Austria allowed its more than 400 ski stations to open, just two days before the country enters its third nationwide coronavirus lockdown.

At the beginning of this month the government announced it was allowing ski stations to open on December 24, and has stuck by the decision even after a third lockdown was announced last week.

As an outdoor sport, the government says skiing can be practised safely if sufficient precautions are taken, according to AFP.

However, hotels, bars and restaurants remain closed, effectively limiting the slopes to locals, while the lockdown will also force the country's shops and much of its service industry to close until mid-January.