Snowy Wildkogel-Arena

The Wildkogel-Arena is undoubtedly Old Man Winter’s favorite hangout: here, the winter arrives and settles in to stay – with meters of snow and brilliant conditions that simply thrill winter sports enthusiasts. Skiers who ride the Wildkogelbahn or Smaragdbahn lifts from the National Park villages of Neukirchen or Bramberg up to over 2,000 meters above sea level, find themselves in a snowy wonderland that extends until spring; a world virtually unbeknown to the people in the valley far below. Meteorologist Michael Butschek from GeoSphere Austria, head of the Salzburg and Upper Austria regional office, explains why this is so:

"The Wildkogel, at its higher elevations, features a north-facing, very wide valley basin. During the winter months, a lot of snow accumulates here, snow which is also perfectly distributed by the wind in the not-too-steep terrain. And this is what allows it to last well into spring."

Many locals, who have known the "Kogl" (Wildkogel-Arena ski area) since childhood like the back of their hand, confirm: "While other ski areas also have north-facing slopes at similar elevations, the Wildkogel-Arena enjoys a great advantage by having many lifts in this favorable alpine basin. Skiing here is possible practically everywhere, not just on isolated slopes as is the case at this time of year in many other ski areas."