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

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Austria Pre-Christmas Trip Report

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.
Everywhere was  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 was 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 trying too,  a local dish and the meat was 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 was also Salzburg castle, museums, galleries and casino to visit perhaps on another occasion.

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.

 Austria holiday apartment in Kaprun sleeps from 3-9

Kaprun Apartment

We arrived at the apartment in Kaprun late afternoon after a 75 minutes drive from Salzburg. The apartment was 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 also that opened 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 great 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. 


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 not long enough  (23 euro included towels). There was also a large family area for the kids with a pool 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 were stunning, the skiing looked great, catering for all abilities and boarders, with plenty of jumps and routes. Pity we weren't skiing ourselves - there is always a next time.

 We spent the evening in Kaprun wining and dining.  The food was very good, particularly the steaks. We had 'deer'- venison well it was the festive season!  We found the the hotel bars and après ski are excellent, with plenty of choice of venues.

Krampus  celebration  take  place  in early December

Kramprus  and St Nicholas celebrations


An interesting twist to the evening was the Krampus Celebrations.  A mixture of 'good versus evil' where St. Nicholas arrives at  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 the  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  Austria Holiday Apartment

Cycling in Austria, fantastic scenery, great routes

 
Along the valley bottom or up on the tops Austria is fantastic for Cycling

 The attached article came from the Austrian Tourist board website link

it gives very detailed information and links on how to get the most from a a cycling holiday in and around Austria. It complements an earlier article on cycling holidays in Austria.

On a note of recommendation for those less athletic cyclists I would recommend hiring bikes in Zell am See, catching the Tourist train from Zell am See heading up the valley towards (Krimml) waterfalls,  the train does not go all the way, to the waterfalls,  but the ride back will alll be down hill.! But do have a look around the highest waterfalls in Europe! and then a steady cycle down the valley back to Zell?

There are a couple of really excellent swimming lakes on the way back, so if you get to hot why not stop?

 

Tips for Cyclists in Austria

Across the arid grasslands of the Puszta, around gleaming lakes or through spectacular alpine mountain sceneries. Austria offers an almost unlimited choice of cycle paths and tours for all ages and interests. Below you will find the pick of the crops from Austria’s provinces.

Rides to remember up a mountain or down a valley your choice !



Cycling around the lake at Zell am See with time to stop for a hot chocolate.


SALZBURGERLAND

Tauern Cycleway

The scenic Tauern Cycleway leads from the Krimmler waterfalls along the Rivers Salzach and Saalach past, Kaprun and Zell am See, with numerous sights and attractions to the city of Salzburg and on to Passau to the start of the Danube Cycleway route heading down on to Budapest and beyond.

Highlights along the way include Liechtenstein gorge, Hohenwerfen castle, if you have time remember to visit the Werfen ice caves, worth the detour and delay, also the Gastein valley is worth a diversion, with two fantastic thermal spas to ooze away any aches and pains.

For those who like a challenge a short diversion takes you Grossglockner, highest pass in western Europe and not for the faint hearted 
After all this the beautiful city of Salzburg beckons. The 270-kilometre long Tauern Loop, which leads from Salzburg via Lofer back to Zell am See, is also becoming more and more popular.

Tauern Spa Kaprun located close to Zell am See opens its doors in November 2010, so if you complete the loop, you will deserve the spa treatment and a pamper.


  Grossglockner pass a cycle ride to remember

Cycling in SalzburgerLand 

SalzburgerLand not only boasts superb cycleways but also a great number of cycling events including everything from bike festivals to Classic race.  For detailed information on cycling route and events in Salzburg  click on the above link  and click here www.radwandern.com

 Mozart Cyclewa

The Mozart Cycleway – which starts in Salzburg – is 450 kilometers long and features several stations from the live of the genius composer. The route is marked with the head of Mozart and leads through the pristine Salzburg Lake District via Oberndorf into Bavaria where it continues along Lake Chiemsee. The cycleway then follows the River Inn upstream to Rosenheim before returning to Austria. The route then heads to Kufstein and continues via Lofer and Bad Reichenhall before reaching Salzburg.

Salzkammergut Cycleway

This cycleway through the pristine Salzkammergut leads past 13 incredibly beautiful lakes which offer welcome refreshment on hot summer days, with maybe time tor a dip and swim.



SalzburgerLand – Paradise for Mountain Bikers!

The Salzburg area  boasts an incredible 4000 kilometers of mountain bike trails for all levels of experience and countless events for bikers. With Bike Park Leogang, Europe’s leading bike park, the adidas freeride park on Reiterkogel (Saalbach Hinterglemm) and the new Mountain Bike Park in Wagrain,  free-riders will find plenty to keep them entertained in SalzburgerLand! All bike parks, all mountain bike regions, 23 excellent bike hotels and over 200 mountain bike routes are listed on www.bike.salzburgerland.com website



BURGENLAND 


Cycling enthusiasts can explore the diverse landscape and scenery of Burgenland on 1,000 kilometers of asphalted and signposted cycleways between the Neusiedler See-Seewinkel national park and the Thermenwelt region.



Map of the Central part of Austria - Tyrol, Salzburgerland and Carinthia to the South.

CARINTHIA


Drau Cycleway 

The 366-kilometer long Drau Cycleway starts at the source of the River Drau in Toblacher Feld in Italy and follows the course of the river all the way through Osttirol and Carinthia to Maribor in Slovenia. The Drau Cycleway forms part of the R1 European cycleway and is one of Europe’s most beautiful routes thanks to its great scenic and cultural diversity. Depending on your level of fitness and interest in the cultural attractions along the way it takes about four to seven days to complete the entire route.



Alpe Adria Bike

In 6 days and across 3 mountain ranges from Salzburg via Carinthia and Friuli to the Adriatic Sea: this transnational tour offers splendid sceneries, cultural attractions and culinary highlights which reflect the special features of each region.



Mine Biking
Bike into the mountain – Carinthia opened its first abandoned mine to bikers! A ride into this 7-kilometer deep mine always makes for a memorable experience!



Road Cycling in Carinthia

Carinthia’s roads cater to race cyclists of all fitness and experience levels. To find out more about Carinthia’s most beautiful road tours visit: 



LOWER AUSTRIA


Cycling Routes à la Carte
Lower Austria boasts seven wonderful routes through landscapes of great natural beauty: Danube cycleway, Eurovelo 9, Kamp-Thaya-March, Traisental, Piestingtal, Triestingtal, Gölsental and Thermen route.
All roads are well signposted and there are plenty of inns and taverns along the way as well as a steadily growing number of service stations and good train connections for cyclists.



Danube Cycleway: Culture & Nature along the Blue Danube

This is Europe’s most popular cycleway and not without good reason: it has magnificent scenery, fascinating places to visit and a wide cultural diversity. Parts of the route lead through Wachau and Donau Auen national park, both UNESCO world heritage sites. Along the way you will pass the castle ruins of Aggstein and Dürnstein, splendid monasteries like Melk, Göttweig and Klosterneuburg and impressive castles like Artstetten and Schallaburg and the baroque castles of Marchfeld. En route you will find a great selection of eating options including everything from exquisite award-winning restaurants to friendly inns and quaint taverns to suite every taste and pocketbook.

Traisental Cycleway: Through the mild and wild Mostviertel

The 111-kilometer long Traisental cycleway leads from the shores of the Danube to Mariazell, linking the lower with the upper Traisental. The route travels through lovely scenery and diverse landscapes: the Traisen marshlands near Traismauer, the vineyards and cellar lanes in Traisental, the baroque and modern city of St. Pölten, the pre-Alpine fields and meadows of Mostviertel, the majestic Ötscher Mountain and the lovely pilgrimage town of Mariazell. As the route follows old pilgrimage trails there are plenty of hotels, guest-houses and inns along the way. If you do the trip in reverse, i.e. cycle from Mariazell towards the Danube, you can enjoy easy downhill cruising with a 700-meter difference in altitude between start and finish.




UPPER AUSTRIA


Danube Cycleway

The route through the Upper Austrian Danube Valley is always slightly downhill with tailwinds making cycling here an easy and enjoyable experience for the whole family. Highlights include the famous Schlogen Danube Loop which offers wonderful views of the surrounding countryside and the old boater town of Grein.



Salzkammergut Cycleway

A pristine world of glittering lakes, majestic mountains and world-famous holiday resorts awaits cyclists in Salzkammergut.



Inn Cycleway

Upper Austria’s Inn Cycleway leads through unspoiled marshlands and a unique bird paradise. The River Inn is lined with splendid old towns which once were important trading towns.



Grenzland Cycleway

Grenzland Cycleway winds its way trough the mystical granite formations of Mühlviertel. Starting at the Danube this route leads through the gently rolling hills of the Bohemian Forest and invites you to explore a fascinating primeval landscape.



Roman Cycleway

This great cycleway takes you on a journey into the past! It connects the city of Passau, which is located at the confluence of three rivers, with pristine Lake Attersee and features old Roman attractions on the way.



Enns Cycleway

Once the valley of the River Enns was filled with the banging sound of iron hammers which had brought wealth and richness to the region. Today cyclists pedal push their way through the unspoiled mountain valley. The route starts at the Limestone Alps and ends in Enns, Austria’s oldest city.



STYRIA

R2 Mur Cycle Path
The 365km long Mur Path Way is Styria’s longest cycle way and follows the River Mur from its source in the scenic Hohe Tauern Mountains all the way to Bad Radkersburg, Styria’s southernmost point. Enjoy scenic cycling through spectacular and diverse scenery from spring through fall.



R7 Enns Cycle Path

The 252km Enns Cycle Path starts at 1200m above sea level at the foot of the Niedere Tauern and leads via Altenmarkt and Radstadt to Schladming, a true paradise for cyclists amid the Dachstein-Tauern region. The picturesque ride takes you past the majestic Grimming Mountains, through the spectacular Gesäuse national park and the idyllic Reichraminger Hintergebirge to Enns. Along the route you will find plenty of interesting sights and attractions well worth a stopover.



Hill Cycling in the Weinland Region

This route is only 63km long but due to its many steep hill climbs rather demanding. This ride focuses more on pleasurable side of cycling: the region not only boasts idyllic vineyards but also plenty of cozy taverns where you can sample wine and local food.



Donnersbachwald

10 cycling and mountain biking routes in the Donnersbachwald region offer first-class cycling fun for all levels of ability. Ask your host for the Donnersbachwald Card comprising cycling and mountain biking routes as well as hiking and outing tips. The Dachstein-Tauern Region Cycling Map is available at the tourist office.



Timeless Beauty – Cycling in Styria

Visit Styria for some first-rate cycling fun and discover the outstanding natural beauty of this province with all your senses. A great experience for body and soul, for your mind, palate, and thirst!



Snow covered Grossclockner pass not for the faint hearted cyclist!

TIROL

Leisurely Cycling along the Inntal Cycling Path
The Inntal Cycle Path leads from Landeck to Passau and forms part of the “Bike Trails Tirol”. The route travels through the Tirolean Inntal valley and past such charming cities and towns as Innsbruck, Hall, Schwaz, Rattenberg and Kufstein. Although parts of the cycle path run through scenic mountainous landscapes, there are only few moderate climbs.

“Via Bavarica Tyrolensis“: Cycle all the way to Munich

The new cross-border “Via Bavarica Tyrolensis” cycle path is another step towards a united Europe. The Europe Cycle Path extends over 220km from Munich through the gentle Alpine foothills into the Isartal valley and along Lake Tegernsee into the heart of the Alps. Once in Austria, the cycle path travels through the picturesque Achental valley and past Achensee, Tirol’s largest lake, and continues on through the Inntal valley towards Wiesing. As there are only few and moderate climbs, the route is ideal for families with children and recreational cyclists. To make a great cycling day complete there is a great choice of cozy Tirolean inns, serviced mountain huts and snack stations catering to the hungry pedal pusher. Many of these eateries specialize in Tirolean specialties prepared with the best of local produce available. 

Mozart Cycle Path

The cross-border Mozart Cycle Path takes you through Salzburg’s charmingly beautiful Lake District and the Bavarian Chiemgau region. A small part of the ride leads through the Tirolean Kaiserwinkl where the route follows the shores of pretty Lake Walchsee. The ride offers a great mix of beautiful landscapes, invigorating country air and cultural highlights.



Bike Trail Tirol
The Bike Trail Tirol offers superb mountain biking fun on 1000-kilometers of diverse and scenic trails. The trail leads in 32 stages through almost all of Tirol’s regions and takes in some of the country’s most beautiful sceneries. Cyclists can start at every stage town and choose the routes according to their fitness level. The trail uses a standardized trail sign system to make navigation as easy as possible.
For detailed information (packages, stage descriptions, bike guides, mountain-bike friendly establishments, GPS data, etc.) visit www.biketrail.tirol.at


VORARLBERG

Bodensee Cycleway
This popular cycleway is travels along the Austrian, German and Swiss shores of Lake Constance and is lined with numerous attractions (don’t forget to bring your passport!). Parts of the route can be done by boat, shortcuts are possible at Konstanz-Meersburg and Friedrichshafen-Romanshorn where you can take the ferry. Especially charming are trips with a boat from the “White Fleet” (= ferry Friedrichshafen (GER) -Romanshorn (CH) or Meersburg (GER) - Konstanz (GER). In addition there are regular trains operating along the shores of Lake Constance which offer bicycle transport.

The Lake Constance region offers a great choice of accommodations including hotels, guesthouses, penions, youth hostels, private accommodations and campsites. Advance booking is highly recommended in the holiday season. For a list of accommodations in the Constance region visit: www.bodensee-tourismus.com und www.bodensee-radweg.com

Bregenzerwald Cycle Path
From Egg cycle along the former tracks of the old Bregenzerwald train to the Andelsbuch reservoir and continue along the L 200 to Sporenegg. Turn left into the cycle path to Bezau and follow the shores of the Bregenzer Ache to Reuthe and on via Holzbauwerk, Herburg (moderate climb) and Hinterreuthe to the wooden bridge to Mellau where you cross the L 200. In Mellau the cycle way leads trough the town, past the ski lifts and to Hirschau where you have to cross the L 200 once more. Continue to Schnepfau. Cross the bridge to get back to the left shores of the river where the most scenic part of the trail starts. The route now travels along the beautiful shores of the river all the way from Au to Schoppernau.



Montafon Cycle Path
The Montafon cycle path is no loop trail – this means if you wish to return to the starting point you will have to backtrack or take a train to/from Tschagguns. The cycle path takes you from Partenen to Gaschurn and along the River Ill past Gortipohl to St. Gallenkirch. Continue through the districts of Galgenul and Gartniel to Tschagguns. From Tschagguns the path follows the River Ill to Vandans and the Vens chapel where you take Böschisstraße road to Lorüns. In the Bludenz motorway area, junction Montafon, you could pick up the cycle path to Walgau-Rheintal.


Austria great for cyclists


Bikepark Kleinwalsertal

At the Bikepark by the River Schwarzwasserbach you can practice jumps and tricks. Guided tours and classes are available. The bike map contains 9 tours which vary in length between 11 and 72 kilometers and climb between 200 and 2200 meters in altitude. In Hirschegg-Au there is a bike park near the sports field which boasts an approx. 300-meter long 4X, two table, a seesaw and skinis.




Cycling Accommodation adjacent to the Tauern Cycle route, with secure parking of bikes overnight, makes an ideal base for a week of activities and the possibility of  cycling to the Krimmler falls and an attempt at the mighty  Grossglockner pass.  Cycle hire shops within a short distance of the apartment

Looking for somewhere to stay, then please consider  austria holiday apartment  the apartment sleeps from 3-9  persons and  Tauern Spa Kaprun just a few minutes away along the cycle route.

Cycle routes galore in and around Austria

Zell am See & Kaprun a visitors view.



 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 

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.

Summer Holiday in Austria -Kaprun and Zell am See

My husband , two older  teenagers and myself  flew to Munich airport and hired a car and drove to Kaprun in Austria, near to Zell am See for a 10 day holiday, in the Alps.  We had wonderful sunny weather and so for the first day, after visiting the tourist information office in Kaprun,  we  went to a lovely swimming lake at Niedersill between Mittersill and Piesendorf.  Here the grassy banks run down into the lake, and there are trees for shade and a sweet little cafe where we had a snack. In the centre of the lake is a fountain which pumped water up about 50 metres. The lake was delightful and the scenery was fantastic. I think this was much more fun than a beach swim, being able to swim and mountain watch at the same time was wonderful. 

The  lake  at  Niedersill

The following day we brought a 6 day a swim and lift  pass, which covers the area of Zell am See and Kaprun which enabled free ravel on the cable cars in the area and also swimming lakes and can be used on buses as well.  We went up into to the Tauern mountains, on the Kitzsteinhorn. Looking down from the ski lift we saw our first Marmot. Later on the nature trails we learnt  that baby Marmots are called monkeys and adult females "Cats" and adult males "Bears". Also that they are hunted for the medicinal value in the creation of ointments.




We have been swimming at Optimum Kaprun baths which is lovely but apparently going to partially close when the new Tauern Spa Kaprun opens between Zell am See and Kaprun in November this year (2010). Later in the holiday we hired cycles,   and went close past the location of the new spa, and it is in a stunning location in the valley bottom surrounded by mountains.

In the evenings we have entertained ourselves by going to a European Ice Hockey match in Zell Am See, watching Salzburg Red Bull play  a team from Switzerland. The score was 4 to 2, and it was a very exciting and fast moving game - but we gave up trying to work out all the complex rules involved. That same evening a  Wednesday we went into Zell am See centre where there is a festival on the streets every week and we watched large good natured crowds milling around listen to various musicians / bands playing a range of different music, throughout the town centre. It was all very lively and uplifting.

On Thursday  after another walk in the mountains,  at night we went to the Porche Congress conference centre in Zell am See to watch an Austrian Folk evening which included songs, dances, cow bells and the typical Austrian horn. We all ended up being dragged on stage to dance or yodel!!  It was highly entertaining and good value at 36 Euros for 4 of us. They served drinks at your table during the evening and it lasted about 1.5 hours.

Another day we hired bicycles from Kaprun for 52 Euros for 4 of us  and took them up the Maisikogel, lift, we had to pay another 2 euros for the transport of each bike, on top of the 6 day  lift passes we had.  We then cycled down the cycle route into Kaprun which was really fun. As I am not an experienced cyclist this was an easy route and enabled us to have a peaceful cycle stopping half way to a packed lunch, even though there were two mountain restaurants we could have stopped at.

Kaprun Austria holiday Apartment where we stayed

This is the view from the Austria holiday apartmentt garden where we where we stayed, we could clearly see the Kitzsteinhorn glacier.

Overall we had a great time and there is lots to see and in and around the area  for all  ages, our teenage children even said they would like to come back!!