Silvretta Montafon

Two areas that ski like a swing: Hochjoch meets Nova

The Silvretta Montafon is a contiguous ski area made up of the Hochjoch sector (around Schruns/Silbertal) and Nova (around St. Gallenkirch/Gaschurn). That’s why a day on skis often feels “split in two”: Hochjoch as the more athletic mountainside with long descents, Nova as a wide-open playground with plenty of variants and meeting points.

With around 141 km of pistes and 35 lift installations, it’s big enough for several days of variety without constantly repeating the same loop. The altitude range runs from about 700 m to 2,430 m—a clear advantage for snow reliability compared with lower mountain resorts, though without any glacier back-up.

Skiing here is more “sporty” than purely panoramic

What defines the area are long valley runs (including the HochjochTotale, one of the longest descents) and an offering that clearly caters to ambitious skiers—complete with steep, demanding lines (for example under the “Black Scorpions” label). Overall, the mix of pistes is broad enough that beginners will find suitable zones too, but the prevailing tone remains dynamic.

Modern lift arteries add comfort—yet key junctions can still get busy

The lift system is generally modern and comfort-focused, with high-capacity gondolas and chairlifts; some installations are explicitly positioned around comfort and capacity features (e.g. heated seats, high throughput).

One thing to plan for: at valley access base stations and at peak times, queues can occur—something that’s also explicitly criticized in experience reports. For more relaxed days, it pays to start early or make use of off-peak hours.

Snowpark at Grasjoch: two kicker lines and plenty of jibs—ideal for sessions

The Snowpark Montafon is located at Grasjoch and designed so different levels can train effectively: there are two kicker lines and 20 jibs, plus a classic park layout with kickers, rails, and boxes in graduated levels of difficulty.

For mixed groups, this is practical: park riders can do their thing while the rest of the group keeps skiing in the same sector—without complicated meet-up logistics.

Freeride with structure: designated areas, a Freeride Station, and safety offerings

In Silvretta Montafon, freeriding isn’t merely “tolerated”—it’s built out as a visible, supported offering: there are multiple freeride areas, a Freeride Station at Grasjoch as a point of contact, and safety trainings (including an avalanche transceiver practice field/emergency training). This doesn’t reduce the inherent risk, but it improves access to information and makes getting started more structured.

Families: strong infrastructure—best enjoyed with clear fixed points

Families benefit from magic carpets/practice areas, ski schools, and a clear focus on children (mascot, family-friendly food options, lesson programs). At the same time, the resort is large and spread across multiple mountains—so with kids, it’s most relaxed if you commit to one sector per day (Hochjoch or Nova) and set clear meeting points.

Après-ski: present, but not just party—plenty of sun terraces and base-station spots

Après-ski is available and spread across mountain terraces/umbrella bars and base-station venues—more a broad range “from cosy to lively” than a nonstop party strip. Typical spots sit at central junctions and along valley runs (e.g. Grasjoch/Schruns/Gaschurn).

Things to do beyond skiing: tobogganing (also floodlit) and winter days without skis

For rest days or afternoons, Silvretta Montafon offers tobogganing, including a floodlit night toboggan run (Garfrescha, 5.5 km) as well as another natural toboggan run in the area. In addition, winter hiking/snowshoeing and scenic mountain rides without skis are easy to integrate.