Nauders Ski Resort Austria
Nauders is another of those Austrian surprise packages that impresses with its snow quality, off-piste terrain, lift infrastructure, skiable vertical & local village. The resort is intrinsically linked to the nearby (& recently modernised) Italian resort of Schoeneben-Belpiano, as part of the cross-border ‘Zwei Lander Ski Arena’. To get a sense of what is on offer, one need not look past the Nauder's village return ski trail. It goes right past Naudersberg, a fantastic medieval castle; just one of the many treats in the Reschen Pass area!
As a ski holiday destination, Nauders truly stacks up. Close to the borders of Italy & Switzerland, this lively Austrian mountain village is the perfect base to ski deserted freeride powder, make forays to other fantastic ski resorts, access incredible backcountry adventures & other winter sports, plus discover amazing historic & cultural sites.
Pros & Cons for Nauders Ski Resort
Pros
- High elevation, north-aspect terrain (mostly above 1,700m altitude), guaranteeing quality natural snow conditions.
- Powder laden off-piste terrain that is utterly deserted when the sun isn't shining on a powder day!
- Efficient lift system.
- Nice balance of on-piste trails for all abilities (with less for beginners).
- Interesting variety of off-piste terrain.
- Super-long 1,350m skiable vertical from the alpine peak.
- Exceptional range of accommodation in a pretty, vibrant Tyrolean village.
- Mountain dining is super-tasty & après ski is fun.
- Good value lift pass price & also valid in nearby Belpiano-Schönenben plus other resorts.
- Easy free public transport access by bus from the village & ample free car parking for day-trippers right near the lifts.
- Central to ski resorts in three countries, plus amazing local non-ski activities including various ice sports on the lakes, historic villages & monuments.
Cons
- Ski lifts are a bus or car ride from the village (seriously quibbling!).
- Beginners have limited opportunities to ski the spectacular alpine terrain.
- Accommodation can be expensive comparative to the nearby Italian mountain villages and the villages down valley in Austria (i.e. Pfunds).
Pro or Con (depending on your perspective!)
- Popular village, can be difficult getting accommodation but there are numerous options nearby.
- A car is needed to access most nearby ski resorts & attractions (except Belpiano).
Skiing & Snowboarding, Lifts & Terrain
The Nauders skiing & snowboarding terrain is generally north to west-aspect and includes both above tree line & forest lined trails. It includes over 67km of piste trails & 6km of marked ski routes on a skiable vertical of 1,350m. The full vertical can be skied from top to bottom (for advanced riders) all the way into the village over a delightful 9km. The on-piste trails are glorious for intermediate skiers & snowboarders, and fast and fun for advanced riders. there is less scope for beginners, but novices are well catered for at the mountain's base and mid-mountain. We found the off-piste freeride in the high alpine off the Tscheyeck chair & Panorama lift to be tremendous. On a mid-week powder day before the sun comes out you will be lapping this luscious 850m of vertical for hours before anyone else ventures off the piste!
Check out the ski trail map for Nauders below.
The ski lifts at Nauders are mix of modern high-capacity chairs, an aging access gondola & several surface tows. The highlight of the ski area is undoubtedly the Panorama lift - a gnarly T-bar that ascends to the resort’s highest point of 2,750m. Depending on snow conditions (i.e. how the wind has impacted it!), the lift opens up a world of freeride ski possibilities & long vertical descents. The new Goldsee 6-seater chairlift gives novices & beginners the best possible ride up the hill!
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Zwei Lander Lift Passes
A great benefit of skiing Nauders is the opportunity to visit nearby resorts with any multi-day lift pass. Passes of 2 days or greater are valid across the Zwei Lander (or Two Lands/Countries) ski region which includes Belpiano - Malga S.Valentino just over the Reschenpass, nearby Watles, Trafoi & the glacier resort of Solda-Sulden.
Nauders is linked with Belpiano via regular buses between the lift bases. The other resorts are best accessed by car.
See below for the Two Countries ski trail map.
Where is Nauders Austria?
The Nauders Bergkastel ski resort is near the charming village of the same name in the Austrian Tyrol only 7km north of the Reschen Pass into Italy. By road, Nauders is 43km south of the major transport hub of Landeck-Zams & only 113km from the best ski city in the world - Innsbruck. The best gateway airports are Innsbruck (INN) (for UK & European flight origins) & Munich (MUC) or Zurich (ZRH) (for everyone else).
If not intending to visit other ski areas in the region, we recommend using public transport to get to Nauders. Trains from Innsbruck or Zurich all stop at Landeck-Zams (home of the sneaky secret stash, Venet ski resort). From Landeck-Zams bus or train station, the route 210 bus runs regularly all the way to Nauders village & the Bergkastel ski lift base. Several services link up directly with the train services from Innsbruck. Journey time on the bus is around 1¼hr.
Search & book here for train tickets to Landeck-Zams. Purchase bus tickets to Nauders from the driver.
A free ski bus (the Zwei Länder Skiarena Skibus) connects Nauders & the Bergkastel ski lifts to the Schöneben-Belpiano ski lift base regularly throughout the day. Within Nauders itself, free ski buses rotate through the town connecting the short distance to the local ski lifts at Bergkastelseilbahn from 8.10am to 18.40pm.
Anyone driving to the resort in a rental car will find a relatively easy passage up to the village from Innsbruck. The road presents few difficulties and parking at the gondola terminal is ample & free. On a midweek powder day in February we were the first and only car in the car park until 8.15am.
An alternative access route to Nauders is from Italy via the Val Venosta from Bolzano via Merano.
Nauders Accommodation
Nauders is one of those wonderful Tyrolean alpine villages with the perfect balance of location, tradition, services, amenity & modernity. Schloss Naudersberg (Naudersberg Castle) dominates the town & in addition to simply providing a stunning backdrop, even offers apartment style accommodation within it walls. The village itself is loaded with exceptional hotels, apartments, pensions & guesthouses. Two ski-in ski-out lodges are located within the ski area - Bergresort Das Jochelius.
Search & book here for all Nauders ski accommodation.
The lovely town of Pfunds is only 15min drive away from Nauders, providing another (more affordable) accommodation option. The village has all the relevant shops & services, several superb hotels & a host of fabulous private rental apartments. It is connected by ski bus to the resort, with several services in the morning & return services after lunchtime. Pfunds is also close to the excellent Serfaus Fiss Ladis & tiny (but fun) Fendels.
Search & book here for all Pfunds ski accommodation.
For something completely different, the sensational medieval walled village of Glurns-Glorenza, just over the border in Italy, is a fabulous place to stay, but requires one to have a rental car to comfortably ski Nauders & the other Zwei Lander resorts.
Search & book here for all Glurns ski accommodation.
Ski Rentals
Ski rentals are available from our local partners in the centre of Nauders village. Get a discount when you use our Nauders Ski & Snowboard Rental page.
Nearby Ski Resorts, Attractions & Activities
Just south of Nauders beyond the Reschen Pass, the Val Venosta (or Vinschgau) is a South Tyrolean, predominantly German speaking part of Italy. Val Venosta’s stunning combination of stunning glacier draped mountains, ice bound lakes, drowned bell towers, gorgeous ancient walled villages, castles, monasteries & ski resorts make it an all-round European ski safari location to be reckoned with.
Nearby ski resorts are all part of the Ortler Ski Arena, only a short drive away via the easy Passo di Resia (Reschen Pass). Beyond the family-friendly Belpiano, include smaller local ski hills like Watles & Trafoi, plus the glaciers of Val Senales (Schnalstal) & Solda-Sulden to name a few.
See here for the Ortler Ski Arena resorts map.
Some cracking Austrian ski resorts are close, including the huge Serfaus Fiss Ladis & powder hounds guarantee of Kaunertal Glacier. Closer though is the Swiss connection to popular Ischgl, Samnaun ski resort, only 30min drive from Nauders. Gotta love Europe & the Alps!
Whilst Nauders itself has alot of non-skiing interest as well, away from ski resort there is a plethora of amazing winter activities & world class sights & experiences. For detailed information & photos, see our Nauders Activities page.
Review
The Powderhounds first checked out Nauders in 2020. We had a few false starts due several extreme weather days resulting in major lift closures across not only the resort, but most ski areas across Austria & northeast Italy. We left the day before it finally fully opened up! Oh well. Interestingly, across the Reschen Pass in Italy, the modern & family-friendly Belpiano ski area was open most days during the same storm! Its entire lifted area is on a different aspect though. Wind direction is everything in the Alps! We finally visited again in late February 2022 and had an amazing few days in knee to waist-deep powder exploring the resort and its gloriously deserted off-piste. Click on the review link in the left column (or top of the page if on a mobile) to read all the reviews.
See how Nauders 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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