Indian Chief Travel Guides

Ischgl Orientation

Ischgl sits 100 km west of Innsbruck, a long way up the long Paznaun Valley. The resort village occupies a 1.5-km stretch of the southern bank of the Trisanna River and boasts a lovely setting smack dab among the Silvretta, the Samnaun, and the Verwall mountains. Today, with 10,000 guest beds and growing occupancy rates, Ischgl sets the standard for modern resorts and was recently deemed the European Alpine Show’s “Best International Ski Resort.”

Ischgl: The Town

Although Ischgl has a lengthy history, little of its historical core remains today. Restaurants line the narrow streets, sporting goods shops flaunt the latest in high-tech equipment, and glossy hotels stretch out along the southern foothills, each vying for a coveted “ski-in” lot. All that said, Ischgl does not feign the pretension of such highbrow resorts as Kitzbühel and St. Moritz, but instead adopts a welcoming friends-and-fun atmosphere suitable for its young clientele.

Ischgl centers on its little hilltop church and crowds its way downhill, toward the Prenner area and the Pardatschgratbahn cable car to the northeast and toward the Pasnatsch area and the Silvrettabahn gondola to the southwest. These two sides of town sandwich a maze of tiny streets, a relatively large pedestrian area, and a very convenient foot tunnel between the pedestrian center and the Fimbabahn lift. The village streets remain unnamed and, as buildings are randomly numbered, locations are best described by landmark rather than address. (Pick up a map and take a familiarization stroll as soon as you hit town.)

Ischgl’s quiet summer season runs from late June through mid-October, although what summer action there is here seems to peter out by mid-September. Winter season rolls around in mid-December and rocks on through April.