The town of Sankt Johann im Pongau is considered the gateway to the Sportwelt Amade ski area and one of the most famous sports centers in Austria.

Stretching along the eastern bank of the Salzach River, it is divided into two parts – the elevated Obermarkt with its towers of the Domkirche church (XVII-XIX centuries), clearly visible from any point of the city, and the Untermarkt on the bank below. The tracks stretch from the slopes on both banks of the river, and here it is quite difficult to separate the slopes of St. Johann itself from those lying a little to the north of Urreiting and Mitterberghütten or the slopes that converge into the Mühlbach Valley, Mühlbach am Hochkenig area.

Church of St.-Johannes-Kirche

Summer landscapes of the city

Liechtensteinklamm gorge

St. Johann’s trails (total length of about 45 km) are of low difficulty, since they start from the fairly gentle wooded slopes of the mountains Hochglocker (1,588 m) and Schlaichkogel (1,421 m) in the west and Sonntagskogel (1,850 m ) in the East. However, one should not forget that when considering the sports possibilities of the city, one should keep in mind all 860 km of slopes and 270 lifts of the Sportwelt Amade and Salzburger Sportwelt regions, which are accessed by a whole network of buses and intermediate ski stations.

The center of skiing is the village of Alpendorf (Alpendorf) , which is formally part of St. Johann, but is practically located 2 km south of it, near Plankenau. In fact, it is simply a complex of high-class hotels and more democratic boarding houses, built on the site of the old village of Forsthof. A network of roads and lifts runs from here, connecting the slopes of the mountains Cederberg-Kogel (1037 m), Hern (1787 m), the Flachau track and other nearby resorts of the Sportwelt Amade area. With a height difference from 650 to 1980 meters, the total length of the tracks here is estimated at 32 km (including Flachau – 177 km), with more than 27% easy, 64% of medium difficulty, and only 9% can be classified as difficult “black”. The most interesting are the long, wide and winding routes No. 50 and No. 60, which are well marked and well-maintained.

The snow cover is relatively thin, so all slopes up to a height of 1,500 meters are equipped with snow cannons and the tracks are quite “hard”. Many guests of the resort also note the unfortunate location of some easy slopes – for example, slopes 51a and 51b lie above a rather difficult “red” slope, and it will not be easy for a beginner skier to descend from here to the very bottom.

The ghost village on Gernkogel mountain

Alpine skiing

Elevators

The slopes are serviced by 14 lifts (59 including Flachau – it is quite difficult to separate the ski areas here). There are 8 km of cross-country skiing, half of which is closer to Obergrassalm at a rather high altitude (1600-1700 m), a toboggan run, a small snow park and a freestyle park, 3 ski and 3 snowboard schools, a children’s ski school, a kindergarten, indoor and thermal pools, a sauna, a fitness center, tennis courts, a squash court (at the Alpina Hotel), several dozen restaurants and bars, a cinema, discotheques and even a casino. However, the price level is quite high, and literally for everything, from equipment rental to accommodation in hotels.

The ski season lasts from December 1 to mid-April.

Around the city

The Lichtensteinklamm gorge, which is 5 km to the south, also brought considerable popularity to St. Johann . Considered the most famous gorge of the Eastern Alps, it has long been transformed into a nature reserve (access is allowed daily: from May to September – from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.; from October to April – from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.; 3.3 euros). From this beautiful and narrow river valley, the width of which in some places does not exceed two meters, a stone path is laid with many bridges, wooden balconies, stairs and tunnels, leading to a picturesque waterfall about 150 meters high. You can get here on foot through the village of Plankenau or from Alpendorf, from the southern end of which a footpath leads down to the gorge.

Tourist passes

The single subscription is valid for all resorts in Flachau, Salzburg Sportwelt and Ski Amadé. A 1-day ski pass for adults will cost from 25 to 41 euros depending on the season, a six-day pass from 160 to 203 euros. Discounts from 25% to 50% are provided for children and teenagers.

How to get there

Salzburg Airport is about 55 km by road (about 1 hour by car).

Alpendorf ski resort

general information

Alpendorf is an amazing ski resort in Salzburg, Austria, located at an altitude of 650 meters above sea level. Together with the neighboring regions, the resort is included in the largest ski region of the country called “AMADE Sports World”. Alpine village, which is exactly how the name of the resort is translated, is located three kilometers from St. Johann in Pongau and is a part of it. But it is from Alpendorf that you can get to the tracks of the so-called Three Valleys, since St. Johann is cut off from the general network of lifts.

The resort itself is a compilation of several comfortable and high-class hotels with good and inexpensive boarding houses, but as for the prices for the vacation itself and, in particular, skiing, this pleasure here is by no means one of the cheapest in Austria. In general, Alpendorf is a cozy and calm place for amateur skiing.

Scheme of the region

How to get to Alpendorf

The nearest airport is Salzburg (55 km).

You can get to the Alpendorf ski resort using the following actions:

• by plane to the nearest airport in Salzburg, from where there is a regular bus connection to the resort.
• by rental car from St. Johann or Salzburg. It is only worth considering that in order to use Austrian autobahns, you will need to purchase a so-called vignette. Its estimated cost for a 10-day period will be €8.

Characteristics of the Alpendorf resort

The skiing season is from the beginning of December to the middle of April

Total length of tracks, km 32

Complexity of the tracks, blue – 8.5 km, red – 22, black – 1.5

Altitude difference, 1,200 m

The maximum length of the track, km 4

The number of lifts is 14

Price for one day of skiing adult / child 41 / 21.5 € (high season)

Rental is available

There is a ski school

There is a kindergarten

Ski tracks and lifts

Almost all the tracks, spread up to a height of 1,500 meters above sea level, are equipped with snow cannons, which, in turn, explains the stiffness of the descents on the lower tracks of medium difficulty. There are also black tracks that are not of particular interest to professional skiers. As for the blue slopes intended for beginners, they are not located very well, because they are easy to get to, but you can only get out on the trails marked in red. For fans of cross-country skiing, there are several good tracks with a total length of eight kilometers.

Scheme of Alpendorf slopes

Ski pass prices

Adults, € – 1 day 41; 6 days 227; 13 days –

Children, € – 1 day 21.5; 6 days 113; 13 days –

Ski schools and equipment rental

Alpendorf has all the conditions for pleasant skiing: a ski equipment rental office, where the entire range of necessary ammunition is presented, from helmets and gloves to skis and snowboards made to special order; as well as three ski schools with certified instructors.

Express programs of these ski schools are suitable for any age and budget. Here everyone will be taught how to ski and snowboard. For children from one year of age, there is a kindergarten located at the cabin lift station.

It is also worth noting that the resort has little opportunities for learning skiing, because there are few tracks and on the weekends of the high season they are all filled with vacationers.

Hotels and apartments in Alpendorf

As mentioned earlier, there are various hotels, guesthouses and guest houses in Alpendorf, among which only Oberforsthof, Alpendorf, Alpina and several other four-star hotels can boast of SPA, swimming pools, saunas, Turkish baths, jacuzzis and solariums with five stars . The approximate cost of a double room in these apartments can reach 200-250 €.

Restaurants and cafes in Alpendorf

As for restaurants and cafes, most of them are based at the same hotels and the most popular of them are Alpenhof-Stadt and Oberforsthofalm, where the dish of the day will cost 20-25 €, and you will have to pay at least 25 € for a bottle of wine.

Entertainment in Alpendorf

In addition to skiing, Alpendorf has a toboggan run, indoor tennis courts and a squash court, indoor and thermal pools, a city sauna, a fitness center and a massage parlor.

As for attractions and other entertainment, most of them, including the Pongau Cathedral, are located on the territory of nearby St. Johann , known for its rich historical heritage. In Alpendorf itself, after skiing you can visit one of several bars, the most famous of which is the Eule music pub. The average price of a bottle of beer here will be around €4. Also, the resort has a cinema, a casino and various discos, which are mostly held in the open air.

Scheme of Alpendorf resort