Hochkönig Ski Resort – Austria

Hochkonig Trail Ski Map – Click on Map to Enlarge in new browser

Hochkönig is a vast 6 mountain ski area in the Salzburg Alps of Austria, 2 ½ hours from Munich. “Hoch Konig” means high king in German, describing the towering peaks across the valley from the skiing. Locals call the Alps view “the majesty among mountains,” and the “high king” peaks you see as you ski are indeed majestic, soaring up to 2941 meters, almost 10,000’.

Hochkonig ski resorts comprises three ski villages – the main towns are Maria Alm, Dienten and Mühlbach, but its really 6 interconnected mountain peaks with 34 lifts, 60 pistes (prepared trails) covering 120 kilometers of runs. The skiing is between elevations of 800 and 1900 meters (2,600 –6,233’). While it’s not very high elevation for snowfall these days, it is a sprawling ski resort.

Hochkonig’s small alpine villages (Dienten, Hintermoos, Hinterthall, Muhlbach and Maria Alm) are all interconnected via 3 dozen lifts of varying ages. High-capacity gondolas, six packs and quads, flank most of Hochkonig’s terrain with a few T-Bars, often just one lift and one trail serve one peak, so its limited terrain but you can ski for miles from one section to the next. The views are fantastic, lots of photo opportunities with the “king’s chairs” and crowns prominently displayed at peaks around the resort.

Follow the “Kings Tour” across all six peaks for a challenge. This Hochkonig ski circuit is well-marked, color-coded, in a back-and-forth ski tour (versus the circular trip of the Sella Ronda in the Dolomites or nearby Saalbach’s Ski Circus Challenge). This King’s Tour covers much of the terrain and passes through the small alpine villages. We skied it in 35 miles on our first day in several hours.

Aberg Langeck at 1900 meters (6,200’) is the highest skiing at Hochkonig, and also the steepest, and most challenging terrain. This area offers the most ski options, including a very interesting long “ski route” #17, which is not groomed, but it is marked, so its an off-piste adventure, but you are still within the ski area, in bounds, returning to a ski lift.

Natrun in Maria Alm is the smallest and mellowest of the skiing, good for beginner and intermediate skiers.

Muhlbach appears to be the busiest of five Hochkonig region where the majority of skiers emanate from. There are fun parks here too.

Hochkonig has many on-mountain chalets for lunch and drinks from rustic and cozy wood huts mid-mountain, to umbrella bars at the summits and base areas. We liked the modern chic Tom Alm (cash only) an avant-guard dog themed chalet at the top of the Natrun gondola. Another attractive lunch spot is Steinbok Alm.

Hochkonig is a family-friendly ski area with ski schools, and Fun Parks. If you are looking for a mid-size resort, not as busy as other Austrian ski resorts, Hochkonig is manageable – not as massive as Ischgl, Serfaus Fiss Ladis, or The Arlberg. This would be a pleasant family ski holiday, not super challenging, but also not as pricey as the bigger Austria ski resorts. Just be sure the snow totals are adequate.

We stayed in the quiet mountain village of Hintermoos – Maria Alm, at Handlerhof – a traditional 3-star chalet on the mountain. Handlerhof is ski in and ski out (snow-depending) with a lovely spa and indoor heated pool, and option of half board which includes a buffet breakfast and three-course dinner. The cuisine, by innkeeper Andrea, was excellent! Our balcony view of Hochkonig was amazing as well! With the Super Ski Card, we enjoyed a ski safari, to Obertauern, Skicircus, Skigastein, Schladmin, Snow Space Salzburg, Tauplitz, Zauchensee, and Zell am See – all in the Salzburg mountains.

Hochkönig Ski Stats:
Elevation: 800 m – 1900 m, 6,233′
Vertical: 1100 m, 3,608′
Lifts: 34
Trails: 120 km of prepared pistes, on 60 pistes