Snow History in Kaprun and Cross Country skiing in the Austrian Tyrol

 Kitzsteinhorn Lift station and restaurant complex above Kaprun

Snow History in Kaprun

Naturally if you are going on a ski holiday, you want to have an idea of what snow conditions you can expect. The igluski  gives a detailed breakdown of the snow conditions from November 2006, through the winter months into spring,  upto to the present day. So if you are looking for a Skiing holiday in Easter or November the site gives you a bit of history to go on.

Don't forget that with Kaprun there is the Kitzsteinhorn glacier rising to 3000+ metres it gives you even an extended ski season into the summer. With the possibility of skiing into the summer or in the Autumn season. Don't just take our word for it, the attached you tube video of Skiing on the Kitzsteinhorn  gives you of what skiing is like in the middle of April  (2006),  puts some pictures to the statistics.

Certainly the possibility of glacier skiing gives an extra assurance for a late or early ski holiday.

Cross Country Skiing not for the faint hearted

Interesting link, on the sport of cross country skiing or  nordic skiing, some may think this is a soft option as opposed to charging down a mountain to pieces of plastic resembling planks. But the article
puts the case that it is not an easy option but physically demanding, with its on unique technique and style.

Cross Country Skiing in the Tyrol

 In the Kaprun-Zellamsee area of of the Salzburgerland  there are cross country ski courses following the valley bottoms. They actually follow the cycle routes which are used in the summer. In addition there is an area set aside on the Kitzsteinhorn glacier for nordic skiing

 Nordic skiing on the Kitzsteinhorn glacier above Kaprun

Looking for somewhere to stay for 3-9 people then please consider staying at www.austria-holiday-apartment.com

Ten Ski holiday myths

 Picked up on this original article from the following link, the attached has been amended, tweaked a little bit.

Kitzsteinhorn Glacier ski area above Kaprun, Austria

If you are new to skiing, the whole idea of going on a ski holiday can be quite daunting. On a number of occasions I have seen people who have never skied before worry about things which just aren’t true. So here I expose the top 10 ski myths:-

1. A skiing holiday has to be expensive?

Things have changed in the world of skiing – no longer is it an elite sport for the rich. It is quite possible to take a family of beginners skiing and for it not to break the bank. How?
- Go self catered. Self catered ski accommodation is often excellent and doesn’t cost very much per head. You can also choose to squeeze more people in on sofa beds to bring the price down even more. Don’t book via large tour operators – go directly to local estate agents or independent property suppliers.
- Drive. With four people in a car, and if travelling to areas in the Northern Alps, driving is a very cost effective way of getting to a ski resort. – Try and avoid the main school holidays (Christmas, New Year, Half Term) if at all possible.
- Keep an eye on when budget airlines release their flights and book early!
- You don’t need to go to the world’s biggest ski area if you are beginners. Go to a smaller resort where you will find everything in resort (lift pass, ski hire etc) to be a lot cheaper.

2. Skiing is dangerous

Although skiing does involve travelling downhill on planks of wood without any breaks, the vast majority of skiers who learn to ski with instructors and ski within their limits will have a happy lifetime of incident free skiing. Yes accidents do sometimes happen, but more often than not ski related accidents are less to do with the actual skiing and more to do with amounts of alcohol consumed and not taking care on icy surfaces etc. If you learn to ski properly, you will also learn to ski safely.

3. The weather is cold and horrible when skiing?

Well, yes, the weather is usually cold. And sometimes it can be snowing. That is a fact about holidaying in the mountains in winter. However, when the sun comes out in the mountains there is nothing like it. Alpine sunshine, clear blue skies and temperatures of -5 degrees can certainly feel a lot warmer than a UK winter day when the temperature might be 10 degrees. That is why people come back from ski holidays with sun tans!

4. I won’t understand what the ski instructor tells me?

Gone are the days when your only choice of ski instructor would be a moustachioed instructor who’s only English was “Bend ze Knees”. Now there are many progressive English speaking ski schools and independent instructors, indeed there are many excellent British instructors working out in the Alps.

5. If I don’t enjoy the skiing, my holiday will be rubbish?

If for any reason you don’t get on with the skiing side of a skiing holiday, wintering in the Alps is still an excellent experience. Most resorts have plenty of non skiing activities on offer such as dog sledding, snow shoeing, thermal springs, ice diving, para gliding. Plus many alpine resorts are very picturesque and so sightseeing and shopping aren’t out of the question.

6. Because of global warming, there won’t be much snow

It is true that global warming was blamed for the bad winter of 06/07 in the European Alps. However, this was down mostly to lazy journalists not researching their facts properly. The bad winter that year was down to the weather, and not the climate. Plus, the skiing wasn’t actually bad – it just wasn’t as good as it could have been. The last few years have seen some of the best winters for skiing on record. Global warming MAY start to affect European skiing over the next 50 years, but at the moment there is no real evidence that it has started.

7. It is a lot of hassle on a ski holiday?

It doesn’t have to be any hassle. You can opt for a catered chalet holiday where all you need to do is get yourself to the airport. The rest is taken care of by the chalet hosts. You are picked up at the airport and taken to your chalet, they arrange your lift passes and ski hire, they cook for you, they clean for you and they take you to the slopes every day. Where is the hassle in that?

8. My kids will have problems in French / German speaking in the  crèche / ski schools?

Like the point about ski instruction, things have changed a lot in the world of Alpine childcare. Crèches and kids’ ski school usually have English speaking staff, and it is not unusual to find a number of British kids in classes during the school holidays. Teaching your kids to ski at a young age is one of the greatest gifts you can give them!

9. I don’t like mountain food?

Nowadays, eating out in ski resorts isn’t all about cheese and ham (although there is plenty of that on offer for those who look forward to their annual fondue or raclette). Most resorts now sport a wide variety of restaurants – some with real cosmopolitan ambiance and menus. And if you don’t want to eat out every night, a trip to the local supermarket will reveal that the gap between German / French and British food shopping has narrowed considerably over the last few years.

10. I can’t take a baby skiing?

Nearly all ski resorts have excellent crèche / nanny facilities. And for those people who worry about the cold/altitude etc, don’t forget that babies are born in the mountains every year and they do OK!
Hopefully the above will help to dispel the main worries of a nervous first time skier. And if you never try it, you might never know what you are missing!

I liked the article and thought is was well written,  I recall Stephen Fry of BBC fame who recently was advocating the joys of a ski holiday even though he did not ski, enjoying the scenery, food, drink and banter!

If you are looking for somewhere to stay then please consider Austrian Holiday Apartment in Kaprun ideal for 3- 9 guests.

Austria Holiday Apartment in the village of Kaprunhttp://www.austria-holiday-apartment.com/

Award Winning Kaprun

 Award Winning Brundl Intersport in Shop in the middle of Kaprun close to tourist information office

News that the Intersport Brundl shop in Kaprun has received an architectural award. It is an interesting building, and the design is supposed to resemble the surrounding mountains, and in particular the Kitzsteinhorn which can be clearly viewed from area immediately around the shop. In reference to the shop, we like the ramp access  for cars which takes you straight down into the basement, handy to pick up to pick up or drop off your hire equipment. Very interesting step design at the side, but not sure of the external gas fire heating the sky!  Internet cafe, cinema within, overall  a great building to cater for most of your outdoor shopping needs.

The joint Kaprun /Zell am See tourist information office can be seen to the right of the of the picture, a handy

place to see what is happening in and around the area, extract from the award citation is given below:-

"Intersport Bruundl has been awarded for its flagship store in Kaprun opened in November 2008. The store has been inspired by the typical alpine physiognomy but at the same time it smoothly breaks with these typical surroundings by establishing a very bold, polarising and urban architecture. The artificial landscape of the shopping world has been linked to the real world outside by the roof made of glass. At times, the perforated metal lamellae seem to close, then again they seem transparent. The store has become a place of communication and creates high amenity values. The interior structure of the store provides that the four selling floors will be visited all the same. The whole store represents perfectly the philosophy of the company: to give the customers joy in nature and sports and to make clients into fans!"

If you are looking for somewhere to stay in the area, please consider staying at Austria-holiday-apartment is sleeps from 3-9 and has the benefit of 3 bath / shower rooms.

Ice Camp below the summit of the Kitzsteinhorn -

where it is possible to Glacier skiing throughout  the year

Haiti earthquake appeal request for support

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Zell am See & Kaprun a visitors view.

Street map of Kaprun, 2 ski lifts come down into resort, with others close by.

 The contents of this article on Zell am See and Kaprun was written by Brian R Stevens came from "content Caboodle", where another one of Brian's articles can be found here, they  give an interesting overview of  first impressions of the Zell am See ski area. The links in the article I have put in to provide further information to the reader. Enjoy!

"The first time I visited Zell am See I was actually staying at a small town further north going back towards Saltzburg called Lofer bie Martin. I was actually staying in the Schloss Grubhoff castle 

www.panoramio.com/photo/1224116

Schloss Grubhoff castle, Austria

which was once owned by the king of Bavaria but has now been converted into luxurious apartments which can be rented out as holiday lets. I was enjoying my stay at Lofer and in particular the quaint ski facilities there, which incidentally would be no challenge for anyone who considers themselves good intermediate or advanced level but is well worth a visit for curiosity's sake, it really is oldy worldy Austrian skiing facilities and you will not find much of a presence there beyond the Austrians themselves.

The marked difference I noticed in visiting Zell am See was the level of activity there, lots more people, a thriving little town in a gorgeous setting and much more to offer the higher level skiers, still not a majorly serious challenge for the advanced skiers but certainly enough to keep them happy for quite a few days with some decent blacks and reds to go at.

The resort in my opinion is much more suited to the intermediate level skier with plenty of reds and blues plus those blacks for when you want to give yourself a bit of a challenge, you should be able to ski from the top of the mountain to the bottom without too much trouble as well. The top of the mountain (called Schmittenhohe) gives you access to a number of runs which you can circuit and if you do prefer a longer run you can ski down to Schuttdorf and get lifts all the way back, or of course you can ski back to Zell am See or to the gondola. I class myself as intermediate and there was enough there for me to visit this resort on 3 separate occasions.

It's not a bad resort for beginners either, other than if you want to ski all the way back to town then you might find it a bit tricky with some fairly steep slopes near the bottom that have to be negotiated, the alternative being some very shallow cross country tracks which can be really hard work and may put a lot of people off so they might decide to just come back to the bottom on the lift.
That aside, the slopes at the top of the mountain do cater for beginners and if I was a beginner again I certainly wouldn't rule out Zell am See particularly if you are moving towards intermediate level, it may just present you with the challenges you need to get you to that next level.

The addition of the ski lifts from the centre of town (in place for a few years now) has provided a much needed boost to the convenience level the resort has to offer, previously there was a long trek to the top of the hill going out of the town where you could get the gondola. This is still running and is serviced by a regular bus service or is accessible by people with a car available, personally I would not consider it walking distance from the town centre particularly if you are having to wear ski boots and carry skis, (although I am sure there are probably a number of people who could prove me wrong).
If you do park at the gondola there is a sort of cross country track that goes out to it from the main piste (number 4) but there are sections of it that are actually flat to uphill and no decent run that lets your speed carry you through those sections, so a lot of puffing and panting goes on. The alternative is to come down some of the steeper slopes or to ski to the bottom and then get the bus back up. If you caught the bus or walked (mad fools) then there is no problem.

View of the Kitzsteinhorn Glacier above Kaprun

Another bonus of staying at Zell am See is that you are pretty close to Kaprun, where if the worst occurs and there is no snow you have a glacier, although whenever I have been there snow has not been a problem. You are also quite close to Salbaach-Hinterglemm which is another great resort that has pistes either side of the valley where it is located, it also offers a few more challenges to the experienced and advanced level skiers as does Kaprun. Both of these resorts can be reached on the ski bus which can be used off the back of your ski lift pass at no extra charge, the ski pass also gives you free parking in the ski areas. If you have your own transport you can go visit Lofer which I mentioned earlier or you are also not too far away from, Bad Gastein, Bad Hofgastein, Wagrain, Schladming and Obertauern.

I have to say I really enjoyed my skiing at Zell am See but I also really enjoyed the apres ski and evenings out as well, there are loads of bars and restaurants to choose from and the place has a real buzz to it. If you are there at the right time of year you might be lucky enough to see some of the traditional Austrian celebrations, for example the seeing out of the winter and welcoming in of the spring, I have memories of the band coming into the bar dressed as chickens and playing music aimed at getting everyone to have a good time and into the street to join in with the locals dancing.

I hope you have found this review useful and that it has given you a flavour of one of my favourite ski resorts in Austria, I have skied in a few different places and countries, including Italy, Bulgaria, Germany and Canada but cannot think of anywhere that delivers the full package quite as well as Zell am See, although to be honest I would not knock any of the other places I have been to either all of them have their special characteristics and are also worth visiting in their own right"

To see another of Brian's article  please click  here on the link.


If you like the area and are looking for for somewhere to stay? then please consider Austria holiday apartment it sleeps from 3-9 in comfort, and has the benefit of three bedrooms and 3 shower rooms.

Three night break in Austria? Salzburg City and mountain resort area.

Austria Pre-Christmas Trip Report

Some friends and i went to Austria for a long weekend staying at the Austria-Holiday-Apartment in Kaprun, close to Zell am See. We found the accommodation on the web and got an early cheap pre-Christmas  flight with Ryanair from Stansted at a bargain £50 return!

 Salzburg a fantastic place to visit any time of the year

We flew to Salzburg in 1 hour 40 mins (arriving 20 mins early) and hired a car from Avis (100 Euro for 4 days) and spent the day sight seeing in Salzburg.The weather was perfect, crisp and sunny with clear blue skies.

Every where is trimmed up traditionally for the festive season and very tastefully too with the white lights twinkling against the frost and snow in the background.There is plenty to see. Christmas market, ice rink in the square, food stalls. Make sure you try the mulled wine or schnapps or both! The goulash soup is worth tying. A local dish and the meat is excellent. There are shops galore all tastefully decorated for those of you who want to shop.

We decided to look rather than buy and spent our time exploring all the side streets. There is also Salzburg castle, museum, gallery and casino to visit.

I recommend you walk down by the river and have a coffee at the roof top cafe/bar at the Hotel Stein which overlooks the town and river.Great views and rugs are provided for those who feel the cold. Everything is done so well and everybody  understands English too!

 Austria holiday apartment in Kaprun sleeps from 3-9

Kaprun Apartment

We arrived at the apartment in Kaprun late afternoon after a 75 min drive from Salzburg. The apartment is new, well appointed, clean and warm with under floor heating. Plus a store room for boots and skis etc.The rooms are en-suite and there are views of the mountains from the front windows.There is a supermarket close by for all your needs and it is only a 5 min walk into the town centre via the bridge.You park the car in the basement and the drive is heated so there is never a problem with ice and snow to hinder your entry/exit.

The next day we woke up to 4 inches of snow. A picture perfect Christmas card. Wunderba.Everywhere looked magical. It brought the child out of us all.The roads were cleared with typical Austrian efficiency. The snow plough and gritters had been out during the night, so driving was not going to be a problem. 

 Europa Ski Area cover  Zellamsee and Kaprun

Zell am See

 

We headed out to Zell am See for a look round. Beautiful town, again trimmed up tastefully for Christmas (white lights only) with a Christmas fair that opens up at 4pm with brazier fires,surrounded by cabins and bars. We headed for the lake for a walk then a hot drink at the Grand Hotel on the lakeside with good views. We didn't have time to take in the 7 mile walk around the lake

 Bad Gastein fantastic thermal spa well worth a visit

Bad Gastein

For lunch we headed for Bad Gastien, the old spa town where the German Kaiser use to holiday. Lots of snow and a stunning waterfall run through the town, as pictured in the poster.  We didn't visit but the Towns Spa areas are something special and are also thermally heated, very spectacular. Apple strudel is a must for lunch. 

Hofgastein Spa

Late afternoon we headed for Hofgastien spa world in the valley floor. Another pretty town with an indoor and outdoor ice rink, with tasteful Christmas lights. The spa is quite something, an experience I will never forget. To swim outside in hot spa waters, with snow on the ground, mountains and trees in the background and the snow falling on your face while you float on the warm waters, is magical. It certainly put a smile on my face. I managed to get a 1500m swim in another outdoor 25m pool. Stainless steel with underwater lighting - very special.

We went late in the day to savour the lighting and atmosphere, which I highly recommend.. To finish off we tried the saunas and steam room (nude area - not for the squeamish!) There is also a rest room with waterbeds and a ladies only area. We opted for the 2 hour session which was enough (23 euro included towels). There is also a large family area for the kids with a cinema in the water dome, plus slides and chutes, one of which is very fast! so fast that we had to check it out twice!

Skiing on the Kitzsteinhorn, above Kaprun open most of the year for skiing

Kitzsteinhorn glacier ski area

For our last day we drove 10 mins away to the ski lifts for the Kitzsteinhorn mountain 3200m. We headed for the summit to walk through the tunnel to the glacier and viewpoint. (You can check the weather on the web cams on the TV in the apartment) We were above the cloud level and could see for miles to the horizon. Spectacular. Don't forget your camera. Very cold so wrap up well. The cafe is excellent, or like us, you can take a picnic and eat where you like. The facilities are very good and warm.We walked part way down the mountain, then used the lifts for the rest of the way. The views are stunning. The skiing looked good, catering for all abilities and boarders, with plenty of jumps and routes. Pity we weren't skiing ourselves - there's always a next time.

We spent the evening in Kaprun wining and dining. The food is very good, particularly the steaks. We had 'deer'- well it is the festive season! The hotel bars and après ski are good, with plenty to chose from.

Kramprus  and St Nicholas celebrations

An interesting twist to the evening was the Krampus Celebrations.  A mixture of 'good versus evil' were St. Nicholas arrives at the end on a horse drawn sleigh. The evil characters look like something out of Pans Labyrinth! - quite scary. Certainly frightened some of the younger ones!

Can't recommend the accommodation and area more highly. Will be back to try the skiing and hiking, water sports and biking in the summer.

Nick, Scarborough.

Looking for somewhere to stay then please consider  http://www.austria-holiday-apartment.com/

Krampus, Christmas or New Year in Austria?

   










Austria Christmas and the New Year


Austria is a great place to enjoy the Christmas and New year festivities.

The snow adds to the atmosphere, the hot mulled wines, the Christmas markets, the Christmas Carol singing, traditional music, Christmas trees, the idea of a white Christmas all add to the appeal of a Christmas in Austria.

The Christmas tree has been a Germanic tradition for at least the last 300 - 400 years, but many areas across Europe pagan traditions have held evergreens to be a symbol of life during the long winter months. This symbol was adopted by early Christians and the decorated trees have become symbol of eternal life.

In 1841 Prince Albert, German husband of Queen Victoria, introduced the the custom of the Christmas tree to the British royal family. From there the idea the tradition of having Christmas Tree appears to have spread far and wide across the world.

In 1850, a coloured etching of a decorated tree at Windsor Castle was published and the "Tannenbaum" became a necessity for every fashionable Victorian home. It was a tradition quickly embraced by Victorian England. Trees were set up for the Christmas season decorated with lighted candles, covered with tinsel, ribbon, paper chains, and sweets.

Christmas in Austria in some ways takes you back to the Victorian traditional Christmas, wooden toys, with wooden letters, fun filled sledging, ice skating on a frozen lake, a snow ball fight on the garden, a log fire to warm yourself around, mulled wine.

Krampus

In certain areas of the Alps there is still the "Krampus" tradition a mix of pagan and the Christian Saint Nicholas, (Father Christmas, Santa Claus), bearing gifts for the children,  and  ornate Krampus costumes  of ghoulish figures, with frightening masks, carrying ringing bells on on their belts, and with whips to "beat"the occasional passeby!!

The "Krampus runs" take place in the first week of December but in particular on the 5th December.
While St. Nicholas brings presents to those children who haven been good during the course of the year, it could be said that the Krampus figures frighten the ones who have been bad! They quite often arrive together in an open slay being pulled by horses, to a village square, with an open fire, thumping music and an expectant crowd.

The two of them are a curious couple, good and evil travelling together!  but Advent times wouldn't be complete without them in Austria, or Christmas trees, decorations and an Advent wreath either.

In the Gastien area the celebrations rotate round different villages each year.

The Zell am See-Kaprun area holds fast to the tradition of the Krampus' run, for more photographs click on the link. The following events are typical:-

03/12 6:00 p.m Krampus run for children, village square Thumersbach
04/12 7:00 p.m Krampus run, village square Thumersbach
05/12 6:00 p.m Krampus run, Salzburgerplatz Kaprun
05/12 7:00 p.m Krampus run, centre Zell am See

"Run" times for Krampus will be publicised by the local tourist office, and a list of other events given can be found  here.

In some ways the tradition of Krampus has similarities with the Halloween celebrations else where in the world, they perhaps share the same Ghoulish, heathen origins.

The idea of Austrian Christingle markets, Skiing or snow boarding over Christmas and into the New Year will also appeal to many.  It is well worth thinking about, but if you wish to go, you will need to book early.