This year’s IV to Austria left me pining for ski season to start.
The drive south from Salzburg Airport to the Ski Amadé area could have been less eventful. My first time driving abroad in years did lead to the occasional reminder from the passenger seat of which side of the road I should be driving on, but we arrived safe and sound with our hosts for the night, the Gruber family of Grossarl.
We were welcomed by our lovely hosts and panoramic views of the mountains. Their family-run guesthouse built in the traditional Austrian alpine style felt ideal for our groups, with good quality rooms and incredible views of the valley from most of them.
After a little too much wiener schnitzel, we took an early night in anticipation of the hectic days to come.
Up at the crack of dawn, I was greeted by spectacular views of the valley from my window, and the fresh alpine air gave us all the energy to drag ourselves down to breakfast. We feasted on fresh bread rolls with homemade jams, honey and butter, and left the Gruber family excited with the prospect of sending our groups to them in the not so distant future.
On we drove to nearby Tauplitz, where we met with prospective suppliers for all the essentials. Ski hire, instructors and lift passes were discussed at great length before heading up the mountain for lunch in the highest ski hut in Styria, where we enjoyed a little too much strudel before heading off in search of accommodation.
So far, a productive day, another potential resort with accommodation and all ski elements accounted for, our hosts felt it was time for us to unwind, so invited us to the local thermal spa. We made the most of the opportunity to relax here, until we found out that this was a traditional spa, and therefore swimming suits were not permitted… Needless to say our stay here was rather short lived!
Another early morning on our final day. This was made worthwhile with a stunning drive up the mountain in Loser with a short walk up for a photo in the Loser window (I know), before heading to the Jugendgästehaus Puttererschlössl for a chat and some lunch with our host Christian. This is another hotel we’re very excited about and hoping to bring to you very soon!
All in all it was a very successful trip to Austria and I look forward to groups staying in the hotels we visited in the not so distant future.