Hochkönig with children – children's areas, ski schools and the Königstour

Hochkönig is the mountain massif south of Saalfelden, with limestone walls that glow pink in the evening sun. Below it lies a ski area linking three villages: Maria Alm with the hamlets of Hintermoos and Hinterthal, Dienten and Mühlbach. It's not a prestige resort, but it's built for families who want to ski together, and children will find a play slope in every village.

The area is run by Hochkönig Bergbahnen and is part of Ski amadé, the same lift pass network as Flachau and Schladming. How Hochkönig compares with the rest of the country is covered in skiing holidays in Austria.

One ski area, three villages

Hochkönig has 120 kilometres of pistes and 34 lifts between roughly 800 and 1,900 metres. Roughly 52 kilometres are blue, 41 red and 27 black. The lifts link the villages, so a family staying in Maria Alm can have lunch above Dienten and be back before the lifts close.

Two smaller areas are worth knowing about:

• Hinterreit in Maria Alm is a small area with drag lifts and well-groomed slopes, which the tourist office itself recommends for families and beginners.
• Hochkeil, between 1,300 and 1,784 metres, runs on natural snow only. The snow cannons stay off, and it opens once winter has dumped enough snow.

The lifts are scheduled to open on 5 December 2026 and close for the season on 4 April 2027, snow permitting. High season in the price list runs from 19 December to 26 March.

Königstour – the circuit around the king

The Königstour is the area's big ski circuit: 35 kilometres of connected pistes, 7,500 metres of vertical and six summits. The loop is signposted with yellow or orange arrows, and the piste map for the circuit is free at all ticket offices.

You need to be a confident skier on red runs. For most families, that means the circuit only works once the children choose the red runs themselves. Younger children can do a section of the loop between two villages and take the lift back. With Skiline, you can enter your lift pass number and see how many vertical metres and kilometres you clocked up that day.

Six children's areas

The children's areas are spread out, which often decides which village you should stay in:

Children's area	Village	Belongs to	What's there
Aberg	Maria Alm, at the top station	Skischule Maria Alm	Magic carpet and play equipment, right among the slopes
The children's area in the village	Maria Alm	Skischule Maria Alm	Large area with a magic carpet, right in the village
The children's area in the village	Maria Alm	Skischule Edelweiss	Large area with a magic carpet, right in the village
Zachhof	Dienten	Skischule Dienten	Baby lift, magic carpet, carousel and Schneewutzel figures
Faschinglifte	Hinterthal	–	Carousel and practice obstacles
The valley station and Karbachalm	Mühlbach	Skischule Mühlbach	One magic carpet at each spot

In Dienten, children up to age six can use the beginner lift and the Schneewutzel lifts for free. There's more advice for the first day on skis in the guide to your first ski holiday with children.

Ski schools in Maria Alm and Dienten

Skischule Maria Alm is the biggest and has the most age groups:

• Guest kindergarten from age two, booked in advance, for children who are too young for lessons.
• Bambini from age three, 10–12 Sunday to Friday, with no more than seven children per group.
• Group lessons from age four, for both beginners and those who have already got going. The beginners' course is four hours and starts on Sunday or Monday.

The school gathers the children at the Aberg mid-station, where parents can drop by, or at the Simmerlift in Natrun down in the village. Lunch supervised by a ski instructor can be added, and the week ends with a race and a medal. A helmet is required for all children under 14. The school's own practice area is called Schneewutzel Park, with a fairy-tale park, a magic carpet, a carousel and a small rope tow. If both parents hire equipment through the school, hire for children up to age ten is included.

Skischule Dienten takes children from age four. Lessons run Sunday to Thursday, half day 10–12 or full day 10–12 and 13–15. Beginners start on Sunday, and supervised lunch can be added. Here, a helmet is required up to age 15.

Mühlbach also has a ski school with its own children's areas. Check ages and times directly with the school.

Lift passes 2026/27 by year of birth

Ski amadé groups ages by year of birth:

• Born in 2021 or later: free, when accompanied by an adult.
• Born 2011–2020: child rate.
• Born 2008–2010: youth pass.

The family bonus gives the third sibling and all younger ones a free pass, provided a parent and the two eldest children buy passes for the same period. You need to be able to show that you are related and live at the same registered address. Towards the end of the season, from 13 March 2027, children born in 2011 or later get a free pass when at least one parent buys a pass for four days or more. There is also a Young Family Ticket for families with a child under three who doesn't ski.

Passes for two days or more are valid across all of Ski amadé, while one-day passes are only valid in Hochkönig. Proof of age is required when buying, and you'll find current prices in the Ski amadé ticket shop.

The snow, honestly

Hochkönig is lower than the big glacier resorts. The villages sit at 800 to just over 1,000 metres, and the highest lifts reach around 1,900 metres. During a mild spell, the runs down to the villages are the first to suffer, and Hochkeil doesn't open until there's enough natural snow.

The children's areas up at Aberg and Karbachalm hold up longer than the ones down in the villages. Plan your trip for January or February if snow is your top priority, and treat December and late March as a gamble.

Getting to Hochkönig

• By air: from Salzburg airport, it's about an hour's drive to the area.
• By train: there are direct trains from Salzburg Hbf to Saalfelden, taking about an hour and 45 minutes. Mühlbach is easiest to reach via Bischofshofen.
• Bus: the 620 runs from Saalfelden to Maria Alm in fifteen to twenty minutes and continues to Hinterthal and Dienten. The 590 runs from Bischofshofen to Mühlbach, and the 260 from Salzburg via Lofer to Saalfelden.
• Free with your lift pass: with a valid lift pass, you can download a day ticket from the online shop that covers buses and trains throughout the state of Salzburg. You have to board within the state.
• Ski bus: free within Maria Alm, Hintermoos, Hinterthal, Dienten and Mühlbach. Bus 620 is free with a lift pass from 8.00 to 18.00. There is no ski bus between Dienten and Mühlbach.
• By car: parking at the valley stations is free but fills up quickly. To avoid tolls, drive from Munich via Lofer and Saalfelden.

The train journey from Sweden to Salzburg is described in train to the Alps, and the comparison of car, train and plane will help you choose.

Hochkönig or the neighbours?

Lofer, north of Saalfelden, is smaller and suits families with very young children. Saalbach Hinterglemm and Zell am See have bigger mountains once the children ski on their own. Flachau is part of the same Ski amadé, so a multi-day pass from Hochkönig is valid there too. More family resorts in the Alps are compared in ski holiday in the Alps with children, and the ski trip packing list makes packing easier.