A region in the mountains equipped with ski slopes, lifts, and other infrastructure for winter sports, especially skiing.
example
Wir fahren dieses Wochenende zum Skifahren in ein großes Skigebiet in Österreich.
This weekend we're going skiing in a large ski area in Austria.
Usage tips
Word composition
The word is built simply and consists of 'Ski' (spelling variant of 'Schi') and 'das Gebiet' (the area). So it literally means an area for skiing.
EXAMPLE
Dieses Gebiet ist ideal für Anfänger.
This area is ideal for beginners.
Correct preposition
Pay attention to the difference with the preposition 'in': movement toward a place requires the accusative ('ins Skigebiet fahren' — to drive/go to the ski area), while being at a place requires the dative ('im Skigebiet sein' — to be in the ski area).
EXAMPLE
Wir fahren morgen früh ins Skigebiet.
We're going to the ski area early tomorrow morning.
Typical adjectives
Common adjectives that describe ski areas are 'groß' (large), 'modern' (modern), 'familienfreundlich' (family-friendly), or 'schneesicher' (snow-sure, meaning that there is likely to be enough snow there).
EXAMPLE
Für unseren Urlaub mit den Kindern suchen wir ein familienfreundliches Skigebiet.
For our vacation with the children, we're looking for a family-friendly ski area.