The lesser-known ski resort that got my beginner child zooming down red runs in just 8 days

LEARNING to ski is hard. Unless you’re a primary school kid, of course.

Then it’s super-easy and you’ll put every adult learner to shame immediately.

But even I was gobsmacked when my six-year-old was taking on red runs within eight days of first strapping a pair of skis on his tiny feet.

My son had only done six days of skiing in 2023 before we descended on Nassfeld resort in Austria this February half term.

So imagine my astonishment when, on day two, we waved goodbye to him at the Thommi ski school at the foot of the mountain, only to whizz past him on a red run with its fair share of moguls at the top of the resort, an hour later.

Nassfeld is a lesser-known resort in the Carnic Alps, a two-and-half-hour drive from Salzburg, with a smattering of blue runs, a hefty dose of reds and several blacks, making it perfect for intermediate and advanced skiers.

I was concerned at first about the number of blues, given my child had only just graduated to green runs on his first ski trip to France last winter.

But what that meant in practice is the instructors don’t hang about — they just get them going down the reds.

By the middle of the week, in our afternoons skiing as a family, my son was mastering some tricky mogul reds that would definitely have been labelled blacks in other resorts I’ve been to.

And he was getting down every single slope faster than me, despite the fact that I’ve been nine times in my adult life.

This is in large part down to his ski school, though. My son was particularly taken with his instructor Sandro, who appeared unflappable while steering several young children down tricky, busy runs.

[quote]Having been on ski holidays to Austria several times, it continues to surprise me how few Brits choose its mountains, compared to those in France or Italy.[/quote]

All of his group were pre-poles at the start of the week, and all of them were slalom racing with poles at the end — to the collective parents’ surprise.

[bc_video account_id=”5067014667001″ application_id=”” aspect_ratio=”16:9″ autoplay=”” caption=”Martin Lewis gives travel advice about checking your passport ” embed=”in-page” experience_id=”” height=”100%” language_detection=”” max_height=”360px” max_width=”640px” min_width=”0px” mute=”” padding_top=”56%” picture_in_picture=”” player_id=”default” playlist_id=”” playsinline=”” sizing=”responsive” video_id=”6356283888112″ video_ids=”” width=”640px”]

Despite it being half term in England, there were very few English voices around the resort — aside from teens on school trips.

Having been on ski holidays to Austria several times, it continues to surprise me how few Brits choose its mountains, compared to those in France or Italy.

Financially, it can be consider­ably cheaper, and it also felt ­quieter.

Admittedly, nothing can compare to French mountain cuisine, but the prices are substantially different and the Austrians do a mean version of mac ’n’ cheese (kasespatzle) for veggies like me, as well as their beloved schnitzel and sausages.

Plus, most of our meals were in our hotel — the four-star Falkensteiner Hotel & Spa Carinzia, which we’d booked through Crystal Ski Holidays.

Thanks to its cracking position right next to the main cable car up to the resort, we always made it back in time for the afternoon cake buffet.

Its restaurant served an excellent breakfast, the daily high tea, and dinner with a pizza corner, a large antipasti table, salad bar, soup, a la carte mains and — a highlight for both kids and adults — an ice cream and pick ’n’ mix corner.

It was the perfect spot for a family holiday — with enough to do that we were busy every second of every day.

Sure, the skiing was still the main event, but almost as important for my son was our afternoon visit to the hotel spa, in our matching robes and flip flops.

There were jacuzzi beds, massage spouts, a very cool indoor/outdoor pool with a view of the slopes and an over-18s sauna zone.

Unlike some other spas I’ve been to, children were made to feel incredibly welcome in the pool area.

Our daily spa sessions were followed by our own version of apres ski featuring hot chocolates in the hotel bar, with regular visits to its all-you-can eat popcorn cart.

We burnt off our sugar highs in the games room, with its pool table and shuffleboard, babyfoot and pinball machines, or in the kids’ playroom, which had its own indoor climbing frame and slide.

Our days were so busy that we spent very little time in our spacious bedroom, with a single bed and a large double, a walk-in shower and bath, plus a balcony overlooking the mountain village of Tröpolach.

The beds were super-comfy, but it was very easy to get our son out of his with the promise of two types of pancakes and three types of hot chocolate at breakfast, as well as the chance to reunite with his favourite ski instructor.

In fact, he enjoyed his classes so much that he insisted on enrolling in one on his last day, instead of taking it easy like we had planned.

If that isn’t a sign of a great time, I don’t know what is.

• Unlock even more award-winning articles as The Sun launches brand new membership programme – Sun Club.

[boxout headline=”GO: AUSTRIA SKI”][/boxout]