Your alpine base in winter
Winter
Ski areas, ski touring, and quiet, snow-covered valleys - the Upper Vinschgau in winter.
From Tartsch you reach several ski areas in a short time - from family-friendly Watles to the high-alpine slopes of Sulden. In between: quiet winter walks, ski touring, and a frozen Lake Resia.
Ski areas
Watles
The closest ski area - family-friendly and easy to navigate, with a floodlit toboggan run. Around 18 km of ski trails and one of the sunniest spots in the Vinschgau. Website ↗
Schöneben-Haideralm
With 65 km of ski trails, the largest ski area on the South Tyrolean side, with views of Lake Resia. The Höllental run passes the sunken church tower in the reservoir - linked to Nauders and Watles by a shared ski pass. Website ↗
Trafoi
Quiet and steeped in tradition, at the foot of the Ortler - this is where ski legend Gustav Thöni made his first turns. Small and family-friendly, linked to neighbouring Sulden by ski pass. Website ↗
Sulden
A high-alpine ski area reaching over 3,200 m - for long winter days. Around 40 km of ski trails in the Stelvio National Park, served by one of the highest gondola lifts in the Alps. Website ↗
Nauders (Bergkastel)
A short drive over the Reschen Pass, in the North Tyrol region of Austria: with 75 km of ski trails, the largest ski area in the region, also part of the two-country ski arena together with Schöneben-Haideralm and Watles. Website ↗
Ski touring
Away from the groomed slopes, quiet ascents lead toward Haideralm and into the Rojental, or up to the Maseben plateau and into the Langtaufers valley - with views of the glaciers of the Ötztal and Ortler Alps. With the right experience, the Schnalstal glacier can also be used for ski touring year-round.
Some popular destinations in the Upper Vinschgau:
- Watleskreuz - an easy ascent above the Watles ski area, with wide views over the Vinschgau.
- Kälberberg near Schlinig - through open larch forest to the Kälberhütte and on across ideal touring terrain to the summit.
- Maseben in the Langtaufers valley - an insider tip for ski tourers, starting at the former chairlift to the disused summit station.
- Valbenairspitze near Melag - a more demanding glacier tour via the Melager Alm and the east ridge.
A good overview of further routes in the Upper Vinschgau is available from bergfex ↗.
Off the slopes
Cross-country trails near Schlinig, snowshoeing in the Langtaufers valley and on the Maseben plateau, and ice skating on the frozen Haidersee or Lake Resia - quiet winter activities away from the crowds.
After skiing
Sportwell Mals
Indoor pool, sauna world, tennis courts, bowling, and a running track - the sport and leisure centre in Mals, ideal for warming up after a day in the snow. Website ↗
Erlebnisbad Curunes
The new adventure pool on Lake Resia with a 25-metre pool, whirlpools, and sauna - open since November 2025. Website ↗
An old custom
In the Vinschgau, the tradition of Scheibenschlagen lives on - burning wooden discs are hurled from the mountainsides down into the valley, an age-old ritual meant to drive out winter.
On the map
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