Leogang is on the outer edges of a truly massive ski area, the SkiCircus Saalbach-Hinterglemm-Leogang. It’s a beautiful area, lots of peaks and valleys, 270 km of piste and 73 lifts (at time of reporting). Saalbach is so large that they have sections designated by letters – we skied from the “L” to “I” to “H” to “G” to “D.” It’s all very low, but we got lucky with new snow, medium to low angle powder and great wide open pistes. In the areas we skied, there was nothing that was a black or difficult; most of it was well below or at treeline. Skier caliber is low – so if there’s fresh snow, you’ll have powder runs all day off the lift. Heavy on Dutch and Russian visitors, especially in the Saalbach (H & G). Leogang was more Austrian/German centric and much less busy.

We had high hopes for our hotel – *Holzhotel Forsthofalm – which does a great job marketing and selling a high-end “experience.” It almost succeeded, but the bad parts were just too big to recommend this to others. 

It’s truly ski-in, ski-out, right next to the lift and up a long, beautifully snowy narrow road on the mountain. Our room was comfortable, spacious, and completely wood lined (walls, ceiling), with a deck right onto the slope. The public rooms are a bit “hip” for my taste (disco balls in the bar area), but perfectly acceptable. Friendly staff. The spa is large – several relaxation areas, saunas, and an outdoor pool with a view. The hotel offers exercise classes a day – I actually did partake our second night in a pleasant, relaxing yoga class, and Galen had a nice massage..

Onto the bad part – the food. Dinner and breakfast are included in the price, and almost a necessity – getting anywhere else in the evening would be challenging given the location. Much is vegan, which isn’t the complaint – it’s that the quality is so low. I believe most of the food is prepared offsite (I saw the delivery truck), and it’s just not good. They grill (poorly), and the menus are just a bit odd, not particularly successful.

Slopeside dining: there are over 60 restaurants on mountain, plenty to try!

• **Panorama Alm is a popular spot. We just had a drink, but liked the decor and service.
• **Rachkuchl is more modest, serving a limited menu and very affordable prices – basically sausage with variations. There’s something to be said for sticking with what works – we liked our meal.
• We had an excellent lunch at **Sonnalm – it’s a popular place, but they keep things moving, food was very tasty.
• **Westernstadl Saalbach was really cute – Western themed, as you can imagine. Nice sunny outdoor area, menu looked good.

Articles: The Aficionados: Skiing in Leogang