Axamer Lizum Ski Resort Austria
Axamer Lizum is one of Innsbruck's best local ski hills (!) & an important part of its Winter Olympics history. Aside from being a great resort for intermediates & freeriders, Axamer Lizum is worth a visit just to ride the world's craziest funicular, the Olympiabahn. We found that mid-week powder days at Axamer Lizum are all but deserted & a helluva lot of fun. And whilst that's enough of a reason to come, another is the new gondola that makes the ride up to Hoadl summit an absolute pleasure.
A short drive from Innsbruck, Axamer also provides delectable Austrian dining & expansive views from its summit of Hoadl (2,340m) plus access to lengthy freeride routes off its backside & surrounding peaks. OK ...... there are a few more reasons!
Pros & Cons for Axamer Lizum Ski Resort
Pros
- Reliable snow on north-aspect terrain close to Innsbruck.
- Fabulous crowd-free powder skiing mid-week.
- No lift lines mid-week.
- Brand new gondola does most of the resort's heavy lifting.
- Excellent range of piste trails best for intermediate skiers & snowboarders.
- Sheltered novice ski area in the village is perfect to learn to ski.
- Wonderful off-piste terrain including trees.
- Incredible backcountry skiing directly from Hoadl or elsewhere with quick skinning.
- Great après ski on weekends.
- Ski-in ski-out accommodation available.
- Good value local lift pass.
- Mountain-top restaurant is amazing.
- The world’s freakiest funicular ride.
- Easy drive from downtown Innsbruck for day trips.
Cons
- Can get super-busy on sunny weekend days.
- Limited terrain for beginners.
- Small to medium sized resort that will only hold one’s attention for a few days at most (unless it dumps of course, or you go ski-touring).
- Public transport from Innsbruck isn’t as good as other local resorts.
Pro or Con (depending on your perspective!)
- Some ancient Olympic heritage lift infrastructure - one definitely ages whilst riding the Birgitzköpfl chair (if its runs at all)!
- Resort village is smallish & showing its age in parts.
- Accommodation is hard to get in the resort village, but generally available in the local towns away from the ski area.
Skiing & Snowboarding, Lifts & Terrain
A small to medium sized resort with 32km of piste trails and another 8km of marked ski routes, Axamer Lizum makes for a wonderful day lapping super-fast, top to bottom intermediate groomers over its 760m vertical. Advanced riders will enjoy the off-piste from the summits of Hoadl & Pleisen, whilst beginners can attempt the long top to bottom cruiser from Hoadl. Sections of this are 'under-rated' though (it should be intermediate), so novices should progress in the village 'learn to ski' area prior to undertaking it. The backcountry route down to Axams off the Pleisen chair is a cracker if there is snow all the way into the valley. It is also possible to ski on piste all the way back to the village of Götzens via the Götzner Grube trails. The longest trail from the resort, is around 6km long and drops 1,100m vertical.
See the ski trail map for Axamer Lizum below.
The resort's terrain was once served by a series of chairlifts, but many were starting to show their age (to put it mildly!). There was not much in the way of high speed here! And whilst the crazy looking Olympiabahn funicular is fun to ride once, our view is that funiculars don't make great ski lifts. Although it is pretty good on a quiet mid-week powder day, the funicular is best avoided on busy weekends. Thankfully there is a now modern alternatives to the summit of Hoadl. From season 22/23, three old chairs (Hoadl I, Hoadl II & Schönboden) were replaced by a top to bottom gondola with a mid-station near the base of the old Hoadl II chair. A massive simplification and futureproofing of the lift infrastructure that is also being undertaken all across the Innsbruck region including at resorts like Patscherkofel & Glungezer. The novice ski area near the village has also been improved and expanded.
One of the greatest aspects of winter at Axamer Lizum is the relatively easy access to spectacular backcountry skiing up and around the spectacular Kalkkögel range of peaks that form the resort’s backdrop. The couloirs up to the gorgeous 2,556m Ampferstein peak & around the 2,571m Malgrubenspitze offer incredible skinning & skiing. From Hoadlsattel (saddle) down to the Kemater Alm mountain hut and further down the sledding trail is another Axamer Lizum classic. Anyone with a sense of adventure will be very pleased to this wonderful ski area.
Snow & Weather
It is no secret that many of the lower base elevation ski resort bases around Innsbruck suffer a little these days from the vagaries of the changing climate - POW (Protect Our Winters). However, Axamer Lizum (along with Kühtai, Schlick 2000 & Stubai Glacier) is NOT one of them. With the highest base close to Innsbruck (1,580m), Axamer is usually guaranteed a full snow cover throughout the season across its entire vertical. When the snow does fall, the predominantly north to northeast aspect terrain retains its quality.
Interlinked Lift Ticket with Mutters or Ski + City Pass
Axamer Lizum already has a great value ski lift pass, however the resort is also part of a combi ticket with neighbouring Mutters and also Innsbruck’s Ski plus City Pass. The combi ticket is for a few extra €, and Mutters can be accessed via the Goetzener valley trail from the Axamer lifts. See the Mutters ski trail map.
The Ski+City pass includes 13 ski resorts ranging from the small, like Nordkette, Rangger-Oberperfuss & Patscherkofel, the in between like Bergeralm & Schlick 2000, up to the larger such as Stubai Glacier and Kühtai (the highest resort base in Austria). A Ski +city pass is for a minimum 2 days and allows unlimited access to all 13 ski & sled resorts, plus a wide range of attractions in the city of Innsbruck. See the Ski+City Pass resorts map here.
Where is Axamer Lizum Austria?
The Axamer Lizum ski resort is in the Tyrol, a 20km (50min) drive from the centre of the world's greatest ski city, Innsbruck. Regular ski buses travel from Innsbruck (routes L1, L2 or 4162) via the nearest towns of Axams & Götzens. Private taxis, rental cars & shuttles provide an alternative.
The nearest international airport for flight origins from within Europe & the UK is Innsbruck (INN), located a few minutes down the road. The excellent Munich (MUC) airport is the gateway for everyone else. Search & book airport transfers here.
See our Travel to Innsbruck page for detailed information on getting around the area.
Axamer Lizum Accommodation
There are numerous accommodation options when skiing Axamer Lizum. Surrounded by the peaks, the resort's village has three main hotels all situated at an altitude above 1,560m and all but guaranteed to be in the snow. Down the road, the village of Axams has a plethora of holiday rental apartments & a few decent hotels but is often snowless these days. Similarly, nearby Götzens has a mix of accommodations available, but most are uninspired. Both villages retain a traditional Austrian village feel, with hay barns, dairy cows & tractors mixed in with bakeries, markets & pensions. Innsbruck is so close that perhaps staying in a nice 'old town' hotel is preferable.
The ski resort village at Axamer Lizum has several ski-in ski-out hotels including the wonderful Lizum 1600 and superb Pistenhotel Lizumerhof. Avoid the low-brow Hotel Olympia.
On the road up to the ski area from Axams, the beautiful, family-run Guesthouse Schwaninger is superbly sited overlooking the Inn valley and definitely worth a try.
The village of Axams is only 8km by road north of the resort & comprises a wide range of lodging alternatives to the ski resort. Whilst none is particularly inspired, on the edge of the village, two hotels worth a look are the Hotel Kögele & the better, 4-star MONDI Hotel Axams. Much of the accommodation in Axams consists of holiday rentals (hotel-style rooms & self-contained apartments) in private homes.
Götzens village, a little further along the road from Axams, also has some affordable accommodation options, with the best of them the centrally located Alp Art Hotel. You could also try the good-value Gasthof Goetznerhof. The local ski bus stop is right out the front, and a valley ski trail comes close to the village via Muttereralm (piste linked to Axamer Lizum).
Search & book all Axamer Lizum ski accommodation.
Failing that, staying in one of the Innsbruck hotels, apartments or chalets is great fun & allows flexibility to ski all over the Inn valley.
Ski Rentals, Lessons & Guiding
Ski rentals are available from our local partners right at the gondola valley station next to the main day car park. Receive a discount when you compare, search & book via our Axamer Lizum Ski & Snowboard Rental page.
On or off-piste ski lessons & mountain guiding are available via our local partners. For more info & options, compare, search & book via our Axamer Lizum Ski Lessons & Guiding page.
Reviews
The Powderhounds completed thorough explorations of Axamer Lizum in 2019 & March 2024. We skied some delicious powder with zero crowds during the week then encountered some big crowds for a sunny weekend of touring. Check out all the reviews via the link on the left column (or top of page if on a mobile).
See how Axamer Lizum compares to the rest of the Austrian ski resorts on the Austria ski resort ratings page, or compare to the rest of Europe on the European ski resort ratings page.
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