Hotel Gasthof Maikircher, Scheffau

The Ski Welt area is one of the largest in Austria with a total of 250km of pistes. However, its component parts make the territory rather similar, as it's basically made up of a number of smaller, lift- or bus-linked resorts. Scheffau (23km of runs) is one of the most attractive, being set back from the main road. Unfortunately, the skiing goes from Blaiken, on the other side of the road, meaning a short bus journey or walk. This gives access to the Ski Welt's best and steepest skiing. It can be very advantageous to stay in Scheffau, because its pass allows you to go straight to the front of the queue when the weekend crowds build up. The nursery slopes are found above the village and the ski school has a reasonable reputation. Most of the area's skiing and boarding caters to intermediates and learners.

The village is very friendly and sedate, largely focused around the hotels for accommodation and eating. Après-ski is limited and, apart from visiting local cities like Salzburg and Innsbruck, there isn't much for non-skiers to do. Overall, Scheffau is a pretty resort and good for families, except for the bus to the lifts and the isolated nursery slopes.