The famous Austrian village of St. Anton am Arlberg has long been a dream ski destination for me, so I was excited when Inna reserved four nights at the Pfeffermühle Hotel in St. Anton from December 22 - 26, 2024.
Pfeffermühle Hotel recommended renting skis and snowboards from Alber Sport (which also has on-site ski storage lockers). The closest shop was at Alber Sport Nasserein (a few bus stops from the hotel). Alber Sport Nasserein opens at 08:30 and closes at 18:30.
I reserved two days of snowboarding, with the idea of extending it by one additional day, if the snow conditions were excellent.
Sunday, December 22, 2024
At 13:10, our train arrived at St. Anton am Arlberg Train Station in Austria. We handled our 3 large suitcases and noticed the beautiful snowy surroundings. The forecast called for heavy snow and cold weather. I had contacted the hotel about my arrival and expected the shuttle to be waiting for me.
As we stepped out of the train station, I noticed the van with the hotel's logo. We quickly boarded the hotel van and were dropped off at the hotel. We checked into our room #202.
Monday, December 23, 2024
In the morning, I woke at around 06:30 but slept until 06:56. I showered and dressed for an early breakfast, eager to snowboard on San Anton's slopes (before everyone else). Alex also dressed quickly.
Wednesday, December 25, 2024
Pfeffermühle Hotel recommended renting skis and snowboards from Alber Sport (which also has on-site ski storage lockers). The closest shop was at Alber Sport Nasserein (a few bus stops from the hotel). Alber Sport Nasserein opens at 08:30 and closes at 18:30.
I reserved two days of snowboarding, with the idea of extending it by one additional day, if the snow conditions were excellent.
Sunday, December 22, 2024
At 13:10, our train arrived at St. Anton am Arlberg Train Station in Austria. We handled our 3 large suitcases and noticed the beautiful snowy surroundings. The forecast called for heavy snow and cold weather. I had contacted the hotel about my arrival and expected the shuttle to be waiting for me.
As we stepped out of the train station, I noticed the van with the hotel's logo. We quickly boarded the hotel van and were dropped off at the hotel. We checked into our room #202.
Our hotel room was charming and well thought out, with good storage and beautiful, large windows overlooking the countryside. The bathroom had a separate shower and bathtub. Alex's bed was in a separate nook (with large windows overlooking the countryside).
After unpacking our suitcases and a quick rest, we walked downstairs for a light lunch. We ordered the following items from the small lunch menu at Hotel Zur Pfeffermühle (Pepper Mill):
- Boris: Tafelspitz soup (beef)
- Inna: Tafelspitz soup (beef)
- Alex: Wiener Schnitzel with fries
- Dessert: Apple Strudel
We first tried out various snowboarding boots, and Alex found that the K2 Maysis (10.5", 28.5 cm) fit his feet well. These same K2 boots also worked for me (Alex and I have the same shoe size), but Alber Sport did not have any additional boots in this size. I had to rent a larger boot (11', 29 cm), which was too large (and my foot moved around too much).
For snowboards, Alex selected a Burton Custom 168W (wide) version for better float on powder. I selected a similarly sized Capita Defenders of Awesome 163W snowboard. We also selected large helmets and picked our storage lockers (our hotel provided us with free locker access).
Both of our snowboards were set up with standard bindings. My snowboard was configured for the following duck stance:
- +15 degrees (angled forward) for the front foot
- -9 degrees (angled backward) in a classic duck stance.
- +18 degrees for the forward foot
- -6 degrees on the back foot
After we dropped off our boards in locker #142, we talked to Inna, who was also finishing up her cross-country ski rental. She planned to cross-country ski the next day and stored her gear in locker #143. The lockers can be opened with the St. Anton Ski Pass (once registered in the system).
We explored this part of the village for a bit (there wasn't much there) and stopped for a snack at the Der Backer Ruetz bakery in Nasserein. We ordered the following treats:
- Pastries:Kaisergolatsche, Nougat-Vanilla-Kipferl, Dinkel-Mohn-Stangerl
- Boris: Espresso
- Inna: Latte Macchiato
- Alex: Latte Macchiato
We decided to walk southward toward the rest of the village to see St. Anton's Christmas Markets. Alex also decided to work out at the nearby Arlberg WellCom fitness center. He separated from us and walked to the Arlberg WellCom on his own. He worked out (lifted weights) for 30 minutes and found the fitness equipment unimpressive. He rejoined us later on (when we were returning from our walk).
Inna and continued our walk on Dorfstrasse toward Museum St. Anton am Arlberg. There was a giant decorated Christmas Tree on display, a petting zoo (where kids could pet miniature horses), and stands selling drinks.
There was also a holiday choir singing Christmas songs in German. There were also various carvings of Jesus and the Three Wise Men from the Christmas Nativity Scene. We shared a glass of warm Glühwein and enjoyed the festive atmosphere.
We met up with Alex on the way back and ordered an UberX to take us back to Hotel Zur Pfeffermühle.
After resting for a few minutes and changing out of our clothes, we dined at our assigned table (each room gets its own privately assigned dining table) at 19:45. We selected the following items:
- Appetizer: Salad Bar with mushrooms, deli meats, bread
- Soup: Cream of Celery with Bacon
- Boris: Beef Tafelspitz
- Alex: Beef Tafelspitz
- Inna: Salmon Trout
- Dessert: Kaiserschmarrn, Strawberry Sherbet
Monday, December 23, 2024
In the morning, I woke at around 06:30 but slept until 06:56. I showered and dressed for an early breakfast, eager to snowboard on San Anton's slopes (before everyone else). Alex also dressed quickly.
At 07:45, we walked downstairs (being the first people for breakfast). It was still dark outside (early dawn), but the light was starting to emerge. We ordered some scrambled eggs and selected a few items from the buffet:
- Boris: Scrambled Eggs, Yogurt with Granola, Coffee
- Inna: Scrambled Eggs with Bacon, Cappuccino
- Alex: Yogurt, Scrambled Eggs with Bacon, Coffee
Alex and I finished breakfast first, then raced to get dressed for snowboarding and catch the next hotel shuttle to Nasserein. Inna was in less of a hurry, as she was planning to cross-country ski on her own.
I write about snowboarding at St. Anton in a separate blog post here:
We met up with Inna (who had returned from her cross-country skiing adventure) and waited for the hotel shuttle to pick us up. At 13:30, the shuttle came by, and we were back in our hotel, resting. Alex took a long bath, while Inna and I snacked on macarons and pastries with hot black tea.
I rested in the room for a bit, and then Inna and I decided to try the multiple saunas. I walked downstairs and tried multiple saunas (each at a different temperature). After showering, Inna and I rested in the nearby quiet room. I continued reading Ian Fleming's autobiography on my Kindle, and Inna read hers as well.
At around 19:00, we returned downstairs for our dinner. We were provided with the following items:
- Drinks: Sparkling Water, Radler (beer + lemonade)
- Soup: Tomato Soup
- Main: Sea Bass
- Dessert: Pancake with curdled cheese
Tuesday, December 24, 2024
In the morning, I woke at around 07:00. It had snowed overnight, and I was expecting an epic day of powder snowboarding. It did not disappoint!
I showered, shaved, and dressed for an early breakfast. Alex also dressed quickly, and we waited for Inna to get ready. At 08:00, we walked downstairs for breakfast. It was still dark outside, but the light was starting to emerge. We ordered some scrambled eggs and selected a few items from the buffet:
- Boris: Scrambled Eggs, Yogurt with Granola, Coffee
- Inna: Scrambled Eggs with Bacon, Cappuccino
- Alex: Scrambled Eggs with Bacon, Coffee
Alex and I finished breakfast first, then raced to get dressed for snowboarding and catch the next hotel shuttle to Nasserein. Inna was in less of a hurry, as she was going to visit the village later.
I write about snowboarding at St. Anton in a separate blog post here:
On returning to the hotel, we were surprised to discover Christmas Presents from both the hotel (chocolates and a bottle of wine) and from Inna. It was very kind and thoughtful!
Inna had already returned to the hotel (from her day of shopping in the village). She was already relaxing in the sauna. I went downstairs to enjoy the sauna and read my Kindle. I started reading
Alex decided to take a long bath and relax.
For dinner, the hotel prepared a specialty meal at 19:15. We dressed and went downstairs at 18:30 to enjoy a few drinks and socialize. Inna ordered a margarita (quite delicious and unique), and I ordered some sparkling wine. Inna's drink was much better! Alex ordered some sparkling water (as he was avoiding alcohol).
Our elaborate 6-course Christmas dinner included the following items:
- Scallop carpaccio with whey stock, lime, and poppy seed miso
- Cream of Parsley root soup with quail galantine and egg white
- Slow-cooked mountain char on a camomile and rapeseed broth with caviar and radishes
- Fillet of milk-fed veal on yellow beetroot with sunflower seeds, egg yolk cream, and more cream jus
- Warm-grey cattle Camembert cheese with cranberry sorbet and lemon emulsion
- Layered apple on pecan nuts with pistachio crumble, sheep's cheese ice cream, and vanilla cream
We enjoyed the elaborate Christmas Dinner, but it was lengthy, lasting over 2.5 hours.
Wednesday, December 25, 2024
Merry Christmas!
In the morning, I woke at around 08:00. I showered and dressed for breakfast. Inna was not feeling well and slept until 08:45.
At 09:15, we walked downstairs for breakfast, ordering the following items:
- Boris: Omelet, Yogurt with Granola, Austrian Pancakes with Hazelnut and Marmalade, Coffee
- Inna: Scrambled Eggs with Bacon, Cappuccino
- Alex: Scrambled Eggs with Bacon, Coffee
After breakfast, Alex decided to work out at the Arlberg Wellcom gym, while we decided to hike the Verwall Trail, about which I write in a separate blog post here:
After we returned to our hotel, we spent some time in our hotel's lobby, drinking hot tea and trying small snacks, including lasagna and gingerbread cookies. The lasagna was made with unusual cheese (at least to me) and tasted different from standard Italian lasagnas.
At around 17:00, we decided to visit the saunas. I spent 15 minutes in one sauna, showered, and rested in the quiet room. I finished reading Private by Kate Brian (which I didn't like).
At around 19:15, we headed downstairs for our last dinner. We enjoyed the following items:
- Salad Bar (where I primarily selected fresh cheeses)
- Marinated yellowfin tuna carpaccio with avocado, peppers, and passion fruit
- Truffled Topinambur (Jerusalem Artichoke) cream soup
- Medium roasted saddle of beef with chives and mashed potatoes with green asparagus
- Walnut tart with glazed grapes and yuzu apple sorbet
Dinner was excellent as usual, and I especially enjoyed the saddle of beef. We really enjoyed having our own assigned dinner table each night and the flexibility of dining from 18:30 - 20:20 without worrying about dinner reservations.
Thursday, December 26, 2024
I came down with a cold (I had severe nasal congestion and pain in my throat) and did not sleep during the night. I woke at 08:00, showered, shaved, and dressed. I started packing my suitcase and carry-on backpack. When both Alex and Inna were ready, we walked downstairs for our last breakfast at Hotel Zur Pfeffermühle.
As usual, we ordered scrambled eggs from our waitress (and picked up the other items ourselves from the self-serve island):
- Boris: Yogurt with Granola, Deli. Meats, Scrambled Eggs, Coffee, and Bread with Strawberry Jam
- Alex: Yogurt, Scrambled Eggs with Bacon, Coffee
- Inna: Deli Meats, Cheeses, Salad, Scrambled Eggs with Bacon, Latte
The strawberry jam was so delicious! We don't have anything like this in the U.S. I enjoyed looking at the snow-covered buildings outside and was a bit sad about leaving the area. We had such a wonderful time snowboarding, hiking, and dining here.
After breakfast, we checked out of our room (and reviewed the bill) and confirmed that our hotel shuttle would pick us up at 10:30 and take us to the nearby Train Terminal (a 5-minute ride).
We were a bit sad leaving our excellent hotel and St. Anton. We really loved our time here. We double-checked our room and transferred all of our luggage downstairs, where the shuttle was already waiting. We boarded the hotel shuttle van and were quickly whisked away to the train station.
I had already pre-purchased train tickets in the OBB Mobile App (with assigned seats), so we were guaranteed seating on the 11:03 train to Innsbruck.
Since the luggage was large and heavy, we needed to use the elevators to get it to track #3, where the train would be arriving. We boarded the train (looking for car #306 and our seats #64, 65, and 66). The ride was easy and uneventful, passing small, beautiful Austrian villages covered in snow. We saw a few cross-country skiers nearby, too.
We arrived in Innsbruck right on time at 12:11.
St. Anton Trip Report
Highlights
- Snowboarding in St. Anton am Arlberg
- Epic Powder Day on Tuesday, December 24
- Light powder day on Monday, December 23
- Staying in the beautiful Hotel Zur Pfeffermühle
- Enjoying the delicious breakfast (from 07:30 - 10:00)
- Enjoying free snacks in the afternoon (12:00 - 17:00)
- Enjoying the 3-course dinner in the evening (from 18:30 to 20:30)
- Enjoying the 4 saunas and the quiet rest area
- Hiking the Verwall Trail around Verwall Lake with a lunch stop at Wagner Hutte
Lowlights
- Alber Sport did not have the correct size snowboard boot for me
- Due to using an incorrectly sized boot, I developed numbness in my left foot
- Waiting 10-30 minutes for the hotel shuttle to pick us up
- The hotel shuttle starts pick-ups from Nasserein at 15:00
Links
- St. Anton am Arlberg Ski Resort (ski resort)
- Hotel zur Pfeffermühle (lodging, dining)
- Alber Sport (ski/snowboard rental, lockers)
- Cross-country trails in St. Anton (popular cross-country skiing trails in St. Anton)
- Arlberg WellCom (pool, fitness center)
- Museum St. Anton am Arlberg
