Summer Season

Summertime in Salzkammergut is amazing. Blue skies, crystal clear warm lakes, mountains shrouded in vibrant green forests and of course the beautiful alpine meadows bejewelled with wildflowers. The possibilities for the perfect holiday are endless, whether you are an outdoor adventurer, a culture-vulture or simply wanting to relax and unwind. A small selection of the many activities available and places to visit are shown below, but please ask us if you have a particular interest and we will do our best to advise you.

Walking
Alpine Meadows is the ideal base for a walking holiday in the Salzkammergut, There are many excellent scenic walks of varying lengths within and around Bad Ischl, which are well signposted, Alpine meadows lies directly on one 10km circular route, so you can literally start on your doorstep! We will be happy to advise you of some less well known walks which will take you through spectacular scenery.

Alpine Ambling
If a more gentle approach to walking is your style, there are lots of walks we can recommend that can be covered with relative ease, with possible stops at local "huttes" or cafes to enjoy one of the refreshing local beers, a lunch or Kaffee and Kuchen, while taking in the amazing views. A recent guest gave this the name "Alpine ambling" and we liked the idea so much we decided to adopt it!

Swimming
There is a super outdoor swim- park in the Centre of Bad Ischl and the Eurothermen Resort thermal baths are a "must-do" part of any holiday in Bad Ischl. Completely refurbished in 2007 the thermal baths offer swimming, a spa pool heated to 33 degrees centigrade, saunas, steam baths and a wide range of therapies to help you relax and unwind. If you enjoy swimming in the great outdoors, there are many lakes nearby which have sunbathing and swimming beaches, many of which are free to use and other which charge a small entrance fee.

Watersports
There is a wide range of water sports on offer within easy driving distance of Alpine Meadows. Lakes Wolfgangsee and Traunsee for example have boat hire, wake boarding, water skiing, scuba diving etc available

Cruises
If you prefer more gentle water-borne pursuits then why not have a gentle cruise on Wolfgangsee. You can travel from village to village around the lake.

High -fliers
Paragliding and hot -air ballooning are available within twenty minutes drive of Alpine-Meadows

Golf
One of Austria's oldest and most famous golf clubs is in Bad Ischl as is the famous Franz Laimer Golf Academy which compliments the many other golf courses in the Salzkammergut.

Mountain biking
There are lots of well- marked mountain bike trails locally ranging from easy to very demanding. It is possible to hire mountain bikes locally. If you would like us to enquire about this for you please ask.

Outdoor adventure
If more adventurous pursuits are your thing and you would like to try your hand at canyonning, rock climing, abseiling or canoeing there is a centre just fifteen minutes drive from Alpine Meadows.

Places to Visit
Salzwelten (Salt-world) A fascinating visit to an ancient but still working salt-mine at Halstatt, about 30 minutes drive from Alpine Meadows. Well worth a visit.

Summer Tobogganing
Great fun for all the family and only a 15 minute drive from Alpine Meadows, the "Sommer Rodelbahn"is ideal as part of a family day out, perhaps combined with a visit to the animal park or a visit to Lake Wolfgangsee.

Dorf der Tier
Literally Animal Village is situated just the other side of Gschwendt on the way to St Gilgen approximately 15 minutes drive away by car.

Salzburg
No visit to the Salzkammergut is complete without a visit to this historic city. Famous as Mozart's birthplace, it has lots to offer, whether you are a culture vulture, seeking art galleries, concerts or museums, or are like many people, following the "Sound of Music" trail and would like to see some of the locations from the film, Salzburg is just spellbinding! Fabulous buildings, open-air music and cafés that serve delicious coffee and cakes. Shopping in Salzburg is excellent, a visit to the famous Getreidegasse, with its quaint shop signs that hang over the narrow street is essential for avid shoppers, seeking designer labels, fabulous jewellery or simply window shopping. There is a market most days selling seasonal produce and souvenirs. The famous Salzburg Music Festival takes place during the summer.

Bad Ischl
If you would like a guided tour around this historic town, why not take a horse drawn carriage ride to see the sights.

Throughout the summer all the local shops, restaurants and bars are open and a profusion of pavement cafés where you can sit and take in the scenery or simply people watch. The world famous confectioner and coffee house Zauner, where superb cakes and fabulous house-made chocolates can be sampled, is an essential part of any visit to Bad Ischl and in Summer they have a super riverside café on Bad Ischl's stylish Esplanade. Evenings in Bad Ischl are civilised, ideal for those who prefer a quiet meal, although there are some music bars for those who prefer a slightly livelier scene. We are happy to make reservations for you and arrange taxi transport if you wish.

Another not-to-be-missed attraction is a visit the Kaiser Villa, the holiday home of Kaiser Franz Joseph I, perched on the banks of the river Ischl. It is said that Franz Joseph brought his court to Bad Ischl in order to benefit from the health giving properties of the waters here.

Wolfgangsee
This world famous lake, set in glorious, spectacular scenery makes an ideal day out for the whole family. Whether you want to swim, hire a boat, take a gentle cruise from village to village, cycle, go up a mountain by cable car, train or foot or simply enjoy hunting for souvenirs in the many fascinating shops in St Gilgen, St Wolfgang or Strobl and stop for lunch or coffee and cakes at one of the many hotels and cafes

Russbach
Part of the Dachstein west area and a short drive from
Alpine Meadows, Russbach is an ideal place for all the family to visit on a warm summer's day offer in the chance to walk in the mountains, hunt for fossils, have fun at the water park and many other attractions.

Festivals
Throughout the summer there is a succession of festivals in Bad Ischl and in the surrounding area. For Example, the Lehar Festival, the Kaiser-Bummel, our personal favourite, when a red carpet runs around the whole town and everyone gets to be a "Kaiser" for the day! There are street entertainers, traditional foods and beer-tents in abundance and at night there are fireworks and a real carnival atmosphere. The Bad Ischl website gives details of 'What's on in Bad Ischl'

The village of St Wolfgang holds fortnightly festivals called 'Summer Nights' which are truly un-missable. Street music, activities for the children, a street market, pavement bars and restaurants combine to create a real party atmosphere.


Autumn and Spring Breaks
Why not try an autumn or spring break at Alpine Meadows?

In September, October and November, the mountainsides are a riot of ever-changing colour, that rivals better-known autumn holiday venues such as New England. Walk through forest tracks, along the alms and stop to wonder at the breathtaking views, kick up the autumn leaves, stop for a coffee and a piece of apple strudel, served with lashings of whipped cream. Take in the alm-festivals when the cows are brought down from their summer pastures, wearing garlands of flowers or visit one of the many harvest festivals held in almost every village and town through the Autumn. "Bauern-herbst", is a really special time of year in the Salzkammergut. Why not book a short break or even a long one, you are sure to find it a magical experience and take home memories you will treasure.

In April and May, the forests and meadows are carpeted with colourful alpine flowers and the weather is often just perfect for gentle walks, ambling along the many tracks and taking in the view. For more serious sportsmen and women this is an ideal time of year to walk, cycle, run in the hills and mountains as the temperatures are not too high and the tracks are relatively uncrowded. Most of the summer tourist facilities are open from April through to the end of October making it possible to have a truly spellbinding holiday without any crowds, even at the most popular tourist attractions, you can often experience the feeling that the whole Salzkammergut has been created exclusively for you