Fancy skiing in Europe next winter? Expat Living’s LARA SAGE shares recommendations of where to stay and what to do on a family ski trip in the Austrian Alps.
Tucked towards the end of Austria’s Ziller Valley (Zillertal in German) lie the towns of Stumm and Mayrhofen. They’re an easy two-hour drive across the border from Munich. Thanks to the superb location and infrastructure, the region is the perfect starting point for embarking on all kinds of winter sports activities. And it’s suitable for every level of ability! It also has some convenient and charming places to stay.
A week in the village of Stumm
Stumm quite literally means quiet, and so it is! It’s a quaint village with a church steeple that chimes through the valley.
We stayed first in the newly-built Baderer Apartments. These eight Tyrolean-style alpine apartments are owned by a long-standing family from the village. The place offered cosy comfort for our two travelling families – and quick accessibility to the nearby Kaltenbach cable car. Another well-appointed unit that’s ideal for couples, Van’s Place is located further up the ski slope. It’s run by warm and welcoming expats.
Over the course of our time in Stumm, we were never short of ski runs to try and mountain huts to visit. Aperols and Glühwein never tasted better than when overlooking the snow-capped Austrian alps on the glorious blue-sky days we experienced in March. We had our two teens and some family friends in the group. A few skied, others chose to snowboard; some did those things well, others not so well! But it was a merry ski trip packed with activity and laughter.
The charms of Mayrhofen
After a week, we moved deeper into the valley to the charming town of Mayrhofen. While it’s famous for its insanely steep Harakiri piste, it also offers a large range of ski runs at different levels of difficulty. Mayrhofen sits between the Penken and Ahorn mountains in the Austrian alps. It has a long, steep black run that was once on the World Cup Downhill Circuit but was removed as it was deemed too dangerous. The area also offers mountain biking, hiking and paragliding in the summer.
Mayrhofen’s Neue Post Hotel is among the nicest hotels I’ve stayed in. We had an indulgent poolside deluxe suite on the rooftop, waking to snow on the terrace and steam rising from the 34-degree warm turquoise pool. It was a remarkable setting with the kind of magic winter views that repeatedly have you reaching for your camera and exclaiming “wow”!
Run by a multi-generational Austrian family, the property has recently been renovated. You’ll find contemporary and authentic touches, and tasteful décor, fabrics and joinery. The rooms are perfectly appointed, with modern amenities and luxurious finishes. And the wellness facilities are awe-inspiring: saunas, steam rooms, waterbeds, heated loungers, chill-out pods and more.
The myriad of passages throughout the hotel lead you variously to a ski store, a games room for tweens, and an inviting bar and restaurant of high culinary standards. When you’re not careering down the slopes, it’s a marvellous place to while away the time. Enjoy the indoor pool or sip cocktails in the warm waters and crisp air of the scenic rooftop pool, which beckons in both sunshine and snowfall!
An unlikely photo
Southwest of Mayrhofen is the Hintertux Glacier. At 3,250 metres above sea level, it offers year-round access to snow. We decided to venture there by car, driving deep into the twisty valley for a picturesque family outing.
It’s common knowledge that most husbands don’t like to be asked to stop their cars to indulge their wives’ wishes for photographs. My husband was no exception in our comfortable German holiday rental! When at last I got my way, after many scenic kilometres of begging, he pulled over at a random spot, so that we could walk to the icy river for a whimsical family photo in the snow. To our sheer bewilderment, parked behind the snow-covered shed was a car with the number plate SAGE1 – our very name! The ensuing family holiday photo was not quite the one we’d had in mind. But we won’t forget it in a hurry for the extraordinary coincidence halfway around the globe!
Exploring Munich
For our Austrian ski trip, we flew into Munich in Germany, where we stayed at the Sofitel Munich Bayerpost. Well located near the train station, this flagship five-star hotel features avant-garde architecture and modern design.
After entering the hotel by a former side entrance of the Royal Bavarian Post Office, you’re greeted by a 27-metre-high foyer. The renovated space features modern finishes of stone, leather, lacquer, glass and chrome. Unique lighting bathes the space in different colours to create different moods. It’s also used for temporary displays of international and local artworks. An illuminated orange glass structure in the roof lining adds a warm alpine glow.
The hotel offers an indoor pool and gym, a beautifully tiled spa that blends French cosmetology with global beauty traditions, and an assortment of rooms and suites to make for a comfortable stay.
What to see
The Sofitel is within walking distance to extraordinarily good shopping and some famous landmarks. These include the Glockenspiel that chimes daily, with figurines that re-enact tales from the 16th century, the Viktualienmarkt, an abundantly stocked fresh produce market that’s great to ride bikes or stroll through, and the Hofbräuhaus, which serves beer in litre steins and plates of Eisbein (roasted ham hock) in a hall of painted ceilings. After 250 years of providing beer for the royals and the likes of Austrian composer Mozart, it opened to the public in 1828. It quickly became the centre of the city’s public and political life.
The 12th-century Frauenkirche gothic cathedral has famous symmetrical domes that were added in 1524. Climbing the stairs of the south tower offers views over the city of Munich that extend to the Alps – where those perfect snowy slopes await!
Getting there
If you’re keen on skiing in Europe, or want to go to the Australian Alps, both Singapore Airlines and Lufthansa both fly direct to Munich daily. The Ziller Valley is a 140km drive across the Austrian border to the south.
This article on skiing in Europe first appeared in the July 2023 edition of Expat Living. You can purchase the latest issue or subscribe, so you never miss a copy!
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