The high life
There are some top holidays to be had in the mountains, says NICK DALTON
Austria is like that, it’s a wild and enchanting blend of the past and the contemporary, laced with the timeless scenery of the Alps
ONE minute you’re walking along the pretty, bustling main street in Mayrhofen with the scent of roasting pork wafting from Gasser, home of famed Hans the Butcher, the next you’re across the road by the expansive Sport Hotel Strass in this Tyrolean village, enjoying the Penkenbahn – a high-tech mountain lift with 24 comfy seats and even wifi, whirring up over the river and craggy mountain face to green pastures above.
Austria is like that – a wild and enchanting mix of the past and the contemporary, laced with the timeless scenery of the Alps.
A summer holiday in the warm, hazy mountains is an adventure, whether it is due to the walking or a scenic railway ride, or the natural, local food.
There is certainly plenty on the menu when it comes to choosing where to go.
Alpbach, Lech and St Gilgen are often voted Austria’s most perfect mountain villages – all onion-domed churches, timbered medieval buildings and delightful bars and restaurants – although others, such as Saalbach and Ellmau, might dispute that.
Try Niederau and Obergurgl for a peaceful retreat, or Söll with its frescoed houses and the spa town of Bad Hofgastein.
If you would prefer a larger town filled with shops and activities, that is where Mayrhofen comes in, along with the sophisticated Kitzbühel and the rugged yet upmarket St Anton.
Some resorts not only have mountains but lakes too. Stroll along waterfront paths in Seefeld, Achensee or Wörthersee, wonder at the grand resort setting of Zell am See or explore the historic lakeside centres of St Wolfgang and Fuschl am See.
Thomson Lakes & Mountains is the summer specialist here and makes sure everyone gets the most from the mountains. There’s an array of excursions on offer, such as a day in the ornate city of Salzburg, filled with Sound of Music locations, or a trip to Grossglockner, Austria’s highest mountain, or Neuschwanstein, King Ludwig’s fairy tale castle immortalised in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, or Berchtesgaden, a Bavarian village topped with Hitler’s Eagle’s Nest hideaway.
There’s plenty more going on both by day (walks, farm visits and tastings of fabulous meats, cheeses and, of course, schnapps) and night (Tyrolean evenings, filled with traditional food, music and more schnapps).
And there’s even more. New this year is the lovely village of Schladming, 700 years of history not least in a beautiful old quarter filled with superb shops and cafes. Not that you’ll need the cafes as Schladming holidays are all on an all-inclusive basis with all food and drink. There are also amazing extras: a guided torchlit walk, a Styrian evening, food tasting, a traditional Austrian breakfast in a mountain hut – and champagne at the Dachstein Glacier’s 8,850ft restaurant with entrance to either the glacier’s suspension bridge or ice palace.
There is more to do in the mountains than you ever dreamed of – and the Thomson Lakes & Mountains team help you get the most of it, with reps on call 24/7 either in person or by text, email or tweet.
The only difficulty is narrowing down which resort you want to go to… INFORMATION: Thomson Lakes & Mountains (020 8234 6546/thomsonlakes.co.uk) offers holidays in the Austrian Alps starting from £467 for seven nights, B&B, at the Hotel Obermair in Mayrhofen, departing June 17.