The St. Johann ski area sits directly above the town and covers about 40 kilometres of marked runs, suitable mostly for beginners and intermediate skiers. The mountains top out at around 1,700 metres, which means snow reliability is not always as good as higher resorts, but in a decent winter it is excellent family skiing without the crowds and prices of the major resorts nearby.
The bigger draw is the ski pass system. St. Johann is part of the SkiWelt Wilder Kaiser–Brixental, the largest interconnected ski area in Austria, with 279 kilometres of runs and 90 lifts covering nine resorts. A single area pass opens up everything from Kitzbühel to Ellmau. This makes St. Johann an excellent and economical base for a ski holiday that explores the whole range.
The ski school has a good reputation for beginners and children, and the après-ski scene is lively but unpretentious — more Stuben (cosy Alpine bars) than nightclubs.