Uncover Your Austria 2018
From family adventures to long-distance hikes, gnarly Mountain bike trails or gentle lakeside e-bike routes, each village and valley, city and town looks forward to welcoming you with Austrian charm this summer. What will you be writing about?
Uncover your very own Austria on a summer adventure and experience some of the country’s most beautiful towns and natural delights. Take advantage of countless direct flight connections from the UK to Vienna and find yourself in the Austrian capital within the space of a couple of hours. From here you can make use of Austria’s National Railway ÖBB and its direct connections to major Austrian cities.
Graz
Following BMI’s introduction of a direct service from Birmingham, the secret of Graz appears to be out. A young, vibrant city that you can’t help but fall in love with, Graz will grab you with its serene beauty, charm and passion for food and flavours. Think culture and culinary delights, with an impressive events calendar to create a hook for any story.
Further information: www.visitgraz.com
Salzburg
Salzburg is not just about Mozart and “The Sound of Music”. It is an extraordinarily beautiful city, presenting the perfect harmony of nature and architecture, art and culture, tradition and modernity. The soft green mountains surrounding the baroque centre invite for exploration, and you can top the day’s activities off with a drink in one of the many beer gardens, paying tribute to the city’s long history of beer culture.
Further information: www.salzburg.info
Zell am See-Kaprun
With its unique combination of glacier, mountains and lake, don’t be fooled by the chocolate-box setting of Zell am See-Kaprun. The region opens up with hundreds of trails, tours and routes for hiking and biking, with dozens of quaint mountain guesthouses to take a break and enjoy regional specialities such as mountain cheese or homemade schnapps. This summer you could even participate in a yodelling workshop, set against an impressive mountain backdrop.
Further information: www.zellamsee-kaprun.com
Vorarlberg
The areas of Bregenzerwald, Brandnertal and Lech Zürs am Arlberg are ideal bases for a stay in Austria’s westernmost state of Vorarlberg. A superb mixture of enchanting scenery with the great outdoors and cultural inspiration, hikers, cyclists and e-bikers will find excellent trails for people of all ability, whilst those with a passion for contemporary (timber) architecture, exhibitions and music of all styles are also delightfully catered for here.
Further information: www.vorarlberg.travel
Tirol and its Partner Regions
There could be no doubt that Tirol is one of the most beautiful parts of Austria, with a wealth of resorts and activities reflecting its varied landscape.
St Anton am Arlberg, where it is thought that Alpine skiing first began, has some of the highest mountains in the region. In summer these make way for experiences ranging from Via Ferrata to road cycling, walking and mountain biking.
On the border with Germany is the Tiroler Zugspitz Arena, a place where life slows down and there’s a focus on nature. Mountain bikers are spoilt for choice on more than 100 trails.
Kitzbühel is well known to skiers, but in the summer this stunning area, loaded with myth and tradition, has more than 1,000 kilometres of signposted trails alone. Add to that another 1,200 kilometres of spectacular road bike touring, and you have the perfect outdoors holiday.
The Wildschönau Valley sits below vast mountains, but offers picturesque villages, green pastures housing dairy cows, rustic mountain huts bursting with authentic Tirolean hospitality, and colourful Alpine wildflowers, the likes of which you’ll be hard-pressed to find in other regions.
Even in idyllic Austria, pretty Alpbachtal stands out for its enviable position in a verdant green landscape, criss-crossed by more than 900 kilometres of mountain trails for all levels.
St. Johann in Tirol marks itself out as one of the key destinations for lovers of the high mountains. Climbers, mountaineers, long-distance hikers and mountain bikers are attracted to the summits around St. Johann, but it’s also ideal for more leisurely walkers and cyclists.
And then there’s Innsbruck, the capital of Tirol, where the union between culture and nature is visible all around, even from the historic city centre with its elaborate buildings, museums and churches. The view down the splendid Maria-Theresien-Street towards the medieval Old Town, for example, is crowned by the majestic Nordkette chain of mountains in the near distance.
Further information: www.visittirol.co.uk and love.tirol
Hotel Tips Winter 2017/18
Across Austria, unique accommodation keeps the hospitality landscape fresh and inviting. Here are some suggestions worthy of a look – perhaps an inspiring base for your winter press trip?
Hotel Trattlerhof
A continuous tradition of hospitality greets guests at the four-star Hotel Trattlerhof in Carinthia’s Bad Kleinkirchheim region. Think cosy ambience in a modern form. This fifth generation, family-run hotel is beautifully presented in alpine style, offering 45 rooms and spa facilities including a heated pool, saunas, Jacuzzi and relaxation area.
Come mealtimes sample regional delicacies as part of your gourmet half-board, or head to the hotel’s chalet restaurant “Einkehr” for an afternoon snack.
Just 150 metres from the ski lifts, Hotel Trattlerhof is a dream base for winter stays, and being a well-known thermal spa region Bad Kleinkirchheim offers the ideal programme to complement your day on the slopes.
Hot Winter News: With easyJet’s London Gatwick – Klagenfurt connection launching on 16th December 2017, holidays in Carinthia are about to get even hotter!
Further information: www.trattlerhof.at
Alphotel
Convinced that a ski holiday with the kids would just be hassle? The Kinderhotel Alphotel in Vorarlberg’s Kleinwalsertal might prove you wrong.
Set right by the ski lift at 1200m, this four-star family hotel gives access to 125km of slopes. Make use of the secure family ski area or enjoy some time to yourselves, with daily childcare in the hotel from 0 years and a ski school for kids of 3 – 4 years nearby. Don’t Sprechen Sie Deutsch?! No problem, the childcare assistants speak English here.
Should you fancy introducing the little ones to something new – 50km of family-friendly winter hiking paths are at your doorstep, as is a toboggan lift and ice-skating rink.
Top Story Idea: With toll-free access via Germany (10 minutes after the German border), this is a feasible drive and ski option.
Further information: www.alphotel.at
Das Kronthaler
Majestically overlooking the Achen Valley on the northern banks of Tirol’s Lake Achensee, the four-star superior Kronthaler quite simply gets it right.
Explore the ski resort of Christlum and its 27 kilometres of pistes, 10 ski lifts and fun-park at your leisure. Or why not book a private ski tour with the instructors from the Ski School Achensee, collecting you straight from the hotel. Ski-in / ski-out at its finest.
And not just the 5-course evening menu will be enticing you back through the door. The 2,500m² spa will leave you looking and feeling as good as Das Kronthaler itself!
Write Now: Das Kronthaler is just 45 minutes from Innsbruck and 90 minutes from Munich airports, giving you numerous flight options from the UK. We could have you there in time for lunch…
Further information: www.daskronthaler.com
Hotel Tips Summer 2017
Austrians are known for their authentic hospitality, and when they are professional hosts the experience gets even better. Allow us to introduce you to two hotels that are destinations in themselves, with spas, fine cuisine and gorgeous rooms.
Gartenhotel Theresia
Tradition meets eco-chic at the family-run Gartenhotel Theresia. Perfectly positioned among the Alpine meadows near Salzburg, this four-star superior accommodation combines exclusive interior design and contemporary art with timeless tradition and ecological philosophy.
Boasting 53 elegant rooms, the stylish “Mountain Green SPA” with heated indoor and outdoor pools and a brand-new natural swimming lake, the hotel’s organically certified, award-winning cuisine is just the cherry on the cake here. Combined with a children’s club and private tours through the hotel gallery featuring artists such as Andy Warhol, this is an establishment with an angle for any story idea.
Added bonus: Summer guests receive the Joker Card, which offers numerous advantages in the surrounding area, including unlimited use of cable cars in Saalbach-Hinterglemm, guided hikes with local certified guides, access to tennis courts and more.
Further information: www.hotel-theresia.com
Interalpen-Hotel Tyrol
The five-star superior Interalpen-Hotel Tyrol is located at 1,300 metres on Seefeld’s high plateau, overlooking the Inn Valley and surrounded by the colossal Karwendel and Wetterstein mountain ranges. This is luxury taken to new heights, combining all the opulence of a high-end hotel with Tyrolean charm.
From Spring 2018, the redesigned spa will draw guests into an over 5,300 square metre haven, with 19 new treatment rooms and a luxurious private spa suite, offering quality time for two. In addition, there are new men’s and ladies’ spas, plus an Express Beauty area for a quick fix before dinner.
Picture this: 360-degree panoramic views of the Tirolean Alps, whilst writing your first draft over a drink on the hotel’s terrace.
Further information: www.interalpen.com
Source: press.austria.info/PR News Austria
The post What’s New @Austria – March 2018 appeared first on Gypsy Escapade.
