In Ischgl , the word “relax” has been mixed with the word “breakaway”, and this attractive cocktail attracts more and more tourists every year. Having visited Ischgl personally, we highlighted 5 reasons why this special place with its contrasts should be visited by everyone. In fact, Ischgl is a giant “party” of young people for whom skiing is just an excuse to have a good time and make random acquaintances.

Smugglers tour

It so happened that the Austrian-Swiss border divides the mountain cirque in half. This fact did not prevent the uniting of the entire surrounding area into a single zone of alpine sports, called Silvretta Arena. On its Swiss side is the village of Samnaun, the exact opposite of Ischgl. Patriarchal peace and silence have been preserved here. Everyone has a choice – go to bohemian Ischgl and participate in its chaotic nightlife or rest from the noise and bustle in quiet Samnaun. The entire skiing infrastructure is the same, so the pleasure of skiing will not suffer in the least. By the way, the tracks from the Samnaun side are noticeably easier and safer.

Samnaun has another advantage – the entire village is a “duty free” zone, which significantly reduces prices in stores. At one time, it was much easier to get here from Austria than from Switzerland. Under this pretext, cunning villagers obtained from their government the right to duty-free trade. Today you can easily get here by car from any direction, even from Italy, but the privilege has remained.

Although Austria is part of the European Union and Switzerland is not, there are no problems with crossing the border. Every skier does this several times a day. Ski-pass (Ski-Pass) – a magnetic card-pass to the lifts gives the right to use them from any side of the border. Among the lifts there are also completely unique ones, for example, a two-story one in Samnaun, which lifts 180 athletes to the top in one flight.

The total length of the Silvretta Arena ski tracks reaches 300 kilometers. It is served by 78 lifts. Lovers of alpine sports can complain about Ischgl for only one reason – there are no extreme tracks, like the Kitzbühel Streif. The Idalp and Alp Trida plateaus, where the main skiing areas are located, have a height difference from 2,872 to 1,400 meters of gentle slopes in forest and treeless zones. There are no glaciers here, which many consider a disadvantage of Ischgl. But this circumstance brought him great popularity among fans of recreation in the style of Après-Ski, that is, “around-ski” recreation.

Like all border regions, Ischgl was once favored by smugglers: from here they took butter, cheese and skins to the neighboring Swiss town of Samnaun, and from there they took coffee, tobacco, saccharin and other joys of life. Modern tourists are not offered to do such transportation with backpacks full of food, but to make a circular route on skis and snowboards, which was carried out by smugglers – why not! There are three tracks of different difficulty levels to choose from – gold, silver and bronze. You will not find border control in the mountains, and you can visit two countries in one day more than once.

Snowpark

Ischgl is a paradise for snowboarders of all skill levels, but especially for those who feel confident on the board. In addition to standard tracks, there are many proven routes for freeride, as well as one of the world’s largest snowparks, PlayStation Vita Snowpark Ischgl. It is divided into three zones: Beginner Park – for beginners, Public – for intermediate level, Kingsize – for professional snowboarders and freeskiers. Springboards, pipes, rails – everything is here for complex tricks, while beginners can take their first steps, falling after a jump on a special inflatable cushion.

Ischgl is the alpine capital of entertainment

Ischgl in the Tyrolean Patznaun offers not only first-class snow fun, but also sets new accents every year with its entertainment program of the highest standard. Highlights of the upcoming season will include concerts with international stars such as Robbie Williams and Rihanna, the Figures in White snow sculpture competition, and the Chef’s Star Cup. The limitless winter sports arena of Ischgl is one of the largest interconnected ski regions in the Alps and impresses with its perfectly prepared pistes, freeride areas and huge amusement parks.

Location

With approximately 1,600 inhabitants, Ischgl is the most famous commune of the Paznaun ski region in western Tyrol. At an altitude of one thousand three hundred and seventy-seven meters, the Austrian resort is located in a sun-drenched high mountain valley between the Silvretta and Verwallgruppe mountain ranges. Galtür, Kappl and See communes are located nearby.

Ski area

Countless kilometers of perfectly prepared ski tracks in places with stable snow cover and the largest combined freestyle park in Europe guarantee carefree winter joys in Silvretta Arena (Silvretta Arena) between November and May. 45 comfortable lifts and cable cars take guests directly from the center to the huge ski arena, where ski tracks stretch all the way to the Swiss resort of Samnaun. Both amusement parks are also divided into the Austrian and Swiss parts of the Silvretta Arena region. The Snow Park for snowboarders and freestylers is an Alpine Eldorado for freestyle lovers and is divided into three zones: “Kingsize”, “Public” and “Beginnerpark” – a paradise for halfpipe, rail and quarterpipe lovers.

A day ski pass for the ski area costs from 51 euros. Children up to 8 years old can have fun in Silvretta Arena accompanied by a parent for free, and children up to 16 years old get a discount.

Since 2015, the region has implemented a completely new transport concept, which has benefited both local residents and tourists. A new modern parking lot with 600 spaces has been created along the B188 highway. And the 130-meter-long Prenner underground pedestrian tunnel directly connects it to the new 3-S-Pardatschgratbahn lift, from where you can reach the Pardatschgrat mountain at a height of 2,600 meters in less than 10 minutes (world record: three-cable circular road with the greatest drop height between the lower and upper station: 1151 meters). At the same time, the new bus station perfectly complements the new transport concept. Thus, the resort will cope with a large number of skiers in the morning in the Prenner area, and the new parking along the highway will significantly relieve the center.

After 20 years of operation, the old Palinkopf lift was dismantled and replaced by a connecting 6-seater funicular of the new generation: comfortable seat upholstery, silent and almost vibration-free ascent, unique design, a beautiful view of the mountains and a capacity of 2,800 people. per hour guaranteed. The new GAMPEN E4 6-seater lift – GAMPENALPE – operates on slope 68B, where the new Gampenalpe restaurant has opened. A new self-service restaurant “Ischgl Slopefood” has also been opened.

Extra-class entertainment

In addition to sporting pleasures, the ski area also provides a place for first-class events. So, the top league of the international music scene regularly performs at the legendary Top of the Mountain concerts – at the beginning of winter in the center of the resort, at Easter and at the end of the season – at an altitude of 2,300 meters in the middle of the ski area on the famous Idalp stage. Since 1995, when Elton John was the first of the world-class stars to perform surrounded by beautiful mountains, there has been an uninterrupted chain of VIP performances by pop stars at concerts. But, nevertheless, it is safe to say that the guests of Ischgl will still be delighted with an extra-class concert. A unique time for a skiing holiday is January every year, when the Silvretta Arena is transformed into a giant open-air gallery. 10 international pairs of artists gather at the “Figures in White” snow sculpture competition and create snow models several meters high in just five days. Thanks to the guaranteed snow cover throughout the ski season, athletes have the opportunity to admire unique sculptures right in the immediate vicinity of the slopes.

Extreme day and night

In addition to skiing and snowboarding, Ischgl offers several activities that are rarely found in ski resorts. For example, sledding. Children’s fun, you will say, and you will be wrong: we are talking about a night descent along a seven-kilometer illuminated track – the very one you skied down in the morning. If you are thinking about an unforgettable Austrian corporate party, this is an excellent option: let you sit alone in the sled, overtaking your colleagues, helping them get out of the snowdrift or meeting them at the finish line, showing them special love.

Another entertainment, but already in the daytime, is the Ischgl Skyfly zipline. Stretching a snowboard or skis to your back, you climb to a 50-meter tower located above the gorge. From here, on a steel cable, you plunge into the valley, while developing a speed of up to 85 kilometers per hour. If you’re afraid to forget how much you screamed with fear, ask a friend with a GoPro to keep you company – just two parallel cables on the tower.

 

Ischgl is not only a lifestyle metropolis, but also a gastronomic peak of the Alps. In the winter season 2017/2018, the resort will be enriched by two restaurants marked with “Gault Millau” caps: Heimatbühne by Martin Sieberer and Flynn Gourmet.

Kitchen

“High mountains – haute cuisine” – this saying is perfect for Ischgl . One of the mountain restaurants here is better than the other: for example, the panoramic Alpenhaus restaurant on the Idalp is equipped with a VIP room, where beef carpaccio and turbot fillet are served, and in the Pardorama restaurant on the Pardachgrat mountain, in addition to impressive views, you can delight yourself with shrimp paella and venison stew .

Alpenhaus

Pardorama

The choice of places for dinner is even greater: here the level of culinary art is evaluated not so much by Michelin stars, but by the Gault & Millau restaurant guide system. The local restaurants are home to chefs who have made a significant contribution to the creation of Tyrolean haute cuisine: the famous chef Martin Sieberer creates in restaurants such as Paznaunerstube and Heimatbühne, chef Gustav Jantscher in the restaurant Schlossherrnstube, and Benjamin Part serves traditional Austrian dishes in high-molecular processing in the Stüva restaurant.

Paznaunerstube

Stüva

Alpine lifestyle in Ischgl: stellar cuisine, Alpes Ski, evening sledding and shopping

Ischgl is famous not only as a metropolis of entertainment, but also as the culinary center of the Alps. This is also confirmed by the 2015 A la Carte guide, as two chefs from Ischgl – Martin Sieberer (Paznauner Stube restaurant – Hotel Trofana Royal) and Benjamin Part (Stüva restaurant – Hotel YSCLA) made a leap into the 5-star category. In the latest issue of the authoritative restaurant rating Gault Millau, Ischgl was recognized as the culinary Mecca of the Alpine region. Four restaurants with a total rating of nine chef’s hats are located in the popular winter resort in the Tyrolean Patznaun valley.

17 points and, thus, three caps were again awarded to Martin Sieberer, who has been one of the elite chefs of the whole country for many years. The Paznaunerstube restaurant is located in the Trofana Royal Hotel, one of the largest and most luxurious hotels in Ischgl. The biggest leap was made by the young star Benjamin Part. The chef, who recently turned 26, scored 17 out of 20 points for the first time and thus his third chef’s hat. “He stands by the stove in the restaurant Stüva in the gourmet hotel Yscla in Ischgl and thus embodies the best example of the high quality that is almost universally distinguished by restaurants in Tyrolean hotels,” says the Gault Millau 2015 restaurant guide Benjamin Part. The Schlossherrenstube restaurant in the Schlosshotel Romantica was awarded a score of 16 points and two caps. where Günter Düberl is responsible for delicacies. The French-Asian restaurant Lucy Wang, which received 14 points and one cap, became the novelty of the exquisite offer of haute cuisine in Ischgl.

Famous chefs of Ischgl

A secret place for lovers of fine cuisine and luxury right next to the pistes is the Alpenhaus restaurant on the Idalp, which can be reached by the Silvrettabahn and Fimbabahn lifts. The sophisticated mountain restaurant with a modest alpine design pampers its guests on the ground floor with incomparable ski delicacies such as the Kaiserschmarrn and fresh charcoal grill.

Compared to a first-class gourmet temple, the Alpenhaus restaurant located in the middle of the snow has its own “Mountain VIP Club” with no more than 300 members. In the exclusive lounge area, club members enjoy a magical panoramic view of Silvretta in a relaxed, private atmosphere. Other brilliant membership benefits include VIP access to the Silvrettabahn ski lift, a personal instructor at the Snow Sports Academy, free testing of the latest skis and snowboards, as well as free storage rooms for winter sports equipment on the mountain and in the valley.

When the skiing day comes to an end, you can warm up right next to the ski. Nowhere else is Après-Ski as exciting as in Ischgl . The number of bars of different styles in the Alpine region is an exceptional feature. The same can be said about the club scene, where night revelers dance and flirt until the early hours of the morning.

Lovers of a more relaxed pastime enjoy the sauna and wellness facilities in hotels or the Silvretta Center.

Real luxury can be found in numerous shops in the city. In small designer boutiques with espresso bars inside or in modern shopping centers in Ischgl, guests will find everything from well-known brands such as Dolce Gabano, Hugo Boss, Yves Saint Laurent, Prada, Gucci and Missoni to a huge range of high-quality winter sportswear.

The highlight of Ischgl at night is the 7-kilometer illuminated evening toboggan run, which starts at the upper station of the Silvrettabahn lift. From mid-December to mid-April, weather permitting, it’s always open on Mondays and Thursdays – a giant treat for those who like to ride with the breeze under the stars.

They ride here from November to May. The nearest airports to Ischgl are Innsbruck (62 km), Friedrichshafen (150 km), Zurich (200 km), Munich (300 km). From the airports, you can go by train to Landeck-Zams station, and then by bus. Travel time by bus will be about an hour.