Ski Circus wine crawl experience

Saalbach's "Ski Circus" connects 270km of slopes across the Glemmtal valley. The après-ski scene calls itself "Home of Lässig" (laid-back) - less intense than Ischgl but with excellent wine options in traditional mountain bars.

What to do there

4 things to do

1. 1 Ride the Ski Circus, Then Watch the Valley Rush Up Adventure · Free

   The Ski Circus is a literal 270km circuit you can ski in one direction around the entire Glemmtal valley. Your après-ski begins with understanding what you just conquered.

   Stand at the top of SchattbergX-press gondola (2,020m from Saalbach centre) and count what you're looking at: 270km of connected slopes, 70 lifts, four villages threading together across two Austrian states. The 'Ski Circus' name comes from this: the slopes form a complete loop, like a circus ring. Local pioneer Josef Bauer built the first lift on 17 February 1946 — at 1,800m, the longest ski lift in Austria, carrying 120 people an hour. That single rope tow is now 70 gondolas. Take your last run down into Saalbach or Hinterglemm, skis off — the wine crawl begins.

   Backup: If SchattbergX-press is closed for wind, take the Zwölferkogel gondola instead (Hinterglemm side, 1,984m).

   Log Memory
2. 2 Find the Goat Window in a 300-Year-Old Barn History · Price: low

   The Goaßstall is not named for atmosphere. 'Goaß' is the Pinzgau dialect word for goat. This was a working goat barn for 300 years. In 1994 somebody decided to throw a party in it instead.

   Walk into the Goaßstall (Reiterkogelweg 491, Hinterglemm) and find the window into the original goat stall — on the other side are actual, living goats whose ancestors lived here for 300 years before the first DJ arrived in 1994. The barn itself dates to around 1700, and today's après-ski parties happen in the exact same stone-and-timber structure where animals were sheltered from Alpine winters for three centuries. Order a Glühwein — mulled wine, named 'glow wine' from the hot irons once used to heat it — and tell the person next to you that the barn is 300 years old.

   Backup: If Goaßstall is packed past capacity, Hinterhag Alm (Hinterhagweg 43, Saalbach) has the same energy with open fireplace and legendary 'Herzerltanz' from 4pm.

   Log Memory
3. 3 Taste Wachau Against Burgenland — Then Decide Wine · Price: moderate

   Das Neuhaus hotel runs a serious wine cellar: 'Burgenland meets Wachau, and southern Styria competes with Carnuntum for the best sip.' Four distinct Austrian wine regions, each with a claim. You're the judge.

   Ask for this specific comparison at Das Neuhaus Vinothek (Hotel Das Neuhaus, Oberdorf 38, Saalbach): one Wachau Grüner Veltliner and one Burgenland Blaufränkisch or Zweigelt. The Grüner from Wachau grew on terraced walls that Bavarian monks built around 800 AD. When a label says 'Smaragd,' it's named after the emerald-green lizards that sun themselves on those same stone terrace walls. The Zweigelt beside it was invented in 1922, a cross of Blaufränkisch and St. Laurent. These two glasses represent Austrian wine from glacial river valley to Pannonian plain.

   Backup: If Das Neuhaus is reservation-only, Montevino Wine Bar at Hotel Talblick opens daily at 4:30pm with the finest Austrian vintages.

   Log Memory
4. 4 Watch Night Skiing From a Fire Pit, Glass in Hand Wine · Price: high · Optional

   Der Schwarzacher has a wine cellar, an open fire pit, and a lounge overlooking the floodlit Night Park. This is where the crawl ends — not in a club, but watching skiers ghost across the slopes in the dark.

   Ask to sit in the Schwarzacher Lounge at Der Schwarzacher (next to the Unterschwarzach lift in Hinterglemm) — the area with the open fire pit and mountain view. The view: floodlit ski runs and the Night Park, where night skiing runs until late. This is the Saalbach that doesn't appear in ski brochures — the quiet hour after après-ski, before dinner, when the mountain turns blue. Order a Grüner Veltliner Federspiel (the middle tier of Wachau's classification, named for the falconer's lure that hunters used in the same vineyards) or ask for whatever the cellar recommends.

   Backup: If Der Schwarzacher is fully booked, Der Jennerwein (pedestrian zone, Hinterglemm) offers a good glass of red wine in cosy old wood, Swiss stone pine, and leather.

   Log Memory

Insider tips

• The Hinterhag barn is the party epicenter but seek quieter wine bars behind

• Book the "Skicircus Wine Route" - a curated après-ski wine crawl

• The village center is compact - everything walkable from accommodation