar near the Fügenerhof Hotel is famous for its excellent music and soulful atmosphere, while Kosis-Fun-Food-Bar is considered one of the loudest and most exciting, where theme parties and music groups perform.
Fun in Fugen
For those who want a variety of sports in this mountainous area, there is an indoor swimming pool, an outdoor ice rink, tennis courts, bowling alleys, sledding and hiking trails, paragliding and rock climbing courses.
The iconic places and objects of culture include: the Zillertal railway, built at the beginning of the 20th century; The organ in the Gemeindehaus, on which the young Mozart played; Heimatmuseum local history museum; the medieval Maria Himmelfahrt and Marienbergkirche churches; Bubenburg Castle, where Alexander I and Franz II met in 1822, and the Museum of Cheesemaking.
In addition to active and cultural recreation, Fugen , with its variety of bars and discotheques, has a very rich evening life. Places such as Planeta and Life deserve special attention, where a bottle of beer will cost around €3, and a can of soft drink will cost €2.50.
