It would be a shame to visit St. Anton and not get the full experience. NASTC has been to St. Anton, numerous times, we’re like moths drawn to a flame, we really can’t resist the draw of this idyllic alpine town and therefore know it well.
You’ll fly into Zurich, one of the three largest cities in Switzerland and a side trip worth taking. Without ever leaving the Zurich airport you board a train bound for Zurich’s main station. This place is cooler than Grand Central Station. The architecture, maze of shops and people watching is very entertaining. After you board the train bound for St. Anton, go through your initial moment of doubt as to whether you are on the right train, find the right seat and the traditional whistle blow to signal the train’s departure, you may think that this is a great time to kick back and delve back into the book you were reading on the plane. Nope. You will be travelling through some of the most scenic alpine passes and valley and you won’t want to blink in case you miss any part of it. After your eye popping journey and repeated chorus of ooh-ing and ahh-ing you pull into St. Anton am Arlberg.
The snow covered village is bustling with life, people toppling out of bars with their ski boots still on and laughing raucously, kids on their way home from school, housewives returning from their grocery run, visitors and couples strolling along the cobblestone sidewalks. Your final destination is a charming hotel, that you swear was the centerpiece of a jigsaw puzzle you once did. Complete with wooden shutters and handpainted edelweiss flowers on the walls. You walk in and the warmth and smells wafting up from the kitchens are immediately comforting. Your room is uncluttered, accented with pine furniture and the bed is decked with the fluffiest down comforter you have ever seen.
When you wake up in the morning and look outside the window, you can just see the sun start to gild the mountaintops in gold. Head downstairs and join the group for breakfast, the energy is high. After a health and stout breakfast you join ranks with the other skiers headed out to the slopes. The streets are filled with the cloppity clop of ski boots. You can’t see much out of the window of the Telecabine due to the condensation on the windows from everyone crammed into car. When you step out your face is stung with the cold alpine air and your jaw literally drops at the glorious sight of the Alps all around you. The day passes in almost a blur from ski drills that will help enhance your enjoyment of the mountain in the days to come, to dips, twists and traverses as you explore the area. It is impossible to ski the entire area of St. Anton in a week as it comprises of Lech, Zurs, Stuben, St. Christoph, St. Jakob and St. Anton. Mountain chalets are like an oasis in this treeless white desert. Smoke comes out of the chimneys, the decks are filled with some of Europes most glamourous. Each person is enjoying the joie de vivre and the pace is substantially more relaxed than any North American resort. After you belly is replenished with alpine specialities goulash, knodel or bratwurst. It’s out the door for more skiing and adventure. This is the point that you start to wonder whether you have enough memory in your camera to capture all the images and wonderment so you have proof when you go back home.
A day in St. Anton is not complete without a stop in the one of the many apres ski locales. The Krazy Kangaruh or Mooserwiert are on everyone’s list. Clank your stein with those around you, and stomp your ski boots to some tune that everyone seems to know.
The to do list for the next day: DO IT ALL OVER AGAIN!
