Trail map
Published by Oberpinzgauer Fremdenverkehrsförderungs- und Bergbahnen AG (Bergbahnen Wildkogel), panorama by sitour; this copy via bergfex. The current official map is at Oberpinzgauer Fremdenverkehrsförderungs- und Bergbahnen AG (Bergbahnen Wildkogel).
Routable 3D map
The whole lift and piste network of Wildkogel is routable in the app: difficulty limits, live lift and piste status, alternative ways to the same place, and a 3D view of the terrain.
Open in SkiAllDayThe verdict
Wildkogel is a family and intermediate ski area above Neukirchen and Bramberg in Salzburg's Pinzgau. The operator counts 75 km of pistes, 85% of them blue or red, under a top lift at 2,150 m, and both villages feed one connected bowl. Strong skiers run out of terrain quickly, and neither valley run is a good one. The 14 km floodlit toboggan run is separate from the ski figures.123456
Goes well for
- Families and beginners: 85% of the pistes are blue or red, each village has a drag lift and a separate beginner lift, and children's areas sit at the top of both gondolas
- Intermediates who want wide, groomed pistes in one bowl, with enough lifts that a bad piste can be skipped
- Mixed groups where some do not ski: a 14 km toboggan run lit until 22:00 runs from the Smaragdbahn top station down to Bramberg
Goes badly for
- Strong skiers: only 10 km of the 75 km is black, and forum reports from 2018 to 2026 describe one to three days as enough here
- A proper valley run: the Bramberg run is largely the toboggan track, and the Neukirchen run ends in the village a ten-minute walk from the lift
- Low-snow seasons: the top lift is at 2,150 m, and January 2026 reports describe brown pistes and closed natural-snow runs
Key facts
Every card opens. The headline number is the answer; underneath is how it was measured and where it came from.
Elevation 1,331m vertical · 819–2,150 m
| Village | 856 m7 |
|---|---|
| Lowest piste | 819 m7 |
| Highest lift-served point | 2,150 m1 |
| Vertical drop | 1,331 m |
The operator gives the highest lift as 2,150 m. The two valley bases are Neukirchen at 856 m and Bramberg at 819 m according to the printed trail map, which also marks the Wildkogelbahn top station at 2,091 m and the Smaragdbahn top station at 2,101 m. The summits around the bowl are higher than any lift: Frühmesser 2,233 m, Wildkogel 2,224 m and Braunkogel 2,167 m on the operator's snow-reliability page.
Pistes 75km 69.2 km measured from the network
- Easy 35km 47%
- Intermediate 30km 40%
- Difficult 10km 13%
Marketed vs measuredThe operator counts 75 km, split 35 km blue, 30 km red and 10 km black, and skiresort.info gives the same figures. Our measurement of the OpenStreetMap network finds 69.2 km of piste tagged for skiing, 8% less. Of that, 67.3 km is one connected network joining Neukirchen and Bramberg, and 1.9 km is two small valley fragments (a rope tow in the Dürnbachtal and the Wennsergletscher family lift) that no piste joins to the rest. The page covers the connected network, which is the whole ski area. OpenStreetMap also grades more of it easy than the operator does: 74% of measured length is tagged blue against the operator's 47%. The 14 km toboggan run is not a ski piste and is in none of these figures; two ski ways along family toboggan trails, Stockenbaum and Neuhaus, are listed by the operator as easy pistes.
Lifts 20 3 types in the fleet
- Drag lift 11
- Gondola 5
- Chairlift 4
The operator counts 5 gondolas, 4 chairlifts and 11 drag lifts or beginner lifts, plus several magic carpets, which is 20 lifts before the carpets. The Wildkogelbahn from Neukirchen and the Smaragdbahn from Bramberg each run in two sections with a middle station. On the Smaragdbahn every passenger changes cabin at the middle station, which is also where toboggan riders get out; on the Wildkogelbahn passengers can stay seated through it. A 2020 trip report records the two Smaragdbahn sections as 10-seat gondolas and the Frühmesser X-Press as a six-seat chairlift with a bubble. Our graph carries the same gondola and chairlift counts as the operator.8
Season December – April winter season
| Winter season | early December – early April |
|---|---|
| Lift hours | 08:30–16:30 |
Day pass EUR 72 adult, main season
| Adult | EUR 729 |
|---|---|
| Youth | EUR 589 |
| Child | EUR 369 |
| Multi-resort passes | Multi-day tickets for the Wildkogel-Arena alone: 2 days 144.00, 4 days 269.00 and 7 days 404.00 for adults. Sonnen-Wahl-Abo choice tickets: 4 days within 6 for 279.50, 5 days within 6 for 338.00, 6 days within 10 for 402.50 (adults). Wildkogel-Arena and Zillertaler Superskipass: valid on the Wildkogel-Arena and in the Zillertal, 2 days 163.50 and 7 days 458.50 for adults. The 7-day combined ticket costs 54.50 more than the Wildkogel-only 7-day ticket. SuperSkiCard: valid at Wildkogel-Arena, Zillertal Arena, the Kitzbühel ski area, Zell am See-Kaprun and others per the operator, 2 days 170.00 and 7 days 497.00 for adults; a photo is required from 8 days. Toboggan tickets are separate: a single ride up and down 24.00 for adults and 12.00 for children, a toboggan day ticket 58.00 and 29.00. The Friday evening ride to 18:30 is not included in a ski pass. |
Tariffs for winter 2026/27 from the operator's price page. The day ticket costs the same all season, with no difference between high and low season. Youth is born 2008 to 2011, child is born 2012 to 2020, and anyone born 2021 or later travels free with proof of age. Day tickets from 11:30 cost 61.50 for adults, from 12:30 49.00 and from 13:30 41.50. Skiresort.info lists 69.50 for an adult day ticket, which differs from the operator's price.
Nearest airport about 1h30 by road, 110 km Salzburg
| Salzburg | about 1h30 by road, 110 km by road |
|---|---|
| Munich or Innsbruck | 2 to 3 hours by road by road |
From Munich the operator's route is Kufstein Süd (toll-free exit), St. Johann in Tirol, Kitzbühel, Pass Thurn and Mittersill to Bramberg and Neukirchen. From Salzburg and Vienna it is the A1 to Bischofshofen, then Zell am See and Mittersill. Bramberg comes first on the road from Mittersill, so day visitors from that side reach the Smaragdbahn before the Wildkogelbahn.
The mountain
These figures come from measuring the resort's actual piste and lift network rather than from its brochure. Measured from the SkiAllDay routing graph on 17 October 2026. Where the resort publishes a figure of its own, that figure is the one shown.
Piste km per lift km
2.12
Piste km opened by each kilometre of lift line. It measures how sparse the lift network is, not how good it is: a high figure means long runs off few lifts, so more skiing between rides but more traversing and more people funnelled onto each lift; a low one means dense lift service, quick laps and short waits, at the cost of repeating the same runs.
measuredLift minutes per ski hour
56 min
Time riding up for every hour spent descending, from the graph’s own traversal times.
measuredLongest continuous descent
10.3 km
The longest run of linked pistes that never rides a lift.
measuredReachable on easy runs only
72%
Share of piste a skier can reach from the base without ever descending something harder than an easy run.
measuredNorth-facing terrain
28%
Piste facing N, NE or NW, from the bearing of each descent. Shaded aspects hold snow longest.
measuredVertical on that descent
1,329 m
measuredUphill on surface lifts
13%
Share of climbing served by drag lifts and platters, weighted by vertical rather than by lift count.
measuredPiste above 2,500 m
0%
measuredMedian piste altitude
1,819 m
Half the piste length lies above this height and half below, weighted by length.
measuredSkiers per piste km
79
At full lift capacity — a ceiling for comparing resorts, not a forecast of your day. Derived from uphill capacity, lift ride times and the split between riding and descending.
measuredAverage lift capacity
1,835/h
People per hour, averaged across lifts. High can mean short queues, or a lot of people arriving on the same runs.
measuredMean piste gradient
17%
Length-weighted across every piste. Comparable between countries in a way that piste colour is not.
measuredPiste measured
69.2 km
measuredLift length measured
32.6 km
measuredHow steep is it, really
Piste colour is set by each resort under its own rules, so a red in one country is a blue in another. Measured gradient is comparable everywhere.
- 15% 0–10%
- 55% 10–20%
- 18% 20–30%
- 9% 30–40%
- 3% 40%+
Guide
Two valley lifts, the Wildkogelbahn from Neukirchen and the Smaragdbahn from Bramberg, lift skiers to two stations a few hundred metres apart at about 2,100 m, and every lift above that works one wide bowl.
Two villages, one bowl
The Wildkogelbahn runs from Neukirchen and the Smaragdbahn from Bramberg, and both reach the same high ground. The operator's snow report names the core of the ski area as the ground between Frühmesser at 2,233 m, Braunkogel at 2,167 m, the Gensbichlscharte at 2,021 m and Wildkogel at 2,224 m. Our measurement finds 67.3 km of the 69.2 km of piste in one connected network joining the two villages. The 1.9 km that remains is two valley practice areas with no piste to the rest.11011
Mostly blue and red, with little black
The operator splits its 75 km as 35 km blue, 30 km red and 10 km black. Its list of difficult pistes names Braunkogel, the Ganzer X-press, Pfeifferköpfl and the top of the Neukirchen valley run. Our measurement gives a mean gradient of 17%, with 88% of piste length under 30%. A January 2023 report found black piste 2 at Pfeifferköpfl excellent in the morning and its lower steep pitch icy by afternoon, and a March 2026 report praised the black piste at Braunkogel.111126
Beginners
Wildkogel is easy to learn on. The operator puts a drag lift and a separate beginner lift in each village, with children's areas at the top of the Wildkogelbahn and the Smaragdbahn, and a Funslope and Familypark for first jumps and boxes. Our routing measurement finds 72% of the piste reachable from the base without descending anything harder than an easy run. The children's area may only be used together with a ski course.1131411
The two valley runs
Neither valley run is a good place to spend a day. The Bramberg run is, below the middle station, mostly the toboggan track, and reports from 2018 and 2026 describe tobogganers crossing at random and braking waves. The Neukirchen run, piste 6, is the one forum reporters rate highest, with a firmer, shaded lower section. It ends in the village and not at the lift, so the way back is a walk of about ten minutes or a shuttle.35156
Snow and aspect
The operator cites an assessment by GeoSphere Austria that the core of the ski area is snow-reliable from the end of November to April, because the upper bowl faces north and collects snow. Across the whole network we measure 28% of piste length facing north, northeast or northwest, a median piste altitude of 1,819 m and no piste above 2,500 m. Forum reports from 2023 describe the south side turning to firn from about 10:00 and the shaded bowl staying harder. Snowmaking covers the main pistes, and January 2026 reports describe several natural-snow pistes brown or closed.1011125
The toboggan run
The toboggan run is a separate attraction with its own tickets. The operator gives it as 14 km with about 1,300 m of descent, from the Smaragdbahn top station to its valley station, lit until 22:00 (Mondays until 18:00). The last ride up is at 16:15 and on Fridays 18:30 in suitable weather; the evening ride is not covered by a ski pass. The run is open from about mid-December to early or mid-March, and a shorter 3.5 km run, the Rodelbahn A5, starts at the same top station.29
| Skier | Verdict | Why |
|---|---|---|
| First-timer | excellent | A drag lift and a beginner lift in each village, children's areas at both top stations, and 72% of the measured piste reachable on easy runs only. The Kinderland requires a ski course.11311 |
| Second-week skier | excellent | 35 km of blue and 30 km of red, mostly wide and in one bowl, so a piste that is icy or closed can be swapped for another. The crossings where the bowl's pistes converge need care from about 10:00.153 |
| Family with mixed abilities | excellent | Skiers, beginners and non-skiers can share a day: children born in 2021 or later travel free, there is a toboggan run from the same gondola, and a Funslope for the older children.9214 |
| Confident intermediate | good | The red pistes are plentiful and the Neukirchen valley run is a long one when open. A forum poster who skied here for three days found that enough.14 |
| Freestyle and park rider | fair | The Familypark is described by the operator as a beginner park with small jumps and wide boxes, and the Funslope has banked turns and waves. There is nothing larger listed.14 |
| Advanced skier | poor | Only 10 km of black, at Braunkogel, Pfeifferköpfl and the Ganzer X-press, and some of it natural-snow piste that was closed or brown in January 2023 and January 2026 reports. Forum reports describe one to three days as enough, and a Superskipass to the Zillertal as the way to fill a week.1345 |
By car
From Munich the operator's route is Kufstein Süd (toll-free exit), St. Johann in Tirol, Kitzbühel, Pass Thurn and Mittersill to Bramberg and Neukirchen. From Salzburg and Vienna it is the A1 to Bischofshofen, then Zell am See and Mittersill. Bramberg comes first on the road from Mittersill, so day visitors from that side reach the Smaragdbahn before the Wildkogelbahn.
By train
The operator advertises rail travel to Zell am See with fares from 19.90 euros from Munich. A 2020 trip report arrived by regional train at Neukirchen am Großvenediger station, walked to the Wildkogelbahn, skied across and walked from the Smaragdbahn valley station to Bramberg am Wildkogel station for the return. The operator also lists a ski bus network in Neukirchen and Bramberg.
Where to base yourself
| Neukirchen am Großvenediger | Valley station of the Wildkogelbahn at about 856 m; the Wildkogelbahn side has the most bus stops, according to a 2018 trip report |
|---|---|
| Bramberg am Wildkogel 5 km | Valley station of the Smaragdbahn at about 819 m, where the 14 km toboggan run ends |
| Zell am See 35 km | The rail destination in the operator's advertised fares from Munich; the operator puts the Zell am See-Kaprun ski region 35 km away |
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Aussichts-Bergrestaurant
Listed by the operator at 2,091 m and marked on the trail map at the top station, with the Ramba Zambar bar next to it.167
-
Wildkogel Alm
Marked on the trail map beside the Smaragdbahn top station. A January 2026 trip report praised the quick service, the Kaspressknödel in broth and prices described as fairly civilised.75
-
Geisl-Hochalm
Listed by the operator at 1,904 m and tagged there as a winter excursion tip. The operator names an easy piste from it to the Ganzer X-press.161
-
Bergeralm
Listed by the operator at 1,742 m in Neukirchen.16
What skiers say
-
Expect a queue at the Smaragdbahn valley station in the morning, and ride up and ski piste 14a from the top to the middle station for repeat laps.53
A January 2026 report waited almost 10 minutes at 08:35 and then skied 14a three times, boarding at the middle station without a wait because there is no through-ride there and most tobogganers get out. A January 2018 report queued about 15 minutes at the base, mostly because tobogganers fit only three to a gondola.
-
Do not count on an empty area in late March on a weekday.6
A report from 22 March 2026 went looking for a quiet area and found a steady operation with many German school groups; it also found piste quality very good for the end of March.
-
Early arrivals should park at the Wildkogelbahn in Neukirchen, because the buses all run there.3
A 2018 report found some Bramberg car parks a fair walk from the Smaragdbahn valley station and said the Neukirchen car park is the first choice for anyone who is early.
-
Plan the Neukirchen valley run as a one-way trip back to the lift: it ends in the village, with a ten-minute walk or the shuttle.156
A December 2025 report waited about seven minutes for the shuttle at the end of the run and crossed roads without unclipping; a March 2026 report gives the same choice of a ten-minute walk or the electric gondola shuttle.
-
A car-free day works as a point-to-point trip between the two stations.17
A January 2020 trip report arrived at Neukirchen am Großvenediger station and walked to the Wildkogelbahn, skied across, and walked from the Smaragdbahn valley station to Bramberg am Wildkogel station for the return.
-
Ski the Neukirchen valley run, piste 6, whenever it is open.12153
A 2023 report called it the best run as always, a December 2025 report found it firmer and better toward the bottom, and a 2018 poster described the top part below the Gensbichlalm as quick and the lower piste 1a as varied.
-
Use the Braunkogel drag lift when the chairs are busy.56
A January 2026 report found it the only lift without a wait and skied black piste 16 repeatedly, brown but well groomed because the look had put people off; a March 2026 report praised the Braunkogel black piste.
-
Ski the black piste 2 at Pfeifferköpfl in the morning.12
A January 2023 report found it top in the morning and the lower steep section very icy by afternoon.
-
Try the blue piste 13 at Frühmesser for a sunny morning.5
A January 2026 report found it the usable piste on a poor day, east-facing and sunny in the morning.
-
Drop into the bowl when the ridges are windy.6
A March 2026 report met gusts on the ridge and sheltered in the bowl below it.
-
A week for a strong skier is better on the combined Zillertal ticket than the Wildkogel-only one.49
A 2022 thread put the premium for the combined pass at about 30 euros a week and one poster said a week at Wildkogel would bore a good skier; the 2026/27 premium for a 7-day adult ticket is 54.50 euros (458.50 against 404.00).
-
Eat the Kaspressknödel at the Wildkogel Alm beside the Smaragdbahn top station.5
A January 2026 trip report ended the day there with two large Kaspressknödel in broth, quick service and prices called fairly civilised.
-
The Zwischenzeit hut on the Bramberg side gets full in the afternoon.3
A 2018 report found it very busy, with toboggans parked along the path and narrowing it as the hut filled.
-
Do not treat the Bramberg valley run as a ski descent.356
Below the middle station it is mostly the toboggan track. A 2018 poster found it dangerous and a January 2026 poster called it a single ski way shared with a great many tobogganers; a March 2026 report says it can be skipped.
-
Slow down where the bowl's pistes converge and cross.53
A January 2026 report called the crossings and traverses in the bowl annoying and dangerous with many people about, and a 2018 report called the crossings at the bottom of the bowl a little awkward.
-
Check that the Neukirchen valley run is open before committing to it.6
On 22 March 2026 it was already closed while the upper pistes were in very good shape.
-
On a freeze-thaw day, ski the south side from about 10:00 and go back to the bowl for the afternoon.123
A January 2023 report found the south side turning to firn after 10:00 and softer by afternoon, with the shaded bowl wintry and harder; a 2018 report found the shade powdery all day and the south slopes toward the Salzach valley at spring conditions.
-
Check natural-snow pistes such as the Braunkogel black before planning around them.5
A January 2026 report found several natural-snow pistes still closed and others brown, while the snowmade pistes were in good shape.
History
-
1898
The Wildkogelhaus is built below the summit at 2,005 m, on a hill that was already described for its panorama in 19th-century literature.18
-
2010
The Smaragdbahn opens, connecting Bramberg to the ski area for the first time directly from the valley.196
-
2017
The Ganzer X-press, a 10-seat gondola, is running by Christmas of the 2017/18 season, according to a forum trip report.3
Nearby and comparable
- Kitzbühel
The nearest of the big areas, over Pass Thurn on the road from Mittersill; the two are not linked by lift. The SuperSkiCard covers both.
- Zillertal Arena
Reached by road over the Gerlos Alpenstraße; the combined Wildkogel and Zillertal Superskipass covers both, and the operator gives multi-day ticket holders a free toll on the automatic lane of the Gerlos Alpenstraße.
- Zell am See-Kaprun 35 km
The operator puts it 35 km away, covered by the SuperSkiCard but not by the Wildkogel-only tickets.
Questions
How many kilometres of piste does Wildkogel have?
The operator counts 75 km of ski pistes at the Wildkogel-Arena in Neukirchen and Bramberg: 35 km blue, 30 km red and 10 km black. Our measurement of the OpenStreetMap network finds 69.2 km, of which 67.3 km is one connected network. The 14 km toboggan run is not a piste and is not part of either figure.111
Is Wildkogel good for beginners and families?
Yes. 85% of the pistes are blue or red according to the operator, each of the two villages has a drag lift and a beginner lift, and children's areas sit at the top of the Wildkogelbahn and the Smaragdbahn. Our routing measurement finds 72% of the piste reachable from the base without descending anything harder than an easy run. The children's area can only be used with a ski course.11311
How much does a day ticket cost at Wildkogel?
An adult day ticket costs 72.00 euros for winter 2026/27, a youth ticket (born 2008 to 2011) 58.00 and a child ticket (born 2012 to 2020) 36.00. Tickets from 11:30 are 61.50 for adults, from 12:30 49.00 and from 13:30 41.50. Children born 2021 or later travel free. The price is the same all season.9
When is Wildkogel open in winter 2026/27?
The Wildkogelbahn and Smaragdbahn are scheduled to run from 5 December to 8 December 2026 and from 11 December 2026 to 4 April 2027. They open at 08:30, or 08:15 from 1 February, and the last descent from the mountain stations is 16:30. Weather interruptions are expected.9
Is the 14 km toboggan run part of the ski area?
It is a separate attraction. The operator calls it the longest floodlit toboggan run in the world, 14 km with about 1,300 m of descent, from the Smaragdbahn top station to Bramberg, lit until 22:00 (Mondays until 18:00). It needs a toboggan ticket for rides after 16:15, and the ski pass covers the ride up only until then.29
Is Wildkogel good for advanced skiers?
Not for a full week. Only 10 km of the 75 km is black, and forum reports from 2018, 2022 and 2026 describe one to three days as enough for a good skier. Some of the black pistes are natural-snow pistes that were closed or brown in thin-snow reports. The combined ticket for Wildkogel and the Zillertal adds terrain for a longer stay.13456
How snow-reliable is the Wildkogel-Arena?
The operator cites a GeoSphere Austria assessment that the core of the ski area is snow-reliable from the end of November to April. The top lift is at 2,150 m, and the Neukirchen valley run was already closed on 22 March 2026, while January 2026 reports describe several natural-snow pistes brown or closed.1056
How do you get to Wildkogel from Salzburg airport?
Salzburg airport is about 110 km and 1.5 hours by road from the Wildkogel-Arena in Neukirchen and Bramberg, according to the operator. The route runs through Zell am See and Mittersill. The operator also lists Munich and Innsbruck airports at 2 to 3 hours.20
References
Every claim on this page carries a numbered marker linking here, and every reference links back to the passages that used it. Numbers not yet checked against a source are marked like this.
- 1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Anlagen und Pisten in der Wildkogel-Arena
- 2. ^ a b c d Rodelbahnen in der Wildkogel-Arena
- 3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Wildkogel 2017/18
- 4. ^ a b c d e Wildkogel Fasching 2022
- 5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Wildkogel Arena 2025/26
- 6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Wildkogel Arena 22.03.26 - Pinzgauer Pistenschneeschüssel
- 7. ^ a b c d Piste map Wildkogel-Arena / Neukirchen / Bramberg
- 8. ^ Derived from other figures on this page
- 9. ^ a b c d e f g h i Öffnungszeiten und Skipasstarife der Bergbahnen Wildkogel, Winter 2026/27
- 10. ^ a b c Schneesichere Wildkogel-Arena
- 11. ^ a b c d e f g SkiAllDay routing graph, computed from OpenStreetMap
- 12. ^ a b c d e Wildkogel Arena - 2022/2023
- 13. ^ a b c Die Kogel-Mogel Kinderbereiche im Skigebiet Wildkogel-Arena
- 14. ^ a b c Funslope & Familypark in der Wildkogel-Arena
- 15. ^ a b c Wildkogel | 21.12.2025 | Es wurde mal Zeit
- 16. ^ a b c Hütten & Almen in der Wildkogel-Arena
- 17. ^ Wildkogel (S) / 24. Jänner 2020
- 18. ^ Wildkogel
- 19. ^ Bramberg am Wildkogel
- 20. ^ Anreise in die Wildkogel-Arena
Page last updated 17 October 2026.