Situated between two of Austria's most famous mountains, the Wilder Kaiser and the Kitzbüheler Horn, St Johann in Tyrol is an ideal winter holiday venue made famous by its excellent pistes and cross-country runs. St Johann has 60kms of manicured runs and 75kms of cross-country trails.

The setting is picturesque, with the familiar outline of the Kitzbüheler Horn forming part of the panorama. St Johann has great shopping and facilities and is a lot less expensive than its famous neighbour. There are 4,500 beds in three- and four-star hotels, guesthouses, bed-and-breakfasts, and self catering apartments.

St Johann offers 60kms of superb slopes with 50 per cent of runs suitable for beginners; 38 per cent at an intermediate level; and 12 per cent for advanced skiers. The longest run in St Johann is nine kilometres, and 17 lifts can handle more than 20,000 skiers per hour. There are 75kms of well-marked cross-country tracks through beautiful and peaceful scenery.

Other winter activities and facilities include: tobogganing; ice-skating; hiking along 40kms of cleared walking paths; snowshoe-trekking; curling; mono-skiing; sleigh rides; indoor swimming and tennis; bowling; ballooning; and a sports centre. The Panoramabad Complex features a 50-metre heated pool, sauna, steam rooms, a long water slide, a wading pool and an ice-skating rink. There are a variety of bars, pubs and discos, with folklore evenings being particularly popular.

The cheapest deals are in mid-January and from mid-March to the season's end, while the best snow can usually be had from February to mid-March.

Travelling to St Johann is straightforward with flights to Salzburg and Munich airports and transfers by train to the resort as the best option. Trains only go from the city centre in Salzburg; however, buses and shuttles from the airport to the city are regular. Several buses also make the trip to St Johann from Salzburg, taking 1 hour, 30 minutes.