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 Britain s 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

Krampus in Austria

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,  with  ornate Krampus costumes  of ghoulish figures, with frightening masks, carrying ringing bells on on their belts, and with whips to "beat"the occasional passerby!!

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 traveling 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  but will vary from year to year:-

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 in Kaprun  and Zell am See 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.

If you are looking for somewhere to stay please consider staying at  austria holiday apartment it can sleep from 3 to 9 persons in comfort.

Ski at Austria Holiday Apartment

Kaprun – the perfect base for a winter adventure

Austrian  Alps

While our apartment is brilliantly situated for a beautiful summer holiday – and you can still even include a little sledging if you fancy thanks to the glacier - it is of course the most perfect base for an exciting winter adventure. Once the weather in the UK starts to change – with the light evenings fading and the warm air replaced by cooler mornings and a fair bit of rain and wind, it can mean only one thing; autumn has arrived! For many of us the start of autumn is super exciting and no, it’s not because Christmas is only round the corner, it because it’s the start of the ski season. For those who love the crisp, clean mountain air this time of year is special as it means the countdown has begun to your big trip away. Whether it is for a long weekend, a week or if you’re really lucky, ten days, keen skiers look forward to their annual trip with great excitement. If you’ve already booked with us we can promise you a fantastic experience - the apartment is just perfect; brilliantly comfortable, in a great location and with plenty to do right on your doorstep. With a bit of something for everyone, here are just some of the great winter activities to enjoy near the apartment.



Kaprun – beginners slopes

The area has a pretty good reputation for beginner’s slopes; up on the Maiskogel the atmosphere is just perfect – really relaxed and the runs are mostly tree lined and gentle in nature. Once you’ve built up a bit more confidence there are some great progression slopes where you can practice your turns and stops to perfection. Although these slopes are on the lower side they are brilliantly easy to reach from the accommodation. If, at the start of the season, the snow down low is looking a little on the thin side then head on up to the Kitzsteinhorn Glacier which is the snow sure plateau further up the mountain. Up here you are guaranteed to get fantastic snow coverage and the facilities all round are just excellent. If you are heading up the glacier or out for the day skiing and are new to the slopes then make sure you have packed all your essentials in a small rucksack so that you can fully enjoy the day – have a look this checklist from Iglu Ski for some great tips and advice.


Great for snow boarders – big and small

The Snowpark Kitsteinhorn, Kaprun boasts Austria’s biggest super pipe along with mogul slopes and ski trails – so enough to keep most boarders and freestyle skiers happy. Situated nice and high at 2,900 metres the park has loads of space to practice those manoeuvres in. The half pipe is an amazing 160 metre long and 6 metres high. Not quite up to that standard yet? Well grab a drink and sit in the spectator area to enjoy watching the exploits of those giving it a go. There are two other great snow parks too - Schmittenhöhe at the Hahnkopflift and the Park on Maiskogel – both of which can offer kids (and those still young at heart) a safe environment in which to have fantastic fun.

Kitzsteinhorn snowpark

Fancy a bit of cross-country?

If boarding or downhill skiing isn’t your thing then how about trying cross country? Kaprun has a number of beginners and medium difficulty loops for you to set off on. For those a little more advanced there are over 200 km of trails in the area to work your way round and if you fancy a little skiing at night, how about the 5 km track up on the Kitzsteinhorn plateau – the track is floodlit. Beginners should head for the easiest trail that starts in Karpun and is called West trail.


Time for some après ski?

So you’ve enjoyed some great runs and are feeling pretty pleased with yourself – now it’s time to enjoy some of the nightlife Kaprun has to offer. Stop off at one of the many ski huts on the slopes and sample some mulled wine or the Austrian specialty Kasnocken and enjoy the stunning light as it begins to fade across the mountains. Down in the town things are slightly livelier and there is great choice of ski pubs and bars to get the party started in.



Beginner or old pro, young or old, boarder or cross country lover, Kaprun and the surrounding area has some truly great winter activities to keep you busy this season. Make the most of your holiday and come to our beautiful Austrian resort of Kaprun, and savour that fantastic mountain scenery and air. Have a great holiday.   

Melissa Sutter.

 Summer holiday in Austria

  We love  Austria and just had to return to Zell am See and Kaprun! This was our  4^th summer visit since 2009 and even now there are plenty of things for us still to do and new places to go such is the variety on offer in the area for all ages.   ( For further  information  on  two  of  our  previous  visits  see  the  following  links  second  visit and  our third  visit ) .

In fact to make even more of our holiday this time we again  stayed at  Austria Holiday Apartment  wonderfully located apartment in Kaprun for ten nights.

This is an account of what we did  as  a  family  - that’s a mum, dad and two girls aged 8 and 10.

 

What we get most enjoyment from is walking in the mountains and swimming…lots of swimming!  So we checked the weather forecast, via the apartment’s WiFi and the local TV channels, and decided to immediately go for the ‘hike and swim’ card again which is perfect for us. For a family of 4 it costs €205.50 for 6 days and provides unlimited use of the cable cars, gondolas and; chairlifts at the Kitzsteinhorn, Schmittenhohe and Maiskogel mountains and the three outdoor swimming areas around Lake Zell and the indoor pool in Zell am See.  This is a great economic way of using the facilities.

Dragons  Walk  on the  Schmitten great  for  children  and  dragons / adults alike

We asked the children what they’d like to do first, both immediately responded “the Schmidolin walk!” This is a great way of getting into the mountains and keeping the children entertained. The circular walk has over 12 different activity stations, some of which change from year to year, for children to have fun and help the dragon Schmidolin in his quest. It’s best to start at the Areitbahn gondola where the parking is free and the ticket office is in the Intersport shop. The staff are very helpful, they will give the children a card to mark off at each activity station, and with all the right answers on return they will be given something to remember the occasion.

New! This year at the top of the Areitbahn lift, there is a motocross course on e-bikes which boys might like, have a look here at the Freeride E-center

 Swimming  in  a  Lake  with  Mountain views

 

Lake  a  Zell am See  beautifully  clean with  great views

It was sooooo hot on this our first day (obviously the fire breathing dragon had been busy!), that the temperature gauge in the car was reading 42°c!  So we just had to go to the lido and jump in Lake Zell to cool off,  aaaaaaahhhhhhh. 

The lido can be busy but it has a heated pool  with a slide, a pool for the very little ones, a café and is  right next to the lake and with stunning scenery too.

Sledging on a Mountain in the  Summer

View  from the top  of  the Kitzstienhorn with  glacier above  Kaprun

‘What would you like to do next?’ we asked. “Can we go sledging?” was the response. Why not it’s only August! Our second day we ascended the Kitzsteinhorn  which is just a few kilometres drive up the road from the apartment. Two gondolas and a cable car take you to the summit station – the Gipfelwelt 3000 – where there is a fantastic café/restaurant, a cinema and a panoramic platform at 3029m. On a clear day the views are unbelievable. We made our way to the Ice Arena on the glacier where everyone, young & old, can go tobogganing / sledging and have fantastic fun. The less energetic can watch from a deckchair with a hot or cold drink.

Summer  Sledging  on the  Kitzsteinhorn  in August

In fact we had so much fun that we went back a few days later and when we arrived at the summit this time it was actually -2°c and snowing!  As always its best to be prepared for the conditions but winter clothes can be bought or hired from the Intersport shops that are at each gondola station. 

We  built  a  snowman

 


The cloud soon gave way to some sunshine and it ‘warmed up’ to 7°c so we built a snowman, in fact three, which became an instant tourist attraction. Just wonderful!

In the summer months there are always many events happening, some occur each week and some are special one-off events so it’s definitely worth checking with the Tourist Information Centre as there is something for everyone.

Summer  Evenings  in Austria

Every Wednesday evening in Zell am  See there is a festival with street bars, entertainment, food vendors and traditional music. Whilst busy the atmosphere is fabulous. We were lucky enough to go twice and the children loved the pancakes and candy floss stalls!   

Great  evening with Live music in Medieval town center of  Zell am See  

 
We only just missed out on Kaprun’s own festival and mountain bike extravaganza – Bike Infection which takes place in mid-August, we went in 2011 and it was well worth a visit.

Football fans will be interested to know that the area is also a magnet to top football sides who like to take training camps. One evening the top Qatari side Al-Sadd were training on the pitch opposite the apartment so I watched them for some time. When they finished I had my photograph taken with one of their players – ex-Real Madrid and Spain legend ‘Raul’. Football gold!

Mountain Views to  take  the  breath  away

View  from the  Schmitten  above  Zell am See

Anyway back to normality and the next walk we did was on the Schmitten, where we took the cable car to the summit station and walked the route from the St Elisabeth chapel down the ridge to the Sonnkogel, this is a lovely short walk, not that strenuous, with amazing views again and plenty to keep children entertained along the way. There are lots of information stations too that describe the area, the history, the wildlife and the fauna of the mountain which is interesting and of course importantly there is a café/restaurant at either end. The coffee and apfelstrudel should not be missed!

On a rainy day we wandered into Kaprun, found a lovely café at the bakery and then later visited the indoor pool in Zell am See which had a 74m water slide and diving boards. The pool is also adjacent to the ice rink, home of the EK Zeller ice hockey team, on the main road.

High Dams  Above  Kaprun

Kaprun  Reservoirs

 One place we’d not visited previously were the high altitude reservoirs at Kaprun including the Mooserboden reservoir and dams. The start of this excursion is just a few km past the Kitzsteinhorn gondola station where you park your car, get a ticket €39 per family, which includes the bus ride up to the higher reservoir.. We were fortunate enough to go on a good weather day when the power company Verbund had also organised a day specifically aimed at children with lots of activities going on. We walked along the dam walls (  you  can  also  walk  in the  dam wall)  and had a nice picnic next to the reservoir amongst the glacial mountains, simply stunning.

Swimming  Lido at Piesendorf

When our ‘hike and swim’ card had expired we had three days to choose what to do. Firstly we decided to venture to the outdoor pool, the Hinkelsteinbad, at Piesendorf. This was a little difficult to find at first so I would advise checking the map, it’s next to FC Piesendorf (the football team), but an alternative would be to travel by the Pinzgau Lokalbahn train from Furth-Kaprun as the pool is next door to the railway station. Anyway the pool was much quieter than the lido in Zell and equipped with a heated pool, sports pool, a jacuzzi, a longer slide, a café and with a beautiful vista up the valley. Idyllic!  For the family it was just €10.50 for the day and we stayed for over 5 hours. We had a fabulous time there and would definitely recommend it.

The following day was forecast to be poor, so we decided to take the train from Zell am See to visit Salzburg. This cost just €32 for a return ticket for us all and included parking in the ‘Park and Ride’ at Zell station. I would recommend going early as the journey takes 1.5 hours and the parking spaces are limited. We enjoyed walking around Salzburg and visited the house that was the birthplace of Mozart. We would like to have visited the Science and Natural History Museum science museum (again) but ran out of time(!)

Tauern  Spa  Kaprun 

Salt / brine swimming  pool  at Tauern Spa  Kaprun

Our final day ended on a real high where we spent virtually the whole day at the Tauern Spa, Kaprun which is described as the ‘Base Camp for Body  Soul’ and that is a pretty accurate summary. The complex is 5 star and the ‘wasserwelt’ (waterworld) is nothing short of fantastic with lots of different indoor and outdoor pools, jacuzzis, slides and even a heated salt water pool. Very very relaxing, and lots of fun too. What was even better was that it was much less busy than our previous visit and the weather was good! A day pass cost €61.50 but it was worth it. On entry you are given a wrist band that contains a chip, which not only controls a changing room that acts as a locker but also can be used to purchase food, which is very nice, from the restaurant and cafes (note when not using cash this can be a little dangerous to the wallet!). I am looking forward to the day when we can also visit the sauna and masseuse and leave the children to entertain themselves!

Before we returned to the airport we had fun on the Maisiflitzer roller coaster at the Maiskogel in Kaprun which follows the gradient of the ski slope and has bumps and turns. At the point where the photograph is taken we were doing 42kmph, awesome! One run down the track for the four of us, in two carts, cost €24. The area has also been developed with a go-kart track €2 for 10 mins and large slides which are €0.50c per go. Plenty to keep the children entertained here!

So there it is our 4^th, and most enjoyable to date, visit to Kaprun. Many thanks to the  Austria Holiday  Apartment again for the hire of their apartment which looked as fresh as it did when we first arrived in 2009. It’s well equipped and very conveniently placed for walking into Kaprun, travelling by road and only a few metres from the Billa supermarket.

The dilemma is now whether to return for a winter ski trip or another amazing summer adventure. We now love Austria even more!

Richards Family

Tauern  Spa  Kaprun - a  great  place  to  visit  throughout  the  year

 

Traveling in and around Austria in your car what you will need.

Austria Holiday Journey tips for car drivers

Plan your route well in advance – this way you will arrive at your destination quickly and safely. Take account  of  traffic  and weather conditions  as you go over the Alps Grossglockner  Alpine  mountain pass, a great summer drive Make the journey a relaxed part of your holiday and include enough breaks. Autobahn vignette all car divers who are travelling on autobahns in Austria  must  display  valid vignette ( certificate)  to the windscreen. Current prices at year 2013 for i) 10 days €8.30, ii) 2 months €24.20, iii) 1 year €80.60.  If  you have hired a car  in Austria  the Vignette  will be included,  but  if  you have  hired from outside Austria  you  will  need to purchase one from a Petrol service station.  Austrian  Vignette  for  Motorway  use Make way  for an "Emergency lane" in traffic jams: make way for emergency vehicles! On autobahns and highways, a "lane" must be formed between the individual traffic lanes, so that if  there is a traffic jam or the traffic is slowing down. This will helps emergency vehicles to get to an incident more quickly. In Austria  winter tyres are compulsory from 1st November to 15th April In winter conditions, between 1st November and 15th April, winter tyres must be used or snow chains on at least two drive wheels. Snow chains are only allowed, however, if the road is continuously covered with snow or ice. Again Austrian hire  cars  will come  with these as standard. Have a  reflective high Viz / vest with you  outside built-up areas car drivers must put on a reflective vest after a breakdown or accident when entering the road. Other things you need when driving in Austria Warning triangle, first-aid box, hands-free speakerphone, other valid personal documents (driver's license, insurance documentation, European Health Insurance Card) We wish you a safe journey for your well-deserved Austria holiday.   For  further information on driving  in Austria  please see this link Enjoy  the journey,  and  if  you are looking for  a rental apartment for somewhere to stay for between  3-9 persons,   please consider staying  at Austrian Holiday Apartment  in Kaprun

 Google Test

 googlebb33435f7c828a93.html



Looking for somewhere to stay for 3-9 people? With the benefit of three bedrooms and three bath / shower rooms. For further information please see www.austria-holiday-apartment.com

Zell am See and the Kaprun ski areas

Skiing resort Areas Kaprun and Zell am See

Kaprun  and Zell am See are located in the heart of the Alps in the province Salzburg, they sit close together in a spectacular mountain in one of the prettier ski areas of Austria.

The holiday region of Zell am See Kaprun has over 14,000 beds and two million overnight stays are recorded  each year, making it one of the more popular holiday destinations in Austria. There is an abundance of fantastic views, beautiful flora and fauna in an Alpine setting. The Lake Zell offers opportunities for relaxation and well-being, golfing, hiking, and bathing are at the focus for the summer time program, but visitors can choose from many more activities as well.

During the winter seasons, 56 cable car and lift facilities take visitors up onto the mountains,  with 136 kilometers of pistes. Skiers and snowboarders enjoy the perfect conditions of the Kitzsteinhorn Snow-park on the 2,600-metre-high glacier plateau.  Even in the summer you there is the possibility  of skiing down the glacier.  Both resorts Kaprun and Zell are family friendly.

Location map of Zell am See and Kaprun.

The lakeside, ancient market town of town of Zell am See and the alpine village of Kaprun, are located about  7 kms ( 4 miles) apart, next to the Hohe Tauern mountain range, with the key ski mountains peaks of Kitzsteinhorn 3.203 m, complete with glacier. The Maiskogel at 1.675 m both located above Kaprun, back across the valley above Zellamsee is the Schmittenhöhe / Schmitten which rises to 2.000 metres, and is topped by the Empress Elizabeth Chapel.

Empress Elizabeth Chapel on top of the Schmitten Above Zell am See

These are two charming resorts come with distinct traditional Austrian features.  Both resorts are well linked by bus and have access to the 138km of ski  runs, in three distinct ski areas, offering a variety of changes in scenery, altitude and attitude!

For those learning to ski there is a choice of ski schools with easily accessible nursery slopes, plenty of intermediate slopes and of course challenging black runs and with off-piste areas.

 View from the Kitzsteinhorn glacier, Kaprun in the valley bottom and Zell am See in the distance

 

Kaprun  and Zell am See the Europa Sport Region Skiing Area

25 facts. For further information on the ski area and a ski map click on the link

1. Skiing Altitude 755m-3000m
2. Resort Altitude 755m (Zell am See)
3. Piste length 138km
4. Number of runs 53
5. Nursery Slopes 13%
6. Blue 40%
7. Red 34%
8. Black 13%
9. Number of Lifts 57
10. Drag lifts 30
11. Chair lifts 15
12. Cable Cars 12
13. Direction of predominately slopes N/S/E
14. Terrain Parks yes
15. Half Pipe yes
16. Cross Country Trails 200km
17. Glacier skiing yes (October to June)
18. Night Skiing yes
19. Mountain Restaurants 20
20. Snow making 80% of runs covered
21. Resort Ski Bus yes, included in ski pass price
22. Bus Linked Resorts Zell am See, Kaprun, Schuttdorf to the Kitzsteinhorn glacier
23. Traditional Après Ski yes in both resorts
24. Austrian Alpine atmosphere yes.
25. Spa / wellness yes Tauern Spa Kaprun opened its doors in November 2010.

Tauern Spa Kaprun opened its doors in November 2010 and is well worth a visit on any day of the year

Apartment Rental Accommodation in the Zell am See - Kaprun area?

Looking for somewhere to stay for 3-9 people?  With the benefit of three bedrooms and three bath / shower rooms,  please consider staying at www.austria-holiday-apartment.com

 Austria Holiday Apartment in Kaprun sleeps from 3-9 with a view of the Kitzsteinhorn

Skies lined up in Austria

Ski  lined up  in Kaprun for  hire or for sale?

Photo of Kaprun Chuch and traditional Austrian House

Photo of Kaprun Church and adjacent traditional Austrian House,  taken Christmas 2012

Austria Winter market in Zell am See Kaprun

Part  of  the Austrian Winter,  Christmas market in Zell am See  close  to Kaprun