Galtür
Part of the bigger Silvretta skiing domain, Galtür offers 6 sections with 43 kilometers of perfectly groomed slopes; 5 kilometers of easy runs (blue), 26 kilometers of intermediate runs (red) and 12 kilometer of difficult runs (black). Galtür is 9 kilometers away from Ischgl and is reachable by frequent ski busses. For our convenience we decided to take our car, which takes about 10 minutes. Outside of the season and early in the morning, we could park right next to the Birkhahnbahn.
We visited Galtür in 2021 right after the lockdown was released in Austria. Make sure to inform your self on the status of the lifts. We misunderstood the public information, and although it was stated that the domain was open, not all lifts were in operation. As the domain is not that big, it limited our possibilities.
Kopssee
When you take descent 8 you will turn left at some point and out of the blue the Kopssee will appear out of nowhere. This is one of the most beautiful and impressive nature views I have seen on the slopes. At some point you really have the impression that the slope will end up in the water. This is a must do when you are in the area! We took several moments to admire the view, it is really stunning!
The only disadvantage is that you have to go back up with a T bar lift. At the other side of the Kopssee there is a gondola lift (Breitspitzbahn) and several red and black slopes. As the lift was not operating, we were unable to explore this area. We are looking forward to check it out on a future travel to the area.
Great place for coffee or lunch stop. We stopped in the morning for coffee and were so charmed we immediate decided to take our lunch at Weiberhimml. After our coffee we had a heiße Oma and heiße Opa. A small hot alcoholic drink.
During lunch time I ordered the freshly prepared Kaiserschmarn which were one of the best ever. When you are around I can strongly recommend them. Make sure you are hungry as it was a large portion and you will not be hungry when done. As they are freshly prepared take into account you’ll have to wait roughly 15 minutes before they are served.
Slopes and experiences
We could explore the descents with numbers 1 till 13 and 18, which were all in perfect condition. The slopes were also empty and that is something we cherish. The Alpkogelbahn was closed, but we could still come down on slopes number 4, 5 and 13. When you turn right at the end of the slopes, you only have to cross the street to go back up with the Birkhahnbahn. The little effort should not hold you back of exloring the slopes when the gondola is closed.
Spread in different sectors you have experiences which brings an extra dimension to skiing. You have the magical forest, a ski-through ghost house and many more. No all experiences were already available during our visit, another reason to go back at a later moment.
The ski domain is located just outside Galtür in the village Wirl. After a day of skiing we decided to have a drink in Galtür before heading back to Ischgl. We selected the first bar that caught our attention. It is a very stylisch bar and certainly the motor bike on the roof immediate caught our attention. It’s not a typical apres ski bar, but still worth a visit to close a day full of action.