Mega event at the end of the season in Ischgl: The Sir rocked in the snow
Pop legend Elton John thrilled around 22,000 fans at the Top of the Mountain Concert 2008 on the Idalp at 2,300 metres above sea level
Only Ischgl celebrates the end of its season like this: against the breathtaking backdrop of the Silvretta Arena, the pop legend set the open-air stage alight from 1.00 pm in glorious sunshine and glorious snow conditions at lofty heights. Around 22,000 enthusiastic guests enjoyed experiencing the exceptional British musician up close and got into the party mood with classics such as "Rocket Man", "Crocodile Rock" and "I'm Still Standing". This enormous rush of visitors far exceeded the organisers' expectations.
"The fact that the weather conditions at the end of the season were so spring-like this year made the live concert the absolute highlight of this year's season," says a delighted Andreas Steibl, Managing Director of the Paznaun - Ischgl Tourist Board. "The whole village celebrated once again - just as it should be for THE ski, event and party location in the Alps. The performance by Elton John, who was our star guest for the first time 13 years ago, was the crowning glory of our winter sports programme," continues Steibl. Admission to the superlative event was free with a valid lift pass.
It all started with Elton John back in 1995: With his performance at the first Top of the Mountain Concert, the "Sir" founded a rock event that is now legendary and has made Ischgl internationally famous far beyond Tyrol. Since then, superstars such as Tina Turner, Diana Ross, Rod Stewart, Sting, the Scissor Sisters and P!nk have ensured a brilliant end to the season on the Idalp.
Ischgl - a sports paradise of superlatives
Unrivalled party culture, spring sunshine and snow until the last day of the season make Ischgl probably the most popular winter sports resort in the Alps throughout the winter until the beginning of May. It's not for nothing that the village of 1,500 people is known as the ski lifestyle metropolis. 235 kilometres of pistes in the two-country ski area extending into Switzerland and state-of-the-art cable cars make skiing an absolute pleasure. One of the highlights is the eleven kilometre long descent from the Greitspitz at 2,900 metres to the valley at 1,400 metres.
Ischgl also has plenty to offer in summer, from hiking and climbing to mountain biking: The Silvretta-Bikearena is considered one of the best mountain bike areas in the Alps - it is not without reason that the Ischgl Ironbike is organised here every year. Trails for beginners, experts and true pros provide variety in the mountain bike Eldorado of the Tyrolean Alps
