There aren't many places to experience great slopes at Easter. One of them is Zauchensee in the Salzburger Sportwelt, where ski-loving families tend to flock to this time of year. This is thanks in no small part to the "Easter Family Special," which makes the ski holiday even more attractive.
There are many reasons to spend your last days of skiing in the Salzburger Sportwelt – and especially in Zauchensee. In addition to the guaranteed snow provided by the altitude, the exceptional mountain huts, and the compact hotel offerings for families, there's the "Easter Family Special" in the Salzburger Sportwelt: When at least one parent purchases a multi-day ski pass (6 days or more), children up to 15 years old (born in 2008 or later) receive a free ski pass.
Farewell to “Grandpa”
The ski area itself, in its current form, was largely created between 1964 and 1979. Most of the diverse slopes, with the exception of nicely equipped beginner areas, have remained the same, with mostly steep slopes. The lifts are completely different, boasting modern comforts. The only exception is the red 4-seater gondola of the Schwarzwandbahn. It is affectionately called "Grandpa," which is justifiable for a cable car, given its "birth year" of 1987.Next winter, a state-of-the-art 10-seater gondola awaits our guests", says cable car boss Veronika Scheffer happily. Whether the increased capacity can also be used for an additional snow-covered slope is still highly questionable. In any case, "Grandpa" is still in good enough shape that the lift will continue to operate in Eastern Europe.
Sun skiing is “smart” skiing”
"Ski smart" is a slogan in the hometown of former world champion Michael Walchhofer, who – when time permits – enjoys hitting the slopes until the end of the season. Not just on the legendary World Cup downhill run on the Gamskogel, where the world's fastest female skiers have competed for decades. He's also fast – not just on the slopes, but also as a hotelier. One of his family's three hotels, the Zauchenseehof, is being completely renovated over the summer: "A family hotel that will then have everything. But we won't be breaking into a new price range.”, says Walchhofer, who wants to accommodate guests in the renovated hotel at the valley station in time for the start of the 2025/26 winter season.
Everything for the kids
Ski holidays are the days that families with young and older children enjoy spending together. This explains not only Walchhofer's investment, but also that of Zauchensee as a whole. Children's areas with conveyor belts and platter lifts, plus magic carpets and an adventure course in Zauchi's Kinderland for the younger ones. For teens who prefer more variety, jumps, rainbows, and obstacles are available on the Rosskopf, which is good news for parents too, as they can relax and make themselves comfortable on the sun terraces of the ski huts – as long as they're not out and about themselves. Of the 210 kilometers of slopes in the region extending to St. Johann, most are still skiable. Like the swing from the Zauchensee ski area, which runs under the Tauern Autobahn towards Flachau-Wagrain. But even before reaching the first valley in Flachauwinkl, two spectacular huts beckon for a rest.
The "Burgstallhütte" is also called the "Herzerlhütte" (Heart Hut) because everything, even the shape of the coffee cup, is meant with a special heartfelt touch. A few hundred meters further down, in contrast, is the enormous Lumberjack Hütte, which offers organic food in a food court concept. Its heavy wooden tables are mounted on rails and can be moved onto the sun terrace or into the house depending on the weather. It seats 600 people and is modern – yet landlady Maria Schmid-Harml manages to convey a mountain hut atmosphere. The cuisine, however, is of a quality that you would have to look for in other huts: the diverse salad creations alone, vegan millet dumplings, or succulent roast beef, accompanied by the potato gratin and, last but not least, the sensational cranberry pancake to finish, and the excellent wine list – the final return to Zauchensee can be quite strenuous.