Cross-country skiing in Seefeld: 245 kilometres in the Olympic region

Two Olympic Games, two Nordic World Championships: Seefeld is one of the best-known cross-country venues in the Alps. What makes the 245 kilometres of trails special, what a trail pass costs, and where beginners start.

There are few places in the Alps where cross-country skiing is as much part of the streetscape as in Seefeld. There is a historical reason: the Nordic events of the Innsbruck Winter Olympics were held here in 1964 and 1976, followed by the Nordic World Ski Championships in 1985 and 2019. Anyone stepping onto a trail today is skiing on courses where world titles were decided.

For guests, one number matters most: over 245 kilometres of trails, groomed daily for both classic and skating, spread across the five villages of the region.

Altitude makes the difference

Seefeld lies at 1,200 metres. That sounds unremarkable, but for cross-country skiing it is the decisive point: at this altitude snow lies more reliably and for longer than in lower valleys, and the trails do not run through narrow gorges but across a wide, open plateau. You ski in the light, not in the shade.

The season usually opens in mid-November – most recently on 13 November – on a snow-farming trail, using snow stored under fleece over the summer.

Three trails to start on

A1 Seekirchl trail. The classic, right by the village: flat, wide, easy to survey. If you are standing on narrow skis for the first time, start here.

B1 Möserer Tal. A valley trail with a gentle gradient and one of the most beautiful stretches of scenery in the region.

Leutasch–Wildmoos high trail. The more demanding option, with lift support to reach the start. If you are already confident, this is where the courses that made the region's reputation begin.

Floodlit evening trail

Part of the network is floodlit on weekday evenings. For guests who have other plans during the day – or for anyone who wants to experience how quiet an alpine valley becomes once the day visitors have left.

What the trail pass costs, and what it includes

The trails are chargeable, but the ticket covers more than the track itself: use of the regional buses is included, as are car parks and changing rooms at the entry points. Children ski free up to their fifteenth birthday.

Grooming is daily and the trails generally operate from 9am to 4.30pm. The region publishes daily trail reports online – worth checking, especially in early and late winter.

Biathlon: shooting like the professionals

The region's biathlon facility is among the most modern in Europe: 30 small-bore ranges and five air-rifle ranges. And it is not reserved for the national squad. Recreational athletes can shoot here with real small-bore rifles, under instruction and supervision, standing, on skis, or on roller skis in summer.

In our experience, this is the item guests talk about longest over dinner.

Good to know

Rent equipment in the village; reserving the evening before saves waiting time in high season. If you have never stood on cross-country skis, plan an hour of instruction – the technique is quickly learned, and almost the entire difference between "hard work" and "effortless" lies in it.

To warm up afterwards: our sauna world with Finnish sauna, bio sauna, steam bath and panoramic whirlpool. Everything else winter has to offer is on our winter page.

This post is part of our Seefeld Guide with all our tips for your stay on the plateau.