The famous Austrian village of St. Anton am Arlberg has been a dream ski destination for me for a long time, so I was excited when Inna reserved four nights at the Pfeffermühle Hotel in St. Anton from December 22 - 26, 2024.
Pfeffermühle Hotel recommended renting skis and snowboards from Alber Sport (which also has ski storage lockers on the premises). The closest shop was at Alber Sport Nasserein (a few bus stops from the hotel). Alber Spor Nasserein opens at 08:30 and closes at 18:30.
I reserved two days of snowboarding, with the idea of extending it by one additional day, if the snow conditions were excellent.
Sunday, December 22, 2024
At 13:10, our train arrived at St. Anton am Arlberg Train Station in Austria. We handled our 3 large suitcases and noticed the beautiful snowy surroundings. The forecast called for heavy snow and cold weather. I had contacted the hotel about my arrival and expected the shuttle to be waiting for me.
As we stepped out of the train station, I noticed the van with the hotel's logo. We quickly boarded the hotel van and were dropped off at the hotel. We checked into our room #202 and after a quick rest, walked downstairs for a light lunch.
We ordered the following items from the small lunch menu at Hotel Zur Pfeffermühle (Pepper Mill):
- Boris: Tafelspitz soup (beef)
- Inna: Tafelspitz soup (beef)
- Alex: Wiernerschnitzel with fries
- Dessert; Apple Strudel
We first tried out various snowboard boots and Alex found that the K2 Maysis (10.5", 28.5 cm) fit his feet well. These same boots also worked for me (Alex and I have the same shoe size), but Alber Sport did not have any additional boots in this size. I had to rent a larger boot (11', 29cm) which was too large (and my foot moved around too much).
For snowboards, Alex selected a Burton Custom 168W (wide) version for better float on powder. I selected a similarly sized Capita Defenders of Awesome 163W snowboard. We also selected large helmets and picked our storage lockers (our hotel provided us with free locker access).
Both of our snowboards were set up with standard bindings. My snowboard was configured as follows:
- +15 degrees (angled forward) for front foot
- -9 degrees (angled backward) in a classic duck stance.
- +18 degrees for forward foot
- -6 degrees on backfoot
After we dropped off our boards in locker #142, we talked to Inna who was also finishing up her rental of cross-country skis She was planning to cross-country the next day and stored her gear in accompanying locker #143. The lockers can be opened with the St. Anton Ski Pass (once registered in the system).
We explored this part of the village for a little bit (there was not much there) and stopped for a snack at the Der Backer Ruetz bakery in Nasserein. We ordered the following treats:
- Pastries:Kaisergolatsche, Nougat-Vanilla-Kipferl, Dinkel-Mohn-Stangerl
- Boris: Espresso,
- Inna: Latte Macchiato
- Alex: Latte Macchiato
We decided to walk toward the rest of the village, southward to see St. Anton's Christmas Markets. Alex also decided to work out at the nearby Arlberg WellCom. He separated from us and walked to the Arlberg Wellcom on his own. He worked out (lifted weights) for 30 minutes and found the fitness equipment unimpressive. He rejoined us later on (when we were returning from our walk).
Inna and continued our walk on Dorfstrasse toward Museum St. Anton am Arlberg. There was a giant decorated Christmas Tree on display, a petting zoo (where kids petted miniature horses), and stands that sold drinks. There was also a holiday choir singing Christmas songs in German. There were also various carvings of Jesus and the Three Wise Men from the Christmas Nativity Scene. We shared a glass of the warm Gluhwein, enjoying the festive atmosphere.
We met up with Alex on the way back and ordered an UberX to take us back to Hotel Zur Pfeffermühle.
After resting for a few minutes and changing out of our clothes, we dined at our assigned table (each room gets its own privately assigned dining table) at 19:45. We selected the following items:
- Appetizer: Salad Bar with mushrooms, deli meats, bread
- Soup: Cream of Celery with Bacon
- Boris: Beef Tafelspitz
- Alex: Beef Tafelspitz
- Inna: Salmon Trout
- Dessert: Kaiserschmarrn, Strawberry Sherbet
Monday, December 23, 2024
In the morning, I woke at around 06:30 but slept until 06:56. I showered and dressed for early breakfast, eager to snowboard on powder on San Anton's slopes (before everyone else). Alex also dressed quickly.
At 07:45 we walked downstairs, (being the first people for breakfast). It was still dark outside (early dawn), but the light was starting to emerge. We ordered some scrambled eggs and selected a few items from the buffet:
- Boris: Scrambled Eggs, Yogurt with Granola, Coffee
- Inna: Scrambled Eggs with Bacon, Cappuccino
- Alex: Scrambled Eggs with Bacon, Coffee
Alex and I finished breakfast first and raced to dress for snowboarding and catch the next hotel shuttle to Nasserein. Inna was in a lesser hurry, as she was planning to cross-country ski on her own.
We arrived at Nasserein at around 08:30 and had our lockers opened. We put on our snowboard boots and helmets. I noticed that my snowboard boots were too big, and decided to try to change them later that day (which I did).
We boarded the Nasserein Gondola (there was a very long line of mostly skiers queued up. It was not very orderly, but we managed to get on and arrive. The weather started out sunny and beautiful and not overly cold.
We boarded the Kapallbahn chair lift and snowboarded multiple times down nearby trails. The mountain had light powder and we had an enjoyable time snowboarding down.
For lunch, we stopped at the Gampen Lodge/Restaurant. It's a very quaint, modern lodge with excellent facilities. We found a table and dropped off our wet gear (sharing it with another party). We ordered the following items:
- Boris: Wiener Schnitzel with Fries, Pretzel, Hot Chocolate with Cream, Sparkling Water
- Alex: Wiener Schnitzel with Fries, Hot Chocolate with Cream, Sparkling Water
The schnitzel was excellent and the hot chocolate hit the spot! The pretzel was not bad either. For the amount of food and drinks, the overall cost was a very reasonable 60 euros.
After lunch, we tried snowboarding on a different part of the mountain. By this time, the weather turned cloudy, with very low visibility and blistering winds. Riding the chairlifts was less enjoyable and seeing the moguls was more difficult.
My left foot started to hurt (probably due to the oversized snowboarding boot that I used). I had to overtighten it multiple times, as my foot slid around in it.
At around 14:00 we stopped by at the Gampen Lodge again for Hot Chocolate (to warm up). We rode the Nasserein Gondola back down, as the visibility was very poor. We stopped by Alber Sport, to drop off our snowboards and boots. Luckily, the shop had a smaller boot for me and I swapped out my oversized snowboarding boots! After storing all the gear in the locker, we returned to the nearby shuttle/bus stop.
We met up with Inna (who had returned from her cross-country skiing adventure) and waited for the hotel shuttle to pick us up. At 13:30, the shuttle came by, and we were back in our hotel, resting. Alex took a long bath, while Inna and I snacked on macaroons and pastries with hot black tea.
I rested in the room for a bit, and then Inna and I decided to try the multiple saunas. I walked downstairs and tried multiple saunas (each at a different temperature). After taking a shower, Inna and I rested in the nearby quiet room. I continued to read Ian Fleming's autobiography on my Kindle, and Inna read her Kindle as well.
At around 19:00, we returned downstairs for our dinner. We were provided the following items:
- Drinks: Sparkling Water, Radler (beer + lemonade)
- Soup: Tomato Soup
- Main: Sea Bass
- Dessert: Pancake with curdled cheese
Tuesday, December 24, 2024
In the morning, I woke at around 07:00. I showered, shaved, and dressed for early breakfast, eager to snowboard on powder on San Anton's slopes. Alex also dressed quickly, and we waited for Inna to get ready.
At 08:00 we walked downstairs for breakfast. It was still dark outside, but the light was starting to emerge. We ordered some scrambled eggs and selected a few items from the buffet:
- Boris: Scrambled Eggs, Yogurt with Granola, Coffee
- Inna: Scrambled Eggs with Bacon, Cappuccino
- Alex: Scrambled Eggs with Bacon, Coffee
Alex and I finished breakfast first and raced to dress for snowboarding and catch the next hotel shuttle to Nasserein. Inna was in a lesser hurry, as she was planning to cross-country ski on her own.
We arrived at Nasserein at around 08:45 and had our lockers opened. We put on our snowboard boots and helmets. Finally, my snowboard boots were correctly sized!
We boarded the Nasserein Gondola (there was a very short line and quite unexpected for Christmas Eve!)
The weather was a bit cloudy with light snow coming down.
We did not expect such a deep coverage of powder. The snow forecast called for 4 inches of snow, but it seemed that a couple of feet of fresh powder was there on the tracks.
It was awesome! An epic powder day!
We boarded the Kapallbahn chair lift and snowboarded multiple times down nearby trails. We were thrilled to have the chance to snowboard on such fantastic, fresh snow.
For lunch, we stopped at the Gampen Lodge/Restaurant. We found a table and dropped off our wet gear (sharing it with another party).
My Telesin G3 carbon selfie stick (used to hold the GoPro Hero11 Black mini) had jammed during previous runs and I tried to clear the jam, eventually succeeding. I also charged the GoPro Hero11, whose battery had died).
At the Gamden Lodge, we ordered the following items.
- Boris: Spaghetti Bolognese, Espresso, Sparkling Water, Chocolate
- Alex: Beef Soup, Latte, Sparkling Water
My Spaghetti Bolognese portion was huge and it was so delicious! I really enjoyed it! Alex liked his soup so much, he returned for a 2nd helping.
We continued to snowboard after lunch for a few more runs. We stopped by for a light snack at the Gampen Lodge, where I ordered another espresso and chocolate (while Alex had a latte).
As my feet were tired and my left foot was hurting, we decided to end the day and rode the Nasserein Gondola back down to the village. We returned our snowboards, boots, and helmets and boarded the hotel shuttle to our hotel.
We were surprised to discover Christmas Presents from both the hotel (chocolates and a bottle of wine) and from Inna. It was very kind and thoughtful!
Inna already returned to the hotel (from her day of shopping in the village). She was already relaxing in the sauna. I went downstairs to enjoy the sauna as well and to read my Kindle. I started reading
Alex decided to take a long bath and relax.
For dinner, there was a specialty meal prepared by the hotel at 19:15. We dressed and went downstairs at 18:30 to enjoy and few drinks and to socialize. Inna ordered a margarita (quite delicious and unique) and I ordered some sparkling wine. Inna's drink was much better! Alex ordered some sparkling water (as he was avoiding alcohol).
Our elaborate 6-course Christmas dinner included the following items:
- Scallop carpaccio with whey stock, lime, and poppy seed miso
- Cream of Parsley root soup with quail galantine and egg white
- Slow-cooked mountain char on a camomile and rapeseed broth with caviar and radishes
- Fillet of milk-fed veal on yellow beetroot with sunflower seeds, egg yolk cream, and more cream jus
- Warm-grey cattle Camembert cheese with cranberry sorbet and lemon emulation
- Layered apple on pecan nuts with pistachio crumble, sheep's cheese ice cream,m and vanilla cream
We enjoyed the Christmas dinner but it was quite lengthy, lasting over 2.5 hours.
Wednesday, December 25, 2024
Merry Christmas!
In the morning, I woke at around 08:00. I showered and dressed for breakfast. Inna was not feeling well and slept until 08:45.
At 09:15 we walked downstairs for breakfast, ordering the following items:
- Boris: Omelet, Yogurt with Granola, Austrian Pancakes with Hazelnut and Marmalade, Coffee
- Inna: Scrambled Eggs with Bacon, Cappuccino
- Alex: Scrambled Eggs with Bacon, Coffee
After breakfast, we decided to head into town. Alex would go work out at the Arlberg Wellcom gym, while we would try hiking the Verwall Trail around Verwall Lake (the trail starts at Hotel Mooserkreuz). According to our hotel's concierge and Snow-Online:
Verwall trail is considered one of the most beautiful trail sections in Austria. This 10-kilometer intermediate route starts near Hotel Mooserkreuz and leads into the scenic Verwall valley.
Our hotel's shuttle quickly dropped us off at the Nasserein bus stop, where we boarded the free local bus No. 3 and rode a few more stops southwards. There, we boarded a different bus, that dropped us off near Hotel Mooserkreuz. Since we forgot to bring the trail map, we stopped by Hotel Mooserkreuz for more explicit trail directions and learned that the trail started right across the street.
Upon entering the trail, we saw signs for Verwall Trail "Loipe Verwall", and a list of open cross-country trails. As we started our hike on the snow-cleared road (also frequented by buses) we saw nearby cross-country tracks (with well-defined lanes for each ski). We encountered many groups of people on the trail, including many cross-country skiers, hikers, and dog walkers.
After a 50-minute walk, we reached the Wagner Hutte (which was quite busy) and were happy to learn that it was open on Christmas Day. We decided to stop for lunch (and to warm up), sitting down at one of the indoor tables. We ordered the following lunch items:
- Boris: Warm Gluhwein, Ghoulash (Hungarian Soup), Sparkling water
- Inna: Latte, Beef Soup with dumplings
I liked the warm Gluhwein (wine) and my Ghoulash soup with a bread roll was delicious. Inna's Beef Soup was quite good too. We heard a lot of English spoken, and many British skiers were dining there. St. Anton is extremely popular with British skiers, due to its reliable snowfall and vibrant apres-ski scene (Krazy Kangaroo and Moosewirt).
We also noticed many downhill skiers and snowboarders arriving, so this trail is linked to St. Anton am Arlberg. After reaching this area, they board buses to take them back to the resort.
We realized that we had not yet reached Verwall Lake, and we decided to continue on. We hiked further south, finding the snow-covered Verwall Lake (with small patches still unfrozen). As we continued to hike around the lake, we realized that we needed to return to Wagnet Hutte as the rest of the trail was for cross-country skiers only (not hikers).
We decided to stop again at the Wagner Hutte, to warm up, before continuing on our hike. We ordered the following items (and shared a table with another Austrian couple). The Apple Strudel was enormous (and delicious) and the hot chocolate really helped!
- Boris: Hot Chocolate, Apple Strudel
- Inna: Hot Tea
It took us 3 hours to hike the 6.5-mile loop. Many sections of the Verwall Trail were slightly uphill and covered by freshly fallen snow, making forward progress slower than expected. This trail could also be fun on cross-country skis (provided one knew how to brake in the downhill sections).
When we finished the trail, we ordered an UberX to take us back to our hotel. (We could have tried to ride the free buses back, but it would have taken a lot more time). We spent some time in our hotel's lobby, drinking hot tea and trying small snacks, including lasagna and gingerbread cookies. The lasagna was made with unusual cheese (at least to me) and tasted different from standard Italian lasagnas.
At around 17:00, we decided to visit the saunas. I spent 15 minutes in one sauna, showered, and rested in the quiet room. I finished reading Private by Kate Brian (which is not a likable book).
At around 19:15, we headed for our last dinner downstairs. We enjoyed the following items:
- Salad Bar (where I mostly selected fresh cheeses)
- Marinated Yellow-fin tuna carpaccio with avocado, peppers, and passion fruit
- Truffled tompinambur cream soup
- Medium roasted saddle of beef with chives and mashed potatoes with green asparagus
- Walnut tart with glazed grapes and yuzu apple sorbet
Dinner was excellent as usual and I especially enjoyed the saddle of beef. We really enjoyed having our own assigned dinner table each night and the flexibility of dining from 18:30 - 20:20 without worrying about dinner reservations.
Thursday, December 26, 2024
I came down with a cold (I had severe nasal congestion and pain in my throat) and did not sleep during the night. I woke at 08:00, showered, shaved, and dressed. I started to pack my suitcase and my carry-on backpack. When both Alex and Inna were ready, we walked downstairs for our last breakfast at Hotel Zur Pfeffermuhle.
As usual, we ordered scrambled eggs from our waitress (and picked up the other items ourselves from the self-serve island):
- Boris: Yogurt with Granola, Deli. Meats, Scrambled Eggs, Coffee, and Bread with Strawberry Jam
- Alex: Yogurt, Scrambled Eggs with Bacon, Coffee
- Inna: Deli Meats, Cheeses, Salad, Scrambled Eggs with Bacon, Latte
The strawberry jam was so delicious! We don't have anything like this in the U.S. I enjoyed looking at the snow-covered buildings outside and was a bit sad about leaving the area. We had such a wonderful time snowboarding, hiking, and dining here.
After breakfast, we checked out of our room (reviewing the bill) and verified that our hotel shuttle would be there to pick us up at 10:30 (and take us to the Train Terminal nearby - a 5-minute ride).
We were a bit sad leaving our wonderful hotel and St. Anton) We really enjoyed our time here. We double-checked our room and transferred all of our luggage downstairs where the shuttle was already waiting. We boarded the hotel shuttle van and were quickly whisked away to the train station.
I had pre-purchased train tickets using the OBB Mobile App already (with assigned seats), so we were guaranteed seating on this 11:03 train to Innsbruck.
Since the luggage was large and heavy, we needed to use the elevators to get it to track #3, where the train would be arriving. We boarded the train (looking for car #306 and our seats #64, 65, and 66). The ride was easy and uneventful, passing small beautiful Austrian villages covered in snow. We saw a few cross-country skiers nearby, too.
We arrived in Innsbruck right on time at 12:11.
St. Anton Trip Report
Highlights
- Snowboarding in St. Anton am Arlberg
- Epic Powder Day on Tuesday, December 24
- Light powder day on Monday, December 23
- Staying in the beautiful Hotel Zur Pfeffermuhle
- Enjoying the delicious breakfast (from 07:30 - 10:00)
- Enjoying free snacks in the afternoon (12:00 - 17:00)
- Enjoying the 3-course dinner in the evening (from 18:30 - 20:30)
- Enjoying the 4 saunas and the quiet rest area
- Hiking the Verwall Trail around Verwall Lake with a lunch stop at Wagner Hutte
Lowlights
- Alber Sport did not have the correct size snowboard boot for me
- Due to using an incorrectly sized boot, I developed a numbing in my left foot
- Waiting 10-30 minutes for the hotel shuttle to pick us up
- The hotel shuttle starts pick-ups from Nasserein at 15:00
Links
- St. Anton am Arlberg Ski Resort (ski resort)
- Hotel zur Pfeffermuhle (lodging, dining)
- Alber Sport (ski/snowboard rental, lockers)
- Cross-Country Trails in St. Anton (popular cross-country skiing trails in St. Anton)
- Arlberg WellCom (pool, fitness center)
- Museum St. Anton am Arlsberg
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