Having skied for 15+ years in Austria, France, Switzerland and Canada, in many of the big resorts, I was positively surprised by Heiligenblut.

The village itself is truly picturesque and has a good atmosphere. Our hotel was excellent: comfortable, clean, good food, nice pool and ideally located right opposite of the gondola. The hotel was also much cheaper than hotels in the bigger resorts, and we were able to book just two weeks in advance. Apres-ski is very limited in Heiligenblut, but still good fun (also at the hotel).

The ski-area is the biggest surprise: nice long runs and some challenging off-piste areas. The unprepared ski-route from the Schareck into the Fleisstal is spectacular. The Hochfleiss lift going to 2900mtrs was, unfortunately, closed most of the times, probably because of too much wind (for some reason the area seems to suffer from strong winds).

Heiligenblut would be a true hidden gem (and I would not be posting any comments here)if not for the lift infrastructure being a let down overall. The 8-seat Panoramabahn is almost pointless with only a single T-bar connecting to it. The underground Tunnelbahn is old and slow, and the link to the Fleissalm area is poor. However, the area is one to watch, as it has more potential than almost any other area I’ve visited in Austria. It could easily be improved (and expanded) to such a level that it can compete with any resort in Tirol.

Also noteworthy to mention is the drive to Heiligenblut: driving from Germany, Heiligenblut takes 2 1/2 hours longer to reach in comparison with Tirol. The drive (including a short trip by train - loading the car onto the train) was good fun though.

All in all, I would definitely recommend Heiligenblut. Ideal for a short ski break (3-4 days), with or without children. If the town council can get their act together and improve the lift system, I will become a regular visitor.