The secret, luxurious side of Austria's party ski resort The Times Rachel Mortimer, Deputy money editor The secret, luxurious side of Austria's party ski resort new Ischgl kicks off the season with one of the biggest celebrations in the Alps, but fascinating history and a stylish hotel will please those who aren't there to dance on tables You can ski smugglers' routes in Ischgl Andreas Vigl Rachel Mortimer , Deputy money editor Saturday October 24 2026, 5.00am BST , The Sunday Times Listen 0:00 / · 11:47 min Share Share this article Email Twitter Facebook Link Save N ot so long ago, if we had visited the Austrian ski resort of Ischgl it would have been for the après scene. The town has a party reputation and hosts one of the biggest season opening celebrations in the Alps in November — this year headlined by, er, Westlife. But my husband and I are in our mid-thirties, which means hangovers are two-day events, and something has gone horribly wrong if we are not in bed, sleep masks on and mouth tape applied, by 10pm. So it wasn't Jäger shots and DJ sets that took us to Ischgl, but its history, which has been turned into a ski experience. Goods were smuggled between Ischgl, in the Austrian Tyrol region, and the duty-free village of Samnaun, across the border in Switzerland, for two centuries from 1768, when customs exemptions for Ischgl were revoked. And in the aftermath of the Second World War, smuggling became a necessity for the poverty-stricken Alpine town's farming community. The Paznaun Valley, with sweeping views of the mountains The ten-hour round trip over snowy mountains and freezing lakes was made under the cover of darkness, with goats and chickens exchanged for tobacco, coffee and nylon stockings. Customs officers, dubbed “grass sliders” by townsfolk for their poor skiing, were rarely successful in catching the perpetrators. What you need to know Where is it? In the Austrian Tyrol region, about an hour and 20 minutes' drive southwest from Innsbruck Who will love it? Party animals, practising and retired, seeking a ski resort with great infrastructure and fine dining Insider tip The last ascent to the Flimsattelbahn lift back across the border from Samnaun leaves at 3.30pm — miss this and you face a very long and expensive taxi ride back to Ischgl How to do it Our in-house agency Times Holidays can help you book your own fully customisable version of Rachel's itinerary, tailored to your specific interests Today you can ski these routes, which make up much of the 148 miles of slopes at the resort. Opened in 2016, the Smugglers' Circuits are a network of signposted pistes and checkpoints comprising bronze (25 miles), silver (26 miles) and gold (39 miles) routes in order of difficulty. Each takes between three to four hours to complete. Advertisement Maps are available at ski ticket offices in Ischgl or can be tracked on your phone using the iSki Ischgl app. Those with a competitive streak can upload their circuit, and if they visit all the checkpoints in one day and in the correct order they will be entered into a prize draw at the end of the season. The Ischgl tourist board says tracking the routes works offline so shouldn't trigger roaming costs. Ischgl has a reputation for being a party destination We skied over the Paznaun Valley, with sweeping views of the mountains, and across the border to follow an idyllic tree-lined trail into Samnaun for a spot of duty-free shopping. A few closed pistes meant that we skied the silver route, which is mostly made up of red runs. The tourist board says it is suited to accomplished skiers, although we thought this a little overcautious. Top stories 1 I took hallucinogenics to cure my PTSD from being an NHS paramedic Health & Fitness 2 The cool corner of Australia you'll want to keep to yourself Australia 3 Now's the time to lock in a pre-Christmas holiday deal — here are 12 Inspiration Top stories 1 John Healey has a rare chance to spark a middle-class wealth boom Saving & Investing You can easily navigate the cross-border routes without a guide (thanks in no small part to the refreshingly efficient signage for each run and lift), but we opted for a tour with the son of a smuggler and were glad we did, although be sure to specify your language preference when booking (￡81pp; ischgl.com). Guided by Gottlieb Our guide was named Gottlieb — in his seventies but by far the smoothest and most stylish skier on the mountains, with his neckerchief and wooden poles — and he regaled us with tales of locals outwitting custom officers in the harshest winter conditions. The smuggling legacy is proudly worn in Ischgl and we gained a true sense of how deeply the practice is ingrained in its identity. Most commented 1 Quarter of homeowners would sell up to avoid mansion tax Property & Home 246 comments 2 Teachers don't want a four-day week — but they'll take more holidays Education 189 comments 3 The great unwashed: why Japanese are 'bath cancelling' Asia 53 comments 4 Airbnb hosts threaten boycott as new rules 'unacceptable' Property & Home 51 comments 5 Police say no further investigation needed into Yes Scotland's finances Scotland 22 comments “Sometimes the smugglers would be hiding in the snow from nearby customs officers only to be given away by a squawking chicken in the crate they had carried over the mountain to trade,” Gottlieb said. “They were rarely caught though — they were too fast.” Advertisement Back in town we spoke with a couple of elderly gentlemen who hadn't quite kicked the habit and still dabbled in a spot of bootlegging, hiding orders of duty-free cigarettes from Switzerland in their rucksacks for friends. These days, though, the level of success varies — border control has upped its game since the 1930s, with spot checks at the border (particularly of those with rucksacks). Everything about the ski experience in Ischgl has been designed to be convenient Andreas Vigl Ischgl used smuggling proceeds to put itself on the tourism map, building its first ski lift in 1952. Today more than two million people visit the town each year, but unlike many of other ski resorts it is not run by foreign investors or propped up by private equity. About 300 local families are shareholders in the lift company, Silvrettaseilbahn, and many of the hotels are family owned. Everything about the ski experience in Ischgl has been designed to be convenient and comfortable, and you can go all day without breaking a sweat. In fact, our only criticism is that advanced skiers will struggle to find much challenging on-piste skiing. Ski passes here are slightly more expensive than at other European resorts (from ￡259 for five days), but the infrastructure is top notch, with access to 76 lifts — you'll do well to find one that isn't brand new and most were armchair rides with heated seats. If you get the first cable car of the day up the mountain you can expect a slight queue (about ten minutes when we visited in February), but it is short-term pain — once at the top we skied straight onto most lifts without a wait and often had expansive pistes to ourselves. Restaurants up the mountain are clean and organised with automatic doors (welcome news for anyone in ski boots balancing a tray of drinks) and bathrooms that are spotless (even better news for women tackling a cubicle in full ski gear). Advertisement The best mountain restaurant In good weather there's no better spot for lunch than the Idalp-Panorama. We booked a table outside so we could soak up the rays on its sun-trap terrace while enjoying the mountain views with Aperols in hand. The quintessential Austrian dish of pan-fried veal escalopes with a side of cranberry jam is the most popular plate on the menu (mains from ￡15; ischgl.com). Read more The Alps' best party ski resort gets a grown-up glow up I've found the secret to crowd-free pistes The surprisingly affordable mountain hotel in upscale Verbier The resort's most lucrative investment has been in its snow surety. There are more than 1,000 snow cannons, which — coupled with its altitude of 1,400m (4,593ft) — help to attract visitors for the duration of its season. It's an appeal that will only grow as lower resorts struggle to compete with a changing climate. Ischgl's party reputation may precede it but you can easily avoid the many bars and clubs here if they're not your bag. Yet we felt obliged to at least dip our toe into what the resort is best known for, so stopped one afternoon at Paznauner Taja, one of the liveliest après spots on the slopes. “We have to try to embrace it,” my husband shouted as we grimaced through the techno remix of Hey Jude blaring out from the DJ hut. We lasted for one beer then happily tootled down the mountain for a much calmer drink in the wine bar at Plangger Delikatessen in town — if you're aiming to avoid enthusiastic crowds be mindful that the main street will get busy with merry revellers late in the day and into the evening. The view from the five-star Elizabeth Arthotel Stathis Bouzoukas A stylish, adults-only stay We stayed at the five-star Elizabeth Arthotel, which is celebrating its 50th year in operation. Its founders, Günther and Elisabeth Aloys, live there with their daughter, Mirjam, and her husband, Markus Pfister, who have taken the reins and preserved all the luxurious charm that made it a hit in the Seventies. Advertisement The rooms are stylish alpine affairs with comfortable beds and powerful showers (my husband's primary metric of what makes or breaks a hotel). We were especially enamoured with the on-site ski and boot hire for ultimate convenience. A white-out up the mountain usually feels like a ski day wasted, but when the weather turned during the second half of our trip we were excited to get back to the Elizabeth early and indulge in everything it had to offer. Spending the afternoon enjoying the panoramic mountain view from the floor-to-ceiling windows in its huge sauna and taking a dip in the infinity pool before a mega snooze wrapped in a robe on a spa bed was the perfect après for this pair of former party animals. The rooms are stylish alpine affairs with comfortable beds Stathis Bouzoukas However, it is evenings when the hotel — now adults only — really excels. Predinner drinks (an excellent G&T) in front of the fireplace in the Elizabeth's low-lit bar felt like kicking back in the lounge of an incredibly bouji friend's house, and Mirjam and Markus were there each night to make us feel a part of the family. With 40 guest rooms, we found the atmosphere intimate but never overbearing. The food at the hotel's Eliza Restaurant is fine dining at its best — some of the highest quality we have tasted, with impeccable service but in no way pretentious. You're free to dress up, but I felt right at home in a smart shirt and white trainers. Half-board guests have a five-course gourmet menu that changes each evening — the tuna tartare and Argentinian wild shrimp were among our highlights — or can pay extra for the à la carte menu. The Schatzi bar, on the ground floor, is famed for its high-octane partying and excellent pizzas, and gets lively, although we never found that it encroached on our enjoyment of the hotel. Advertisement With no hangovers to nurse, I found myself setting an early alarm and hitting the Elizabeth's well-equipped gym each morning. But the main incentive for an early rise was to spend as long as possible indulging in multiple courses of cheese, smoked salmon, freshly cut jamon and eggs from the breakfast menu and buffet before heading to the slopes. And we didn't have far to go — the hotel stands at the bottom of the Prennerhang slope, one of the runs into town, and the cable car is a stone's throw away. On our final afternoon we kicked off our ski boots and headed to Schatzi for beers, cracking open the cigars we had picked up on our duty-free run to Switzerland — a final attempt to convince ourselves that we enjoy having old-school fun, even if we did share one between us. All recommendations within this article are informed by independent expert editorial opinion. This article contains affiliate links and links to our in-house travel agency, Times Holidays, all of which will earn us revenue. Rachel Mortimer was a guest of the Ischgl tourist board ( ischgl.com ) and the Elizabeth Arthotel, which has B&B doubles from ￡727 (elizabeth.at). Fly to Innsbruck Travel Inspiration Ski holiday Share Share this article Email Twitter Facebook Link Save Promoted Content Previous Article Next Article