Ischgl () is a town in the Paznaun valley in the

Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...

state of Tyrol Tyrol (; german: Tirol ; it, Tirolo) is a state (''Land'') in western Austria. It comprises the Austrian part of the historical Princely County of Tyrol. It is a constituent part of the present-day Euroregion Tyrol–South Tyrol–Trentino (t ...

. Its

ski resort A ski resort is a resort developed for skiing, snowboarding, and other winter sports. In Europe, most ski resorts are towns or villages in or adjacent to a ski area – a mountainous area with pistes (ski trails) and a ski lift system. In Nort ...

is connected with that of

Samnaun Samnaun ( rm, Samignun) is a high Alpine village and a valley at the eastern end of Switzerland and a municipality in the Engiadina Bassa/Val Müstair Region in the Swiss canton of Graubünden. History The valley was first used as a seasonal m ...

across the border in

Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...

to form one of the largest in the

Alps The Alps () ; german: Alpen ; it, Alpi ; rm, Alps ; sl, Alpe . are the highest and most extensive mountain range system that lies entirely in Europe, stretching approximately across seven Alpine countries (from west to east): France, Sw ...

. Ischgl was a major hotspot of the

COVID-19 pandemic in Europe The global COVID-19 pandemic arrived in Europe with its first confirmed case in Bordeaux, France, on 24 January 2020, and subsequently spread widely across the continent. By 17 March 2020, every country in Europe had confirmed a case, and all ...

Ski resort

Ischgl is located on the Austrian side of one of the world's largest ski areas. Its of groomed pistes are served by over 45 mechanical lifts including cable cars,

gondolas The gondola (, ; vec, góndoła ) is a traditional, flat-bottomed Venetian rowing boat, well suited to the conditions of the Venetian lagoon. It is typically propelled by a gondolier, who uses a rowing oar, which is not fastened to the hul ...

, detachable chair lifts and some T-bars. Three ropeways give access to the ski area from the village: the Pardatschgratbahn, the Fimbabahn & the Silvrettabahn. Only the Fimbabahn and the Silvrettabahn have middle stations.Ischgl.com
/ref> Many of the lifts converge at Idalp, where there is a restaurant. The area above Idalp offers wide, easy pistes and a snow park. Other parts of the Ischgl area, towards Höllboden and Paznauner Thaya, offer many red runs and some more challenging blacks. The steepest run in the resort is a black run with a gradient of 70%, located in the Höllboden bowl, and accessed by the "Lange Wand" chair lift. Paznauner Thaya offers many red runs suitable for intermediate-level skiers.

COVID-19 pandemic hotspot

Ischgl was identified as a major hotspot of the

. Six hundred infections in Austria and up to 1,200 infections in Germany and the

Nordic countries The Nordic countries (also known as the Nordics or ''Norden''; literal translation, lit. 'the North') are a geographical and cultural region in Northern Europe and the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic. It includes the sovereign states of Denmar ...

were traced back to the ski resort, starting from Iceland on 1 March 2020, with transmissions occurring from late February 2020. A significant portion of the cases were further traced to the ''Kitzloch''

après-ski A ski resort is a resort developed for skiing, snowboarding, and other winter sports. In Europe, most ski resorts are towns or villages in or adjacent to a ski area – a mountainous area with pistes (ski trails) and a ski lift system. In North ...

bar at the resort, where sharing of

whistle A whistle is an instrument which produces sound from a stream of gas, most commonly air. It may be mouth-operated, or powered by air pressure, steam, or other means. Whistles vary in size from a small slide whistle or nose flute type to a larg ...

s were likely conduits of contagion. Even as health authorities in other countries began issuing warnings against travel to Ischgl, the resort remained open, with Tyrolean authorities playing down the risks. The bar was eventually closed on 10 March and the whole town quarantined from 13 March until 22 April 2020. Out of the 1600 inhabitants of Ischgl, two persons died. Nine were treated in hospital, one in an intensive care unit. In April 2020 antibodies were found in 51.4% of the population, in November 2020 it was still 45.4%.

Gallery

File:Ischgl, katholische Pfarrkirche heilige Nikolaus Dm64328 foto4 2014-07-23 15.00.jpg, Roman Catholic church St. Nikolaus File:Tussen Ischgl en Kappl, rivier de Ischgl foto6 2014-07-23 14.52.jpg, Trisanna river

External links

Official Ischgl websitePanoramic photo of Ischgl resort centre

References

{{Authority control Ski areas and resorts in Austria Tourist attractions in Tyrol (state) Cities and towns in Landeck District Verwall Alps Silvretta Alps