Sölden

Ski season runs from late autumn to May, and the glacier slopes open as early as October. The World Cup opener is held here in late October. July to September is best for hiking and for the high mountain roads. May and November are quiet, with many lifts and hotels closed. Winters are cold and snowy.

• Wildspitze is the highest peak in the Ötztal Alps and the second highest in Austria, at 3,768 m. It is a serious high-mountain climb for experienced hikers.
• The Gaislachkogl and Ice Q on the Gaislachkogl are the main cable car peak and a glass restaurant built high on the mountain. Ice Q appeared in a James Bond film.
• The Ötztal Glacier Road climbs to the Rettenbach and Tiefenbach glaciers, which are open for skiing.
• Piccard-Brücke marks the landing of the first stratosphere balloon flight, near Obergurgl.
• Pfarrkirche hl. Jakob is the parish church of Vent, a small mountain village at the top of the valley.
• The Timmelsjoch High Alpine Road leads from the Ötztal to South Tyrol in summer. It is closed in winter.

• Ski the glaciers in autumn or spring.
• Ride the cable car to the Gaislachkogl.
• Drive the Ötztal Glacier Road and the Timmelsjoch road in summer.
• Hike a mountain trail to a hut.
• Join the après-ski scene in the village in winter.

• Obergurgl is a high-altitude ski village, about 25 minutes by car or bus.
• Innsbruck is about 1 hour 15 minutes by car.
• Landeck is about 1 hour by car through the Inn valley.
• St. Anton is about 1 hour 30 minutes by car.
• Merano in South Tyrol is about 1 hour 30 minutes by car via the Timmelsjoch road, in summer only.

• Obergurgl is the closest preferred village and shares a ski region with Sölden's neighbour valleys.

• By air: Innsbruck Airport is the nearest large airport, about 1 hour 15 minutes by car. Munich is about 3 hours away.
• By train: The closest station is Ötztal Bahnhof in the Inn valley. From there, a bus takes about 1 hour to Sölden. Check train times on ÖBB.
• By car: Sölden is reached from the A12 motorway via the B186 road through the Ötztal.

The village stretches along the valley road. Free ski buses run in winter, and local buses run in summer. Cable cars start in the village centre and at the glacier road. Guest cards often include local transport.

A car is helpful for the glacier road and the Timmelsjoch pass. Winter tyres or chains are required in snow. The Timmelsjoch road is a toll road and is closed in winter. Motorways in Austria need a vignette.

Tyrolean food is hearty: Kasspatzln, Tiroler Gröstl and Kaiserschmarrn. Mountain huts serve simple dishes, and the Ötztal is known for its alpine dairy. The village has many bars and restaurants, with a busy après-ski scene in winter.

Sölden is safe, but the mountains are serious. Check avalanche reports and weather before going off-piste or on glaciers. Altitude can cause headaches for some visitors. Tap water is clean and safe to drink. The emergency number is 112. The mountain rescue number is 140.

Sölden was a remote farming valley until tourism arrived in the 20th century. The first lifts were built in the 1940s and 1950s, and the glacier lifts followed. In 1991 the 5,000-year-old mummy known as Ötzi was found on a glacier in the nearby Ötztal Alps.

Quick practical facts for Austria at a glance: