St. Anton is the biggest ski resort in Austria. Photo by Michael Mastarciyan /Submitted photo

AUSTRIA — The ski dream continues.

After three incredible days in Lech/Zürs, Austria, we moved on to St. Anton am Arlberg.

The biggest ski resort in Austria, St. Anton, is also one of the five largest in the world, with more than 300 km of marked trails, 200 km of off-piste, and 89 modern/fast lifts and gondolas.

My first impression of St. Anton was the size and party vibe of the town. St. Anton has everything. Limitless shopping for all budgets, chic ski boutiques unlike any I’ve seen before, and tons of equipment rentals which are a necessity when you’re skiing in Europe.

We got our skis at Alber Sport, and the big all-mountain boards they supplied us with came in handy since the skies opened up with 40 centimetres of fresh powder when we arrived.

Our accommodation in St. Anton was the luxurious Schwarzer Adler Hotel, located in the heart of the town. We chose to eat at the hotel with a half-board plan including breakfast and dinner. Breakfast at Schwarzer Adler was incredible, they even had homemade pancakes and real Maple Syrup, which is not common in Europe. Dinners at Schwarzer Adler were five star. Highlights included a medium roasted saddle of veal, which was like eating a filet mignon, an unbelievable re-working of a traditional Black Forest Cake they called the “2.0” and a Beetroot “Wellington” the vegetarians in our group loved.

The skiing was everything we expected and more. The first day we skied in a powder storm, which also meant we had to take refuge at Senn Hütte for some incredible homemade mountain cheese soup topped with alpine wildflowers, and a Schnapps tasting thanks to Fabian Senn, grandson of the restaurant’s founder.

Day 2 at St. Anton was a bluebird day with miles and miles of untracked powder, and a never ending supply of untouched groomed corduroy. The photo taking never stopped, and our faces hurt from smiling all day as we skied under the sun.

THE ÖTZTAL VALLEY

The next stop on our Austrian Ski Safari was the magnificent Ötztal Valley, a 40-minute train ride from St. Anton, followed up by a 40-minute taxi to the chic Sporthotel Alpina in beautiful Sölden, well-known by ski racing fans as the host town of the opening race of the World Cup tour every October.

Sölden is best known for its glacier skiing and high altitude snow reliability, but we were equally impressed by the vastness of the resort, and mind-blowing scenery on every run. This is something the producers of the James Bond 007 film Spectre also took into account when they chose Sölden as the location of the film’s most spectacular chase scene involving an airplane and a bunch of 4×4 trucks driven by the bad guys.

Skiers who love James Bond will love Sölden because they can visit 007 Elements, a state of the art cinematic installation (kind of a visual museum) at the top of Sölden’s highest peak, that celebrates the world’s most famous secret agent.

After a day of skiing at Sölden on hero snow under the sun, we took a short bus ride to the Gurgl ski area for another round of ridiculous powder skiing and fine dining.

Gurgl, which comprises the twin ski areas Obergurgl, and Hochgurgl, is a picture postcard ski-in/ski-out high alpine dream. If you’re looking for a more low-key, luxury experience, Gurgl is the way to go, as it’s chock full of romantic four and five-star hotels.

The skiing here is also excellent with never-ending corduroy and off-piste powder. Not to be missed when you’re skiing here, the Top Mountain Star bar with views of Italy on a clear day.

When it was time for lunch, we headed halfway down the mountain on the Hochgurgl side to dine at the Top Mountain Crosspoint Restaurant, owned and operated by Attila and Alban Scheiber, twin brothers who love to ski almost as much as they love to ride and collect vintage motorcycles. Their passion for two-wheelers is infectious, and the 550 motorcycles they have on display are jaw dropping. The museum also has a heartstopping virtual motorcycle experience which allows visitors to take a spine tingling ride through the Alps, with fast turns, and high speeds that beat anything you’ll find at an amusement park.

And finally for those of you who want to take a day off skiing, I highly recommend the Aqua Dome in nearby Längenfeld, a huge indoor thermal spa with something for every member of the family.

Next week we go to Innsbruck, the jewel of the Tyrolean Alps.

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