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Skiing in East Tyrol

Key facts

The five ski areas included in the SkiHit East Tyrol offer for 2026/27 are spread across several villages. The Grossglockner Resort Kals–Matrei connects the two valley entrances at Kals and Matrei; daily journeys depend on which side of the valley you stay on.

Skifahrer auf einem Sessellift in verschneiter Berglandschaft Zwei Skifahrer sitzen auf einem Sessellift über verschneiten Bäumen und Bergen. Photo: Olga Buko | MaxTD Imagebank
  • East Tyrol corresponds to the district of Lienz and is geographically separated from the rest of Tyrol.
  • Lienz is the administrative centre and a key point of reference for the region.
  • East Tyrol borders Salzburg, Carinthia and Italy.
  • Its main valleys include the Isel Valley, Puster Valley, Defereggen Valley, Virgen Valley, Kalser Valley and Tyrolean Gail Valley.
  • The ski areas are spread across different valleys; they do not form one interconnected ski network.
  • The Grossglockner Resort connects the villages of Kals am GroĂźglockner and Matrei in Osttirol.
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Choose an area based on its valley village and terrain

The Defereggen Valley is home to the St. Jakob Ski Centre. Here you’ll find open, sunny slopes and runs down into the valley. Staying in St. Jakob or elsewhere in the valley saves you the detour from Lienz, but is less suitable if you specifically want to enjoy Lienz’s city life in the evenings.

The Sillian Hochpustertal Ski Centre is in the Puster Valley near Sillian. The Thurntaler offers runs for families as well as more advanced skiers. Obertilliach-Golzentipp is in the Tyrolean Gail Valley: the lifts start in the village, and the area is geared towards families.

Zettersfeld lies above Lienz. It has plenty of blue runs, and a ski bus takes you directly to the area. This makes Lienz an attractive option for travellers who want to combine the city with days on the slopes or prefer to take the bus rather than drive every day.

The 2026/27 SkiHit offer also includes Ankogel and the Mölltal Glacier in Carinthia. You’ll find piste maps, lift pass offers and seasonal operating information at Skiing in East Tyrol. Like North Tyrol, East Tyrol is part of the federal state of Tyrol in Austria.