Annaberg Ski Resort: A Day Trip Guide From Vienna

This guide is part of our Vienna Travel Guide — start there for the overview, itineraries and costs.

Annaberg, in the Mostviertel region of Lower Austria, is one of the closest proper ski areas to Vienna. The Annaberger Lifte are small, family-oriented and easy to reach for a day trip: under two hours by car from Vienna, Linz or Graz, and about 50 minutes from St. Pölten.

Annaberg at a Glance

• Ski area: Annaberger Lifte, Annaberg, Lower Austria
• Slopes: about 12.5 km of marked pistes, mostly easy (around 8 km blue, 2.5 km red, 2 km black)
• Main lift: a chairlift up to the Hennesteck, plus practice lifts for beginners
• Season: the 2026/27 season is planned to start on 5 December 2026, snow permitting
• Lift hours: daily 9:00am–4:00pm (9:00am–2:00pm on Christmas Eve)
• Address for your sat nav: Annarotte 126, 3222 Annaberg

Who Annaberg Suits

Annaberg is built for beginners, families and relaxed intermediate skiers. Most of the terrain is blue, the area is compact enough that groups don't lose each other, and the practice lifts make it a sensible first ski day for children. Strong skiers looking for long, steep runs will find it limited; it works best as an easy day out from Vienna or as part of a multi-area pass across the region.

Getting to Annaberg

By car

Driving is the simplest option. Parking is right at the lifts. From Vienna, allow under two hours; from St. Pölten, about 50 minutes. In Austria, winter tyres are required in wintry road conditions between 1 November and 15 April, and snow chains may be needed on the pass roads after heavy snow, so check conditions before setting out.

By public transport

Take the Mariazellerbahn narrow-gauge railway from St. Pölten to Annaberg-Reith station, or a regional bus to the Annaberg Reidl-Kehre stop, which is right beside the lifts. Check connections before you travel, as winter services are limited and the train journey takes considerably longer than driving.

Lift Tickets

Annaberg does not use fixed day-ticket prices. Day tickets, hourly tickets and practice-lift tickets are priced flexibly and change from day to day, so the only reliable figure is the one in the resort's online shop for your chosen date. Buying online is typically around 15% cheaper than at the ticket office, weekdays are cheaper than weekends, and early booking helps on weekends too.

If you plan to ski more than one day, look at the regional passes:

• Multi-day tickets (from 1.5 days) are valid across all the ski areas in the Skiland Voralpen group, but must be used on consecutive days.
• NÖ Bergerlebnispass: a season pass covering 10 ski areas in Lower Austria, with a family bonus in presale where children can ride free depending on the combination.
• Ostalpen-Card: a wider season pass covering more than 20 ski areas in Lower Austria and Styria.

Current prices for all of these are on the official prices page.

Ski School and Equipment Rental

Schischule Annaberg runs lessons from complete beginners to skiers refining their technique, and is a good choice for children's first lessons. Contact: Annarotte 126, 3222 Annaberg; +43 664 5491687; schischule-annaberg.at. Book ahead for school holidays and weekends.

Ski- und Sportverleih (Skiverleih Bauer) sits next to car park P1 and rents skis, snowboards, toboggans and cross-country gear. From 5 December it is open daily 8:00am–4:30pm. Contact: +43 664 5163418.

Where to Eat

The Anna-Alm, a few steps from the top of the chairlift at the Hennesteck (about 1,300 m), is the natural lunch stop in the middle of the ski area. In winter it opens daily while the lifts run, 9:00am–4:00pm, and until 8:30pm on Thursdays for the ski-touring evening.

Other places to eat around Annaberg listed by the resort include Gasthof Schachinger, the Annaberger Haus, the Teichstüberl, Café-Restaurant Reidlhütte and Gasthof Sägemühle. Opening times vary through the season, so check before you go, particularly midweek.

Ski Touring on Thursday Evenings

The pistes are closed every night from 5:00pm to 8:30am for grooming, with one exception: on Thursdays, pistes 1, 1a and 1b stay open as a ski-touring route from 5:00pm to 8:30pm. The Anna-Alm stays open late for the occasion, making it a popular midweek outing for ski tourers from the region. A ski-touring season pass covering three mountains is also available.

Practical Tips

• Check the lift status before you leave. Annaberg's lower altitude means snow cover varies, and the official lift status page shows what is running.
• Buy tickets online the day before. Flexible pricing rewards booking ahead, and you skip the ticket office queue.
• Arrive early on weekends. As one of the nearest ski areas to Vienna, Annaberg gets busy on fine Saturdays and Sundays.
• Pack for changeable weather. Layers, goggles and sunscreen are all worth bringing; conditions on the Hennesteck can differ from those at the car park.
• Don't ski closed pistes after hours. Grooming machines and winch cables make the slopes dangerous outside opening times, except on the marked Thursday touring route.

Is Annaberg Worth It?

For a first ski day, a family outing or an easy escape from Vienna, Annaberg is a good choice: close, compact, mostly gentle and simple to plan. For a full week of varied skiing, the regional multi-day and season passes make it easy to combine Annaberg with other Lower Austrian ski areas.