Sölden: Ski & Aprés-ski.
Ötztal Valley, Tyrol, Austria.
Sölden is located in the valley of Ötz (Ötztal) in Tyrol at 1,368 meters above sea level. This small Austrian town of just over 3,000 inhabitants is Austria's main ski destination and one of the most visited ski resorts in the world. Its tourist development has made it lose part of the charm of other alpine towns, but at the same time it has created a paradise for ski lovers ... and après-ski.
Its skiable terrain is formidable, with a season that begins in October, since 1993 Sölden hosts on the Rettenbach glacier the first race on the calendar of the Alpine Ski World Cup, and runs until May.
Sölden has 146 kilometers of slopes and 33 ski lifts that allow access to the slopes without waiting. The indisputable superstars of the lifts are, in architectural and technological terms, the Giggijoch Mountain Gondola (cabins for 10 people) and the Gaislachkogl (cabins for 8 people). Located at both ends of the city of Sölden, they are the two access roads to the ski area.
To guarantee the practice of skiing in the entire ski área, from 1350 meters at the base of the station to 3340 on its highest point, Sölden has a modern artificial snowmaking system that covers 80% of the domain.
One of the great attractions of Sölden is the possibility of accessing, and ski down, three mountains of more than 3000 meters: Gaislachkogl (3058 m), Tiefenbachkogl (3250 m) and SchwarzeSchneide (3340 m). A safari ski called "BIG3" that will allow us to ski across the all ski area in one day and enjoy an overview of the entire ski area. The "BIG3 Rally" is perfectly signposted and starts at the Gaislachkogl bottom station. An experience, reserved for good skiers, that in a day of skiing allows us to descend 10,000 meters of accumulated altitude and 50 kilometers of slopes, while we enjoy stunning panoramic views from the platforms arranged in the "BIG3".
In addition, in the Otztal valley, a few minutes from Sölden, we find the ski area of Obergurgl-Hochgurgl known under the nickname of "Diamond of the Alps". The first of the "non-glacier" ski destinations to start the season thanks to its altitude and orientation.
The ski area of Obergurgl-Hochgurgl has a modern network of 25 ski lifts that give access to 112 kilometers of pistes located between 1930 and 3082 meters, and the possibility of ski-out and ski-in from the door of our hotel.
Since this season 2018-2019 the new Ötztal Superskipass allows us to ski in Obergurgl-Hochgurgl and Sölden with a single ski pass, but also in the ski resorts of Hochoetz-Kühtai, Niederthai, Gries, and Vent. 356 kilometers of slopes, 90 ski lifts and six ski areas in the longest valley of the Tyrol available for those who buy a skipass of 3 days or more.
But together with the visitors who come to Sölden with the aim of enjoying their ski slopes, there is a growing number of tourists who come to this ski resort attracted by its famous aprés-ski. A wide variety of bars and nightclubs promise endless nights.
Events such as the Electric Mountain Festival, which in past editions has featured figures such as David Guetta and DJ Antoine, delight fans of the party.
The Rettenbach glacier in Sölden is also the venue of one of the most spectacular events in the Alps: "Hannibal". The play "Hannibal-The Crossing of the Alps" is based on the episode starring General Hannibal Barca during the Second Punic War. Hannibal and his army, which included thirty-eight war elephants, left Hispania and crossed the Pyrenees and the Alps with the aim of conquering northern Italy.
And from this season Sölden has a new attraction, the 007 ELEMENTS, a brand new James Bond Installation that takes you on a journey to the cinematic universe of the planet's most famous secret agent.
The installation focuses on the latest production of the Bond factory, Spectre, which was shot in Sölden but also showcases the other titles in the 24-film series.
It is located within a beautiful building designed and built by the Tyrolese architect Johann Obermoser on the top of the Gaislachkog mountain, at more than 3,000 meters above sea level.
The exhibition is spread over nine halls and chambers inside the mountain, covering 1300 m², and a huge 230 m² outdoor plaza.
007 ELEMENTS guides visitors on a journey through a series of high-tech, interactive galleries, each distilling the craft of the signature elements that define a James Bond film — the beautiful title sequences and dramatic scores; the jaw-dropping action sequences; the cars, gadgets and technology; the breath-taking locations and iconic studio sets and lastly, a host of compelling characters.
