Skiing around the city of Vienna: Stuhleck & Zauberberg

Austria is an Alpine country with around 70 percent of its area above 500 meters that is considered mountainous. In numbers, a total of 463 peaks measuring 2000 meters above the sea level or higher are found throughout the country. Although the skiing** directly in its capital is possible, in order to get a real skiing experience for more advanced skiers, you have to move **out of the city. Around **Vienna, **there are more ski areas that you can reach in one or two hours by car. Let’s mention two of them **Stuhleck & Zauberberg, **that are because of its good road connection very popular among Viennese. They are both located south of Vienna and are perfect ski resorts for a day trip.

Zauberberg - Semmering

Ski area Semmering – Zauberberg is located just one hour or 90 kilometres away from the city. Depending on the road conditions, you will need around one hour to get there. The area is situated next to the expressway, and it can be easily reached no matter what the weather conditions are. There are 14 kilometres of well-prepared ski slopes. The area is known because it hosted the Alpine skiing World Cup several times. The only World Cup run in Eastern Austria can be found here. The highlight of Zauberberg is the night skiing. There are six, around 13 km long, night ski slopes that are opened every day from 6 pm. Besides the different difficulty level ski runs, the area has three-kilometer-long toboggan run, that is also lit by night.

Stuhleck

Just five kilometres down the express-way S6, the second, almost twice bigger ski area, Stuhleck is located. At 1783 meters above the sea level, Stuhleck is the highest mountain on the eastern edge of the Alps, and the largest ski area in eastern Austria. There are **24 kilometres of downhill runs, a night track, a speed track, snow parks and a five-kilometre-long natural toboggan run. The **snow parks are Beginner, Lake View Park and Blue Tomato Park, with different difficulty levels.  There is also a spacious children area - Semmi's Kinderland. All the slopes on the Stuhleck are equipped with the state of the art snow machines. Therefore, the snow is guaranteed, and skiing is possible in all seasons.  

Stuhleck is Austria's most popular day ski resort, and on weekends, it can gets very crowded. In 1891, Stuhleck became the first peak to be conquered on skis, and thanks to this endeavour, it kept a reputation as the “cradle of winter sports” to this day.

Both of the resorts **Stuhleck **and Zauberberg, in terms of gastronomy, do not lack a wide choice. Many restaurants offer an impressive view from the large sun terraces. Also, for people who want to relax after skiing, with a glass or two of cold beer or glühwein, the offer of après ski parties is abundant.

**Stuhleck & Zauberberg **ski resorts are some of many that allow skiing around the city of Vienna.