family travel guide
At first glance, circus and skiing may seem incompatible. But in Austria, there is the "Ski Circus", the name of the Saalbach-Hinterglemm ski resort. It is known for its unusual ski area, shaped like a circus arena. With 270 kilometres of slopes, Ski Circus is one of the largest ski resorts in Austria and a great place for families.
Quality slopes, ski schools with children's playgrounds, cosy family hotels, entertainment for all tastes — even the sceptics admit that a holiday in Saalbach-Hinterglemm is very enjoyable. Read the Kidpassage report to find out how to choose a holiday with children in Saalbach-Hinterglemm, get the kids on skis and what to do in your free time.
The community of Saalbach-Hinterglemm is located in northwestern Austria, in the mountain valley of Glemtal, in Salzburg. It is a part of the Zell am See district. The distance from Saalbach-Hinterglemm to Salzburg is 96 km, to Innsbruck —152 km, to Zell am See —18 km.
The part of the Alps where Saalbach-Hinterglemm is located is famous for its high altitude. Yes, Austria has more high-altitude resorts — Stubai or Dachstein — but when the slopes start at 2000 metres, you can be sure of excellent snow cover from late autumn to mid-spring.
A fact about the popularity of holidays in Saalbach-Hinterglemm: around two million bookings are made here each season, only slightly less than in Vienna. The snow, the sun, the immaculate slopes, and the delicious restaurant food attract tourists like a magnet.
Without exception, all skiers like Saalbach-Hinterglemm enjoy their stay here. It is particularly suitable for beginners who have enjoyed skiing but have not yet gained any experience. One hundred and fifty kilometres of blue pistes await them.
Children are also well catered for in Saalbach-Hinterglemm: the ski schools are more like brightly lit playgrounds, and the learning results are impressive.
Most people come to Saalbach-Hinterglemm with children in winter, when you can ski and toboggan. But you can also have a great time with your child in the mountains in the summer: the resort has plenty of opportunities for outdoor activities, and children will find a wide range of entertainment. And even if you postpone your trip to the first half of autumn, a holiday in the mountains will leave a positive impression.
Praising Austria's tourist infrastructure would be superfluous, but we would like to mention one highlight. The resort of Saalbach-Hinterglemm has many family hotels with everything you need for a holiday with your baby, and older children will enjoy the playrooms, mini-clubs and children's pools.
The ski season in Saalbach-Hinterglemm is always busy. Most holidaymakers come to the mountains over Christmas and New Year, from mid-February to mid-March. Due to its popularity and demand, the resort is flooded with skiers from December to March. There is plenty of room in the hotels and on the slopes for everyone, but the resort is very noisy at that time.
The best time for quiet skiing is from the second week of January to mid-February and the second half of March.
It is not recommended to come in early December, the start of the season in Saalbach-Hinterglemm, or in April — you never know what the weather will be like. In summer, the resort is transformed from a "ski" into a "bike circus": on the slopes of 400 km of tracks for mountain biking.
You can choose a cool but relatively dry autumn for a trip with a baby to Saalbach-Hinterglemm. Summer is also an excellent time to take a break with your child, but you should consider the frequent rains. To help you decide when it's best to go to Saalbach-Hinterglemm, Kidpassage offers to tell you more about the climate in the resort.
The climate in Saalbach-Hinterglemm could be described as harsh — if you mean cool and rainy summers. But winters are mild, snowy and, most importantly, long: from early December until at least mid-April.
Winter makes its first visit in November. Daytime temperatures don't rise above +3-5°C, and nighttime temperatures drop below zero. Autumn rains are interspersed with snowfalls, although the snow doesn't last long in November.
By December, the mountain slopes are well covered with snow, and sub-zero temperatures are the norm. Thermometers read around zero during the day and -4-6°C at night. December can also be frosty, sometimes dropping to -10-13°C at night.
The coldest and snowiest month in Saalbach-Hinterglemm is January. The average temperature during the month is -4°C, but occasionally the daytime temperature drops to -12-15°C, and the nighttime temperature reaches -20-25°C. January temperatures in Saalbach-Hinterglemm are not too low.
The cold spell doesn't last long and gives way to a drizzle. Regarding snowfall, freeride enthusiasts plan their holidays in Saalbach-Hinterglemm in January, when the slopes are covered with a glorious fluff that is renewed almost every day. The weather in February is similar to January, with less snow. In March, the cold weather tapers off, and the snow starts to fall again.
The average day temperature in March is +3-5°C; very rarely, the thermometer readings go down to -4-6°C, so the beginning of spring is considered the best time for a holiday in Saalbach-Hinterglemm with children.
In April, the air warms up to +6-10°C. The abundant spring rains wash away the remnants of snow, and in May, the mountains turn from white to green. During the first week of the month, you can still ski on the "Ski Circus" slopes, but then you have to move to the Asitz area.
From May to September, the weather in the resort is gloomy and cool.
Daytime temperatures range from +15 to +20 degrees Celsius, with nighttime temperatures dropping to +4 to +9 degrees Celsius. Frequent rainfall in summer can spoil your holiday, especially in June and July. Autumn comes to the resort in October, but clear days finally return. Temperatures drop to +9-10°C, with occasional night frosts. In November, the ski circus is in the hands of winter.
The public transport system in Saalbach-Hinterglemm is straightforward: the connection between the ski areas is provided by ski buses, and to get out of the ski area, tourists can take bus number 680, which stops in Meishofen and Zell am See.
Ski buses run every 20 minutes; timetables vary depending on the season. The schedule for the 680 bus can be found on the ÖBB website. An adult ticket to Zell am See costs around €5, and children's tickets are half-price.
You can also travel for free on the 680 bus with a Joker card. The Joker Card is issued in hotels that are partners in the Joker Card programme and gives you great discounts in restaurants, shops and entertainment centres.
There is enough transport in Saalbach-Hinterglemm if you intend to spend the whole holiday on the snowy slopes, but getting out on excursions will be a bit heavy. If you want to travel around the resort, renting a car will be more convenient. Movement in Saalbach-Hinterglemma is limited — in the centre of the villages can not enter but near the centre of enough parking places.
Another way to get around is by taxi. You can order a transfer to Salzburg, Innsbruck, Vienna and other cities. You can ask for a car equipped with child seats for trips with children.
The après-ski programme in Saalbach-Hinterglemm is well thought out. Need more activities for the kids? The resort has plenty to offer. Want to relax after a day on the slopes? There are plenty of options too.
Here are a few ways to diversify your family's winter holiday.
1. Take your child sledging or tobogganing on one of the unique trails. You can even skate in the evening as the toboggan runs in Saalbach, Hinterglemm and Leogang are floodlit.
2. Spend some time at the outdoor ice rink in Hinterglemm.
3. Play a game of curling. Would it be fun for a child to race special discs on the ice? Of course, especially if the parents rub the ice with brushes to improve the disc glide.
4. Ride through the mountains on the Walleggalm Express, a snowmobile or a horse-drawn sleigh.
5. Walk with your child on snowshoes in the untouched snow.
On cold days, the resort of Saalbach-Hinterglemm offers indoor sports facilities with tennis courts, climbing walls, and bowling and swimming pools. There are plenty of attractions for young tourists in the family-run hotels.
Fresh ideas on what to do in Saalbach-Hinterglemm with a child can always be found on the tourist website of the resort. A programme of excursions and activities is usually developed for the season — choose what you like.
One of the main advantages of the Ski Circus resort is that it is a vast area with hundreds of different slopes to suit all levels of skiers, from beginner to expert.
The slopes of the Ski Circus face both north and south. As a result, the slopes have different snow cover: hard snow and soft snow for more relaxed skiing. Here you can spend time with children learning to ski, improve your skills on the attractive red slopes or conquer all the black slopes and feel like a real pro.
The mountain skiing in Saalbach-Hinterglemm offers off-piste skiing. In January and February, conditions are ideal for freeriding when the snow falls heavily and has time to thaw. Once considered a disadvantage, the relatively low altitude is no longer an obstacle to good skiing — the resort has a modern snowmaking system.
If your family members are at different levels of ability, don't worry. In Saalbach-Hinterglemm, you can all ski together: there are usually easy slopes next to the difficult ones.
For beginners, Hinterglemm offers sunny and wide blue-marked slopes: 19th, 20th, 22nd, 27th, 28th, and 32nd.
If you choose Saalbach as your base, you can start with easy pistes such as 46, 51, 52, 55, and 57. When you feel confident, you can make your first serious trip: go clockwise around the whole region, choosing only blue slopes.
The infrastructure for snowboarders deserves special praise. In addition to the ski slopes, there are 12 km of "board" slopes, three snow parks with different difficulty levels and an 80-metre half-pipe.
And there's a particular reason to come to Saalbach-Hinterglemm with your child: this resort is considered one of the best for teaching children.
There are ski schools in Saalbach, Hinterglemm and Leogang. They have spacious and well-equipped teaching areas.
Snowly Land in Hinterglemm, for example, is well worth a look. When you see this big area in the centre of the village, with all sorts of colourful buildings, paths and entertainment, you will be jealous of the children learning to ski there.
Ski schools in Saalbach-Hinterglemm accept children from the age of 4. However, some schools have special courses for three-year-olds. And if it is too early for them to start skiing, they can go to kindergarten: the Snow Academy kindergarten accepts children from 3 months old.
| General season | December— Mid April |
| Ski areas |
|
| Elevation difference | 856 m-2100 m |
| Ski slopes |
270 km — total |
| Ski lifts |
70 total, incl. |
| Ski routes | 12 km |
| Snowpark | Nightpark (U-bahn, Hinterglemm), Learn-to-ride Park (Bernkogel, Saalbach), Nitro Snowpark (Asitzmuldenbahn, Leogang) |
| Toboggan runs | Reiterkogel – 3 km, with floodlit; Spielberghaus – 3 km, Maisalm – 2 km, toboggan run (Assitzbahn) in Leognag |
| The longest ski run | 7000 m («blue» ski slope 2а–2в) |
| Interactive scheme of ski slopes and lifts | https://www.saalbach.com/en/winter/ski-resort/piste-map |
The ski season in Saalbach-Hinterglemm is divided into several parts, affecting the price of ski passes. In high season (from 22 December to 15 March), a day pass costs 55 euros for an adult, just over 40 euros for a child aged 16-18, and around 30 euros for a child aged 6-15.
In comparison, a week's ski pass costs 286, 215 and 143 euros, respectively, which means that each day of skiing costs around 40, 30 and 20 euros. You can buy ski passes for up to 21 days.
Ski passes are slightly cheaper from the beginning of December to the start of high season and from 16 to 31 March. A one-day ski pass for an adult costs around 50 euros, 40 euros for a child aged 16-18 and 25 euros for a child aged 6-15.
A day's skiing at the beginning of April costs 39, 29 and 20 euros respectively. At the end of the season (8th to 22nd April), the cost of a ski pass drops to €33, €25 and €17 per day, respectively.
The ski hire shops in Saalbach-Hinterglemm are located in the villages and near the valley stations of the ski lifts. There are no complaints about the equipment. Even if it is not new, the skis and snowboards are in good condition and ready to use.
The average cost of a first-day ski hire for an adult is 30-40 euros; snowboard hire is around 30 euros, and boots 13-18 euros.
For a child aged 6-14, the average cost of ski or snowboard hire is €13-20 and €13-18 for boots. Renting skis for children under six would cost 11-13 euros, and boots — 5-11 euros. Snowshoes, sledges and toboggans can also be hired from rental shops.
Summer holidays in Saalbach-Hinterglemm are slower and more relaxed than in winter. Time seems to stand still, allowing you to enjoy this picturesque region's charms.
During the warm season, the resort offers a programme of entertainment for families, including festivals, children's parties with games and performances by creative groups, organised mountain hikes and bike rides.
With children, we recommend visiting Montelino the Clown and his adventure trail, located between the top and bottom stations of the Kohlmais lift.
The trail consists of several play stations where children can have fun. One of the highlights of the programme is feeding the reindeer. Another exciting place in the summer Ski Circus is Schnitza's wooden park in the Glemtal Valley. Giant animal figures, wooden puzzles, bowling and alpine mini-golf, woodcarving lessons, clown shows, a playground and much more await you in this fantastic theme park.
Fairytale lovers are invited to visit the Fairytale Forest, located four hundred metres after the tunnel in Hinterglemm. All the inhabitants of this unusual forest are made of wood and painted by hand. The park is open every day, and admission is free.
Alpdays, an active amusement park, will add a bit of excitement to your holiday: you can walk on the high ropes course or try rafting, mountain biking or paragliding. The Devil's Water offers free fun for children, and adults can enjoy the water playground in the alpine meadow. In Leogang, the Flying Fox XXL is a one-and-a-half kilometre-long zipline that can reach up to 130 kilometres per hour.
A walk on the 200-metre-long "Golden Gate" aerial bridge is a highly safe activity for the whole family. This high structure is located in the area of an enormous adventure complex.
On fine summer days, you can relax by the lake — fortunately, Zell am See is only half an hour away. The Kaiserbad Centre is an open-air water park, the Tauern SPA World is for those who want to relax, and children will love the water playgrounds at Ellmi's Magic World and Hexenwasser.
If this is too quiet, you can visit one of the big amusement parks near Saalbach-Hinterglemm. Familienland in Tyrol and Ruhpolding in Bavaria open in spring and run until October and November, offering all kinds of adventures. In winter, Ruhpolding hosts Christmas shows.
Another fantastic place to visit around the resort is Ferleiten Wildlife Park. The animals of the Alps, from wolves and bears to deer and bison, are almost free to roam. The park has a contact area where you can meet alpacas. The attractions and playground are a great addition to the rest of the park.
A holiday in Saalbach-Hinterglemm with children is a moderately intensive sightseeing programme. But having a day of rest and visiting some of the small local museums is nice. For example, the Museum of History and Skiing can be seen without leaving Saalbach. In Leohang is the Gothic and Mining Museum. Among its exhibits are ancient coins, minerals and religious sculptures, and the museum also organises a tour of the old mine.
Since there is nothing else to do in Saalbach-Hinterglemm with a child, you can visit the attractions nearby. And lest you think this is strange, the closest exciting place for children is not in Austria, but in Germany.
In the Bavarian National Park of Berchtesgaden, an old salt mine is open to the public. The tour begins with tourists donning miners' overalls, boarding wagons and descending 1.5 kilometres underground. At the end of the tour, everyone is given a box of Berchtesgaden salt.
You should spend at least a day in Salzburg, where there are plenty of things to do with the kids. On the shortest programme, we recommend visiting the zoo with its large safari area, a toy museum with a play area, and the Haus der Natur with its huge stuffed animal and model collection.
If you have at least two days, take your child to Hohensalzburg Fortress, the Stone Theatre at Hellbrunn Palace and the Ethnographic Museum.
The range of accommodation options for families in Saalbach-Hinterglemm is impressive: dozens of hotels, from solid four-star establishments to modest guesthouses, and hundreds of apartments and cottages — plenty to choose from. But first, you must decide which area of Saalbach-Hinterglemm is best suited for your holiday.
The largest village in the resort even has the feel of a small town. The village stretches along the valley, so when choosing accommodation, you should consider the distance from the hotel to the lift or whether a bus stop is nearby.
There is no car traffic in the central part of the village. If you want to get to the centre by car — welcome to the underground world of tunnels. You can go straight from the underground car park to the town centre.
Saalbach is the liveliest resort in the valley. Almost all the lifts in Saalbach are modern. The town has several supermarkets and small shops, many restaurants and cafes. It is also the location of the most fashionable hotels in the resort.
A small and compact village with one main street, with the ski lifts on either side. Almost every hotel has a conditional ski-in, ski-out (200-300 m). Thanks to this compact location, you can get to both sides of the ski circus quickly and easily. Wherever you stay, everything you need is nearby hotels, shops, restaurants, and ski lifts. Hinterglemm has a swimming pool and tennis courts. The pedestrian zone in the centre is closed to cars. Prices are slightly lower than in Saalbach.
Hinterglemm has more sun — the village is slightly higher up in the gorge than Saalbach.
It's a very cosy, colourful and quiet alpine village. Unlike Saalbach and Hinterglemm, Leogang is not in the valley, but on the back of the mountain. A small ski area on the slopes of Mount Asitz (1914m) with 'red' and 'blue' slopes, the Asitzbahn cable car and several new six and eight chair lifts is located away from the village centre.
The Asitzbahn is the only ski resort open in April. The Asitzbahn provides access to the main Saalbach-Hinterglemm ski area with a few more ascents and descents. Accommodation prices are significantly lower than in neighbouring resorts. We recommend looking at hotels near the ski lift when considering accommodation options with children.
For relaxation, especially in summer, the villages around Saalbach-Hinterglemm are ideal: Berger, Achrein, Hasenau, Wiesern, Bad Leogang and others. In addition to Saalbach-Hinterglemm, another famous year-round resort is Zell am See - Kaprun.
Hotels in Austrian resorts are often family-oriented, and Saalbach-Hinterglemm is no exception.
Finding the best place to stay with children is easy: family hotels offer a play area, summer playground, mini club and children's pool.
The range of services for the youngest guests varies: some hotels include a cot, bathtub, baby monitor, bottle warmer and high chair in the room price, while others charge extra for the cot. This list may be more modest or more extensive — some hotels have animation. If you plan to take your child skiing, look for hotels near ski schools.
Hotel meals are often organised on a "half board" basis in the summer, but many hotels switch to "full board". Sometimes there is a children's menu, which should be called "fast food", but in some places, there is excellent food for children.
Healthy options include breakfast buffets, dairy products from nearby farms (some hotels have mini-farms), and vegetable and egg dishes. A vegetarian menu is also standard.
For independent holidays in Saalbach-Hinterglemm with children, apartments, rooms in apartment hotels or holiday homes are often chosen. There is a kitchen in these types of accommodation, but the apartment hotel may also have a restaurant. The apartment complexes often have children's playgrounds.
The nearest airports to Saalbach-Hinterglemm are Salzburg (90 km), Innsbruck (157 km) and Munich (217 km). You can reach the resort by taxi, rental car, train or bus from either airport.
Another option for getting to Saalbach-Hinterglemm from Salzburg and Munich airports is to book Vorderegger bus tickets.
The nearest train station to the resort is Zell am See. The drive from Salzburg to Zell am See takes approximately 1.5-2 hours. From there you can take bus number 680 from Postplatz to the resort. These buses run every 1-2 hours, and the journey takes about half an hour. The train timetable can be found on the ÖBB website: https://www.oebb.at/.
Buses no. 260 (or 3062) leave from Salzburg Airport. They pass through Zell am See and Maischofen. You can buy bus tickets on the ÖBB website.
From Salzburg (Mattighofen), there is a free bus to the Ski Circus on Saturdays in winter. The cost of the ticket paid on the bus will be refunded when you buy a ski pass.
How to get to Saalbach-Hinterglemm
From eastern Austria, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary
Westautobahn Vienna - Salzburg (A1) — Wals-Lofer exit — via Bad Reichenhall to Steinpaß — Lofer, direction Zell am See — Maishofen — Saalbach Hinterglemm
or
Westautobahn Vienna-Salzburg (A1) — in Salzburg change to the Tauern Autobahn (A10), direction Villach — in Bischofshofen change to Pinzgauer Bundesstrasse (B311), direction Zell am See — Maishofen — Saalbach Hinterglemm.
On the German side (no need for a vignette):
Munich-Salzburg Autobahn (A8) to the Siegsdorf exit — direction Inzell — then follow the signs for Lofer - Steinpaß in the direction of Lofer — Saalfelden in the direction of Zell am See — in Maishofen turn towards Glemmtal and drive 14 km to Saalbach.
From Italy, Slovenia and Croatia (Villach):
Tauernautobahn Villach — Salzburg (A10) — at Bischofshofen turn to Pinzgauer Bundesstrasse (B 311), towards Zell am See — Maishofen — Saalbach Hinterglemm
or
Taernautobahn Villach — Salzburg (A10) — after Spittal next exit towards Mallnitz— Böckstein motorail train — Pinzgauer Bundesstrasse (B311), direction Zell am See — Maishofen — Saalbach Hinterglemm.
From the Italian side (Brenner):
Brenner Autobahn (A13), direction Innsbruck — in Innsbruck Ost exit to Inntal Autobahn (A12), direction Wörgl - exit Wörgl West — Bundesstrasse (B312) towards Saalfelden — Maishofen — Saalbach Hinterglemm.
The official Saalbach-Hinterglemm website has information about parking near the ski lifts.
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