The beautifully named Wildschonau region in the Hochtal area of the Tirol has four centres, each having small ski areas consisting largely of parallel ski lifts, the majority above Auffach and Niederau on either side of Oberau (the largest village). Muhltal has a couple of short drags up above it at Thierbach, the fourth village in thearea. Each village is about 3km (2 miles) apart, with Oberau in the centre of the triangle.
The Wildschonau attracts many international tour operators and has offered winter sports holidays since 1947 at Niederau. The area is famous for its picturesque resorts and beautiful mountain scenery, with much of the skiing on trails cut through forested slopes within the Kitzbuheler Alps. Visitors can indeed take advantage of the Kitzbuheler Alpen pass offering around 700km (440 miles) of trails on one ticket. However, the resorts are best known as beginner and family destinations, having successfully carved out a niche for themselves as archetypal Tyrolean villages offering good value and high standards of tuition. All of the villages contain typical Tyrolean chalet style buildings, some of them centuries old. The whole region is currently participating in a ten year plan to ensure that the region continues to successfully merge tradition and nature with the needs of modern living and tourism in the new millennium.
Apres Ski
Niederau is generally regarded as the liveliest choice of the three. The Dorfstub`n Fun-Pub there offers dancing and live entertainment every Sunday from 8:30 pm. The cafe at the Simmerlwirt is often lively as soon as the lifts closes and sometimes has live music. All of the villages organise Tyrolean evenings several times weekly and the ski school in Niederau throws a snow party every week. Lively evening toboggan parties with gluhwein and moonlit sleigh rides to fondue parties are the order of the day. The local brew is a version of schnaps made from turnips!
