Hi … I am currently somewhere in the Silvretta, a part of the Austrian Alpes. I will be back next week and then this blog will hopefully get more updates again …
Enjoy spring!
UPDATE: This post should have gone live on Saturday. I am back again and will increase my postings again!
Filed under random pictures from great places
In response to my ski resort article I added some “Reality Check” articles, in which I wrote about skiing in some of this resorts in the 2011/12 skiing season. Yesterday I had my last day on skis for this season (I will still do some ski-touring though) and I can finish this mini-series for this year with a real highlight. Unfortunately I did not have my camera with me yesterday, as this was a hardcore-skiing day with some pals, but one of my friends took some pictures, so I might add them another time.
Galzig (St. Anton am Arlberg, Tyrol, Austria), view from north. Deutsch: Galzig (St. Anton am Arlberg, Tirol, Österreich), Ansicht von Norden. Italiano: Galzig (St. Anton am Arlberg, Tirolo, Austria), vista dal nord. Lietuvių: Galzig (St. Anton am Arlberg, Tirolis, Austrija), nuo šiaurės. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
The Arlberg is one of the most famous skiing resorts in Austria and in the Alps. This it the place where Alpine Skiing was developed – hence their claim “Arlberg – the cradle of alpine skiing”. The Arlberg is a mountain pass between Tyrol and Vorarlberg (which name means “before the Arlberg”) and the Arlberg ski-resort is divided into two parts: Zürs-Lech and St. Anton. We did our skiing in the St. Anton part of the resort, which lays mainly on the Tyrollean side of the Arlberg. Overall the resort consists of 86 lifts, 276 km of pistes and 180km of powder runs. Continue reading
Filed under Traveling in Europe, Winter
Another busy month is over and Spring is going strong here in Austria.
You might have recognized that I slowed down a little bit on posting, but I will try to maintain about 5 posts a week. With new features like the “Austrian Cuisine” Category, where I write a new article every thursday, I want to add some spice to this blog. I will also try to invite guest authors again, as they add a lot of great insights into beautiful places, that make Europe so worth visiting.
Business-wise this month was quite busy – I attended the ITB in Berlin and the Tourismusforum Alpenregionen in Zell am See and met a lot of new and interesting people – hopefully some good business relations will develop out of this. My article writing and editing (in german) for my PR Agency also started rather well and I am happy that I am already that occupied.
This month will not include any major trips – but at the end of April I will do a three days ski touring trip, where we hike from Ischgl in Tyrol to St. Gallenkirch in Vorarlberg on our skiers. I am really looking forward to this.
I would also like to apologize – I managed to delete some comments, that were put into the Spam Filter by mistake – sorry, I mis-clicked and did not manage to get them back 😦
To finalise my March review, I want to add some blog posts I especially liked in March:
The Riverside Rock Quarry, by the Climbing Bum
Into Grizzly Country, by Off the beaten Path
Barga – the most scottish town in Italy, by Bagna di Luca and beyond
I wish everyone a very nice April, some pleasant easter holidays and a great start into spring
Filed under Background
In last weeks food post about the Austrian Cuisine I talked about the “Big Four” and none of them offered an alternative for Vegetarians or people who want to reduce their meat consumption. Today I want to offer you with some great alternatives, which are not sweet. Austria is famous for its Sweet dishes and I will come to them later on …
Here are my four nominations for Vegetarians:
Krautfleckerl:
This is a traditional dish from Vienna, which came to Vienna through Bohemia. It is some sort of Austrian Pasta (the Fleckerl) with white cabbage. Krautfleckerl are not really a posh meal, but I like them and they are great after a day of hiking or walking through a city. Be aware that you might sometime get a version with minced meat and Cheese, so ask if you want to avoid meat at all cost.
Filed under Austrian Cuisine
Hay Poles waiting for their use in Innervillgraten, Tyrol
Today I want to present another picture out of my archive. This shot was taken in Innervillgraten, Eastern Tyrol. It shows traditional hay poles that are waiting to be used to dry the grass into hay. You do not see them too often anymore, but in the Villgraten-Valley they still do farming in a traditional way. Here the grass is cut, dried and then put onto the poles by hand. Now the rain can only wet the outer parts of the hay … in Winter the hay will be moved to the barns using sledges.
Hay stacked on Hay Poles in Innervillgraten
The Villgraten Valley is especially famous for its sheep farmers and if you ever happen to be there you should not miss out on the Gannerhof, probably my favorite restaurant in Austria.
More articles that feature Tyrol
Filed under random pictures from great places
Innsbruck is famous for its medieval pedestrian area in the City Centre, which surrounds the “Goldene Dachl” – you will not find to many tourists, that leave Innsbruck without a picture in front of this landmark taken. But there is also a different Innsbruck – places where you can see modern architecture, created by some of the most famous Architects in the world. I would like to point out the five most important buildings to see – most of them do not only offer great architecture, but also unique sights to the mountains and the city.
1. Berg Isel Ski Jump
The Berg Isel is well known as it hosted the opening ceremony of two Olympic Winter Games – above it sits the huge Berg Isel Ski Jump. This was completely rebuild in 2001/2002. It was planned by Star Architect Zaha Hadid. The Jump can be seen from a lot of places in the City and you will see, that it has lights that change colors on, during the night. On top of the Ski Jump there is a panoramic restaurant and a viewing platform – they allow great views towards Innsbruck and the mountains behind it on one side, and to the Vipptal (direction towards Brenner) on the other side.
2. Town Hall
Architect Dominic Perrault planned the new town hall, which was built between 1996 and 2002. This town hall is more than just a community building – it features shopping arcades, restaurants, a hotel and offices. Its roofs are partly made of glass, therefore it opens itself to the City. There are especially great views from the two restaurants on top of two Glass towers – the Lichtblick (restaurant) and the 360° (a bar)
Filed under Architectural Tourism
It’s snowing again – after weeks of arctic coldness temperature has risen to about zero degree Celsius (32 degree Fahrenheit) and at the moment it is snowing. According to the weather report this won’t stop until tomorrow, and there should be another 50 – 80 cm snow up in the mountains! are great news for people who consider to go skiing in March. This year you will be guaranteed loads of Snow.
great days ahead - March 2012 will be a great month for skiers
March is one of the best times for skiing in my opinion – the high season is already over, meaning less people and lower prizes, its getting warmer already and the days are longer. Sadly in the last year snow was a problem in March – but this is just taken care of.
So if you have not booked your skiing holidays already, or are still considering whether to book, or not: Go for it! This March will be great!
Links to Austrian Skiing resorts:
Filed under Winter
A fellow blogger, Maia from “BoundforAdventure” , is currently staying in Stuttgart, Germany and asked for some tipps for good skiing or snow boarding.
I thought about it for some time and then came up with this list … I added the approx. driving time (as stated by ViaMichelin) from Stuttgart, to give some idea about the distances.
I only included Skiing resorts I have visited … some big ones of Tyrol (e.g. Zillertal, Sölden) or Switzerland are missing – although they are in reachable (up to 4 hours drive) distance from Stuttgart. Other ones – especially in Salzburg and eastwards have been excluded as they are too far away.
Tyrol:
Kitzbühel – one of the most prestigious skiing resorts in the Alpes. Some really great runs – it is not too high up the mountains, therefore it is not really a Spring destination. Rather expensive, but that is part of the deal. In the same valley there is also the “Skiwelt Wilder Kaiser” – which offers a huge area and is connected to a lot of villages in the region – so you can get great money for value.
Stuttgart – Kitzbühl – 3 hours 40 minutes
Ischgl – famous for wild parties, this skiing resort has a much more to offer. With lifts up to 2872 Meters it is ideal for spring skiing and it is also connected to Samnaun in Switzerland: you actually ski in Austria AND Switzerland. The runs are great – once you have left the partying crowds at the Idalp you have plenty of options for great skiing and boarding. Most people from the skiing resort I worked in, went there to ski after the season was over … that’s a real recommendation! If you want to avoid noisy Ischgl – stay in Galtür (the next village), but ski in Ischgl … it is great skiing.
Stuttgart – Ischgl: 3 hours 40 minutes
St. Anton am Arlberg – the cradle of skiing at the Arlberg: this is a hot spot for free-skiers and snow boarders who look for off-piste fun. It is also a hotspot to meet fellow english-speaking people: Good runs, great off-piste and a lot of party are guaranteed at St. Anton.
Stuttgart – St. Anton: 3 hours 15 minutes
Vorarlberg:
Zürs-Lech – the Vorarlberg part of the Arlberg skiing region is another hot spot for VIPs and the super rich. But it is also a fantastic skiing resort. Great pistes are guaranteed and going out might be a tad expensive, but it is also great fun. Here is the only place in Austria, where you can go Heli-Skiing. Moreover this year you might encounter Anthony Gourmleys “Horizon Field” – a art project on exactly 2.039 m above sea level.
Stuttgart – Lech: 3 hours 10 minutes
Sonnenkopf – this is a insider tipp for off-piste fans. Located in the Klostertal, this small resorts belong to the Bergbahnen St. Anton am Arlberg. The resort has now artificial snow at all, but they do not need it. They are blessed with loads of snow and a real power paradise. As only few people consider this resort, you might even get some “fresh” powder action, when the powder has vanished everywhere else.
Stuttgart – Klösterle: 2 hours 55 minutes
Montafon – this valley offers a lot of different skiing resorts. From the huge “Silvretta-Montafon”, over powder and spring skiing paradise Gargellen to the Golm, which is a nice family skiing resort … Great skiing, good party and good money for value.
Stuttgart – Montafon (Schruns): 2 hour 55 minutes
Brandnertal– this is the region I was responsible for for a couple of years. A rather small skiing resort, which has still got a lot to offer. It´s definitely a must go for families, but if you want to have some great skiing this might be a good choice, too. Especially during peak season – you might get stuck in a huge traffic jam heading towards the Arlberg or the Montafon and the Brandnertal has its own Autobahn exit, just where the jam usually starts. Great fun, very nice people, good pistes and great huts in the resort …
Stuttgart – Brand: 2 hours 45 minutes
Finally some other good resorts that should be worth a visit and are in good distance from Stuttgart
SWITZERLAND:
Jungfrau-Region (about 3 hours 45 minutes) – one of the most fascinating alpine areas … breathtaking views and apparently good skiing, too
Laax (3 hours 25 minutes) – known for its Snowboarding and Free-Skier Scene
LIECHTENSTEIN
Malbun (3 hours 15 minutes) – rather small, but for the bragging rights
GERMANY
Garmisch-Partenkirchen (2 hours 50 minutes) – best choice in Germany
AUSTRIA
Riezlern (2 hours 30 minutes) – very close to Stuttgart, never heard any complaints about this one
Damüls-Mellau (2 hours 45minutes) – I really loved Damüls when it was a small insider skiing resort – since they connected it to Mellau it got way bigger – have not skied there since, but this should be really good (+ great food in the Bregenzer Wald)
… plus various resorts in Tyrol (Zillertal, Ötztal, Stubaital …)
Updates:
SALZBURG:
I added some skiing resorts in Salzburg in another post – you can read this here
Filed under Winter
Heartland Europe 