Three small Vorarlberg villages well away from the main Tyrolean circuit, in a corner of the Alps that records some of the heaviest snowfall of any inhabited place in Europe. That single fact is the reason people come.

The terrain is more serious than the modest size suggests. There is a high share of black runs, steep open faces, and off piste you can ski straight from the lifts on a storm day. Intermediates get uncrowded reds and a lot of sunshine between the storms.

Small guesthouses and half board hotels are cheap by Austrian standards, and most people eat where they sleep. Right for anyone who cares about conditions above everything else. Keep a snowshoe walk in reserve for the days the upper lifts are on hold.