Klausberg Ice Games / International Snow Sculpture Festival

An open-air museum in the snows of South Tyrol

The Klausberg Ice Games, also known as the International Snow Sculpture Festival, are one of the most evocative winter highlights in South Tyrol. Every year in early January, the Skiarena Klausberg above Cadipietra (Steinhaus), a village in the municipality of Ahrntal (Autonomous Province of Bolzano, Trentino-South Tyrol), turns into a vast open-air studio at an altitude of approximately 2,500 meters, near the K2 chairlift mountain station.

How the sculptures are created

Teams of sculptors from all over the world work for four days on massive blocks of compacted snow measuring 3x3x3 meters. Artists use only manual tools—hammers, files, saws, pickaxes, shovels, and buckets—with no limits on their imagination. Their collective effort results in monumental figures, animals, sports scenes, and abstract compositions that remain visible on the slopes until spring, when the late-winter sun slowly melts them away.

A theme for every edition

Each edition of the Klausberg Ice Games revolves around a common theme that inspires the artists. The festival is both a competition and a celebration: at the end of the work, an expert jury evaluates the pieces and awards prizes, while the public can participate by casting their own votes. The most acclaimed teams receive cash prizes and the coveted symbolic title associated with the event.

Art and mountains against the backdrop of the Ahrntal Alps

The setting is the spectacular Zillertal Alps and the peaks surrounding the Ahrntal, Italy's northernmost valley. Spectators can reach the competition site via the ski lifts and watch the sculptors at work, walking among the creations on a path that combines winter sports, contemporary art, and alpine landscapes.

An event for everyone

The Klausberg Ice Games are designed for families, ski enthusiasts, and art lovers. Access to the sculpture area is free (a ski lift ticket is required to reach the altitude), and the atmosphere is that of a traditional South Tyrolean mountain festival. The event is organized by the Ahrntal Tourist Office (Tourismusverein Ahrntal) in collaboration with Skiworld Ahrntal.