Ischgl
Encyclopedia
Ischgl is a small village (population: 1489 in 2001) in the Paznaun
Valley in Tyrol (Austria
). Its ski resort
Silvretta Arena Ischgl-Samnaun is connected with the ski resort of Samnaun
across the border in Switzerland
. Together this ski area belongs to the largest skiing resorts in the Alps
. Its 238 km of groomed pistes are served by over 40 mechanical lifts including cable cars
, gondolas
, detachable chair lifts
and some T-bars
.
Ischgl is well-known (and sometimes criticized) for its lively après-ski
parties and roistering nightlife. The resort became famous when it began regularly hosting pop concerts celebrating the end of the annual ski season (Top of the Mountain Concert) at the Idalp (2300m). Bob Dylan
, Tina Turner
, Elton John
, The Corrs
, Pussycat Dolls
, Rod Stewart
, Jon Bon Jovi
, Nena
, Sugababes
, Enrique Iglesias
, Pink
, Anastacia
, Beyoncé
, Melanie C, Rihanna
, Gabriella Cilmi
, Leona Lewis
, Kylie Minogue
, Katy Perry
and Alicia Keys
are among the international stars who have performed at these concerts. Paris Hilton
and Naomi Campbell
also visited the village. Hilton visited several times in fact, on ski holidays and to merchandise Rhich Prosecco. Ischgl hosts the only Pacha club (the Spanish night entertainment brand) in Austria, in Hotel Madlein.
In April 2002 Bill Clinton
gave a Message from the Mountains at Ischgl and made this tiny mountain village the location of a world media event.
Once on the mountain Idalp is the main central point on the mountain where many of the ski lifts converge. The Silvrettabahn and Fimbabahn ropeways both have mountain stations at Idalp where there is also a large restaurant with panorama terrace. From here, all areas of the resort can be reached either by high-speed chairlift or piste.
Idalp however can be extremely busy at three peak times during the day, namely, around 9:30-10:30am, when many skiers and snowboarders arrive on the mountain by cable car from the village, 12:00-1:30pm, when most take a break for lunch and 3:30-4:30pm, when skiers and snowboarders head back to the village via ropeway or piste. The red and black pistes which return to the village can also be treacherous, particularly at the end of the skiing day when literally hundreds crowd the slopes at one time. For less experienced skiers, it is probably a better idea to take one of the ropeways back down to the village.
The area above Idalp offers wide, easy pistes and a snow park for those braver skiers and snowboarders. However, well worth a visit are the other parts of the Ischgl area, where the runs are considerably quieter, over towards Höllboden and Paznauner Thaya. These areas offer many red runs and also some more challenging blacks. In fact, the steepest run in the entire resort is located in the Höllboden bowl, accessed by the ultra-modern "Lange Wand" chair lift (code "C5"). This lift transports skiers and snowboarders to the top of a black run with a gradient of "70%", definitely suited best to the more advanced. On the other hand, Paznauner Thaya offers a wealth of red runs which are manageable for Intermediates.
Over in Switzerland, there are a number of excellent blue and red pistes. The runs here are also considerably quieter than on the Austrian side of the resort making the area particularly suitable for the beginner-intermediate range. More information on this part of the resort can be found by reading up on Samnaun
.
The lifts on both sides of the resort, as well as the piste conditions are excellent. Almost all lifts in the resort are High-speed chair or Gondola lifts and the pistes are constantly maintained to ensure the best skiing conditions possible.
Paznaun
The Paznaun is a valley in Tyrol, Austria leading south-west from Pians to the Bielerhöhe , a mountain pass at the border of Vorarlberg and Tyrol....
Valley in Tyrol (Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
). Its ski resort
Ski resort
A ski resort is a resort developed for skiing and other winter sports. In Europe a ski resort is a town or village in a ski area - a mountainous area, where there are ski trails and supporting services such as hotels and other accommodation, restaurants, equipment rental and a ski lift system...
Silvretta Arena Ischgl-Samnaun is connected with the ski resort of Samnaun
Samnaun
Samnaun is a municipality in the district of Inn in the Swiss canton of Graubünden.-History:The valley was first used as a seasonal mountain pasture for the villages of Tschlin and Ramosch. By 1220 the first permanent farm houses are mentioned...
across the border in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
. Together this ski area belongs to the largest skiing resorts in the Alps
Alps
The Alps is one of the great mountain range systems of Europe, stretching from Austria and Slovenia in the east through Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Germany to France in the west....
. Its 238 km of groomed pistes are served by over 40 mechanical lifts including cable cars
Aerial tramway
An aerial tramway , cable car , ropeway or aerial tram is a type of aerial lift which uses one or two stationary ropes for support while a third moving rope provides propulsion...
, gondolas
Gondola lift
A gondola lift is a type of aerial lift, normally called a cable car, which is supported and propelled by cables from above. It consists of a loop of steel cable that is strung between two stations, sometimes over intermediate supporting towers. The cable is driven by a bullwheel in a terminal,...
, detachable chair lifts
Detachable chairlift
A detachable chairlift or high-speed chairlift is a type of passenger aerial lift, which, like a fixed-grip chairlift, consists of numerous chairs attached to a constantly moving wire rope that is strung between two terminals over intermediate towers. They are now commonplace at all but the...
and some T-bars
T-bar lift
A T-bar lift, also called T-bar, is a mechanised system for transporting skiers and snowboarders uphill, along the surface of the slope...
.
Ischgl is well-known (and sometimes criticized) for its lively après-ski
Après-ski
Après-ski refers to going out, having drinks, dancing, and generally socializing after skiing. It is popular in the Alps, where skiers often stop at bars on their last run of the day while still wearing all their ski gear. The concept is similar to the nineteenth hole in golf. This can also...
parties and roistering nightlife. The resort became famous when it began regularly hosting pop concerts celebrating the end of the annual ski season (Top of the Mountain Concert) at the Idalp (2300m). Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
, Tina Turner
Tina Turner
Tina Turner is an American singer and actress whose career has spanned more than 50 years. She has won numerous awards and her achievements in the rock music genre have led many to call her the "Queen of Rock 'n' Roll".Turner started out her music career with husband Ike Turner as a member of the...
, Elton John
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
, The Corrs
The Corrs
The Corrs are an Irish band which combine pop rock with traditional Celtic folk music. The brother and sisters are from Dundalk, Ireland. The group consists of the Corr siblings: Andrea ; Sharon ; Caroline ; and Jim .The Corrs came to international prominence with their performance at the...
, Pussycat Dolls
Pussycat Dolls
The Pussycat Dolls are an American pop girl group and dance ensemble based in Los Angeles; currently consisting of Lauren Bennett, Vanessa Curry, Kristal "Lyndriette" Smith, Tiffany "Taz" Zavala, Kia Hampton and Paula Van Oppen. The Pussycat Dolls were founded by choreographer Robin Antin in 1995...
, Rod Stewart
Rod Stewart
Roderick David "Rod" Stewart, CBE is a British singer-songwriter and musician, born and raised in North London, England and currently residing in Epping. He is of Scottish and English ancestry....
, Jon Bon Jovi
Jon Bon Jovi
Jon Bon Jovi is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and actor, best known as the founder, occasional rhythm guitarist, and lead singer of rock band Bon Jovi, which was named after him...
, Nena
Nena
Gabriele Susanne Kerner , better known by her stage name Nena, is a German singer and actress. She rose to international fame in 1983 with the New German Wave song "99 Luftballons". In 1984, she re-recorded this song in English as "99 Red Balloons". Nena was also the name of the band with whom she...
, Sugababes
Sugababes
The Sugababes are an English pop girl group based in London, consisting of members Heidi Range, Amelle Berrabah and Jade Ewen. The Sugababes were formed in 1998 with founding members Siobhán Donaghy, Mutya Buena and Keisha Buchanan. Their debut album, One Touch, was released in 2000 under London...
, Enrique Iglesias
Enrique Iglesias
Enrique Iglesias is a Spanish pop music singer, a son of singer Julio Iglesias.Enrique started his musical career on Mexican label Fonovisa...
, Pink
Pink (singer)
Alecia Beth Moore , better known by her stage name Pink , is an American singer-songwriter, musician and actress....
, Anastacia
Anastacia
Anastacia is an American singer-songwriter. Anastacia has been highly successful in Europe, Asia, South Africa and South America, but has had only minor success in her native United States...
, Beyoncé
Beyoncé Knowles
Beyoncé Giselle Knowles , often known simply as Beyoncé, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Born and raised in Houston, Texas, she enrolled in various performing arts schools and was first exposed to singing and dancing competitions as a child...
, Melanie C, Rihanna
Rihanna
Robyn Rihanna Fenty , better known as simply Rihanna, is a Barbadian recording artist. Born in Saint Michael, Barbados, Rihanna moved to the United States at the age of 16 to pursue a recording career under the guidance of record producer Evan Rogers...
, Gabriella Cilmi
Gabriella Cilmi
Gabriella Lucia Cilmi is an Australian singer-songwriter. In 2008, Cilmi was awarded six ARIA awards including Single of the Year and Best Female Artist....
, Leona Lewis
Leona Lewis
Leona Louise Lewis is a British singer and songwriter. Lewis first came to prominence in 2006 when she won the third series of the British television series The X Factor....
, Kylie Minogue
Kylie Minogue
Kylie Ann Minogue, OBE - often known simply as Kylie - is an Australian singer, recording artist, songwriter, and actress. After beginning her career as a child actress on Australian television, she achieved recognition through her role in the television soap opera Neighbours, before commencing...
, Katy Perry
Katy Perry
Katy Perry is an American singer, songwriter and actress. Born in Santa Barbara, California, and raised by Christian pastor parents, Perry grew up listening to only gospel music and sang in her local church as a child. After earning a GED during her first year of high school, she began to pursue a...
and Alicia Keys
Alicia Keys
Alicia Augello Cook , better known by her stage name Alicia Keys, is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and occasional actress. She was raised by a single mother in the Hell's Kitchen area of Manhattan in New York City. At age seven, Keys began playing the piano...
are among the international stars who have performed at these concerts. Paris Hilton
Paris Hilton
Paris Whitney Hilton is an American businesswoman, heiress, and socialite. She is a great-granddaughter of Conrad Hilton . Hilton is known for her controversial participation in a sex tape in 2003, and appearance on the television series The Simple Life alongside fellow socialite and childhood...
and Naomi Campbell
Naomi Campbell
Naomi Campbell is a British model. Scouted at the age of 15, she established herself among the top three most recognisable and in-demand models of the late 1980s and early 1990s, and she was one of six models of her generation declared "supermodels" by the fashion world...
also visited the village. Hilton visited several times in fact, on ski holidays and to merchandise Rhich Prosecco. Ischgl hosts the only Pacha club (the Spanish night entertainment brand) in Austria, in Hotel Madlein.
In April 2002 Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
gave a Message from the Mountains at Ischgl and made this tiny mountain village the location of a world media event.
Ski Resort
Ischgl is located on the Austrian side of one of the World's largest ski areas. The village itself has access to the ski area in the form of three ropeways; the Pardatschgratbahn, the Fimbabahn & the Silvrettabahn. All lifts are centrally located for easy access and have middle stations.Once on the mountain Idalp is the main central point on the mountain where many of the ski lifts converge. The Silvrettabahn and Fimbabahn ropeways both have mountain stations at Idalp where there is also a large restaurant with panorama terrace. From here, all areas of the resort can be reached either by high-speed chairlift or piste.
Idalp however can be extremely busy at three peak times during the day, namely, around 9:30-10:30am, when many skiers and snowboarders arrive on the mountain by cable car from the village, 12:00-1:30pm, when most take a break for lunch and 3:30-4:30pm, when skiers and snowboarders head back to the village via ropeway or piste. The red and black pistes which return to the village can also be treacherous, particularly at the end of the skiing day when literally hundreds crowd the slopes at one time. For less experienced skiers, it is probably a better idea to take one of the ropeways back down to the village.
The area above Idalp offers wide, easy pistes and a snow park for those braver skiers and snowboarders. However, well worth a visit are the other parts of the Ischgl area, where the runs are considerably quieter, over towards Höllboden and Paznauner Thaya. These areas offer many red runs and also some more challenging blacks. In fact, the steepest run in the entire resort is located in the Höllboden bowl, accessed by the ultra-modern "Lange Wand" chair lift (code "C5"). This lift transports skiers and snowboarders to the top of a black run with a gradient of "70%", definitely suited best to the more advanced. On the other hand, Paznauner Thaya offers a wealth of red runs which are manageable for Intermediates.
Over in Switzerland, there are a number of excellent blue and red pistes. The runs here are also considerably quieter than on the Austrian side of the resort making the area particularly suitable for the beginner-intermediate range. More information on this part of the resort can be found by reading up on Samnaun
Samnaun
Samnaun is a municipality in the district of Inn in the Swiss canton of Graubünden.-History:The valley was first used as a seasonal mountain pasture for the villages of Tschlin and Ramosch. By 1220 the first permanent farm houses are mentioned...
.
The lifts on both sides of the resort, as well as the piste conditions are excellent. Almost all lifts in the resort are High-speed chair or Gondola lifts and the pistes are constantly maintained to ensure the best skiing conditions possible.