Galtür, Silvretta Ski Area , Austria

Further up the beautiful Paznau Valley from Ischgl is Galtur. It has 40km of runs, plus bus access to 200km at Ischgl and even more with the 'Silvretta' pass. Galtur hit the headlines in 1999 for the wrong reasons, when a massive avalanche claimed 30 lives and buried large parts of the resort. This has obviously had a lasting effect on the village, but the residents have responded with great resolution.

Galtur is a typical small Austrian Alpine village, traditional and, because of its height (1600m), blessed with some great snow and views. It is much quieter and cheaper than Ischgl, resulting in fewer hotels, restaurants, bars and clubs. To use Ischgl's area, there is an infrequent, free bus that stops early, but if you make the trip you can get over into Switzerland for some tax-free bargains.

The uncrowded skiing at Galtur tends to favour beginners and early intermediates, emphasising the family nature of the place. This is also due to an excellent ski school. The lifts are a little inconvenient, located 1.8km from the village. There is night-skiing offered and off-piste powder to give better skiers some challenges. They can also head for Ischgl. It will take time for Galtur to recover from 1999's disaster, but it makes a great family venue with a top snow record.

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