Hochoetz Ski Resort Austria
Hochoetz ski resort is a small fish in a big shoal of resorts in the Tyrol's Oetz valley (Ōtztal). Usually playing second fiddle to the larger resorts of Soelden, Obergurgl Hochgurgl & Kuhtai, Hochoetz provides a quiet, sheltered, family-friendly alternative that won’t break the bank balance.
Hochoetz can be accessed via a gondola from the main valley town of Oetz, or from Kühtai via free ski bus to the lovely mountain hamlet of Ochsengarten & then gondola to the upper mountain. Either way, a comfortable ride to the Panorama Restaurant at 2,020m altitude and the meeting point of at least 9 ski lifts is assured.
Pros & Cons for Hochoetz Ski Resort
Pros
- Quality snow & reliable snowpack.
- Excellent family-friendly facilities & ski area.
- Good variety of piste trails for beginners & intermediates.
- Interesting backcountry freeride opportunities.
- Handy bad weather alternative to surrounding higher altitude ski resorts.
- Lift pass & free ski bus interlinked with Kuhtai.
- Easy to get to from Innsbruck, Oetz or Kühtai.
- Value for money lift pass.
- Quality on-mountain huts.
- Fun après ski at the top of the gondola.
- Wonderful, affordable, traditional accommodation & dining in the town of Oetz.
Cons
- Relatively short skiable vertical off most lifts.
- Limited advanced piste trails.
- Limited ski-in ski-out accommodation.
Pro or Con (depending on your perspective!)
- Small(ish) area of quality off-piste terrain around Wetterkreuz, but good if Kuhtai has no visibility.
- Smaller ski resort that may or may not hold one's interest for more than a day or two. However, it is well-positioned for day trips to a multitude of sensational nearby resorts.
- Lacks expensive high-end accommodations.
Skiing & Snowboarding, Lifts & Terrain
The Hochoetz skiing & snowboarding terrain is perfectly suited to anyone that loves family-friendly on-piste cruising in a sheltered resort with excellent snow quality. All terrain is north & west-aspect, but it seems to allow some sun on the slopes even in mid-winter. The resort’s longer trails extend from above 2,200m all the way to Ochsengarten (1,540m) allowing for runs of around 700m vertical for up to 5km in length. The next longest skiable vert over 600m to the lowest part of the resort in the trees at Oetzerburg. Advanced riders are kept interested with the short trails & routes off the highest lifted point on the Wetterkreuzbahn (2,272m), but the skiable vertical is less than 400m (ish). The off-piste is ok, with a few tree-skiing & alpine bowl/chute options around the Wetterkreuz chair and via skinning from the top of the Mohrenkopf chair. With some further skinning, there are worthwhile backcountry routes to seek out beyond the resort boundaries in the higher alpine zone, but alas we have had no time to do them ourselves.
Check out the ski trail map for Hochoetz below.
The ski lifts are a mix of mostly new, but a few ancient. The vast majority were put in this century, which for a small resort is awesome. The newest chair was put in for season 22/23, the Kühtailebahn. It replaced an old triple and provides the main lifting power to get riders over to the Wetterkreuz area. The newish Ochsengarten gondola comfortably serves a large swathe of terrain, as do the next youngest lifts, the Wetterkreuz & Brunnenkopf chairs. All the beginner surface tows are relatively recent additions, which is nice to know for anyone sending their children on lessons. The old Acherkogel Sektion II double chair is an ancient relic from the 70s. It does serve a lovely run & off-piste trees (when there is enough snow!), then provides a relaxing journey back up the hill! The old Balbach double chair serves no real purpose and if it was deleted tomorrow, no one would really notice.
Interlinked Lift Pass with Kühtai & Ski+City Pass
All Hochoetz lift passes are valid in nearby Kühtai. A regular free ski bus links the resorts from the gondola base station at Ochsengarten.
See the Hochoetz-Kuehtai ski trail map.
Hochoetz already has a good value ski lift pass, however the resort has recently become part of Innsbruck’s Ski plus City Pass area which includes 13 ski resorts ranging from the small, like Nordkette, Oberperfuss & Patscherkofel, the in-between like Axamer Lizum & Schlick 2000, up to the larger such as Stubai Glacier & Kuhtai (the highest resort base in Austria). A Ski+City pass is for a minimum 2 days & 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.
Where is Hochoetz Austria?
Hochoetz ski resort is perched above the town Oetz in the Ötztal, Tyrol state, Austria! Access to the resort is from Oetz or the high village of Ochsengarten. Oetz is only 55km west of Innsbruck. Accessible by train & bus via the Ötztal Bahnhof railway station, the resort is remarkably easy to get too. The Hochoetz gateway airports are Innsbruck (INN), Munich (MUC) or Zurich (ZRH).
The Powderhounds recommend taking the train & bus from the airports to Hochoetz, but for those with larger groups or who just cannot abide public transport, the most efficient mode of travel is a private transfer. Rather than taking a transfer from the airport, money can be saved by transferring from the local train station at Oetztal Bahnhof. Search & book all private transfers to Oetz.
Ötztal Bahnhof is only 7km north of Oetz & provides excellent train access from Innsbruck, Munich or Zurich. From Innsbruck, multiple train departures per day take between 23 & 40min to Oetztal Bahnhof station, depending on the service. From the station, the route 320 buses run over 35 times/day (every 15min at busy times of the day) up the Oetz valley all the way to Obergurgl via the town of Oetz. Travel time is 16min to Oetz. A limited number of route 4196 buses (around 6/day) run from central Oetz to Ochsengarten. The route 320 bus is a very handy connecter to the ski resorts of Söldeon & Gürgl. A local guest card will make the trip free!
Search & book train tickets to Ötztal Bahnhof. Purchase bus tickets from the driver when boarding the bus.
Driving to Hochoetz is easy via the A12 motorway to the Oetz valley. There is plenty of free parking at the gondola base in Oetz for day trippers. Get rental cars from Innsbruck airport.
For more information about travelling around the Austrian Alps in winter, see our Travel in Austria page.
Hochoetz Accommodation
Hochoetz comprises two main villages. In the valley at only 820m elevation, is the lovely town of Oetz. Whilst its quite low altitude can mean it is bereft of snow during the fringes of winter, the town has good value, traditional accommodations within walking distance of the gondola. The town has all services & affordable, quality restaurants, plus transport links via free local buses to all the ski resorts in the area. Oetz can makes a great base to ski the entire region, particularly if one has a rental car. In Oetz one of the best places to stay includes the incredible Gasthof zum Stern, in a building dating from the year 1573 (& with bits that are even older than that!). The best hotel in town is the 4-star Posthotel Kassl, but its location on the very busy main road means that if a light sleeper you should ask for a room facing the back! Just down the road is another hotel worth considering, Hotel 3 Mohren. The village is loaded with holiday apartments, many in private houses. For the best selection of self-contained apartments in town, try MYALPS Historical (located centrally in town) or the very modern All-Suite Resort Ötztal apartments (located next to the Hochoetz gondola base).
Up on the mountain is the quiet, but desirable, Ochsengarten. Ochsengarten’s altitude of 1,538m guarantees that it has snow all winter long, plus there is a regular ski-bus connection to Kuhtai; another accommodation option. Amongst the several superb guesthouses Ochsengarten, try Gasthof Burkert or Gasthof Waldesruh.
Up the road between Ochsengarten & Kühtai is the Berghotel & Gasthof Marlstein. Situated at 1,800m altitude on a sunny alpine bench, it provides an exceptional winter holiday experience. A stay here includes a free shuttle to the gondola base at Ochsengarten.
Search & book all Hochoetz ski accommodation.
Further up the valley in Lägenfeld is the amazing Aqua Dome Hotel, which makes a soothing lodging option if day-tripping to all the local Oetztal resorts.
Ski Rentals, Lessons & Guiding
Ski rentals are available in the valley township of Oetz. Receive a discount when you search & book via our Hochoetz Ski & Snowboard Rental page.
On or off-piste ski lessons & mountain guiding with are available via our local partners. For more info & options, compare, search & book via our Hochoetz Ski Lessons & Guiding page.
Reviews
The Powderhounds reviewed Hochoetz in 2019 and again in late February 2024 and found it to be fabulous for family groups looking for a safe yet interesting ski location that won’t break the bank. We noted its powder skiing opportunities on the Wetterkreuz would be great for when Kühtai has zero visibility. Click on the review link in the left column (or top of the page if on a mobile) to read the reviews.
See how Hochoetz 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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