The Cradle of Modern Alpine Skiing
St Anton am Arlberg is a mountain village in the Austrian state of Tyrol, known as one of the founding places of modern alpine skiing and for its lively, sociable atmosphere. It sits at about 1,300 metres on the Arlberg pass, and the skiing is high, snow-sure and challenging. The village's ski school was founded in 1901, and the instructor Hannes Schneider developed the Arlberg technique here, which spread across the world and shaped the way people learn to ski.
That heritage still defines the place. St Anton is a village of timber chalets and family-run hotels with a strong skiing culture, and a high number of mountaineers and instructors live locally. The surrounding peaks, including the Valluga at around 2,800 metres, give it a dramatic backdrop, and the Arlberg railway station brings visitors directly to the village centre. Nearby, Kitzbühel offers a more historic town atmosphere, while Chamonix shares its mountaineering spirit on the French side.
Ski Arlberg, Valluga and Après-Ski Spirit
The ski area is the highlight. Ski Arlberg links St Anton with St Christoph, Stuben, Lech, Zürs and Warth-Schröcken, giving about 300 kilometres of pistes in one of Austria's largest connected areas. Wide, snow-sure slopes suit confident skiers, and the Valluga cable car offers access to high, guided off-piste routes. Beginners and families have their own gentle terrain at the village's edge, and the Rendl area on the opposite side of the valley offers quieter slopes and sunny terraces.
Off the slopes, the village has a well-known après-ski culture, with lively terraces and mountain huts at the base of the slopes, and a warm Tyrolean table of Kaiserschmarrn, Tiroler Gröstl and Käsespätzle. In summer, the Arlberg is green and quiet, with high walking trails, mountain biking and alpine lakes. A tourist board can build a clear story from the ski school heritage, and Courchevel and St Moritz offer polished neighbours for guests considering a wider Alpine trip.
Read the full St Anton guide on Visit Travel Group, or see VisitStAnton.co.uk on Visit Travel Group.