Austrian ski resorts offer a great atmosphere without the crowds

Tuesday 04 November 2025 12:36 WIB
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Tuesday 04 November 2025 12:40

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I had never heard of the Pettneu am Arlberg ski resort in the heart of the Austrian ski area, but I was very familiar with St. Petersburg. Anton, which is an eight-minute drive away. Compared to the luxury shops and restaurants in those better-known destinations, Pettneu is more of a pair.

There are just a few bars, a few hotels and so on. You won’t avoid the people dressed in designer clothes from top to toe walking the main street, but stick to this lesser-known village and you’ll save a bit of money.

On the mountain, expensive drinks make people wince, “how much?” but in Pettneu which was less crowded with tourists, it wasn’t long before I said “yes, I’ll try again”. But it’s more than just the money: Pettneu is a great place to enjoy a ski weekend with old friends. There are Schwarzer Adler Hotels in Pettneu and St. Anthony. Both are wonderful places to stay.

Someone will pamper you with a sauna, a swimming pool, an excellent staff, a six-course dinner with dishes presented as works of art, and best of all a “ski butler”. Others will provide comfortable beds and good old-fashioned Austrian cuisine like Wiener schnitzel and apple strudel.

From ski resorts to slopes

The real appeal of Pettneu ski resort is access to great skiing without breaking the hotel budget. For anyone with a singular approach to getting the maximum skiing experience with minimal hassle, Pettneu makes perfect sense. The scale and variety of slopes at St. Anton is the main attraction.

We planned to explore some of this diverse 300 km of ski terrain by crossing several valleys to the village of Lech at the end of the ski area. We found that each run presented a new aspect, with different gradients and tones. Long and thigh red; steep sections with gullies and depressions and fortunately some easy cruising trails too.

Our favorite area on the road from St. Anton to Lech is served by the Muggengrat lift. Never busy and offering a large area to the north overlooking the piste, as well as a very long and secluded run at the back of the resort, this ride gives you a real secluded feeling. We stopped for lunch at the Seekopf restaurant, located on a ridge accessible by the Seekopf and Zürsersee chairlifts. The great value spicy goulash soup fit the bill and the waiter’s eagerness to turn things around quickly got us on our way.

During the journey, we did more running up the Madloch chairlift, but the luxury brands advertised at the Zugerbergbahn gondola station were a clue that we had reached Lech and it was time to return to the peace and quiet.

The best Apres Ski

Trip to St. Petersburg ski resort Anton isn’t complete without witnessing the famous après ski scene. Final descent to St. Anton has a cracking choice of places. We chose Senn Hütte, which has a live band playing German classics and sing-alongs, all run by the enthusiastic owner, Tania, who manages a brilliant rowdy bonhomie.

If you still have the energy and budget, your next stop should be Mooserwirt, one of the world’s most famous après ski bars for a night of ski boots. Too many table dances later and we caught our favorite free bus home to the tranquility of Pettneu.

Of course, this is great for those on a budget, but it’s more than that: discerning skiers will find that Pettneu is a great way to enjoy a weekend ski trip with all the best of St. Petersburg. Anton, but with the opportunity to retreat to a quieter village for a better night’s rest. Pensive.