St. Anton

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St. Anton am Arlberg as seen from the Galzig slopes

St. Anton (Sankt Anton), which is formally called St. Anton am Arlberg is a village in Tyrol with a population of 2523 (census 2001). It is a prominent Austrian ski resort situated at 1304m above sea level in the Tyrolean Alps with dozens of cable cars, chair lifts and ski-lifts up to 2811m. It is well known around the world as the host of the Alpine World Skiing Championships in 2001, an El Dorado, Shangri-la , Garden of Eden, and Holy Grail all in one for international winter sports and a summer resort. It is located in the Stanzertal and belongs to the district of Landeck. Nasserein is on the far eastern edge of St Anton and is the area which is best suited to beginners.

1 The Resort
2 Stats
3 References
4 External links

[edit] The Resort

A town of 2,500 permanent inhabitants, St. Anton offers the best expert skiing in the Arlberg region, and the most lively apres-ski scene. St. Anton lies on the Rosanna River, and is on the main east-west rail line between Austria and Switzerland. It is part of the Arlberg alliance of ski resorts—a region that includes more 82 cablecars and ski lifts, 260 km (160 miles) of groomed pistes and 184 km (114 miles) of deep-snow runs.

A pedestrian zone forms the center of the town. On the western edge of village is the "Galzigbahn" which is currently being refurbished with a new state of the art cable car that accesses the Galzig slopes and connects to Schindler and Valluga peaks. On the eastern edge of town, the "Nassereinerbahn" rises to the Nasserien area with links to Kapall peak. Kapall, Valluga, and Schindler peaks provide skiers with close to 5000 vertical feet of skiing. Slope-side apres-ski bars, such as Krazy Kangaroo and Mooserwirt, can be found on the Steissbachtal trail just above St. Anton. A more subdued apres-ski scene exists in the numerous pubs and cafes in town.

Expert terrain includes less frequently groomed ski routes such as Schindlerkar and Mattun, and the backside of Valluga (2811m) down to Zurs, which is for experts only if accompanied by a guide. There are also a large number of off-piste routes in the area that experts can explore with the help of a guide. Rendl, a separate area on the other side of town, is more suitable for intermediates. It also gets the late afternoon sun. Many people end the day at the Rendl Beach--a lively outside bar with a sun terrace and daily tea dances.

Intermediates also flock to Stuben and St. Christoph, a hamlet that became famous in the 14th century when the shepherd Heinrich Findelkind built a hospice as a shelter for traveler crossing the Arlberg pass to the Vorarlberg province. Alpe Rauz, near St. Christoph, has one of the finest cruising trails in the region--a 2680 foot vertical slope that takes one all the way from Ulmer Hutte to Stuben.

[edit] Stats

Elevation: Base/Village: 1,304 m (4,278 ft); Top: 2,811 m (9,222 ft). Stuben: Base: 1,407 m (4,616 ft); Top: 2,600 m (8,530 ft)
Vertical: 1,507 m (4,944 ft). Stuben 1,207 m (3,960 ft)
Longest Run: 10.2 km (6.3 mi); Valluga to St. Anton
Terrain: 262 km (161 mi) of groomed slopes in region; 36% beginner (blue), 42% intermediate (red), 22% advanced and expert (black) Plus 184 km (114 mi) of deep snow runs
Lifts: 82 (Arlberg Ski Area)
Types: 10 Gondolas; 38 Chairlifts (one 8 psngr, seven 6 psngr, 11 quads, 4 triples, 15 doubles); 34 T-bars
Lift Capacity: 114,407 p/h
Ski Season: Late November-late April or beginning of May
Cross country: 37.5 km (23 mi) total: Stanzertal 22 km, Ferwall 10 km, St. Christoph 2.5 km, Ganderau (3km); 65 km (40 mi) in the region.
Mountain Restaurants: 18
Après-Ski: Ski museum; 15 cafes, 8 ice bars, 3 discos, 8 bars
Lodging: 8,900 beds; hotels, gasthof, apartments, private pensions in St. Anton, St. Jakob, & St. Christoph. Stuben has 300 hotel beds and 340 private beds
Transportation: Gateway Airports: Munich/Zürich/Friedrichshafen. Closest Austrian Airport: Innsbruck 103 km (64 mi) 1.5 hrs by train
By Auto from airport: Munich (3.5 hrs.) Zürich (2.5 hrs.) Friedrichshafen (1.5 hrs.)
By Train: Munich to Innsbruck, transfer with Arlberg Express to center of St. Anton; Zürich to St. Anton

[edit] References

Chris Gill & Dave Watts, Where to Ski and Snowboard 2007, ISBN 0-9536371-8-2.

Jacqueline McGibbon, "The Business of Alpine Tourism in a Globalising World" - an anthropological study of international tourism in the village of St. Anton am Arlberg in the Tirolean Alps.