Austrian Ski Resort Property Guide | UK's Top Ski Property Specialist
Your choice of where to buy an Austrian ski property will depend on many factors – size of the ski area, proximity to airports, summer activities and not least of all budget.
Property prices vary dramatically between the different regions in Austria as well as from resort to resort. In Figure 1 we have put together a useful high-level price guide for several key resorts as well as providing a brief description of the property available in each resort below.
Austrian Ski Property Price Guide (Low-High)
| Austrian Ski Resort Property Prices* | € 1 Bed | € 2 Bed | € 3 Bed | € Chalet / Penthouse | Average € / m2 |
| Katschberg Property Prices | 200,000 - 250,000 | 300,000 - 350,000 | 400,000 + | 600,000 + | 4,000 |
| Bad Gastein Property Prices | 250,000 - 300,000 | 350,000 - 400,000 | 500,000 + | 800,000 + | 5,000 |
| Bad Hofgastein Property Prices | 300,000 - 350,000 | 400,000 - 450,000 | 600,000 + | 800,000 + | 5,000 |
| Wagrain Property Prices | 300,000 - 350,000 | 400,000 - 450,000 | 600,000 + | 850,000 + | 6,000 |
| Maria Alm Property Prices | 325,000 - 375,000 | 425,000 - 475,000 | 650,000 + | 900,000 + | 6,000 |
| Bramberg Property Prices | 350,000 - 400,000 | 450,000 - 500,000 | 700,000 + | 1,000,000 + | 7,000 |
| Saalbach-Hinterglemm Property Prices | 350,000 - 400,000 | 450,000 - 500,000 | 700,000 + | 1,000,000 + | 7,000 |
| Kaprun Property Prices | 400,000 - 450,000 | 450,000 - 500,000 | 750,000 + | 1,100,000 + | 8,000 |
| Zell am See Property Prices | 400,000 - 450,000 | 500,000 - 550,000 | 800,000 + | 1,400,000 + | 9,000 |
| St Anton Property Prices | 500,000 - 600,000 | 600,000 - 750,000 | 1,200,000 - 1,600,000 | 2,200,000 + | 10,000 |
| Kitzbuhel Property Prices | 500,000 - 600,000 | 600,000 - 750,000 | 1,200,000 - 1,600,000 | 2,200,000 + | 10,000 |
* Prices based on Alpine Property Finders internal research 2021
Hochkonig
The Hochkonig (High King) is a popular region known well too Dutch and German skiers and holiday home owners.
Just 25 minutes from Zell am See and 5 minutes from Saalfelden the Hochkonig is real Austrian ‘Sound of Music’ country with beautiful villages, rolling meadows and towering mountains.
The area has boomed in popularity recently with the completion of the final ski lift from Maria Alm now linking all of the villages seamlessly together.
The Hochkonig is an ideal family friendly ski region and comprises some 160kms of slopes that join together the villages of Maria Alm, Hinterthal / Hintermoos, Dienten and Muhlbach.
There is very little supply of apartments and chalets for sale and when they do come on the market, they tend to sell quickly.
What little new build development there is tends to be in designated tourism residences where owners must make their property available for rent when not being used personally.
There are also some highly sough after ‘zweitwohnsitz’ chalets in the designated second home areas around Hintermoos.
Newly built apartments close to the piste start at about EUR 6,000 / m2 meaning that entry level apartments can be found from around 300,000 while it is still (just about!) possible to find a small older chalet for sale under EUR 1m.
Maria Alm
Maria Alm is the largest of the villages that makes up the Hochkonig and has seen the most amount of residential development over the last 10 years. The village center is attractive and dominated by one of the largest church spires in the region.
The opening of the new Kabinenbahn Sonnbergbahn in 2020 has transformed the skiing in Maria Alm and boosted demand for property in the village. The gondola now connects the top of the local ‘Nature’ hill to the much larger Kabinenbahn Abergbahn removing the need for a ski bus ride at the beginning or end of the day.
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Hinterthal / Hintermoos
As you ski East through the Hochkonig from Maria Alm the next two villages that you will come to are Hinterthal and Hintermoos, situated close to each other in the next valley along.
While these are great location to access the ski area they lack the amenities that are on offer in Maria Alm and Dienten. These are ideal villages to buy a property if you are really looking to get away from it all in a traditional Austrian environment. Just don’t expect any wild après ski!
They are also home to some highly desirable ‘zweitwohnsitz’ chalets. Here owners have the option of buying a chalet and keeping it for their own private use without the requirement to rent it out.
These chalets are particular popular with German buyers. Expect to pay EUR 1m+ although fierce competition can now see the best chalets selling for much more than this.
Dienten
Carrying on East from Hintermoos and you will come to the charming village of Dienten. Dienten is the picture postcard Austrian village with some incredible scenery.
Offering more amenities than perhaps Hinterthal / Hintermoos and better access to the pistes than Maria Alm, Dienten is perhaps the ideal compromise between the two. If you believe the locals it is also a ‘snow trap’ at the end of the Hochkonig valley and boasts a longer season due to the many north-facing slopes.
Development has been limited in Dienten but there have been some new build apartments for sale in the village centre over the last few years. Expect to pay from EUR 350,000 for a one-bedroom apartment.
Gastein Valley
The Gastein Valley includes the villages of Dorfgastein, Bad Hofgastein and Bad Gastein as you travel south from Salzburg.
The area is a popular holiday destination for the Scandinavian market with many tourists and second home owners coming from Denmark and Sweden.
The area is a popular 2nd home destination due to the large (200kms) ski area and lively summer season. There is a wide selection of property for sale ranging from small 1-bedroom apartments in the EUR 250,000 – 300,000 price range right up to large detached chalets for EUR 1m+
Bad Gastein
Probably the cheapest resort in the Gastein Valley, Bad Gastein has an architectural grandeur that few other resorts can compete with.
Take a look at some of the beautiful 1920s buildings that sit around the waterfall in Bad Gastein.
Much of the property in Bad Gastein has been built into the steep hillside making location key. Venture too far from the main gondola by the railway station and you will need to drive or get the ski bus to the lifts.
Older apartments can be found from a relatively affordable price of around EUR 4,000 / m2.
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Bad Hofgastein
Probably the most desirable location in which to buy an apartment or chalet in the Gastein Valley is the charming village of Bad Hofgastein.
Sitting below Bad Gastein, Bad Hofgastein offers a much more relaxed way of life and has a busy summer cultural programme of live music and events.
The recent extensions of the ski lifts right into the centre of the village has made accessing the ski area here much easier and has consequently led to a surge in demand for property in the village.
We would recommend looking at property on the west side of the village where you are walking distance to the thermal spa, ski lifts and resort centre.
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Dorfgastein
Slightly more affordable than Bad Hofgastein, Dorfgastein is a picture perfect Austrian village and ideal for families with young children. Although not connected directly into the Gastein ski area it does have it’s own separate ski area with a good selection of lifts.
The piste comes right down into the village meaning that this is one of the rare Austrian villages where you may be able to find a property right beside the piste.
Saalbach Hinterglemm
Situated just 15 minutes from Zell am See, Saalbach-Hinterglemm has boomed in popularity in the last few years with both international skiers and property hunters.
New events such as the ‘White Pearl’ parties during the ski season have begun to attract a much more upmarket crowd to this large and extension ski region.
Recent new lift connections to Zell am See and Fieberbrunn have boosted demand for property in the region as buyers now have over 270kms of piste under their skis.
Residential development has historically been tightly controlled with the hotel owners reluctant to release land for sale.
It is however possible to find some apartments and penthouses for sale as part of a managed ‘tourism’ residence.
Prices start at around EUR 350,000 for a one-bedroom property and can quickly rise towards EUR 1m for larger penthouse-style apartments.
Hinterglemm is the most desirable address in the region where property prices can be 20% higher than the equivalent in Saalbach.
Since the opening of the new lift, Fieberbrunn is now a popular choice for investors looking for a more typically ‘Austrian’ village in which to buy a ski property.
Chalet buyers will have to carry on right up the valley towards Lengau where there is a designated ‘zweitwohnsitz’ region. New-build chalets here can be found from EUR 1.5m or older chalets for renovation from EUR 1m+. You will need a car though as the nearest skiing is a 5 minute drive away in Hinterglemm.
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Kaprun
Just 10 minutes from Zell am See, Kaprun is home to the highest altitude skiing in the region on the 3,300m Kitzsteinhorn glacier. It is a lively and attractive town that is busy throughout the year.
Demand for property in Kaprun has boomed in recent years as the new ‘K-connection’ gondola has now linked the local Maiskogel mountain directly up to the Kitzsteinhorn glacial ski area.
If you can find an apartment or chalet for sale in the centre of Kaprun you are now able to walk to the Maiskogel ski lifts and access all of the Kitzsteinhorn skiing without the need for a ski bus or car.
It is the access to year-round glacier skiing and a lively summer season that has made property investment in Kaprun so compelling with year-round rental income and high yields on offer.
Expect to pay from EUR 400,000 for a small apartment rising to EUR 1m+ for a penthouse.
Property on the Maiskogel mountain provides one of the few ski-in ski-out locations in the region although has historically been hard to find. Chalets here are highly sought after and prices can easily reach EUR 2m for the best properties.
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Zell am See
Property in Zell am See is currently some of the most sought after in Austria and it is not hard to understand why. There are very few alpine designations that have the magical mix of lake-side summer activities and high-altitude winter skiing. ?
New build apartments, with permission for touristic use, are now starting from around EUR 400,000 or approximately EUR 9,000 m2.
Cheaper ‘Hauptwohnsitz’ apartments can be found in some of the older 1970s buildings but these must be registered as a permanent residence and cannot be used for second home or tourism purposes.
There are very few chalets for sale in Zell am See with the market in the centre dominated by apartments.
There are however a few larger chalets to be found in the ‘Schmitten’ area around the Schmittenhohebahn cable car.
This area is perceived to offer the ‘best of both worlds’ with the main ski lifts all situated in this area which will take you too the top of the Schmittenhohe mountain directly. From here, you are now able to ski down to Viehofen and access all the Saalbach-Hinterglemm-Leogang-Fieberbrunn ski region.
You are also just a short ski or 20-minute walk to the centre of Zell am See.
If you can find a chalet for sale, expect to pay EUR 2.5m+ and possibly more depending on whether it has permission for touristic use.
Prices of property in Zell am See can vary drastically depending on the exact area you are looking in and the ‘designation’ of the property.
We will look at the three main regions of Zell am See below and, for the purposes of this study, assume that a buyer is looking for a newly built property with permission for holiday use. ?
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Property in Zell am See Centre
This is the most sought-after location due to it's proximity to the ski lifts and the lake. With a property in the centre of Zell am See there is no need to have a car as you can arrive by train and everything is then within easy walking distance.
Property in the centre of Zell am See should also be some of the best investment property in Austria due to an imbalance of supply and demand caused by the shortage of land.
It is impossible to expand the centre of Zell am See as it is sandwiched in between the lake on one side and the Schmittenhohe mountain on the other. Consequently, most new property developments involved the renovation or re-development of existing buildings.
The most exclusive chalets can be found up the hill on Sonnbergstrass. Here you begin to appreciate the incredible scenery of Zell am See with panoramic lake views over the roof tops of Zell.
Many of the original chalets here are now being redeveloped and prices are beginning to match those of neighboring kitzbuhel.
Property in Thumersbach
Thumersbach is a popular location for locals due to the south-facing aspect of much of the property. The area attracts many European property buyers who arrive in Zell am See for their holidays by car.
Since a car is generally required, most property owners will make the short drive to either the Saalbach, Kitzsteinhorn glacier or Zell am See ski lifts each morning.
There is also a free ski bus that runs around the lake.
Property in Schuttdorf
Schuttdorf is the most affordable region of Zell am See in which to purchase a property. The area is predominately a residential region popular with local Austrian buyers.
Location is key here as some of the area is blighted by noise from the main road. There are however some quieter areas around the town center and the Areitbahn gondola that are now attracting property investors who have been priced out of the centre of Zell am See.
Apartments or houses in these areas – within walking distance from the Areitbahn and the lake – should make savvy good long-term investments.
Kitzbuhel
Kitzbuhel is widely regarded as the property, sporting and glamour capital of Austria. ?
Large chalets dominate the village and are some of the most prized property in Austria. Property in the centre of Kitzbuhel has become the preserve of the global elite with apartments now starting from about EUR 1.5m and chalets from EUR 4m+.
Those on more modest budgets can still find some more (relatively!) affordable property in the outer lying villages such as Jochberg and Kirchberg. Both are fully connected into the Kitzbuhel Alps ski region and just a short hop on the ski bus into the centre of Kitzbuhel.
Kirchberg in particular is now a lively resort in its own right with a great selection of bars, restaurants and activities. Property here can be up to 50% cheaper than the centre of Kitzbuhel with apartments available from EUR 1m and small chalets from around EUR 2.5m.
