Mayrhofen – Zillertal's ski village with two mountains and a glacier round the corner

Mayrhofen is a real village, not a ski resort built on a slope. It lies at the far end of the Zillertal, at 630 metres, where the valley splits into four smaller valleys. It is exactly this location that makes the resort so useful: you have two ski mountains straight from the village, and with the Zillertal's joint lift pass also the Hintertux Glacier and the valley's other ski areas within reach.

Mayrhofen is also known for the Harakiri, Austria's steepest groomed piste, and for an après-ski scene that attracts young crowds. But behind the reputation lies one of the most family-friendly set-ups in Tyrol – if you know how to use the mountains. That is what this guide is about.

Two mountains – Penken and Ahorn

The most important thing to understand about Mayrhofen is that the skiing is on two separate mountains, one on each side of the village:

• Penken is the big mountain. It is linked with Horberg, Rastkogel and Eggalm and accounts for most of the 142 kilometres of pistes. Here you will find everything from wide blue runs to the Harakiri, and the highest point is around 2,500 metres. You go up with the Penkenbahn straight from the village, or the Horbergbahn from the neighbouring village of Schwendau.
• Ahorn is the family mountain. It is smaller, gets the morning sun and has mostly blue runs – perfect for the first days. The way up is the Ahornbahn, a large cable car from the southern part of the village.

You cannot ski between the mountains. If you switch mountains during the day, you take the gondola down to the village and the other one up. It sounds complicated, but since both valley stations are in Mayrhofen it is quick.

There is also no run from Penken all the way down to the village – plan to take the gondola down at the end of the day. It is easy to overlook when planning and important to know with tired children.

The pistes in numbers

Mayrhofen's ski area (Penken, Ahorn, Rastkogel and Eggalm) has 142 kilometres of pistes and 61 lifts:

Difficulty	Kilometres	Share
Blue	44 km	31 %
Red	66 km	46 %
Black	32 km	23 %

So there is more red and black here than in, for example, Saalbach, where more than half of the pistes are blue. Mayrhofen suits families best where at least some ski red runs confidently, or where the youngest stick to Ahorn and the children's areas.

The Harakiri (piste 34) is on Penken in the Horbergtal valley, below the Knorren six-seater chairlift. It has a gradient of 78 per cent, is around two kilometres long and the steep section is just over 400 metres. It opened in the 2003/04 winter and is a popular sight to watch from the lift – but only very confident skiers should ski it.

Mayrhofen with kids

Children born 2021 or later ski for free with a paying adult, and they need to be able to show their age at the ticket office. There are several children's areas:

• Kinderland at the Horbergbahn – in the valley, with a magic carpet and a fenced, gentle slope. Perfect for the very first days.
• The children's area up on Penken – with a magic carpet, for children who are ready to ski with their parents up on the mountain.
• Ahorn – wide blue runs and morning sun, a good mountain for the whole family once the youngest can turn.
• Mountopolis – the area's family zone with fun parks and playful runs for kids who want a bit of speed and jumps.

The ski schools run groups from around four years old and private lessons for younger children. Before you book, it may be worth reading our tips and advice for the ski trip with kids.

Where should you stay? There is no ski-in/ski-out in Mayrhofen, so every day begins with a gondola. Stay within walking distance of the Penkenbahn, so you don't have to carry skis and children through the village. The neighbouring villages of Hippach and Ramsau are cheaper and have a ski bus to the lifts – see more in our budget guide for the ski trip.

Zillertaler Superskipass and Hintertux

Mayrhofen has its own lift pass, but for a week the Zillertaler Superskipass is almost always worth it. It is valid across the whole Zillertal – 546 kilometres of pistes and 180 lifts in four ski areas – and the valley ski buses are included.

The most important thing about the pass is the Hintertux Glacier at the far end of the valley. You can ski there almost all year round, and it is your snow guarantee if snow is thin on the lower mountains in December or April. A day on the glacier is also a memory in itself, with views of the ice and pistes above 3,000 metres.

More than skiing

• The Adventure Pool in Mayrhofen with water slides – a perfect rest day.
• Ice skating on the village ice rink and tobogganing on several slopes in the valley.
• Zillertalbahn – the narrow-gauge train through the valley is an experience in itself for children, and at certain times a steam train runs.
• Après-ski: Mayrhofen has a lively nightlife. It is fun for teenagers and adult groups, but with small children it is worth staying a little away from the big bars.

A warning: in April the Snowbombing festival is held in Mayrhofen. The village is then full of festival-goers and noisy until late at night. Check the dates before booking an Easter week with small children.

Getting to Mayrhofen

• By air: Innsbruck is the closest, about 80 minutes away by car. Munich and Salzburg are around two hours away and often have more direct flights from Sweden.
• By train: take the train to Jenbach in the Inn valley and change to the Zillertalbahn, which runs all the way to Mayrhofen in just under an hour. The rest of the train journey from Sweden is described in train to the Alps.
• By car: a vignette for the Austrian motorways and winter tyres in wintry conditions. See car, train or plane to the ski resort for a comparison.

Mayrhofen compared with other Tyrolean resorts

Mayrhofen is a good middle ground: bigger and more varied than many family resorts, but not as high and exclusive as Sölden or as party-oriented as Ischgl. If you want more blue runs and more ski circuits right from the door, compare with Saalbach Hinterglemm. More options can be found in Austria's ski trips, and don't forget the ski trip packing list.