Located in the Zillertal Valley in the state of Tyrol, Hintertux and Mayrhofen ski resorts offer good slopes for the beginner and superb pisted runs for intermediate and advanced skiers. The whole skiing region is known as the Zillertal 3000, with nearly 500kms of slopes in all. Hintertux also boasts summer skiing.

Both resorts offer over 8,700 beds in all categories, from private apartments and pensions to cosy guesthouses and four-star hotels. Mayrhofen, with its whitewashed mountain houses, is a typical Austrian Alpine town and is more for the skier who enjoys lively après-ski. Both towns have great shopping.

Hintertux and Mayrhofen’s 146kms of slopes are divided into 27 percent for beginners; 59 percent for intermediate; and 14 percent for advanced skiers; the ratio for the Zillertal region’s 492kms is 30, 58, and 12 percent. Forty-six lifts can transport 60,000 skiers per hour (Zillertal - 127 lifts, 200,000 per hour). There are also 20kms of cross-country runs and an excellent snowboard park.

Other activities include: ski-touring; guided and non-guided winter walks; ice skating; curling; paragliding; horse-drawn sleigh rides; tobogganing; an indoor swimming pool; a fitness centre, and a beauty farm, among other activities. There are a huge number of cafés and restaurants and the nightlife in Mayrhofen is very lively.

The best snow can be had from early February to mid-March and the cheapest rates are at the beginning and in the last month of the season, as well as in mid-January.

The most convenient way to get to the Hintertux and Mayrhofen ski resorts is to fly to Innsbruck and take a bus. Those arriving in Münich are better off taking a bus or hiring a car.