This is why you should plan a ski holiday in Axams

Conquer the Austrian Alps

Welcome to Axams, a small village tucked away below its ski resort Axamer Lizum, in the heart of Tyrol.

I’m super happy to share all the reasons and little snow flocks why you should make Axams your next snow ski holiday destination.

We flew into gorgeous Innsbruck and took a bus to Axams, about 20 minutes from Innsbruck.

Dating back to the 10th century this small village, on a sunny plateau overlooking the Inntal Valley, has a proud record of hosting world-class competitions as part of the 1964 and 1976 Winter Olympics. Axams also hosted the 1984 and 1988 Winter Paralympics, as well as the first Winter Youth Olympics in 2012.

Best time to visit axams

Things to do in winter

With long slopes and plenty of thrilling powder runs, it is a popular ski resort. We went skiing in February, and I’d do it again as there was plenty of snow, it was out of peak season, and we were blessed with plenty of sunny days. The ski season typically is from mid-December to mid-April.

It is carnival time at Axams in February, deeply steeped in tradition. So much so, that the Tirolean carnival custom called “Wampelerreiten” is a UNESCO declared “World Cultural Heritage”.

Fasching in Axams

The Fasching Karneval pokes fun at local, national, and international politicians. Dressed up as fools, devils, and wild beasts, they also mock the past year’s news events.

At our hotel (Mondi Hotel Axams, also known as the Alpinhotel Schlösslhof), there was great anticipation for the event, and we had to book our table well in advance. Not knowing what to expect, we were blown away.

Accompanied by accordions and brass instruments the masked groups (sometimes up to 15 in a group) moved through the village. There was no definite time allocated to their arrival; it was a matter of wait-and-see. The only sure thing was that the groups would arrive.

And so, they did, making music and grabbing dance partners at random from the patrons. We had many groups “visiting” us, each with its own theme. Some medical, some political, and so it carried on. After each song, they were rewarded, in great spirit and enthusiasm, with a shot of schnapps each. So, band after band, patrons were picked to dance, and then the traditional round of schnaps followed. Of course, if you’re not into schnaps you did not have to participate in the drinking part, or simply drank something else.

Overall, this was the highlight of the social side of our time in Axams. It was a revelation to see the community in such an amazing spirit, celebrating their tradition and having fun. We loved it, and for that reason, combined with the excellent skiing in the region, “Travel And Home” highly recommends Axams for your next ski holiday. But make it in February, to overlap with the Fasching festivities.

Afterward, I heard that another place to be during Fasching is the Postkutscherhof. All 16 to 20 groups ended up at the Postkutscherhof some or other time.

Wampelerreiten - UNESCO "World Cultural Heritage" Event

"Wampeler riding in Axams is held annually on the so-called "Nonsensical Thursday" before Carnival Sunday. In the foreground are the eponymous Wampeler - young boys and men in a white linen shirt that is stuffed with hay, which gives the Wampeler their big belly (also known colloquially as "Wampe")."

If you come back in the summer…

I believe the beautiful natural landscapes are popular with hikers and mountain bikers alike. If you’re looking for ideas for a family holiday, then keep in mind here you also have the Freizeitzentrum Axams leisure center. It has an indoor and outdoor pool, an indoor boulder wall, and various saunas. Address: Innsbrucker Str. 80.

On Burglechner Str. 35, you’ll find Postkutscherhof the most beautiful farm setting probably in the whole of Austria. They do carriage rides in the Alpine region.

The Parish Church on Burglechnerstraße is named after John the Baptist (Kath. Pfarrkirche hl. Johannes d. T. – Pfarramt Axams), and worth a visit.

Almost 300 km of skiing awaits if you add Axams' surrounding areas!

We got the OlympiaWorld ski pass that gave us access to 9 ski passes with over 300 km of slopes to choose from. Alternatively, we could get a combination ski pass for fewer areas to ski, but we wanted to explore the region so we went big.

About 5 km to the south you ski Axamer Lizum (Axams’ ski resort), at 1,550 m altitude and with 40 km of slopes. It’s aptly known as the “white roof of Innsbruck”. I loved skiing on the wide-open slopes and there were sufficient challenges for an intermediate skier like myself.
Glungezer has about 40 km of cross-country trails and toboggan runs, and a further 22 km of slopes.
Kühtai is another biggy with about 47 km of slopes, a fun park, and night skiing. Expert skiers have about 11 km of black slopes, and there is 9 km of easy skiing for beginners. Kühtai is known as Austria’s highest ski resort village with an altitude of 2020 m. What I liked most about Kühtai was that it was a lot less crowded than, for instance, the Stubai glacier. This is a great ski resort for a family ski holiday.
Mutereralm has 16 km of family-friendly skiing.
Nordkette/Seegrube is 15 km of fun in the snow with a snow park, Cloud 9 igloo bar, and a kids’ area.
Patscherkofel has a snow park and a kiddies park and around 18 km of skiing.
Rangger Köpfl-Oberperfuss also has night skiing and 17 km of daytime skiing, a fun park, toboggan run, and a high-altitude hiking trail.
Schlick 2000 has 25 km of slopes, a fun park, a kids’ area, lots of stops for filling the tummy, a speed course, cross-country trails, night tobogganing, and more.
And last but not least, Stubai glacier (Stubaier Gletscher) with all of 65 km of joyful skiing. From Innsbruck, it’s about 45 minutes away. Usually, you can ski the glacier from around the end of September to the end of June. There’s plenty of fun on the glacier, from the snow park, skating trail, racecourse, kids’ area, Miniland, to winter hiking, ice climbing tower, and zip wire. You also get to ski a 10 km run from the mountain station at an altitude of 3,210 m, as well as the Daunhill slope with a 60% incline. Another bit of sightseeing (also in summer) is the 200 m long ice grotto.

How could you get bored of skiing, or snowboarding, with so many options, right!?

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Travel Tip(s)

Axams is often seen as a budget-friendly option compared to other Austrian ski resorts like Lech Zürs am Arlberg. Here’s how to stretch your budget even further:

Use the efficient public transportation system.
Opt for shoulder seasons (March-April or November) for possible cost savings.

Getting to Axams

This is one of those car-free ski holidays. You don’t need to have a car, whatsoever. The public transport is superb, and it’s quite nice to sit back and enjoy, not having to be concerned about how to get where and when. The public transport system does it all for you. And what’s more, most of it is free during your ski holiday. More info on that to follow…

The nearest airport is Innsbruck Airport, also known locally as Kranebitten Airport.

From the bus station, catch a bus that does the Axamer Lizum route. The bus stops at Axams.

If you take a taxi or rent a car, it will take you about 20 minutes to reach Axams.

hotels in Axams

If you like to try local wines, then here is a winner. A great wine recommendation is the Müller Göttweiger Berg Grüner Veltliner, a white wine from the Kremstal region in Austria. The alcohol content is 12.5%, and please note that like so many wines, it also contains sulfites.

We stayed at the Mondi Hotel Axams, also knowns as Alpine Hotel Schlösslhof. The staff were super friendly and helpful, the food was excellent, and our room was comfortable with a lovely view. In fact, the food was so delish that we seldom ventured out in the cold to the neighboring restaurants.

In addition, the hotel is within a short walking distance from the ski bus point. The ski bus is usually free if you’re in your ski boots and gear, or to play it safe you can get a welcome guest card that you show to the bus driver. We showed our cards only on one occasion.

They have a convenient wet room for your ski boots and skis from where you have direct access to the hotel.