Best time to visit
When the light is right
December to April for skiing, with January to March the heart of the season; Christmas and New Year fill first. Late March and April bring spring sunshine and softer snow.
St. Anton am Arlberg, Tyrol, Austria
The village where Alpine skiing was born, at the heart of Ski Arlberg in Tyrol, with Raffl's St. Antoner Hof and Raffl's Tyrolhotel a short walk apart on the main street.
Now in St. Anton am Arlberg
From Choose a departure city Approx. flying time, non-stop equivalent
Austria · Tyrol
St. Anton am Arlberg
St. Anton am Arlberg is where skiing as the world knows it began. Hannes Schneider opened his ski school here in 1921, and the village has lived for the snow ever since: the slopes rise straight from the houses, the Valluga stands above them, and the Ski Arlberg area beyond links St. Christoph, Stuben, Lech and Zürs in some 350 kilometres of marked pistes and around 200 kilometres of deep-snow routes.
We open St. Anton through the Raffl family’s two houses on the main street, a short walk apart. Raffl’s St. Antoner Hof is the five-star original, with fireplace suites, a legendary hotel bar, Raffl’s Eat Art cooking around an open fire, and a private chalet behind the hotel. Raffl’s Tyrolhotel is its flamboyant sibling, with suites under the roof, a 225 square metre Royal Suite with its own sauna, Seven Sky and Sticky Fingers, and an outdoor pool reached by tunnel.
Both houses belong to our Alpine Escapes collection, and our Journal guide to luxury ski chalets and alpine houses for winter 2026/27 looks further afield, to winter houses in Courchevel, the Dolomites and Jackson Hole. For Austria in summer, see Lake Grundlsee.
Why visit
A reason to make the journey.
- Where skiing began The Arlberg ski school opened here in 1921, and the village still sets the tone for skiing in the Alps, from the 2001 World Championships to its famous deep-snow slopes.
- Ski Arlberg at the door Some 350 kilometres of marked pistes across St. Anton, St. Christoph, Stuben, Lech, Zürs, Warth and Schröcken, and around 200 kilometres of off-piste routes.
- Two houses, one family Raffl's St. Antoner Hof and Raffl's Tyrolhotel stand a short walk apart, so a stay in one opens the restaurants and bars of both.
Featured properties
Stays we would choose here
Two houses kept by the Raffl family on the main street of St. Anton, a short walk apart.
St. Anton am Arlberg · Tyrol, Austria · Five-star hotel and private chalet
Raffl’s St. Antoner Hof
The Raffl family's five-star house in St. Anton am Arlberg: fireplace suites in old wood, a legendary hotel bar, Raffl's Eat Art around an open fire, and a private chalet in the garden.
St. Anton am Arlberg · Tyrol, Austria · Design hotel and Royal Suite
Raffl’s Tyrolhotel
The Raffl family's flamboyant second house in St. Anton am Arlberg: fireplace suites, a 225 m² Royal Suite with its own sauna, Seven Sky and Sticky Fingers, and an outdoor pool reached by tunnel.
The house
In stills
A first reading of the stay: rooms, light, and the quiet between them. Each still is a note, not a catalogue.
When and how
Light, season, and the arrival
Each season keeps its own calendar. We plan the transfer around it.
Seasonality
When to go
St. Anton is first a winter village, with a season from December to April. The festive weeks and February holidays fill earliest, and the larger suites and the chalet are best reserved well ahead.
Airport / logistics
Arriving without hurry
Innsbruck Airport is about an hour and a quarter by car; Zurich and Friedrichshafen are also convenient, and Munich is a longer drive. St. Anton station is on the Arlberg line, with direct trains from Zurich, Innsbruck and Vienna.
Month by month
The best months for St. Anton am Arlberg
- Peak
- Shoulder
- Quiet
- Rainfall
Seasons follow the notes above. Average daily high and monthly rainfall for 2015 to 2024 from ERA5 reanalysis, via Open-Meteo.
Luxury experiences
Hours we would keep
- A private ski guide Days on the Arlberg shaped around your level, from first turns to the deep-snow routes off the Valluga, arranged by your advisor.
- Dinner by the open fire Raffl's Eat Art at St. Antoner Hof, rated 15 points by Gault&Millau Austria 2026, cooks a menu of small plates around an open fire.
- A suite of your own scale The Royal Suite at the Tyrolhotel or Raffl's Chalet behind St. Antoner Hof, for a family or friends who want a house within a hotel.
Ways of traveling
Open the collection
Begin with the collection that holds these houses and shores.
Related destinations
Other destinations we return to
Landscapes that sit well beside this one.
Destination
Austria
Austria with Exclusive Villa Collection: Lake Grundlsee and Villa Anna, an alpine-lake house arranged by inquiry.
Destination
Switzerland
Switzerland with Exclusive Villa Collection: Lake Lucerne and car-free Zermatt, from Hotel Villa Honegg above the lake to BEAUSiTE Zermatt beneath the Matterhorn.
Destination
South Tyrol
South Tyrol with Exclusive Villa Collection: Merano and the sunny Avelengo plateau above it, home to San Luis Retreat Hotel & Lodges, a private village of chalets and tree houses around a mountain lake.
Plan My Trip
Begin with a conversation.
Tell us the season, the company, and the feeling you want to keep. We will write back with a considered path, not a link to a search.
Write to an advisor