Chalet Grizzly · frequently asked questions
Questions? Grizzly answers.
The way we'd say it on the phone
The questions our guests ask, and the answers we would give on the phone too.
Seven groups, around forty answers, with prices, minutes and names. Whatever is missing, Elfi or Alois will answer in person, by phone or email.
“The most-asked question in winter: ‘When do children ski free?’ From 14 March to 6 April 2027 and in early December. The second: ‘Is the piste really outside the door?’ Yes. I look out every morning.”Grizzly, the house bear
“The most-asked question in summer: ‘Does the Guest Card cost anything?’ No, it's on the table the day you arrive, and buses and the KaiserJet are free with it. The second: ‘How far is the lake?’ A quarter of an hour by car. I've never been in it. I'm a bear.”Grizzly, the house bear
At a glance
Chalet Grizzly in facts and figures.
Everything important in one table, as of November 2026. The details are in the answers below.
| Address | Chalet Grizzly, Kirchbichl 32, 6352 Ellmau am Wilden Kaiser, Tyrol, Austria · 820 m above sea level |
|---|---|
| Apartments | Grizzly Suite: 120 m², up to 8 guests, 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, open fire · Apartment Maximilian: 50 m², 2–4 guests · Apartment Mozart: 35 m², 2–4 guests · Apartment Andreas Hofer: 30 m², 2–4 guests · Apartment Sissi: 30 m², 2 guests |
| Prices per night | Grizzly Suite (whole suite): €280 from 1 July to 18 December, €400 from 19 December to 30 June · apartments for 2 guests: €75 to €185, depending on the apartment and the season |
| Extra | Final cleaning per stay: €55 per apartment, €110 for the Grizzly Suite · local tourist tax: €3.50 per person per day from age 15 · dog: €8 per day |
| Included in the price | Bed linen, towels, house sauna in your own time slot, ski room with boot dryer, Wi-Fi, parking at the chalet, Wilder Kaiser Guest Card |
| Minimum stay | 3 nights; in high season 6 nights with arrival Friday to Sunday |
| Arrival and departure | Check-in from 3 pm, check-out by 10 am |
| Location | Right on the piste (ski-in/ski-out, snow permitting) · village centre and Hartkaiserbahn gondola: about 10 minutes on foot · Munich: 1 hr 10 · Kufstein: 20 minutes · Salzburg: 1 hr 15 · Innsbruck: 1 hr |
| For families | The “Bear's Den” children's room with bunk bed in the Grizzly Suite, cot and high chair free of charge, Grizzly's adventure stories as a little book and the rainy-day box in every apartment |
| Contact | Elfi & Alois Knürr · +43 5358 44530 · kontakt@chalet-grizzly.at |
01
Booking & paying
Booking direct means: best price and free cancellation up to three months before arrival. Everything else is here.
How do I book at the best price?
Directly with us, through the booking system on this website. The price here is always the lowest: platforms get the same price from us or a higher one, and we pay commission there.
How much is the deposit, and when is the balance due?
30% of the total price on booking, the balance 30 days before arrival. For bookings made less than 30 days ahead, the full amount is due on booking. You receive an invoice by email for both payments.
How can I pay?
Deposit and balance by bank transfer or credit card through the booking system. Extras such as the dog or the tourist tax are paid on site, in cash or by card. The local tourist tax of the municipality of Ellmau is €3.50 per person per night from age 15; children up to 15 are exempt.
Can I cancel free of charge?
Yes, up to three months before arrival. After that a cancellation fee applies: 40% of the total price up to one month before arrival, 70% up to one week before, 90% in the last week, and 100% from the day before arrival or if you do not arrive. That is why we recommend travel cancellation insurance. There is no statutory 14-day right of withdrawal for accommodation booked for fixed dates. Stays booked through platforms follow the platform's rules. All the details: Withdrawal and cancellation.
Is there a minimum stay?
Grizzly Suite: 3 nights; in high season (Christmas, New Year, February school holidays) 6 nights with arrival Friday to Sunday. Apartments: here too a weekly rhythm applies in high season; outside it, shorter stays are possible on request by email.
What is included in the price?
The apartment with kitchen, bathroom and terrace (in the suite a balcony and sun terrace), bed linen and towels, Wi-Fi, parking, a sauna slot, the ski room with boot dryer, cot and high chair, and the Wilder Kaiser Guest Card for everyone. Extra: local tourist tax (€3.50 per person per day from age 15), €110 final cleaning in the Grizzly Suite, dog (€8 per day).
Can we rent the whole chalet?
Yes, for family gatherings, club outings or a large group of friends: the Grizzly Suite plus the four apartments sleep up to 20. Mention “the whole chalet” when you book, and we will bundle the price, sauna slots and arrival for everyone. High-season weeks are usually gone too early for this; autumn and January are realistic.
02
The Grizzly Suite
120 m² on the top floor, 6–8 guests, two bathrooms, an open fire: the apartment for two families.
How many guests is the suite meant for?
6 to 8 guests, typically two families. Two bedrooms, each with a double bed, the “Bear's Den” children's room with a bunk bed and a small sofa bed for four children, plus a double sofa bed in the living room. One family on its own or two couples can also rent it from €280 per night, and then there is plenty of room.
What does the Grizzly Suite cost?
The whole suite per night, for up to eight guests: €280 from 1 July to 18 December, €400 from 19 December to 30 June. Plus €110 final cleaning per stay and local tourist tax of €3.50 per person per day from age 15. Minimum stay 3 nights, in high season 6.
Are there really two bathrooms?
Yes: one with a shower, one with a separate bath, both with a WC. For eight guests we recommend the rule “family A showers in the morning, family B takes the bath, swap in the evening”, plus a sauna slot in the evening, which takes the pressure off the bathrooms.
What is in the “Bear's Den” children's room?
A bunk bed and a small sofa bed, room for four children, a curtain on the lower bunk, a night light, and a shelf with Grizzly's rainy-day box and his little book. And Grizzly himself is waiting here for the children.
Can we use the open fire ourselves?
Yes. The suite has an open fire; Alois gives you the logs and a short briefing at check-in. There is a fireguard in front of it, but the rule still holds: never leave children alone by an open fire.
The suite is taken. What is the alternative for 6 guests?
Maximilian (50 m²) and Sissi (30 m²) can be joined by a connecting door into one unit for up to 6 guests, and so can Mozart and Andreas Hofer. Each apartment keeps its kitchen and bathroom; for two families with one child each, that is often even more comfortable than one large apartment. Together from €170 per night (Mozart + Andreas Hofer) or from €180 (Maximilian + Sissi) in summer low season.
03
Getting here & location
Kirchbichl 32, 6352 Ellmau, 820 m: above the village, right on the piste, one hour from Munich.
How do we get to the chalet from Munich?
A8 towards Salzburg, at the Inntal junction onto the A93 to Kufstein, then across the border on the A12 to Kufstein-Süd and via Söll and Scheffau to Ellmau: about 1 hour 10 minutes without traffic. The short stretch of Austrian motorway from the border to Kufstein-Süd is exempt from the toll sticker (“Vignette”); you only need one if you carry on along the motorway. In Ellmau follow the signs for the Hartkaiserbahn; Kirchbichl 32 is on the slope above it.
Can we come by train?
Yes: to Kufstein, Wörgl, St. Johann in Tirol or Kitzbühel, each about 20 minutes from the chalet. From there take the regional bus to Ellmau (free with the Guest Card from the day you arrive) or a taxi. From Munich the train to Kufstein runs roughly every hour and takes a good hour.
When are check-in and check-out?
Check-in from 3 pm, check-out by 10 am. These are guide times, which we state again in your booking confirmation. You can almost always drop your luggage earlier. Martina or Alois hand over the keys in person; later arrivals are no problem by arrangement.
How far are the piste, the village and the gondola?
The piste: zero metres. You click in at the front door and ski down to the Hartkaiserbahn valley station, snow permitting. The village centre with its bakery, supermarket and restaurants: 5 to 10 minutes on foot, downhill. The Hartkaiserbahn valley station: about 10 minutes on foot or on the KaiserJet bus, free with the Guest Card. The KaiserBad pool: 1.6 km.
Do we need snow chains in winter?
Winter tyres are compulsory; you need snow chains on only a few days a year. The road up to the chalet is a small mountain road that is cleared but can be slippery on mornings with fresh snow. Chains in the boot are reassuring; if you have never fitted them, Alois will show you how.
Is there parking, and can we charge an electric car?
Free parking right at the chalet for all apartments, trailers and roof boxes included. There is no charging point at the chalet itself, but there are several public ones in the village: in the underground car park at the Hartkaiserbahn valley station (Weißachgraben 5, about 10 minutes' walk from the chalet; Type 2, up to 22 kW), at the Parkplatz West car park behind the Spar supermarket (Dorf 3a) and at the Parkplatz Mitte car park behind Hotel Alte Post. All three are open round the clock; you pay with a charging card, an app or directly without registering. There is a rapid charger in the neighbouring village of Going. As of November 2026; please check before you travel.
04
Children & families
A book full of bear adventures in every apartment, and a bear who explains everything.
Is there a cot and a high chair?
Yes, both free of charge, in every apartment. Please mention them when you book and they will be ready at check-in.
What is in the rainy-day box?
Two board games (from age 4 and from age 8), a card game, a 200-piece jigsaw of the Wilder Kaiser, a colouring book and pencils, and the recipe card for Kaiserschmarrn pancakes. Twelve more rainy-day ideas with travel times are in the blog: A rainy day in the Wilder Kaiser.
Which outings are worth it with small children?
In summer, Ellmi's Magic World on the Hartkaiser (10 minutes' walk to the gondola, flat, fine with a buggy) and the Astberg pony farm in Going (5 minutes by car). In winter, the toboggan run, the children's area on the Hartkaiser and the KaiserBad pool. Our honest assessment of all seven adventure worlds: The Wilder Kaiser with children.
Is there a paediatrician nearby?
The GP in Ellmau also treats children; there are paediatricians in St. Johann in Tirol and Kufstein (20 minutes each), and the nearest hospital with a children's ward is in Kufstein. The pharmacy is in the village. Names, numbers and opening hours are in the house folder; in an emergency Martina helps on Sundays too.
05
Winter
275 km of pistes, 81 lifts, ski-in/ski-out at the front door, and a few weeks a year when children ski free.
Is the chalet really ski-in/ski-out?
Yes, snow permitting: the house stands at 820 m on the slope above Ellmau. You click in at the front door and ski down to the Hartkaiserbahn valley station. You come back on the run down to the house when there is enough snow; otherwise on the KaiserJet bus, which is free with the Guest Card.
When do children ski free?
During the Family Ski Weeks of the SkiWelt Wilder Kaiser–Brixental: from mid-March to early April (2027: 14 March – 6 April) and in early December. Children up to 15 get their lift pass free when a parent buys a pass for 3 days or more (as of 2026, please check). The SkiWelt publishes the exact dates on its website every year.
Which ski school do you recommend for children?
The ski schools in Ellmau have their meeting points at the Hartkaiserbahn valley station (10 minutes on foot) and teach in the children's area on the Hartkaiser. All of them take children from age 3 in the children's area and from 4 in group lessons; lunchtime supervision can be booked. Cost as a guide: a 5-day course from around €260–320 (estimate, as of 2026). More in the blog: Ski school in Ellmau for children.
Where can we go tobogganing?
The toboggan runs in Ellmau and Söll are 5 to 15 minutes away by car or bus, and some are floodlit in the evening (times as of 2026, please check). You hire toboggans in the village, at a reduced rate with the Guest Card; there is room for them in the ski room. For the youngest, the slope behind the house is enough.
Where do we buy lift passes and hire skis?
Lift passes at the Hartkaiserbahn ticket office or online from the SkiWelt (then straight to the turnstile); children under 6 pay only a small fee for the card. There is ski hire at the valley station and in the village, with children's equipment from around €15–20 per day (estimate, as of 2026). If you book early you often get a discount, and in the evening the skis dry in our ski room.
06
Summer
Seven mountain adventure worlds, Lake Hintersteiner See, the KaiserBad, and the Guest Card that is on the table the day you arrive.
What does the Wilder Kaiser Guest Card give us?
It is free and valid from the day you arrive: all regional buses between Going, Ellmau, Scheffau and Söll are free, the KaiserJet to the lifts is free, and there are reductions on the summer lifts, the KaiserBad, toboggan and bike hire, as well as tourist-board activities such as guided walks. We put it out for all guests on the day of arrival.
Is there an admission charge for the mountain adventure worlds?
Admission to the adventure worlds is free; what you pay for is the lift: a return ticket for adults from around €25–30, children about half (as of 2026, please check), reduced with the Guest Card. For three or more days on the mountain, the lift company's summer card (Bergbahn Erlebnis-Card) is worth it. Ellmi's Magic World on the Hartkaiser is the nearest, 10 minutes' walk to the gondola.
Where can we swim?
Lake Hintersteiner See, about 15 minutes by car, with a lawn and a path round the lake; the KaiserBad in Ellmau, 1.6 km away, with a leisure pool and outdoor area (family €28, as of 2026, please check); and the swimming lakes in Going and Söll. You are welcome to take towels from the chalet; we change them when needed.
Which walks work with children?
From the Wochenbrunner Alm (car park, 10 minutes by car) to the Gaudeamushütte in 30 minutes: the classic for four- to eight-year-olds, with the Kaiser close enough to touch. Round Lake Hintersteiner See in an hour, or the Astbergsee with ponies for the youngest.
07
The chalet & what's in it
Sauna, ski room, Wi-Fi, parking, dogs, and the one thing we don't have.
How does the sauna work?
The small Finnish house sauna is free for all guests. You book a one-hour slot with Martina, and then you have the sauna to yourselves, with no strangers. Towels and infusion oils are ready; children are welcome when accompanied. In the evening after skiing the slots go quickly, so reserve at check-in for the whole week.
Is there a ski room?
Yes, on the ground floor, lockable, with a boot dryer for all apartments, holders for skis and snowboards, and room for toboggans and pushchairs. In summer the bikes are kept there, with tools and a pump. Please don't take ski boots into the apartment; the wooden floor will thank you.
Is there Wi-Fi, and how fast is it?
Free Wi-Fi in all apartments and on the terrace. It is enough for streaming and video calls even when eight people are online at once; if you want to work remotely, the dining table in the suite is the best place to sit. The password is in the house folder.
Where do we park?
Free of charge right at the chalet, one space per apartment and two for the suite. Roof boxes and trailers are no problem. In winter Alois clears the drive, but winter tyres are compulsory all the same.
Are dogs welcome?
Yes, in all apartments, at €8 per dog per day. Please mention your dog when you book. We kindly ask that sofas and beds stay dog-free, and the dog doesn't come into the sauna. The rules for buses, lifts and swimming spots: A holiday with your dog in the Wilder Kaiser.
Is there a washing machine?
No, Chalet Grizzly has no washing machine for guests. For longer stays we change towels and bed linen on request, and Martina knows the laundry service in the village. Small items dry surprisingly well overnight on the boot dryer in the ski room.
FAQ
Anything else?
Short, honest answers — just as we'd give them on the phone. Is your question missing? Write to us
Is there breakfast at Chalet Grizzly?
There is no breakfast room, but there is the Kaiserbäckerei bakery's roll service: you order it directly from the bakery, and from 7 am the fresh rolls are in the bread box at the driveway. Butter, jam, coffee and eggs you buy at the supermarket in the village (10 minutes on foot); every apartment has its own kitchen with a coffee machine.
Which languages do the hosts speak?
German and English. For Dutch guests we have prepared the most important information (house guide, Guest Card explanation, ski school tips) in Dutch, and this website is available in English and Dutch as well.
Is smoking allowed in the chalet?
Not in the apartments or the stairwell; on the terraces and the balcony, yes, with consideration for the neighbours, as they are close together.
What if we want to arrive earlier or leave later?
Tell us a few days beforehand. You can almost always drop your luggage in the morning and use the ski room or the terrace; the apartment is ready as soon as Martina has finished. A late check-out depends on who is arriving after you; we'll tell you honestly whether it is possible.
Another question?
Elfi or Alois will answer in person.
No call centre, no chatbot. In winter it is best to call between 9 am and 6 pm; after that we're by the fire.In summer it is best to call between 9 am and 6 pm; after that we're on the terrace.