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 clearly visible from any point in the city towers of the Domkirche church (17th-19th centuries) and Untermarkt on the bank below. The trails stretch from the slopes on both banks of the river, and it is quite difficult to separate the slopes of St. Johann itself from the Urreiting and Mitterberghütten lying slightly north, or the slopes that converge into the Mühlbach Valley, the Mühlbach am Gochkönig area.

St.-Johannes-Kirche

Summer landscapes of the city

Liechtensteinklamm Gorge

The St.Johann trails (total length about 45 km) are not very difficult, as they start from the fairly gentle forested slopes of the Hochglockner (1,588 m) and Schleichkogel (1,421 m) mountains in the west and the Sonntagskogel (1,850 m) in the east. However, one should not forget that when considering the city’s sports opportunities, one should keep in mind all 860 km of slopes and 270 lifts of the Sportwelt Amade and Salzburger Sportwelt areas, access to which is provided by a whole network of buses and intermediate ski stations.

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

The snow cover is relatively thin, so all slopes up to a height of 1500 meters are equipped with snow cannons and the trails are quite “hard”. Many guests of the resort also note the unfortunate location of some easy trails – for example, slopes 51a and 51b lie above a rather difficult “red” trail, and it will be difficult for a novice skier to go down from here to the very bottom.

The Ghost Village on Mount Gernkogel

Alpine skiing

Lifts

The slopes are served by 14 lifts (59 including Flachau – it is quite difficult to distinguish skiing areas here). There are 8 km of flat ski slopes, half of which lie closer to Obergrassalm at a fairly 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 (in the Alpina Hotel), several dozen restaurants and bars, a cinema, discos and even a casino. However, the price level is quite high, and for literally everything, from equipment rental to hotel accommodation.

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

Around the city

The Liechtensteinklamm gorge, located 5 km to the south, has also brought considerable popularity to St. Johann. Considered the most famous gorge in the Eastern Alps, it has long been transformed into a nature reserve (access is allowed daily: from May to September – from 8.00 to 18.00; from October to April – from 9.00 to 16.00; 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 with many bridges, wooden balconies, stairs and tunnels has been laid, 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

A single pass is valid for all resorts in the Flachau region, 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 of 25% to 50% are available for children and teenagers.

Getting 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 neighboring areas, the resort is part of the country’s largest ski region called “AMADE Sports World”. The Alpine Village, as the name of the resort is translated, is located three kilometers from St. Johann in Pongau and is its integral part. But it is from Alpendorf that you can get to the slopes 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 guesthouses, but as for the prices for the rest 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.

Region map

How to get to Alpendorf

The nearest airport is Salzburg (55 km).

You can get to the Alpendorf ski resort by:

by plane to the nearest airport in Salzburg, from where there is a regular bus service to the resort.
by rented car from St. Johann or Salzburg. Just keep in mind that to use the 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

Skiing season early December-mid April

Total length of trails, km 32

Difficulty of trails, km blue – 8.5, red – 22, black – 1.5

Elevation difference, m 1,200

Maximum length of trail, km 4

Number of lifts 14

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

Rental available

Ski school available

Kindergarten there

Ski slopes and lifts

Almost all the slopes, stretching up to a height of 1500 meters above sea level, are equipped with snow cannons, which, in turn, explains the stiffness of the slopes on the lower slopes of medium difficulty. There are also black slopes here, which are not of particular interest to professional skiers. As for the blue slopes intended for beginners, they are not very well located, because they are easy to get to, but you can only get out along the slopes marked in red. For cross-country skiers, there are several good slopes with a total length of eight kilometers.

Slope diagram of Alpendorf

Prices for lifts (ski-pass)

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 everything you need for a great skiing holiday: a ski rental shop with a full range of equipment from helmets and gloves to custom-made skis and snowboards; and three ski schools with certified instructors.

These ski schools offer express programs for all ages and budgets. Everyone can learn to ski and snowboard here. There is a kindergarten for children aged one and up, located at the gondola station.

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

Hotels and apartments in Alpendorf

As mentioned earlier, in Alpendorf there are various hotels, guesthouses and guest houses, among which only Oberforstof has five stars, Alpendorf, Alpina and several other four-star hotels can boast of SPA, swimming pools, saunas, Turkish baths, jacuzzis and solariums. 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 for a bottle of wine you will have to pay at least 25 €.

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 the sights and other entertainment, most of them, including the Pongau Cathedral, are located in the neighboring 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 music pub Eule. The average cost of a bottle of beer here will be about €4. The resort also has a cinema, a casino and various discos, which are held mainly in the open air.

Scheme of the Alpendorf resort