Traditions are strong, history long and the people friendly in Rauris, a traditional, unspoilt resort in a protected national park area of great natural beauty. The entire valley promotes itself as the Raurisertal, although Rauris remains the main centre. Downhill skiing has a long history in the valley. Wilhelm Ritter von Arlt brought the ski-sport to Rauris. Together with goldmine-owner Ignanz Rojacher he brought the first skis from a study trip to Scandinavia back to Rauris. Soon a group formed around Ritter von Arlt who loved to go skiing. The equipment then was simple wooden planks with no edges, bended up at the tip. The used different wax to go up or down the hills. In March 1902 the first ski-lessons took place in Rauris and marked the beginning of now more than a century of ski-lessons in Rauris. Today skiing still takes place on the Hochalm and adjacent areas above the village. Although an unintimidating area for beginners, the 1250m vertical is big enough to keep more advanced skiers entertained and then there are long established off-piste touring routes that experts can be guided to and a 600m vertical black right above the village. Some years ago Rauris had to decide whether to opt for mass tourism, or a gentler, more traditional way of life. They decided to preserve the local precious countryside, plants, animals and mountains. The resort is located within the picturesque and protected Hohe Tauern National Park. Traditional animal species extinct in the area have been reintroduced into the National Park and have since made it their home, along with smaller animals which have lived in the Hohe Tauern for centuries. Look out for imposing Bearded Vultures or once the snow melts, free-roaming marmots Apart from its enviable natural heritage, The Raurisertal is also one of the few Tauern valleys to be a site of continuous settlement. A variety of finds attest to the fact that the paths across the Rauriser Tauern (Hochtor) were used in very early times. These include six silver coins found in the market square, three of which bear the head of King Philip of Macedonia, who ruled in the Balkans from 360 to 336 BC. Other finds include a small Hercules statue from the Roman era and a bronze sword from about 1300 B.C., as well as a scarab from the time of Ramses ll (2000 BC). Today's town of Rauris was formerly named after the Gaisbach, on whose alluvial cone it was built. Its existence was first documented in 1120.

Aprés Ski in RAURIS

Skiing in RAURIS