St. Johann in Tirol is a quaint small town, nestled in the Austrian Alps. It is a popular international winter sports destination and has a lot to offer!
Incidentally, this is my hometown, and who else but a local can better recommend the best things to do in St. Johann in winter, right?
Where is St. Johann in Tirol?
St. Johann in Tirol, or Sankt Johann in Tirol, is located in the Tyrol region in Austria. Tirol is the German name for the Tyrol region where the town can be found.
We have to call it by the full name with “in Tyrol” because there are other Saint John villages in Austria, such as St. Johann in Pongau and St. Johann im Walde.
So I have to call it by its name!
Sankt Johann is located near the German border and near the Salzburg region, in a large valley, known as the Leukental in Tyrol.
The town is special because it gets a lot of sunlight in the day, which kind of is a luxury in some shady parts of the alps.
Besides, St. Johann can be easily recognized because the Kitzbüherlhorn mountain is facing it and the area is centrally located.
The town is the main hub for almost anything in the area.
Shopping, hanging out with family and friends, good food, and winter sports!
10 Things to Do in Winter
Winter and summer are both exciting seasons to be in St. Johann.
However, today we will focus on winter and the fun things you get to do during your stay there.
Skiing & Snowboarding
Let's start with the most obvious and most popular winter holiday activity in the region!
St. Johann has 16 lifts with a total of 43 km of skiing slopes. Most of the slopes are great for beginners and amateurs alike.
St.The Johann ski resort is combined with the neighboring village, Oberndorf. The skiing areas are known as Eichenhof, Bergbahn, and Penzing.
I think Eichenhof is the best place to learn skiing for kids and grown-ups alike.
Small children aged 3 can learn skiing, and they usually turn out to be natural talents. The skiing schools are great and attentive.
Best is if you talk to the skiing schools at the bottom of the slope or ask the hotel reception for help to set you up.
Skiing and snowboarding equipment can be arranged near the slopes, but those tend to be pricey. To get a better deal, check out Hervis stores in the town center.
Winter skipass rates tend to increase every year a bit. This is because the region keeps on updating the lifts and public facilities. You pay for quality and assurance.
Cross-Country Skiing
St. Johann in Tyrol is known for a famous cross-country skiing event known as the Koasalaf (translated, the emperor's run).
Cross country skiing is almost as popular as regular downhill skiing, and it's completely free!
Other nearby villages (such as Hochfilzen) charge to use the cross-country skiing trails.
In St. Johann, you just need to rent equipment and seek out the nearest cross-country trail.
You might be surprised because the trails often pass by your holiday apartment or hotel.
You can enter anywhere, and the trails are numerous and never-ending, connecting all the villages in the area.
Ski Touring
Ski touring is a real sportsman's thing! St. Johann offers a few ski touring areas, which you can discover on your own.
The most popular ski touring area is the main mountain, the Kitzbühel Horn.
Just know that you need to respect the safety rules for ski touring to avoid accidents with skiers.
There are designated times and slope areas that can be used by ski touring fans.
You can take a guided tour too to discover the other areas, such as the beautiful Wilder Kaiser area.
Snowshoe Hiking
Snowshoe hiking is a great sports activity for the whole family. You need to be fit to be able to do this.
The tourism department has collaborated with local snowshoe guides. They provide the equipment and will take you around. They offer easy and medium snowshoe tours.
I think they are quite doable and definitely worthwhile! You can book a snowshoe hike via the tourism office. Some hotel receptions might be able to help you out as well.
Toboggan-runs
I love to slide down the mountain, full speed of course! They have a decently sized toboggan run, which is quite fun, especially at night.
The run is well lit, and up to a certain hour, you can travel up with a lift. Or you simply walk up.
I personally, however, prefer the toboggan run in Gasteig (a nearby village); that's a killer run, but they don't have a lift there.
Winter Paragliding
Yep, you can paraglide in winter. It's cold but certainly a holiday hit. Imagine you in the skies and the snow-covered trees and homes below you.
Balloon ride
Balloon rides are popular as well. Remember to wear a good set of warm clothes. The winter view from above, however, is worth every penny!
Ice Skating
Ice skating is a fun activity for the whole family. The skate park is situated at the Panorama Outdoor Complex.
I think the best time to visit is in the evening when it gets dark. The lighting is great, and you can hire the equipment in a place.
Swimming Pool & Sauna
The swimming pool is one of my favorite places in St. Johann, because I love to swim.
They have an indoor area with a hot water pool (which is powered by renewable energy from the nearby plant) that leads out.
This is one of the most relaxing places to be after a long day at the slopes.
The sauna is separate, but you can get a ticket for both venues.
Apré Ski & skiing break fun
Apré ski is like a small, fun party. The idea is to have fun with friends in a quaint-looking hut.
Great comfort food such as a Goulash, Käsespätzle and a hot alcohol spiked Jagatee just make it all the better and unforgettable.
I recommend the Grander Schupf Inn for all that. The atmosphere is energetic, authentic, and fun, and these are good people there.
Best time to visit
The best time of the year to visit St. Johann in Tyrol depends on your needs.
If you want to party and enjoy the après-ski fun or a real Christmas in the Alps with your family, then visit during Christmas time, from the 22nd to after the new year.
Most winter sports fans like to visit in January and February due to the excellent snow conditions in the mountains.
March can be a great month to visit as well if you are looking for a more quiet holiday experience.
Keep in mind that Easter can be a rather busy time of the year and that room rates usually increase during that time.
Where to stay?
It is best if you stay somewhere in St. Johann. That way you can access all the shops, fun places, and nature at the same time.
I recommend the Angerer Alm, which overlooks the valley and which comes with direct access to the slopes. The owners are quite helpful, and the area is a dream!
Let me know if you need help organizing something!
How to get there?
From Munich (Germany) to St. Johann in Tyrol
The best way to reach St. Johann's flight is to land at Munich Airport (MUC) It's about a 2-2 ½ hour drive to St. Johann in Germany, but the airline connections and flight ticket rates are better than, say, Salzburg or Innsbruck.
Vienna is too far.
By Taxi or Rental Car - Take the direction of Salzburg and then in the direction of Innsbruck/Kufstein.
If you have a rental, make sure to get a toll sticker for the Austrian highway.
The highway length to Kufstein is short, so you might want to leave at Kiefersfelden before the Austrian border and take the country road to cross Kufstein city.
Don't drive through Kufstein city; take the road towards St. Johann/Kitzbühel. The taxi costs about 250-300 €.
By Train - Take the MUC airport train connection towards Wörgl, Austria.
Usually, that's a Euro Express. In Wörgl, you will have to switch trains to go to Kitzbühel/St. Johann in Tyrol in the direction of Saalfelden.
Be aware that the train connections in Wörgl can be 20 minutes apart from each other.
In winter, trains can be delayed. You can ask the train guy to call in Wörgl so that the regional train waits for you. I have done that a million times. The station is small in Wörgl.
From Salzburg to St. Johann in Tyrol
The closest airport to St. Johann in Salzburg, however, is the Salzburg airport, which I do not recommend.
Instead, check out what I wrote in Munich.
By Taxi or rental Car - You have the option to take two different roads.
The more common road is to take the so-called little German corner and to cross Bad Reichenhall and the pass Unken and Lofer in Austria to get to St. Johann.
The second road is to cross Hallein, Bischofshofen, Saalfelden, and Fieberbrunn.
This is the longer route, but you get to see more of the landscape and mountains before reaching St. Johann in Tyrol.
By Train - I don't recommend taking the train from Salzburg to St. Johann, except if you have a lot of time on your hands and patience; then this might just be fun!
The train route starts at Salzburg and crosses Zell am See over Saalfelden and Fieberbrunn to St. Johann.
This can take over 2 hours, and you need to find a direct train.
From Innsbruck to St.Johann in Tyrol
Innsbruck has a small airport; it's limited, and it's mainly for charter flights.
By Taxi or Rental Car - Take the highway in the direction of Salzburg. It's straightforward, and the drive takes about 1 hour to St. Johann.
In Wörgl, you will need to switch from the highway to the country road direction St. Johann.
Be aware that you need a toll sticker for the highway in Austria. You can buy it at petrol pumps; that's the easiest way. Also, be aware that you can't drive faster than 100 km/hour.
By Train - The connection from Innsbruck to St. Johann in Tirol is better than, say, from Salzburg to St. Johann.
You will find a couple of intercity, EuroCity, and regional trains traveling to St. Johann, direction Salzburg.
The train ride takes about 1 hour, and the fare is somewhere around 40 € per person one-way.
From Vienna to St.Johann in Tyrol
Vienna is on the other side of Austria, so you might want to land in Munich or Salzburg.
You can travel from Vienna to St. Johann by crossing Salzburg and the little German corner.
This usually takes about 5-7 hours via highways or train, and it highly depends on the snow situation.
Day Trips
The Tyrol region has a lot to offer, and you can plan a day trip to other sights in Tyrol and the neighboring Salzburg region.
- Kitzbühel - About 15 minutes drive from St. Johann. This small, quaint city is known to be a jet-setter's paradise. Every year in Jan., celebrities from all over the world meet up in Kitzbühel for the famous Hahnenkamm ski race.
- Going am Wilden Kaiser - About 10 minutes drive tops! The starting point for the Wilderkaiser ski resort, Austria's biggest ski resort. Also famous for the beautiful view of the Wilder Kaiser.
- Kufstein - 30 minutes drive across the mountains to Kufstein. This medieval city located next to the German border has a beautiful castle and is home to the world-famous Riedel glass company.
- Zell am See - Located in the region of Salzburg, over an hour away from St. Johann in Tyrol. Known for the lake and nearby ski resort of Kaprun, Zell am See is also another international jet setter place. The Hohe Tauern Natural Resort is located nearby as well.
- Hallstatt - The historic salt village on the lake
Wowwww! I love snow.... picturesque.... 🙂
I bet you would have a great time there 🙂
cheap way to see is to come to north dakota in april
Lovely write-up, thank you. I have stayed in St Johann with my family and hope to return.
It's also great that you include options for arrival by train! A small request, as we all hope to enjoy snow for some time to come still, it would be great to contribute as little as possible to the climate crisis that we now find ourselves in, which, among others, is not great news for ski resorts. In that vein, it would be great to headline the travel options with the trains, and not promote flying and car driving as the default options. The daytrips are also very car-centred - I can drive but I don't think that my private pleasure at a day-trip justifies the extra emissions, so I am specifically looking for holiday options that are doable car free.
Many thanks!
Hi Anna, thanks so much for sharing that point of view. Unfortunately, not many people care about those things when they visit these areas. I think your words are rather inspiring and hopeful. I'll try to rewrite that part and prioritize greener travel options (even in some of my other posts). They do have a choice of electric car charging stations too in the area, which can be another way to bring down emissions. So, in that case, you would be able to enjoy a day trip. The problem that even locals face in the area is getting around. Public transport isn't the best. The only thing that they seem to have nailed (or so says my local wife) is the fact that tourists get to use a free bus with their Ortstaxe Regional cards (which they get from the hotel when they pay the local tax). Those are usually electric buses now.