Hidden Gem: Ischgl, Austria
Snowboarding has been a passion of mine since the ripe age of thirteen years old, when I had my first snowboarding lesson at June Mountain. There is something so exhilarating about snowboarding for me… I am not sure if it’s the speed, or the fact that you can always be better, or maybe it’s all the different trails and mountains that are out there to discover. I find the mountains calm and serene, and always tear up when I get to a view point on a mountain as I inhale crisp air and look out over mother nature’s beauty, feeling blessed at by the fact I am healthy and I am present.
While I’ve only been snowboarding in the United States, I decided to take my adventure into a completely new ski town… Ischgl, Austria. When you go on a ski trip in the US, most resort areas have a village center and then areas where people rent houses, apartments etc. My favorite part about Iscghl was that everything was within a 10 minute walk, and there were no houses or apartments or timeshares. It was all Europeans staying in the Bavarian inspired hotels or B&Bs. This gave Ischgl a sense of community, which I hadn’t felt in other ski towns I’ve been to. It felt small and personal which I loved.
I will continue with all the amazing things about Ischgl. Anyone who has been to mountain resorts in the US knows how expensive the sport is here, but when I purchased my lift ticket in Iscghl for one day, it was only $55 USD. Mind you, this isn’t some small mountain like Big Bear with no snow… This is a HUGE mountain on the Austrian/Swiss Alps border. With over 45 lifts and 80 runs, this mountain has plenty of terrain to snowboard or ski and with high enough elevations, there was plenty of snow. Most of all, the views from up on the gondola or the chair lifts of the Alps are absolutely breathtaking.
One of the famous things Ischgl is known for is après ski. While I came to this resort to ski and see the Alps, it is a huge plus when you’re 26 and there’s also lots of other people in your age range who are spending time post ski drinking and mingling. Needless to say, around 4pm the bars are packed and people are still wearing their ski clothes with beverages in hand. The quiet ski town that sleeps during the day when people are skiing, all the sudden comes alive at 4pm. It was like nothing I had ever seen before. People were jolly and friendly, and since I was alone, I made friends with a group of friends that live all over Europe and were on their 10th annual ski trip. They quickly showed me the ropes of après ski which involved dancing and singing to local music, and ordering drinks consistently from the bartenders dressed in traditional Bavarian outfits. Being one of few American tourists in the sea of people was unforgettable.
I don’t know what more to say about Ischgl, Austria, except for the fact this is a hidden gem, and of all the places I’ve traveled, I will absolutely be traveling back here again.