A very small ski area
A limited mix of blue, red and black runs, with the Kranabethhütte directly on the Gsoll piste. It is convenient, but it is not Tirol or big-mountain skiing.
Stay3 nights
DatesDepart 1 or 2 Jan
Per person€375 · about £3193 nights + half board + NYE feast
Per couple€750 · about £6383 nights + half board + NYE feast
The plan
A New Year above Lake Traunsee
The Kranabethhütte sits at 1,530 metres on the Feuerkogel plateau above Ebensee, directly beside the Gsoll ski run and around ten minutes on foot from the cable-car mountain station.
There are currently three double rooms available for up to six people. We could stay from 29 December to 1 January or from 30 December to 2 January. The hut expects around 25 guests for New Year, so there should be atmosphere without a huge hotel party.
Included in the €375 / approximately £319
Visit the official hut website
- A large breakfast every morning
- A three-course dinner on the other evenings
- The full special New Year’s Eve feast and programme
- Three nights, bedding, heating and hot water
Where we sleep
Simple, warm double rooms
Bedding, heating and hot water are included. The rooms are private and comfortable by mountain-hut standards, with a washbasin inside each room.
Shared facilities: showers and toilets are outside the bedrooms, along the corridor.
Our base for three nights
Warm lights, deep snow and the mountain outside the door.
A proper hut atmosphere for New Year—not a polished resort hotel.
31 December
Everything for the evening is included
Breakfast and a three-course dinner are included throughout the stay, with a special programme for New Year’s Eve.
Outside the hut
A small ski area.
A small ski area.
A much bigger landscape.
Feuerkogel is a very small, family-friendly ski area. This is not Tirol or a big-mountain Alpine resort. The upside is an easy ski-in/ski-out base, modern snowmaking and panoramic views across Lake Traunsee and the Salzkammergut peaks.
Walk the plateau
Four marked snowshoe trails plus a practice trail cover roughly 25 km, alongside winter walks and ski-touring routes.
Explore the lakes
Head down for day trips to Gmunden, Ebensee and other places around the Salzkammergut. If conditions are mixed, we will not run out of options.
If there is no snow
Walking routes still give us a reason to be on the mountain
The Feuerkogel summer panorama shows a good network from the plateau. Which routes are suitable in late December will depend on ice, wind and ground conditions, so we would check locally before setting out.
Open the full summer hiking panorama
Easier circuit
Alberfeldkogel & Helmeskogel
4.7 km · about 2 hours · 127 m ascent
A normal panoramic hike with very little technical difficulty—no climbing or via ferrata required.
Longer option Helmeskogel & Alberfeldkogel 8.2 km · about 2 hours · 321 m ascentAn easy-rated plateau route on Bergfex with lake viewpoints and both summits.
No snow guarantee
At around 1,600 metres, natural snow at New Year cannot be guaranteed. The ski area has snowmaking, but if skiing is limited we can explore the marked plateau trails on foot or snowshoes when conditions allow. A larger ski area is also possible as a planned day trip, working around the cable-car timetable.
What it costs
The useful numbers
GBP amounts are approximate. Winter and New Year drink prices may differ from the hut’s published summer menu.
€375about £319
Per person for the complete stay.
- Large breakfast every morning
- Three-course dinner on the other evenings
- Special New Year’s Eve dinner and programme
Per couple€750 · about £638
€59about £50
Per adult, including the cable car and ski lifts.
Per couple€118 · about £100
€34.80about £30
Return journey per adult, without use of the ski lifts.
Per couple€69.60 · about £59
€44.30about £38
Per adult, including return cable car and equipment rental.
Per couple€88.60 · about £75
At the bar
Drinks look fairly reasonable
Based on the hut’s summer 2026 menu.
Beer · 500 ml€5.70 · £4.85
Wheat beer€6.00 · £5.10
Wine · 250 ml€7.20 · £6.12
Wine spritzer€4.50 · £3.83
Aperol or Hugo€7.00 · £5.95
Soft drink · 500 ml€5.90 · £5.02
Cappuccino€4.60 · £3.91
The honest summary
Not luxury.
Not luxury.
A proper mountain New Year.
Why it could be great
- Three nights, half board and the celebration included
- Ski-in/ski-out location with beautiful lake and mountain views
- Enough people in the hut for atmosphere
- Snowshoeing, winter walks and Salzkammergut day trips
- Good value compared with many remaining options
What to be comfortable with
- Shared showers and toilets in the corridor
- Simple rooms rather than a hotel
- A very small ski area—not Tirol or a major Alpine resort
- Natural snow is never guaranteed this far ahead
I’m still looking at options, but most places are already booked or are much more expensive. If this sounds like something you would enjoy, let us know soon—the three available rooms may not stay available for long.
Are you in?
Getting there & getting out
Start at the Feuerkogel valley station
Feuerkogel cable car
Rudolf Ippisch-Platz 4
4802 Ebensee, Austria
4802 Ebensee, Austria
Free parking is available at the valley station. From the top station, the hut is around a ten-minute walk; luggage transport can be arranged outside ski-operating hours.
Open directions in Google Maps
Day-trip range
More than enough nearby
Approximate driving distances from Ebensee. Winter traffic and road conditions can change journey times, and we would check lift status before setting off.
Traunsee waterfront, the historic centre and lakeside Schloss Ort.
Route ↗Cafés, the Kaiservilla and the thermal spa make an easy non-ski day.
Route ↗The famous lakeside village is close enough for a proper day trip.
Route ↗A high-alpine option above Obertraun, best known for its long valley run and freeride terrain.
Official site ↗A much broader network of pistes around Gosau, Russbach and Annaberg.
Official site ↗