Here to stay ...
Silke, Katie and Allan
A place where everything is just right? St. Anton am Arlberg is pretty much the ideal destination for sports and snow enthusiasts. It is for this reason that they first come here as visitors or to work and then end up making a life here. Many of them fell in love with the Arlberg region at first sight so they knew right from the outset that it was the place for them.
Silke Unseld, Germany
I felt at home right away!
Silke Unseld, born in 1974, grew up near Ulm, where there are lovely hills, but no mountains. But Silke needed mountains, because at the age of 18 she had bought a snowboard with the first money she had ever earned herself and went on to compete successfully in competitions. As a young bank clerk, she later spent almost every weekend training in the Kaunertal valley until a Polish snowboarder told her about the Arlberg ski school. So Silke signed on there, quit her job at the bank, completed various sports training courses and knew right away: “I felt at home in St. Anton, and I wanted to stay.”
She has now set up her own business, offering guided tours, ski and snowboard lessons, mountain hikes and yoga sessions. In the summer, she works for the St. Anton am Arlberg Tourism Association. “Mountains give me a sense of security, strength and energy,” says Silke. “I particularly love the spacious ski area with guaranteed snow and a wide variety of off-piste runs. It’s simply amazing! I couldn’t wish for anything better.”
She is also taken with the inspiring blend of idyllic village life and international flair. It’s easy to make friends here. Silke is also an outgoing person who plays an active role in society. It is why she is also a member of the St. Anton am Arlberg mountain rescue service. Does she ever get itchy feet? “Yes, because I love to travel. But I always enjoy coming back to my home in St. Anton am Arlberg.”
Allan Bonde Jensen, Denmark
I really wanted to learn how to ski.
While studying at the University of Engineering in Copenhagen, Allan Bonde Jensen, born in Copenhagen in 1969, was seized by wanderlust and the desire for a break. He put his course work aside and decided to give skiing and ski poles a try instead. He wanted to take a year off to explore the world and, above all, learn to ski in Austria and Switzerland. This is how he ended up in St. Anton am Arlberg in 1993, and immediately fell in love with the place, and in a young lady, the rest of the world could wait.
There was a lot to learn in St. Anton am Arlberg. First of all, the language. Although Allan attended a German course, he still could not understand what the locals were saying to him. It would take several years for him to understand the dialect. And skiing was also a bit of a struggle at first: “at that time, the Nassereinbahn hadn’t been built yet, so I had to take a long, bumpy tow path to reach the slopes. That was a big challenge for me, given my dodgy knees, but I wasn't going to let that stop me from enjoying myself. Sports-mad Allan was a quick learner and worked as a cross-country ski trail maintenance technician from 2007 to 2023. Since 2006, he has been the in-house technician at Arlberg WellCom. He also has a family. “Emil, Laura and Emma are Tyroleans through and through. They are enthusiastic skiers and cross-country skiers who love their native region. However, they always enjoyed travelling to visit family in Denmark”.
Allan’s favourite season in Arlberg is winter. “Actually, I love autumn, too, when the temperatures start to drop again, you can feel the excitement building for the skiing season!”
Katie Austin, United Kingdom
I love winter and summer in St. Anton!
Katie Austin, born in 1992, hails from a small village near Manchester. She first came to St. Anton am Arlberg in December 2016 to work in the hospitality industry. After a few weeks, her parents came to visit and asked her with concern: “you’re only going to be staying here for one season, aren’t you?”
Katie has stayed to this day. Having worked in the hospitality industry for seven years, she is now an enthusiastic member of the St. Anton am Arlberg Tourism Association team, having joined its events department in the summer of 2025. When guests ask her about what’s on offer, she is always happy to tell them about how beautiful Arlberg is in summer.
“I love the winter here, but I am starting to like the summer more and more. I enjoy hiking, cycling and running, and St. Anton is a great place to do all that.” It was in her new home that Katie met Craig, who is also from the UK and came here the season before her. The two plan to marry in the near future. Where would they like to get married, and where do they plan to settle down permanently? No prizes for guessing! Katie’s parents are understanding about it, by the way. They also think Arlberg is lovely whenever they visit their daughter and future son-in-law.
