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. No other reasons required!
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. 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.
- 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.
- Great après ski on weekends.
- Ski-in ski-out accommodation available.
- Good value lift pass (Innsbruck’s Ski+City Pass valid as well).
- Mountain-top restaurant is amazing.
- The world’s freakiest funicular ride.
- Easy drive from downtown Innsbruck for day trips.
Cons
- Some ancient Olympic heritage lift infrastructure - one definitely ages whilst riding them (but is currently being modernised)!
- 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).
- Public transport from Innsbruck isn’t as good as other local resorts.
Pro or Con (depending on your perspective!)
- Resort village is smallish & showing its age.
- Accommodation 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 (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 Goetzens via the Götzner Grube trails. The longest trail from the resort, it 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 are now modern alternatives to the summit of Hoadl. Where once chairlifts served the terrain, from season 22/23, three old chairs (Hoadl I, Hoadl II & Schoenboden) have been replaced by a top to bottom gondola with a mid-station near the base of the old Hoadl II chair. A massive simplification of the lift infrastructure that is 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.
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 Kuhtai, Schlick2000 & Stubai Glacier) is NOT one of them. With the highest base close to Innsbruck (1,580m), Axamer is usually guaranteed a solid 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 around €5 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, Oberperfuss & Patscherkofel, the in between like Bergeralm & Schlick 2000, up to the larger such as Stubai Glacier and Kuhtai (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 & Goetzens. 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. The ski resort village has several ski-in ski-out hotels including the wonderful Pistenhotel Lizumerhof & superb Lizum 1600. Avoid the low-brow Hotel Olympia.
The village of Axams is only 8km by road north of the resort & comprises a wide range of lodging alternatives to the ski resort. Götzens village, a little further down the road, also has a few great value accommodation options including the 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). Both villages retain a traditional Austrian village feel, with hay barns, dairy cows & tractors mixed in with bakeries, markets & pensions.
Search & book all Axamer Lizum ski accommodation.
Failing that, staying in one of the Innsbruck hotels or chalets is great fun & allows flexibility to ski all over the valley.
Reviews
The Powderhounds completed a thorough exploration of Axamer Lizum in 2019 & skied some delicious powder with zero crowds. Check our review 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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