Sölden

Seven days on Sölden's lifts, from the Giggijoch to the glacier

Spend the first morning on the Giggijoch, where the blue runs are wide and forgiving and the ski schools gather. After lunch, ride across to the Gaislachkogl side and get a feel for the longer, steeper pistes that run back to the south end of the village. Keep the first evening short; the altitude catches people out.

Day two or three, when legs are warm, pick a clear and calm morning for the BIG 3 Rally. It takes in the Gaislachkogl, the Tiefenbachkogl and the Schwarze Schneid, and it eats most of a day, so start with the first lifts. The viewing platforms at each top station are worth the pause, with the Wildspitze, Tyrol's highest peak, close by.

Give one morning to the glaciers. Ski buses run up the glacier road, and the tunnel between the Rettenbach and Tiefenbach means you can ski both. On another day, book a table at ice Q on the Gaislachkogl and walk through 007 Elements next door, which tells the Spectre story in dark concrete galleries cut into the summit.

Evenings are as loud as you want them in the main village. If you would rather sleep, stay in Hochsölden and ski home at the end of the day, and keep the last afternoon of the week for the Aqua Dome down at Längenfeld.

Vent, Obergurgl and the Timmelsjoch after the snow melts

Once the snow retreats, the Gaislachkogl and Giggijoch lifts carry walkers above the tree line, saving the long grind up from the valley floor. Trails link mountain huts in the Ötztal Alps, and the summit platforms give an easier taste of the high peaks for anyone not set on a full day out.

For bigger hiking, drive or take the bus further up to Vent, the starting point for routes towards the Wildspitze, or to Obergurgl, where paths head closer to the glacier tongues. Both sit higher than Sölden and feel more remote. Start early; afternoon thunderstorms are common in July and August.

Road cyclists come for the Timmelsjoch, the high pass road above Obergurgl that drops into Italy's Passeier valley and opens only in the warmer months. Late in the summer, the Ötztaler Radmarathon sends thousands of riders over four Alpine passes on one day and fills every bed in the valley, so book well ahead or avoid that weekend. The glacier road is open to cars as a toll road in summer, and mountain bikers have lift-served trails on the Giggijoch side.

On a wet day, head down to the Aqua Dome thermal spa at Längenfeld, or to Umhausen for the Stuibenfall, Tyrol's highest waterfall.

Kaspressknödel at the huts, Schlutzkrapfen in the village

Huts on both sides of Sölden's ski area serve Tyrolean classics: Kaspressknödel, Tiroler Gröstl under a fried egg and Kaiserschmarrn big enough to share. For a view, ice Q at the Gaislachkogl top station serves set menus behind a wall of glass; book in high season. Lower huts are louder and quicker.

For lunch with a view, ice Q at the Gaislachkogl top station is the formal choice, with set menus and a wall of glass facing the peaks; book ahead in high season. The wooden huts lower down are louder and quicker, and the slopes above the village are dotted with them, so you rarely ski far without passing one. Eat before half past twelve or after two to find a seat.

Back in the village, hotel half-board is the norm and many guests never eat out. Those who do will find Tyrolean inns serving Schlutzkrapfen, half-moon pasta filled with spinach and cheese, alongside pizzerias and steak places that cater to après crowds. In summer, the huts keep cooking for hikers, with buttermilk, cured speck and cheese on wooden boards.