Words by Marianna Hunt
“Out here on the slopes in Leogang, there’s no ‘Sie’ (the polite form of ‘you’ in German),” our ski guide explains. What he means is, on the piste, there are no formalities. No matter who you are – successful businesswoman, minor celeb, Olympic downhill racer – once your goggles are on, everyone is equal.
“That’s why people love it here,” our guide, a 21-year-old local, continues. “Unlike places like St Anton, no one is nosy about who you are – and everyone is friendly. If a local restaurant owner doesn’t have a dish you’re looking for, they’ll send you to another restaurant that does.”
This friendly but discreet atmosphere is one of the secrets behind Leogang’s growing popularity.
A small ski village around one hour from Salzburg, it has just 5,900 tourist beds – around half the amount of St Anton, which these days bursts at the seams with wannabe A-listers, influencers and their entourages.
Visitor numbers have been rising as people uncover this hidden gem. “Overnight stays in the winter season in Leogang increased 34% from 2011/2012 to 2018/2019 – the last normal year before the pandemic,” says Selina Hörl of the Saalfelden Leogang tourism board.
“Our clientele is mostly well-off people from big cities in Germany or Austria – either couples or families with teenagers. We do get some Brits, but not lots – although numbers have been going up since British Airways started running more regular flights between the UK and Salzburg,” says Judith Bechtold of the Hotel Salzburger Hof in Leogang.
So what does this low-key luxe resort have to offer? And how does it measure up to better-known rivals in pistes, parties and pampering?
The hotels
What it lacks in quantity of hotels, Leogang makes up for in quality. The Hotel Salzburger Hof is a four-star superior bolthole with a relaxed feel but all the luxuries and convenience you could want. Dinner is a prime example, as each night there’s a gourmet four-course menu – with small but delicious portions of roasted local beef and lamb or moreish squash risottos.
There’s also an ice cream bar – where kids (or adults) can load up on flavours from banana to apple strudel and smother their creation in sprinkles. Plus a laid-back salad bar, where everyone digs into hearty tureens of tuna, egg mayo, greens and freshly baked bread. It’s not unusual to see children playing card games outside the glistening wine cellar – from which shiny magnums of premier wines wink at you.
The spa, too, oozes discretion, well, the adult’s one at least. Children get to splash and play in an outdoor heated pool and family sauna in the garden. Grown-ups head to the rooftop for sauna sessions (where nudity is a must) and swims in 30°C water with views over the slopes at sunset. Steam from the cold air hides other guests in the water and gives you the sense of being entirely alone with the night sky.
The hotel is super-conveniently located – less than a two-minute walk from the gondola and ski hire shop.
If you’re after something a little more glitzy, the Naturhotel Forsthofgut is a good option. The five-star lodge combines traditional Alpine wood with soaring glass windows for a more modern feel. It is run by the Schmuck family, who have lived in Leogang for five generations.
Wellness is a key focus here as well and the hotel has multiple spas with facilities ranging from a Japanese-inspired Onsen bath and washhouse, to a natural chemical-free swimming lake, floating Finnish sauna and plunge pool. There’s also an organic farm with animal feeding visits for kids as well as daily childcare from 9am to 9pm. For the adults, wine tastings take place twice weekly.
The skiing
“People come back here year after year because there’s something for all abilities,” says Wilco, another of the local ski instructors.
Leogang benefits from connections to Saalbach, Hinterglemm, Zell am See and the Kitzsteinhorn glacier (which guarantees skiing even in the least reliable conditions) among other regions. Together, this creates one of the largest connected ski resorts in the world. The local Ski Alpin Card (cost €298 for five days for an adult) gives you access to 408 km of piste, comprising 18 blacks, 89 reds, 97 blues and nursery slopes.
Adventurous skiers can undertake the Skicircus Circuit: a route covering 65 km and 12,400 metres in altitude. It usually takes people around seven hours (our instructor claims to have done it in four).
Other activities
Off the slopes, there’s plenty to do. Once you exit the main commercial hub, the town of Leogang is very pretty – with carved wooden chalets and an ancient church. The best way to explore is via a horse-drawn sleigh (at €80 for four people . Sturdy Noriker horses – one of the oldest mountain draft horses in Europe – pull you out of town along a route that twists between rocky crevasses lined with soaring pine trees, while a small river gushes next to you.
You can also go ice skating on the frozen Ritzensee Lake with epic views of the mountains behind you. The natural rink is a nine-minute drive, or 30-minute bus from Leogang.
Of course it’s not a ski holiday without après-ski. Leogang can’t lay claim to the mad parties of Val Thorens or Chamonix. You can definitely have a good time but mountain clubs like Hendl Fischerei tend to be of a classier type. Here you’re more likely to see people sipping magnums of Champagne and having a little dance on the terraces rather than downing bottles of vodka on a sweaty dance floor. But for those looking for wilder nightlife, Saalfelden and Saalbach are just a bus ride away.
Factbox
Flights from London to Salzburg start from £23 return (although prices are higher during peak ski season). British Airways, EasyJet and Ryanair all offer direct connections.
Prices at the Hotel Salzburger Hof start from €179 per person a night during winter season and include a breakfast buffet, afternoon buffet and dinner.
At Naturhotel Forsthofgut, double rooms cost from €550 per room per night based on two sharing.
More information about the ski region can be found at saalfelden-leogang.com and salzburgerland.
