Oetz - the village that gave the Ötztal valley its name - was, because of its location in the anterior Ötztal valley, the first classic winter sports center of the valley. Every 15 minutes a local ski bus brings you from one end of the village to the other. With the new 8-seater gondola you can get to the Hochoetz ski area in 8 minutes only. This area features 27 well-prepared slopes for skiing and snowboarding at its best for the whole family.

The Hochoetz-Ochsengarten ski area with its 30km of slopes is located in the anterior Ötztal valley and cannot be seen from the valley. A few years ago the wide slopes of the Balbachalm were turned into skiing slopes and connected to the Hochoetz ski area. Framed by an enchanted winter forest if features varied downhills at all levels of difficulty (incl. the 4km-long downhill to Ochsengarten), catering for beginners, advanced skiers and experts alike. Our youngest guests find ideal conditions too and learn in a playful way to master winter sports. Free ski courses for children are offered in January and March. In our kindergarten even the youngest guests, that cannot yet ski, are looked after by our pedagogical-trained staff so that parents can enjoy unlimited skiing fun.