When someone is starting to talk about skiing, I immediately have Austria in front of my eyes. I do not know why. Perhaps because the first ski resorts that I saw in the distant 90s were, it was Austrian. And since then, I compare all other resorts with them. For me, the concept of "mountain skiing" and Austria slept into one harmonious whole. Snow covered Alps peaks, chalet houses with white fireplaces, ski passes on clothespins, Tyrolean jigsaws, huge pieces of chop pork and hot mulled wine in the evenings - without this, the resort is not a resort. Alps, chalets and ski slopes are in France, and in Switzerland, and in Italy. But only in Austria, skiing is not some kind of prestigious pastime, and a massive and democratic vacation, delivering true pleasure.
Austria seemed to be created for mountain skis and snowboards. Winter resorts here are about fifty, more than twenty of them are rather large, with 100 and more trail kilometers. Most of the resorts, of course, in Tyrol. But in the lands of Salzburg and Foralberg, they are enough. Resorts in Austria are not just some space of skiing, but entire "ski republics" uniting several resort zones. Skiwelt's largest connected region of Skiwelt (Wilder Kaiser-Brixental) unites five resorts - Elmau, Hopfartgarten, Westndorf, Zell and Wilder Kaiser. In the Valley of the Tsillertal, 3 skiing regions were united - Zell, Gerlos and Königslyiter, - with a center in the spa zone Zell am-cyller. The Zillertal Valley is the Mayrhofen resort.
Surfaus Ski Region In the western part of Tyrol, two skiing zones are actually serfaus and the neighboring village of Fiss and Ladis.
There are truly legendary resorts in the Austrian Tyrol and the resorts. Such as Kitzbühel, St. Anton and Mayrhofen. Kitzbühel is famous for being a candidate for the 2006 Winter Olympics. Here is the famous Streif World Cup route and "Paradise Garden" of snowboarders on the slope of Kitzbyuler Horn. St. Anton is considered to be the birthplace of the Austrian ski school. Extremes around the world are admirers of this resort. The ordinary tourist skiing skip says about Mayrhofen. Oh, Mayrhofen! The kingdom of mass skiing, with an abundance of various trails, hospitable hosts of apart-hotels, many bars and cafes, where in the evenings after skiing the youth is going to almost around the world. And until the morning in the clubs, smoke finds out the relationship: who is steeper - skiers or snowboarders. Sometimes these hot spores splash out to the street and turn into the scuffle - not too serious, but funny. In general, having fun there, life boys. This is such a huge "club of interests", where everyone has one "God" - ski slopes. Therefore, we will stop at this resort a little more.
Ski Republic Tsillertal
Mayrhofen is not too high resort. Its main routes are located at a height of 600 meters, but there are also zones at the level of 2000 meters. In addition, there are enough gentle plots with blue tracks. This circumstance entails a family with children. Beginners and simply lovers of calm ski shutter choose the Ahorn Skania zone, the Knock Road "Ahornban" is just in the center of the village. On the contrary, there is a Penkenban cable car station, leading to the nearby slope to the Zone of Range Penkenin, where there are green, red and black tracks, including the famous Harakiri route with a slope of 78%. On the mountain Penkenin, you can get from the village of Hoarberg to the north of Mairhofen, there is a Corbergban CANCEL, not everyone knows about her, so even in the rush of skiing she is pretty free.
Mayrhofen is also attractive as a variety of various aparthotels. Here you can find both cozy rooms in two-story private houses at a price of 40 euros per room and all private hotels in four, where you rent apartments with two bedrooms, living room and kitchen, luxury loggia - 150 euros. You can go to the hotel with food, but the price per room is approaching 200 euros per night.
From personal experience: once settled in the room of a small apartment hotel, whose mistress is a cute elderly Frau - every morning I fed my guests with homemade pancakes with jam. The number is small, but cozy. Skis and suitcases are placed. The look from the window with patterned curtains on the mountain snow-covered slopes and a huge spruce at the entrance add charm to this house on the outskirts of Mayrhofen. The second time settled closer to the cable car station, in fact on the central street in the aparthotel more. Removed a large number of two families with a common living room and kitchen. Convenient, because you can cook dinner in the evenings yourself, and not to wander along a noisy cafe. Yes, and sun beds on a large veranda, which nodded the sun in the afternoon, was very promoted to relax. I liked both and another accommodation option. The second is understandable, more expensive. And more suitable for a company of several people.
Mayrhofen is also convenient for its transport accessibility. It is 65 km from Innsbruck Airport, and it is possible to move around the resort that unites several villages using ski bass that run here regularly with an interval of 15-30 minutes. In addition, the railway passes through the entire Tsillertal, the trains on which they run 27 times a day. The ticket costs from 3 to 8 euros, depending on the destination.
In Mayrhofen, a very convenient system of ski passes. They act in all zones of riding in the Tsillertal region. In addition, the presence of skit-pass gives the right to free travel on all buses and trains of the area. The only condition - in the hands there should be a ski or snowboard. This season, tariffs for ski passes in Mayrhofen are as follows: on 1 day - 51 euros (adult), 41 euros - adolescent, 23 Euro - children's (up to 12 years). Super Pass on 6 days - 242 Euros (adult), 193.5 euro (teenage), 109 euro - children. Super Pass for a period of 10 to 14 days will cost 392 euros (adult), 313.5 euros (teenage) and 176.5 euros (children).
What to see
If riding from the mountains from dawn to sunset you are tired, you can go on a tour. The tour desk is located in the center of Mayrhofen, there are tours to choose from - in Innsbruck, in Munich, in the Bavarian Castle Neushwinstein. You can just rent a car. Car rental in Mayrhofen will cost 32 to 63 euros per day depending on the class of the selected machine. And go wherever you want. But be in Tyrol and not to see Innsbruck - it is unforgivable. This small beautiful town took the winter Olympics twice - in 1964 and 1976. Under the Duke of Rudolfe IV Habsburg since 1420, Innsbruck was the capital of Front Austria. So there is something to see in it. In the imperial church, Hofkirch can be explored by the pedigree of the emperor of the Sacred Roman Empire Maximilian I. The ancestors of the ruler from the blackened bronze in two-meter growth was lined up around the symbolic sarcophagus, in which, according to the emperor Ferdinand I, his great grandfather - Maximilian I. As a result, Maximilian buried In another place, and in Hofkirch there is only Kenotaf - the conditional grave decorated with bas-reliefs, talking about the life of the emperor. Bronze sculptures of the ancestors of the emperor produce a strange impression. On the one hand, these ranks look majestically and sideways. On the other - frightening. Black people are above human growth look at you from above the petrified look ... No wonder the people call this temple the church of "black people." A much more positive emotion causes the Imperial Palace of Hofburg. This is a large white-yellow building in a baroque style with greenish dasses of towers, binding the wings of the palace, pleases the eyes and the grace of interiors, and a rich collection of art objects. And the ceiling painting of the balloon just fascinates.
Tourists in Innsbruck also necessarily show the building called the "Golden Roof". To be accurate, the golden roof belongs not to the whole building, but only a massive balcony-erquera, from which Tyrolean kings observed theatrical productions, tournaments and even executions that passed on the square in front of the royal residence. Erker roof is not really golden, but copper. By order of Friedrich IV, it was covered with 2657 tiles tiles from the heat-resistant gold-plated copper. In the sun, she looks rather impressive. The triumphal arch of Innsbruck, built on the site of the southern gate by order of the Governor of Tyrol Mary-Teresia in honor of the marriage of her son Leopold. True, at the time of the start of construction there was a tragic event: Mary-Terezia's husband died. And this event was also reflected in the design of the arch. Its northern part is the personification of joy, southern - grief. Be sure to walk along the Central Street of Mary Terezia in Innsbruck. This is the busiest place of the city - with shops, cafes, a parliament building. And then roll up to the Inn River embankment and enjoy a secluded walk overlooking the elegant yellow, pink and blue houses along the banks of the river.
To whom - a glacier, and to whom - the lake
In this region, there are not so many skiing zones of skiing, as in Tyrol. But here is the most famous resort - Kaprun. It is closely adjacent to another resort area - the target-am zee, and this combined zone of skiing is considered one of the most extensive and convenient ski areas of Austria. This resort loves the Austrian youth very much. It is here that students of Viennese universities are sent to their holidays. It affects, firstly, relative proximity to Vienna and Salzburg, and secondly, the Kitzsteinhorn Glacier (Kitzsteinhorn), on which the main routes are located, makes it possible to ride skiing even in the summer. Unlike Mayrhofen, the main zone of skiing here is much higher - the tracks start from GipfelStation station, which is at an altitude of 3029 meters. Up to the top of the riding point, you need to get on three lifts - GletcherJet I, GletcherJet II and Kitzsteinhorn cabin. At intermediate stations there are its own zones of riding and equipment rental points - optionally climbing the very top. And yet many make it possible to the upper point - due to fabulous species on the pointed peaks of Roskopf and Hoe-cammer.
On the top platform is the Panorama 3000 complex with a viewing platform at an altitude of 3029 meters. The spectacle is cosmic. The ridges of the mountains with clear, graphic, even combinations of iscin-black shadows and blind-white snow go to the Beleso Blue Dal. And the tracks at the bottom of wide winding stripes are drawn down the slopes. Each stations can be perfectly resting between "races". In Panorama 3000 there are not only cafes and restaurants, but even a cinema hall. And below, on the Alpincenter platform, there is an exotic entertainment place - an ice needle. In a house made of ice, you can admire ice sculptures, watch a movie, drink something dumb from ice cups. A variety of sun beds have been exhibited around the needle, on which vacationer skiers catch the sun rays. The only minus of Kaprun - the lifts here almost always turns, a very crowded resort.
Many tourists, by the way, prefer to live not in the very village of Kaprun at the foot of the mountain, but a little lower - in the town of Zell-am See, which is 7 kilometers. To the lifts, however, you have to get on the bus minutes 15, but in the presence of ski passes it is not very burdensome. But life in the target-AM is more comfortable - there are many different entertainment establishments, hotels for every taste. But the main thing is an amazing view of the lake. After all, the town is standing on the shore of the beautiful, deep, dark turquoise clerk. By the way, the Skal-Am See resort has its own skiing zone - on the slopes of the mountain Schmittenhohe. The zone is not too extensive, but rather interesting to which the lifts are from the town itself.
What to see
80 km from Kaprun and Zalzburg there is Salzburg. This is one of the most beautiful cities of Austria, Motherland Mozart. On it, you can just wander, enjoying old narrow streets. And during the walk, accidentally stumble upon an inconspicuous yellow house in which a great composer was born. And only on the major inscription "Mozarts GebrThaus" between the floors to understand what this is the most historical place. You can enjoy hot coffee with a fragrant bun on the square in front of the Cathedral, glancing through the dome on the white fortress of Hohensalzburg hanging over the city with a 900-year history. And you can climb the fortress itself and admire from its walls to the town with green domes of cathedrals from its foot. In Salzburg, you can enjoy the fruits of modern creativity: the Museum of Contemporary Art is located immediately in two buildings - in Rupertinium in the center of the Old Town and in the house on Mount Mongchsberg.
You can get from Zalzburg from Zalzburg in several ways. The bus goes to the capital of the land for 1 hour 55 minutes, the ticket costs 18 euros. For 21 euros you can get to Salzburg by train. The road will take 1 hour 36 minutes. On a rented car, mountain roads can be overcome in two hours.