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Zillertal, Tyrol · Austria

Mayrhofen

Mayrhofen sits at the head of the Zillertal valley in Austria’s Tyrol, one of the country’s best-loved ski towns and a longtime favourite with British snow-goers. It blends classic Tyrolean charm — timber chalets, cosy mountain huts and a vibrant village — with a thrilling, high-altitude ski area accessed by cable car straight from the valley floor.

The resort is famous for two things above all: a riotous après-ski scene that spills out of the legendary Ice Bar and mountain huts each afternoon, and the Harakiri, the steepest groomed piste in Austria. That combination of fun and fearsome terrain gives Mayrhofen a character all of its own.

On the mountain

A winter view from the Penken cable car looking down over Mayrhofen and the snowy Zillertal ski area
Photo: qwesy qwesy · CC BY 3.0

Mayrhofen’s slopes belong to the Mayrhofner Bergbahnen ‘Mountopolis’ ski area — the resort’s own sector, rather than the wider Zillertal Superskipass region. Two big cable cars, the Penken and the Ahorn, whisk skiers up from the village into a snow-sure, high-altitude playground that tops out well above the valley.

The Ahorn side is a broad, sunny, beginner-friendly plateau, ideal for finding your feet, while the Penken across the valley holds the bulk of the resort’s more interesting intermediate and advanced terrain. Reliable snowmaking and high-lying pistes help keep conditions good through the season.

The terrain & the Harakiri

The steep Harakiri black piste at Mayrhofen with its chairlift running up the wall of the slope
Photo: Zefram · CC BY 2.0 de

Within the Mountopolis area there are around 52 marked pistes — roughly 22 blue, 27 red and 3 black, with no true green runs, as beginners are pointed at the gentle Ahorn slopes instead. That red-heavy spread makes Mayrhofen a fine intermediate resort with plenty of confident cruising on the Penken.

And then there is the Harakiri. With a gradient of around 78%, it is the steepest groomed run in Austria and a genuine bucket-list challenge — a wall of a piste that draws strong skiers from across Europe just to say they have skied it. It is the headline act of Mayrhofen’s small but punchy collection of black runs.

Beyond the marked pistes, the wider Zillertal offers terrain parks and off-piste for those who want to range further, but the home Mountopolis area alone is more than enough to fill a varied week.

Village life & après-ski

Snow-covered chalets of Mayrhofen lit up at night with the Zillertal valley and mountains behind
Photo: atze67 · CC BY-SA 2.0

Mayrhofen is a proper Tyrolean town with year-round life, not a purpose-built resort, and that gives it a warmth and energy that keeps visitors coming back. The pedestrian-friendly centre is packed with restaurants, bakeries, bars and shops, all within easy reach of the cable-car stations.

The après-ski is the stuff of legend. The Ice Bar at the foot of the Penken and a string of slope-side huts get going the moment the lifts slow, and the party continues into the village bars and clubs long after dark. For a more relaxed evening, traditional Tyrolean huts serve hearty mountain fare with the same easy charm.

Why we put it in the game

Mayrhofen’s Ready Steady Slope Resort card wears its character on its sleeve: no greens, no blues, and instead two reds and two blacks. That tough, top-heavy profile is a nod to the real resort’s identity — a place defined by spicy intermediate reds and, of course, the brutally steep Harakiri.

On the table, this makes Mayrhofen a demanding, high-stakes card that rewards bolder play, just as the real mountain rewards skiers willing to take on its steepest lines. It captures the spirit of the Zillertal perfectly: serious skiing by day, and a card with real bite.

Mayrhofen Resort card from Ready Steady Slope

Where is Mayrhofen?

Map showing Mayrhofen in Zillertal, Tyrol, Austria

Zillertal, Tyrol, Austria

How to get there

Nearest airportTransfer time (by road)
🇦🇹Innsbruck (INN)~1 hr by road
🇦🇹Salzburg (SZG)~2 hr 15 min
🇩🇪Munich (MUC)~2 hr 30 min

Graded runs at Mayrhofen

The in-game Resort card is a stylized approximation — here are Mayrhofen's actual marked pistes by grade.

GradeRuns
Green (beginner)0
Blue (easy)22
Red (intermediate)27
Black (advanced)3
Total52
View the official piste map →

Quick facts

0
In-game green pistes
0
In-game blue pistes
2
In-game red pistes
2
In-game black pistes

Ready to hit the slopes?

With our game you can bring Mayrhofen to your table. Click below to find out where to buy, or visit the actual resort. Or even better… do both, and pack the cards for the après!

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