Rauris Feb 2013.

Blessed with excellent snow conditions for our recent trip. One of my best skiing trips in recent memory!

Travelled with family and was lucky to stay at the Schönblick apartments; 3 min walk to the gondola and in to town. The staff in the sports bar at the resort were fabulous and made you feel welcome. Facilities there were excellent especially the outside hot tub! I would give the Schönblick 9/10. A little disappointed that the sports bar was closed on the night of the Real Madrid v Man Utd game.

Rauris, the village, is beautiful and set in a stunning valley. Perfect in every way for families! The hospitality and the après-ski is what the Austrians, I feel, sets them ahead of the other Alpine countries. Location is easy to find and would recommend flying to Salzburg with about an hour transfer into the mountains until you pass the Gastein valley and head up to the village itself. My score 9/10.

Finally, the skiing! Well kept pistes, little queuing first thing in the morning at the gondola or chairlift, excellent ski school facilities with the Karl Maier ski school. There are at least 2 other ski schools in the resort, from which I hadn't heard a bad word either. The only criticism, from myself, would be the small pisted runs available. I believe there was only 33km of marked runs available. As a holiday skier, as I would call myself (15th time on snow), I would like a little more variety but having said this you can easily reach the much larger resorts either side of the valley; Zell am see and the gastein valley are comfortably within half an hour either way. The lift pass at €200 was a tad pricey, but all in all, for a beginner up to an advanced intermediate, you would not be disappointed. Off-piste and cross country skiing, amply catered for and the large toboggan run from above the mid station back to the village is a must! The skiing I would give a 7.5/10.

Overall, having weighed up the holiday as a whole and the sheer enjoyment I had, I would definitely recommend and if possible stay at the Schönblick apartments. Rauris, in my book, scores a massive 9/10 and a potential resort I would invest in for a holiday home!

Thank you Rauris and especially the staff at the Schönblick, keep up the excellent hospitality!