Sölden Information

Apres-ski

Offering one of the most full-on apres ski scenes in the world, Sölden is home to some very lively venues along with plenty of more sophisticated lounge bars.

Establishments such as Après Ski Philipp (tel: +43 5254 2351; www.philipp-soelden.at) and the Almrausch (tel: +43 5254 2203) are two good choices among the dozens of lively bars. Among the lengthy list of nightclubs, the Mogul Bar (tel: +43 664 511 0747) is the most 'full on'.

Eating out

Sölden has a good selection of about 50 restaurants, ranging from traditional Tyrolean or Italian establishments to gourmet dining experiences.

For a unique and luxurious dining experience, head to the newly built Ice Q (tel: +43 664 960 9368; www.soelden.com/iceq) located 3,048m (10,000ft) up and connected to the Gaislachkoglbahn's upper station by a glass bridge. The food is amazing, topped only by the beautiful views through the restaurant's glass walls.

Of the more traditional mountain restaurants Gampe Thaya (tel: +43 664 525 0498; www.gampethaya.riml.com), on piste number 11, ticks all the boxes, serving great Tirolean cuisine, including organic locally-sourced ingredients, and there's a great sun terrace if the weather is good.

Back down in the village Gusto (tel: +43 5254 2272; www.gusto-soelden.at) is the place to go for Italian; JATI (tel: +43 6604 811 411; www.jati.at) for gourmet burgers; and Joe's Höhle (tel: +43 5254 2600) is great for steak.

Resort Information

Beyond the slopes

There's a good range of non-ski activities in Sölden. Indoors, the Freizeit Arena (tel: +43 5254 2514; www.freizeit-soelden.com) is a major leisure centre complete with landscaped fun pool as well as spa and wellness facilities, including a Finnish Kelo log cabin sauna and steam bath.

The complex also includes a large indoor sports hall with facilities for numerous sports including tennis, badminton, curling and bowling.

There's also lots to do in Sölden outdoors, including sleigh rides, an ice rink, paragliding and cleared winter hiking paths.

Family fun

Sölden is quite generous with is lift ticket pricing for children, who can ski for free until age seven. Pre-ski children from five months old can join Bobo's Kinderclub run by the Skischule Sölden – Hochsölden (tel: +43 5254 2364; www.skischule-soelden.com), which is based on the mountain at Giggijoch. From age three, special ski school classes are available.

There are also good facilities for families off the slopes, most notably the superb Freizeit Arena leisure complex (tel: +43 5254 2514; www.freizeit-soelden.com), which will keep the little ones entertained during their stay.

Babysitting services are available through Maria Luise Scheiber (tel: +43 5254 2631).

Retail therapy

There are about 50 shops in Sölden: half of these are ski rental stores, but visitors will also find all of their basic holiday needs catered for with general stores, chemists and a photographic shop. There are also half a dozen gift shops, a jewellery boutique and a handful of clothing brands such as Szenario, Style and Style Point.

Splashing out

Take a little time off the slopes and head out of the village to nearby Längenfeld and its spectacular Aqua Dome (tel: +43 5253 6400; www.aqua-dome.at) complex. This water-based resort comes complete with a spa suite and world-class wellness facilities; all located on a four-century-old thermal spa site just down the valley from Sölden.

Hotels

The majority of accommodation in Sölden is in the form of bed and breakfast pensions and apartments, but there are also some hotels available, including one 5-star option.

Luxury

Moderate

Cheap