There is no shortage of great places to stay for a ski break in Austria. And while most head to the big resorts such as Mayrhofem, St Anton or Kitzbuhel, many people are looking for that less busy ski holiday. One where they can enjoy leisurely skiing or snowboarding on slopes that aren’t packed with long lift queues. And where the apres ski is lively without feeling like you’re in the middle of a stag do.
We’ve just returned from a quick trip to Fulpmes, a small town in the Stubai valley just a short hop from Innsbruck. And actually, Fulpmes might just have made it onto my must return as soon as possible list…
Where is Fulpmes?
Fulpmes sits near the top of the Stubai valley (Stubaital) within a short drive or bus trip from Innsbruck. By car, its 20 minutes from Innsbruck to Fulpmes, or just over an hour by public transport.
We took a taxi from the airport direct to our hotel which took 20 minutes and cost €55. The 590 bus back to Innsbruck took around an hour and cost around €7.60 for one person. This dropped you in the main bus station, with easy (and free) connections to the airport.
If you’re driving be aware that there does seem to be a toll between Innsbruck and Fulpmes.
There is also a train/tram link between Innsbruck and the village, with the tram terminating in Fulpmes. This is slower and less frequent than the bus, but obviously makes a nice alternative option. The train takes over an hour to go from Fulpmes to Innsbruck dropping you in the main train station.
Other options in Stubai valley
Neustift is the bigger town further down the valley, closer to the Stubai glacier. This looked like the more lively option, and a better base for Stubai. Other towns included the nearby Telfers and Miders. These towns were both smaller and sleepier and also not really walking distance into Fulpmes – so if you don’t mind commuting by every morning then these could be an option.
The efficient bus network also makes it easy to access other ski resorts in the area. Talking of which…
Which ski areas are accessible from Fulpmes?
The town of Fulpmes is well located close to two ski areas, and offers easy links to a variety of other ski areas, including:
- Schlick 2000 (the local ski resort)
- Stubai Glacier (Austria’s largest skiable glacier)
- Elfer im Neustift
- Axamer Lizum (easier by car than by public transport)
- Patscherkofel (ditto)
While Fulpmes is around 45 minutes by regular bus service from Stubai, it sits right on the doorstep of what might be one of the best value ski areas in the area: Schlick 2000.
Our in-depth review of Schlick 2000 is coming very soon, but this gem of a ski area might justify a stay in Fulpmes all on its own. While its not huge, there is plenty of terrain to keep the average skier or snowboarder busy for a few days.
Here’s our video review:
Fulpmes apres ski and nightlife
Yes there are several bars and restaurants in Fulpmes, but let’s be honest. This isn’t Ischgl and you’re probably not here for the nightlife. Fulpmes is a relatively sleepy town, with few big sights bar a nice waterpark, lots of farms and some lovely scenery. There are options for post-ski drinks for sure – we sank a few in Bar Corso, right on the main street next to Spar.
Leo’s Stadl bar looked like a more traditional option with live music advertised, and the Bar Caramba also looked like it could be an option in high season. But for the most part, Fulpmes is about a relaxing ski break in a real Austrian town which is more than just a ski resort.
On the mountain, there are several bars including Panorama Bar at the top of the Kreuzjochbahn gondola, the slightly more lively SennjochHutte and another mountain hut just below the middle station. There is, according to the Schlick2000 piste map, another bar at the base – the Schlussliacht which is at the base station. However, on the days we were here we didn’t notice it, so it might not have been bumping in true Austrian apres ski style…
Food and drink
Pizzerias seem to be the main draw in Fulpmes, with Casanova, Pavillion and Gasthof Dorfalm serving up top tier cheese on bread. Our pizza at Pavilion was very good – and huge!
You’ll also find options from budget kebabs through to higher end dining. So there is definitely something for everyone.
Restaurant KLA4 served up great schnitzel and burgers, with some nice veggie options too.
Prices ran pretty low, compared to other ski resorts in places like France and Switzerland. A beer is around €5.50 for a big one, both in resort and on the hill. A pizza in a restaurant was about €12, and a kebab was about €6-8. We did grab some takeout sandwhiches from Spar to have lunch on the go, which kept our spending nice and low.
What to do in Fulpmes (besides skiing)?
While skiing is obviously one of the main reasons to visit Fulpmes, there are obviously lots of other nice things to do and see here. The StuBay pool (see what they did there) is a sizeable water park with slides and spas. Theres also the Adventure Park which is open in the summer months, offering ziplines, horse rides, tree safaris and a bunch of other fun activities for both grown ups and youngesters.
The Schlick lift network is also used in the summer for hiking and mountain biking, with options to hire a bike in Fulpmes if you wanted.
The glacier at Stubai also offers skiing from October until May, so you can get some turns in both early
Hotel Eschenhof, Fulpmes
We stayed at the excellent family run Hotel Eschenhof. Set slightly back from the road into town, Eschenhof has a classic Alpine style, with wooden cladding, mounted animal heads and a veritable menagerie of stuffed animals, as well as pictures of the olden days in and around Fulpmes. The building itself is pretty large and set on a lovely patch of land, with horses in a field next to the carpark and another playground full of kids playground paraphenalia and what I’m sure was a pheasant in a cage. Basically, if you’re here with kids, the Eschenhof would be an excellent option.
Facilities in the hotel included a nice spacious ski boot room, and sizeable dining room and a sauna – which we didn’t get around to using but that looked perfectly good. It was small though, but you could definitely get 4 or 5 people in there!
They also had sleds in the ski room, so I reckon you could use them in the peak ski season.
We also added on breakfast which was pretty modest. It miiiight have been better value to get breakfast from the Spar next to the bus stop, but all the same, we enjoyed some nice coffee and continental breakfast.
Summing up
Being so close to Innsbruck, Fulpmes is a great location for a quick ski trip. Schlick 2000 in particular is well worth a visit, and the accessibility to Stubai Glacier makes it worth basing yourself here.
Neustift, further down the valley, is the main base for Stubai and looks like it is the livelier town. This might be due to the proximity to Stubai, where there is no accommodation.
