Discover St Johann, Austria

When it comes to skiing, there is a web of well-prepared trails separated by acres of powder snow. I rate it as one of the best-suited ski resorts for first-time skiers, regardless of whether you’re on your own, with a group of mates or the family. The bunny slope, a beginner ski area, is about a 400-metre walk from the main Gondola Station, but it can also be reached by the BOBO Express, a train that runs between the Ski School St Johann and beginner slope. It’s a very gentle slope, with a drag lift that gives you the means to learn without the fear of dropping off the side of a mountain - understandably a big worry for a lot of beginners, as control is not yet your best attribute. The ski area offers 60 km of skiing, more than enough to keep most first-timers happy for a week.

For those that can ski, there's the Schneewinkel Pass. This gives you access to another ten skiing areas that would have even the likes of alpine ski racer Bode Miller exhausted and ready for bed at the end of the day. If skiing isn’t your cup of tea, there are loads more activities to keep you busy and entertained. Ski-bobbing is another popular past time and the slopes of St Johann are perfectly suited for this ski cycle. Yes, a ski cycle. A ski-bob is a small bicycle that has skis instead of tyres and your feet are the brakes. Brave individuals can often be seen catching the last gondola up to the top and then making their way down, stopping at several bars along the way. Ski-bobbing might sound easy, but it's harder than it looks and I would not recommend you trying it on your own if you have never tried it before. Rather, make use of the services of a professional company in the village that can give you some lessons.

With easy access to Innsbruck, Salzburg and the famous town of Kitzbühel, just 15 minutes away by train, visitors can indulge in some serious retail therapy or go on a tour. But if the sights of some of Austria’s more popular towns are not your thing, then you can always visit one of the 25 mountain huts for a bauer schnapps (schnapps with a piece of spec that's filled with mustard and sauerkraut) or a game of nails, a popular drinking game.