Ischgl/Galtür,
Austria
Pretty, wild party town with snowsure
slopes.
Ischgl
is changing fast. It is a strange mixture of pretty,
traditional Tyrolean village, pricey, up market hotels and
drunken, bawdy après-ski, dominated by German and
Scandinavian males. On our last visit there were dancing
girls, scantily clad in national costume, cavorting on the
bar of a plush 4-star hotel at the foot of the slopes from
4 pm to 6.30, and drunks weaving their way through the
treacherous streets all evening. But the resort remains
quite trendy and attracts top-draw entertainers for
open-air concerts - Elton John, Diana Ross, Madonna, Bon
Jovi, Tina Turner, Bob Dylan and Rod Stewart to name a
few.
The
slopes are extensive, high, snowsure and ideal for
intermediate cruising - some of the best intermediate
terrain in Austria. And the efficient lift system now
boasts eight high-speed chair-lifts (including six-seaters)
and three gondolas - with more to come (including an
eight-seater) for next season.
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What's
Great
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What's
Not-So-Great
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Charming old Tyrolean village, expanded in
sympathetic fashion
+
High slopes with reliable snow
+
Lots of good intermediate runs, extending over the
Swiss border to duty-free Samnaun
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Impressive lift system
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Very lively après-ski
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Not ideal for beginners, for various reasons
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Few tough runs for experts
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A few T-bars still to be eradicated
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Few British tour operators go there
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Wild après-ski may not be to everyone's taste
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Learn
more about Ischgl/Galtür
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