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!!

Austrian Spa the Aqua Dome - Close to Innsbruck

Wow  for  more  information  see
http://wdanielanderson.files.wordpress.com/2014/01/aqua-dome-designboom-01.jpg

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.