Ellmau Ski Resort Guide
Ellmau, Austria
Rated: 3/5 (from 6 ratings)
| Recommended For | Expert Skiers, Intermediates, Beginners, Snowboarders, Snowfall and Apres-Ski! |
|---|---|
| Total Piste Length | 49km |
| Highest Lift | 1,870m |
| Resort Height | 820m |
| Nearest Airports | Innsbruck Airport and Munich |
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Ellmau
A key resort in the Ski Welt, one of Austria's largest inter-connected ski areas, and now part of the larger Kitzbüheler Alpen Pass. Ellmau's main lift to the slopes is a state of the art 10 passenger gondola, but there are also beginners slopes by the traditional old village.
Summary
The Austrian ski resort of Ellmau is in the Austrian Alps at an altitude of 820m, with 49km of marked runs.
Ellmau is part of the SkiWelt area with access to 288km of downhill skiing, with 186 marked pistes, served by a total of 90 ski lifts. In addition to the skiing in Ellmau itself (49km of pisted ski runs), the appropriate ski Lift Pass will allow you to ski or snowboard in the other SkiWelt ski resorts of Brixen im Thale, Going am Wilden Kaiser, Hopfgarten im Brixental, Itter, Kelchsau, Scheffau am Wilden Kaiser, Söll and Westendorf.
Snow and Weather
When will it snow in Ellmau?
The next notable snow forecast is 1cm, expected on 5 November.
See our long-range Snow Forecast for the latest update, or Join our Snow Mail Here
Snow this week
| Sun | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Snow to 1,188m |
Ski Area Stats
Ellmau Ski Area
| Black Pistes Expert Trails | 2 | 1km |
|---|---|---|
| Red Pistes Intermediate Runs | 14 | 19km |
| Blue Pistes Easy Trails | 24 | 24km |
| Downhill Total Length | 49km | |
| Ski Lifts Number of Lifts | 20 | |
SkiWelt Ski Area
| Black Pistes Expert Trails | 13 | 17km |
|---|---|---|
| Red Pistes Intermediate Runs | 74 | 129km |
| Blue Pistes Easy Trails | 99 | 134km |
| Downhill Total Length | 288km | |
| Cross Country Total Length | 197km | |
| Ski Lifts Number of Lifts | 90 | |
Altitudes
Ellmau Ski Area Heights
| Highest Lift | 1,870m |
|---|---|
| Resort Altitude (Ellmau) | 820m |
| Lowest Piste | 650m |
| Max Vertical | 1,220m |
Ratings & Suitability
| Expert Skiers | |
|---|---|
| Intermediate Skiers | |
| Beginners | |
| Snowboarding | |
| Snow | |
| Apres-Ski |
Ellmau Overview
A key resort in the Ski Welt and one of Austria's largest inter-connected ski areas, Ellmau is now part of the larger Kitzbüheler Alpen All Star Card. This is a traditional, attractive village of chalet style buildings that clusters around its white-washed church. It's also a good example of Tyrolean architecture and heritage, with traditions kept alive through local theatre, cuisine and architecture. The village backdrop is of meadows, then forest, then the ruggedly beautiful Wilder Kaiser (Wild Emperor) mountains rising high above.
Ellmau's major claim to fame for more than 40 years was Austria's longest, fastest funicular railway which ascended the local Hartkaiser mountain to the serious slope in just four minutes. A high capacity gondola replaced this in 2015 and somne 960 tonnes of steel were taken down the mountainside when the old lift was removed. The largest village in terms of bed base in the Ski Welt, Ellmau also has some excellent sports and leisure facilities, most notably its adventure swimming pool and sports complex.
Notable Ski Runs
The most difficult run is the 'Alpseite'.
Skiing
In winter Ellmau lies in the heart of the Wilder Kaiser-Brixental Ski World (or Ski Welt), offering a total of around a hundred lifts, Austria's largest interconnected ski area with 250 km (156 miles) of slopes across very varied and often beautiful terrain. For those concerned about the low altitude range of the area 180 km (112 miles) of the runs are covered with artificial snow.
In the 2005-6 season the Ski Welt was further expanded by the Ki-West gondola which links Westendorf (on the Ski Welt pass but not quite lift linked to Ellmau) to the skiing at Kitzbuhel, expanding the nearly-lift-linked terrain available to more than 400km (250 miles).
Ellmau has wide open and gentle nursery slopes at village level, close to the resort centre and served by six drag lifts. Another beginner's area is located at the top of the funicular. There is a choice of three ski schools to get you started, and indeed for all levels of tuition up to off-piste experts. The Ellmauer Skischule, which employs about 50 teachers, is the largest, run by Herr Fuchs. Intermediates from 'second weekers' up to 'on the plateau' will enjoy Ellmau's skiing, and in particular its links in to the Ski Welt the most.
The villages of Going and Scheffau on either side of the resort can be reached by lift and piste, as can Söll, Itter, Hopfgarten and Brixen slightly further afield. A circuit which links together more than 20 category red runs is available on request from ticket and tourist offices. The newer Kitzbüheler Alpen Ski Pass covers more than two dozen ski areas with a combined total of 680km (425 miles) and 260 lifts. Many are a short drive by car, and public transport is possible if less convenient. Experts have eight blacks on the circuit to enjoy, one of the best going from the top of the Hohe Salve above neighbouring Söll down through the Leukenwald.
There are a variety of pistes to suit all levels of skier ability, from Beginner to Expert.
Snowboarding
The Ski Welt has a 'boarder-friendly attitude as well as some useful terrain. There are terrain parks in Ellmau (complete with kicker, rails for sliding and a ground loop), Westendorf and Soll.
Location and Map
Where is Ellmau?
This ski resort is in the Austrian Alps in Skiwelt, Kitzbuheler Alpen.
Map
Tap 
for Full-Screen, or see J2Ski's Resort map, showing Hotels and Ski Shops.
How to get there
By Air
The nearest airport to Ellmau is Innsbruck Airport, 60 minutes drive away.
Munich, Salzburg, Bolzano, Linz and Memmingen airports are all within three hours drive.
Innsbruck Airport is just one hours drive away, in good driving conditions, so you can be on the piste quickly.
Infrastructure
Ski Lift Capacity
The 20 ski lifts are able to uplift 136,000 skiers and snowboarders every hour.
Snow Making
Snow-making is available, on 210km of ski runs, with 1000 snow cannons.
Season Dates
When is Ellmau open?
We don't currently have confirmed season dates, but hope to soon.
Usual opening is mid December, and usual closing is Early April.
NOTE:- Ski area, lift and piste opening is subject to Current Snow Conditions.
COVID-19 / Coronavirus
We don't yet have specific details of the COVID-19 precautions being taken in Ellmau, but they are likely to include most of the following :-
- Face masks required on lifts, and in shops.
- Social distancing in public areas.
- Reduced lift capacity.
- Extensive disinfection / sanitization.
French Ski Resort COVID-19 Measures describes further measures that may also be applied.
Visit the Ellmau Tourist Office for the latest.
Talking about Ellmau
Mentions in recent J2Ski News Items and Snow Reports from our users...
Ellmau Webcams
The Webcams in Ellmau are not always up-to-date. Please check the date on the image to ensure you are seeing current snow conditions.
Mountain Bike Hire
There is downhill mountain biking available and you can rent Mountain Bikes in Ellmau.
Aprés Ski
Ellmau is usually lively and fun all evening as soon as the lifts close. There are plenty of cafés, pubs and bar to choose from. Ellmau Alm is situated very close to the beginner slopes; it has good après ski with live music. Ellmau has the right bar for every taste like the Mexican (with a special event each day, Mestizio or the Villagio 7.
Sleigh rides, the toboggan run, skating, swimming, bowling or billiards are amongst the many facilities available in the early evening. The local theatre group produces weekly Tyrolean theme evenings. There's late night dancing at the Otzi bar in the resort centre which has a disco or live music and organises dancing and special events.
