Innsbruck, Austria

Chosen as the site of the 1964 and 1976 Winter Olympic Games, Innsbruck considers skiing part of its city's life. Innsbruck is one of the few resorts in Europe with a snow guarantee. Free buses shuttle you from downtown to nearby ski areas. Among them Igls and Mutters will appeal to the novice and intermediate skiers with long, wide-open trails; Patscherkofel at 7,490 feet and Hafelekar, which is reached by a series of lifts at the edge of town, offers steep, challenging runs for the more advanced skiers; Axamer Lizum, expanded for the 1976 Olympics, has a wide variety of trails for everyone, especially the Women's Downhill Course which is a favorite of intermediate skiers; Stubai Glacier, with 18 lifts, 35 miles of well groomed and marked runs and a vertical drop of 4,790 feet guarantees great skiing year round. The famous cross-country area Seefeld is within easy reach.