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Galtur |
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Europe offers some of the most extensive, extreme and beautiful skiing anywhere in the world. Tom Robbins, powderhound and deputy travel editor of the Observer newspaper, picks five of the very best Click to view Top 5 European Ski Resorts.
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Best Off the Beaten Track (Galtur, Austria) |
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 Skiing like it used to be - the very opposite of Tignes. When nearby resorts - such as Ischgl and St Anton - are packed, the slopes of Galtur remain a powder-filled oasis of calm. |
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The ski area is tiny (just 10 lifts) and not that high but it has a great secret: the sheltered, north-facing slopes hold powder for days after a snowfall, and there's no-one around to ski it.
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 You want to get the most from your week's ski holiday, so shouldn't you go to a resort with as many runs as possible? For a growing number of people, the answer's no. They are realising that clocking up miles isn't necessarily what skiing's about, and that for groups, and families, big resorts can be a nightmare. Instead, they are opting for the likes of Galtur. There's just one compact ski area, with one restaurant at the centre - so everyone can ski at their own pace, and then easily meet up for lunch or coffee.
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Relaxing |
 Above all the pistes are empty. This is great for beginners to gain confidence without aggressive speedsters swooping past them, but for even for experts, the lack of other people makes things far more relaxing, and lets you feel that you're really 'in the mountains' instead of a semi-urbanised playground.
Most of the slopes are north facing, and drop down under a dramatic rocky ridge. It's beautiful, and holds powder long after a storm. I was getting fresh tracks a few yards from the piste when it hadn't snowed for six days.
The village itself is pretty, traditional and quiet - perfect for a young family. However if this all sounds a bit too far from the action, you can combine Galtur with a stay in Ischgl, just up the valley and linked by a free skibus, which arguably has the liveliest après-ski of anywhere in the Alps, and its own branch of Ibiza superclub Pacha. The best of both worlds perhaps.
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Altitude: 1,430m [] Pistes: 50 miles
Pros: Quiet, relaxing; Good for beginners; Plenty of fresh snow
Cons: Some might consider it a little too quiet |
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| Six-day pass: €149 euros/£100 |
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