Last winter I snowboarded in the southern Austrian region of Carinthia. Less well known than Tirol or Vorarlberg, it is quieter and cheaper. Find out why I loved it in this review of Carinthia snowboarding holiday to Innerkrems, BKK (Bad Kleinkirchheim) and Heiligenblut.
Getting to Carinthia: Review of Klagenfurt Airport
The trip kicked off with a very early morning Ryanair flight from London Stansted to Klagenfurt—a tiny but very modern airport.
From landing to getting through security and retrieving our luggage took less than 15 minutes. Easily the quickest I have ever got through an airport. Being so small you don’t need to walk miles to reach the gates and even the onward transfer was very close to the terminal.
Everything is new and it is a super efficient airport. Even the airport café was very nice with lots of freshly made options. We visited for a spot of breakfast, the prices were reasonable and the food very good.
Review of Carinthia Snowboarding Holiday
As a snowboarder, I love visiting different ski areas. While I enjoy returning to old favourites, my love for travel makes discovering something new really appealing.
So when invited on a press trip to explore Carinthia ski resorts in Austria, I didn’t hesitate. With a packed itinerary including splitboarding in Innerkrems, plus a day snowboarding in Bad Kleinkirchheim (BKK), and two days in Heiligenblut, this adventure ticked many boxes. Not least that I’d never been to the Carinthia region.
I love fresh powder, long descents, accessible off-piste, the odd run through a snowpark and a spot of après. Would Carinthia deliver? At the very least it promised diverse terrain, stunning alpine scenery and plenty of opportunity to put my new splitboard through its paces.
Day 1: Review of Splitboarding in Innerkrems
This review of Carinthia snowboarding began with a scenic drive to Innerkrems. We checked into Alm-Resort Frühauf—a cosy, traditional alpine hotel—and fuelled up on a hearty lunch.
While there is a lift infrastructure it does not run and Innerkrems is now a dedicated touring area. So instead of hitting the chairlift, we got elevation through hard work. With a new Splitboard by Pathron Snowboards, I was keen to get touring—so keen I put the splitboard on the wrong feet—hey I am new to this!
As my first time it was all new to me. Skinning up to Blutige Alm proved to be both easier and more difficult than I expected.
The difficulty came from the technique, I don’t ski so I found it rather weird having two planks attached to my feet that can each move in different directions. But in terms of effort it was surprisingly easy, particularly compared to the recent experience of snowshoeing with a snowboard on my back on a backcountry adventure in Turkey.
The reward? I’d love to say it was pristine, untouched snow on the way down. But unfortunately it was a cut up icy face that was rather difficult. A little slush towards the bottom was more enjoyable, and in fresh snow it would have been amazing, but it was just a case of getting down.
The afternoon wound down with a relaxing visit to the very impressive spa at Alm-Resort Frühauf. The sauna, steam room and swim before dinner was a perfect way to recover from the exertions and the very early start in the UK.
Day 2: Review of Snowboarding in BKK (Bad Kleinkirchheim)
An early breakfast set us up for the scenic drive to Bad Kleinkirchheim more commonly referred to as BKK. With 103 km of slopes reaching up to 2,035m, including 35 runs serviced by 25 lifts, it is a decent sized ski area. It is also for its famous thermal spas.
Our base was the charming four star Hotel Trattlerhof. It is an attractive hotel that blends rustic charm with modern comfort.
With our guide leading the way, we spent the day exploring the slopes. BKK’s long, rolling runs were ideal for carving at speed, and there is more than enough variety to keep things interesting for most people for a week.
We stopped for a lovely lunch at Maibrunnhütte. Great food with a stunning view. On our final run we hit some Après on the way down the mountain. An impromptu nap meant I missed out on a visit to the spa, but I enjoyed an excellent dinner at Trattlers Einkehr.
Day 3: Review of Heiligenblut Snowboarding
With another early start, we transferred from BKK to Heiligenblut. The resort sits in the shadow of Austria’s highest peak: Grossglockner. The terrain here felt wilder, more rugged—exactly the kind of place that gets a my heart racing. With slopes from 1,301 to 2,902 metres there was more than 1,600 metres of vertical to play in.
We checked into the gorgeous Hotel Kärntnerhof and wasted no time getting on the mountain. The conditions were a bit challenging with poor visibility and quite cut up slopes from recent fresh snow. So it was tough to get a feel for the area, but there are 55 kilometres of slopes served by 11 lifts, and an impressive six freeride zones.
Heiligenblut is a beautiful village. It has a more remote and extreme feel compared to the other resorts we visited during this review of Carinthia snowboarding. I am told it is a haven for those who love untouched powder but it is also good for families with a great beginner area and good blue slopes.
After another spa session, and a couple of après beers, we had a tasty relaxed dinner at the hotel. After eating we checked out the local nightlife and found a tiny bar full of trainee ski instructors having a great time. Of course we joined them!
Day 4: Review of Freeride in Heiligenblut
We had time for half day on the mountain before heading to Salzburg Airport. It had snowed quite a bit through the night and while it was still cloudy, conditions were very good and visibility just about manageable.
My guide from Grossglockner Bergbahnen knew I liked to freeride so we spent the morning off-piste. Powder was knee deep at points and although it was not always that easy to see where I was going we got plenty of powder turns in.
The area we were snowboarding in Heiligenblut was fairly tame, undulating and okay to ride even if you couldn’t see exactly what was coming. The highlight was a couple of runs through the trees where you could see a bit better.
It is a shame that I never really got to properly see the Heiligenblut mountains as it’s apparently quite rugged with challenging freeride terrain. On the piste there were plenty of wide runs, more than enough to keep me entertained for few days on a Carinthia snowboarding holiday. Add in the freeride zones, plus ample backcountry, and it’d keep me happy for a week or more.
Carinthia Snowboarding Review: Conclusion
The trip ended with a long transfer to the airport, giving me time to reflect. Carinthia had delivered on every front—varied resorts, diverse terrain, some good snow conditions (and some bad ones), warm hospitality, great spas, excellent hotels, lovely food and an après scene that kept things lively without ruining the next day.
Would I return? In a heartbeat. Fortunately, you can book a similar trip to Carinthia with the UK operator FlexiSki.
Whether you’re into splitboarding adventures, carving fast on pistes, or enjoy freeride snowboarding Carinthia delivers on the snow. And if you enjoy soaking in a spa, good hotels and great food then Carinthia, with its low prices, quiet slopes and authentic Austrian feel, is well worth a visit.
I hope you found this review of Carinthia snowboarding holiday in Innerkrems, BKK and Heiligenblut interesting and inspirational. To plan a visit check out: www.visitcarinthia.at
