Yesterday when we woke up at the hotel during our skiing holiday in Austria, it was... even more snow! It had snowed all night, and it continued to snow most of the day. The houses here in Reith in the Alpbachtal were covered in a thick white blanket and everywhere people started shovelling to access cars and driveways. It was just a matter of putting on your coat and heading out into the winter landscape!
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Skiing holidays in Austria - with lots of snow
Apparently it's often sunny here in Alpbachtal, and the first day we also had very sunny weather. Since then we have had some more clouds, but yesterday it was beautiful with all the new snow that has fallen.
Skiing in soft snow
Since it snowed so much, there was more snow on the slopes yesterday. It is nice to ski in the soft snow, but also a bit more difficult when the snow is sometimes in thick piles. Most fascinating was that it was so incredibly quiet. There were not very many people on the slopes either, so you really got that feeling of being out in the mighty and dizzying nature.
Peter both films and photographs with the 360 camera from Nikon, and has occasionally had it attached to his helmet when he goes downhill.
Dumplings, gluhwein and smoky bars
It's fun to be abroad, precisely because it's not exactly like home. Peter, Lennart and I had a goulash soup for lunch, but Beata ventured into something more local: Tyrolean soup with dumplings and cabbage salad. It really makes you feel like you're on a skiing holiday in Austria!
When we finished the day's skiing, we walked past a place that sold fresh vanilla donuts. Lennart and Beata tried white wine with soda, and Peter and I finally got a gluhwein. Nice to have places like this where you can stay outside on the street!
Then the gentlemen discovered that you can smoke inside bars in this country (and in tobacco shops!). Beata and I were perhaps not as excited, but Peter and Lennart would definitely go in and smoke "just because you can". Well, what do you do to make the men happy?
More about skiing holidays in Austria
Are you also looking for a skiing holiday in Austria? Here we have gathered some information and further reading:
Parts of this trip were part of a press trip. The texts, images and opinions are, as usual, our own.
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Åsa says:
I almost want to go there! (You didn't write anything about what you thought of the dumplings?)
09 January 2017 - 8:00
Lennart says:
Beautiful snow when it's white!
09 January 2017 - 8:09
Ditte says:
Fresh snow is also very fun to ski in and maybe they hadn't ploughed everything when you came out.
Wonderful days you have, cosy atmosphere with everything that belongs to a ski trip and skiing it has become.
09 January 2017 - 8:36
Åke Hammarbäck says:
Wonderful pictures of real Alpine winter!
The white gold loved by advanced off-piste skiers but equally forgiving and soft for beginners!
Just returned with the night train from Åre but already looking forward to the next long weekend in 2 weeks to Åre again!
Skiing greetings from Åke, someone who probably never loses his appetite for skiing and winter sports 🙂 .
09 January 2017 - 8:42
Belar43 says:
It looks lovely, but now that it's at its coldest here in Provence, we're taking the motorhome and heading further south - starting on Sunday.
09 January 2017 - 8:48
admin says:
Åsa, it was only Beata who tried the dumpling. She liked it, but no "wow feeling" 😉.
Lennart, everything is beautiful in snow! 🙂
Ditte, it was groomed underneath, and maybe they didn't think it needed to be groomed again? But we saw several snow groomers in the afternoon.
Åke Hammarbäck, recognise what you write about the snow! It looks wonderful with off-piste skiing, but a little too difficult for us. Great to hear that you had a great time in Åre!
Belar43, I can understand that it is nice to go further south with the motorhome in winter. Have a nice trip!
09 January 2017 - 8:57
Marina says:
Cool with all the snow! Now I have suddenly realised something more fun, I have seen where you are but did not react until today when I read "Reith in Alpachtal". Right there I was skiing in 1978!!! I can't say that I directly recognise myself though, it may have changed somewhat in those years...but the mountains are certainly the same and you could get something nice and warm on the slopes then too. And considering that I didn't really have the age to get it in Sweden when it happened, it was probably still better...;)
09 January 2017 - 9:03
Across the board says:
Beautiful with all the snow and soup is always good. Glühwein too 🙂
09 January 2017 - 9:58
Motorhome Helge says:
Imagine skiing in fresh snow, what a feeling. After skiing is not so bad either. Lots of fresh air and exercise too.
When we were skiing in the Sälen area, we thought a week of skiing was more worthwhile than four weeks of holiday in the summer. Now it's just a bit of "walking" during Easter if the sun is shining.
Enjoy!
09 January 2017 - 10:01
GlobetrotterElisa says:
That looks so amazing. I had a huge craving for the Austrian Alps when I saw this! Nothing beats a day on the slopes with lunch on an elm tree and après-ski with ompa ompa! "Ich bin so schön, ich bin so toll, ich bin der Anton aus Tiroooooo000l...." ENJOY!
09 January 2017 - 10:52
JoY says:
Lovely with new snow. Off-piste looks difficult and also keeps me on the piste.
I don't think dumplings are a big deal
Hugs
09 January 2017 - 10:55
admin says:
Marina, but how nice that you have been here!!! Of course, it may have changed a bit during these years, then I may not have photographed the places you recognise either. Very cosy place we think!
Criss-cross, isn't it beautiful! And soup or gluhwein warms up well 🙂.
The motorhome Helge, yes it is good that you get some exercise "on the purchase" 😉 Going on a trip during Easter also sounds cosy, then it is often nice weather?
Globetrotterelisa, haha how wonderful! I hear that you have been here!!! 🙂
JoY, we have eaten dumplings a few times in the Czech Republic and it has been ok, but not a super hit. Here it looked a bit different, but we didn't try it.
09 January 2017 - 12:03
Ama de casa says:
It is certainly beautiful when it has snowed so much, and above all, the silence when you are travelling is absolutely magical! But it is very difficult to drive, especially during the day...
Keep up the good work!
09 January 2017 - 12:38
Mr Nils-Åke Hansson says:
Looks really lovely with so much snow.
09 January 2017 - 12:42
Anette Åhnbrink says:
It really looks wonderful! I have not travelled in the Alps myself but my husband has, for me it is enough with Sweden, although I get angry if they do not ski! The knees do not fix it, but if it looked like it does in your pictures, I would probably survive, the environment does a lot! Have it now still wonderful!
09 January 2017 - 15:28
Goatfish says:
I continue to ride in your pictures, it's going great 😀 Isn't it hard to have the camera on your head? 😉 But cool.
Soup is always favoured and hot drinks!
All good!
09 January 2017 - 17:51
Mickey says:
It was snow like that...here almost all the snow is gone...just slippery as hell.
More snow for GBG please 😉
Nice with a skiing holiday...right up my alley 🙂.
Have the best.
09 January 2017 - 18:54
Matts Torebring says:
I have longed and longed, for the long and black slopes, but unfortunately I have no one to ride with. Soon I will be too old. One summer we were on our way to Sölden with the motorhome, but chose the wrong way and went from Brenner, which turned out to be a crazy road. We turned round after "two hours". We should have gone from Innsbruck instead. We had seen on TV in Italy that there were two metres of snow in Sölden in the middle of July. The next day it rained, so we drove home.
09 January 2017 - 20:11
admin says:
Ama de casa, exactly how we experienced it! Magical because it was so quiet, but a little harder to ride.
Nils-Åke, incredibly beautiful and cosy 🙂 .
Anette, it was groomed under the loose snow so it was fine to ski, but still a little more difficult than when it is freshly groomed. As for how steep it is, the Swedish mountains are enough for us too, but the wonderful thing about the Alps is the view and that the descents are so long!
Geddfish, I don't think the camera is very noticeable. But maybe it's important not to fall on it or hit something with it ... 😉.
Micke, too bad the snow is disappearing so fast! I think it's nice to have snow, even in Sweden!
Matts, but oh, what a pity that you came wrong that time,,,! You should really get going! But it's a bit more fun if you have someone to travel with ...!
09 January 2017 - 20:24
Deciree says:
It's great to be on a winter holiday, it's special too :) You look like you are having a good time:)
09 January 2017 - 20:57
BP says:
Skiing in powder snow (as it is called in technical language;-) ) is something I did not like. It becomes as heavy as possible. I mostly liked hard and almost icy slopes. It was certainly softer to fall in soft snow, but significantly less wet on almost icy slopes; -)
Knödel is a typical Austrian dish that is also found in Bavaria and Poland. Beata is from Poland, so of course she tried it. These dumplings looked like "semmelknödel", which are really powerful.
What, are you still allowed to smoke indoors in Austria. I thought it was banned throughout Europe by now. As a smoker, I understand the guys. It's actually more fun to smoke in the heat than freezing outside, but I hated smoke in restaurants - strangely enough.
Peter with his "antenna" on his helmet looks like a teletubby (http://www.teletubbies.com/) - hilarious:-)
PS. Can't find the film on Facebook. Maybe it's on youtube... DS.
09 January 2017 - 21:43
BP says:
I forgot to say - FINALLY! Glühwein that is. It would have been a mortal sin not to have drunk this drink in Austria. Hopefully it was made with Strohrum - a rum with 80% alcohol, which gives the "it" to glühwein;-)
09 January 2017 - 21:48
admin says:
Deciree, yes it's really lovely ... now we don't want to wait eight years until the next time! 😉
BP, haha what fun with teletubbies!!! I showed Peter the link (possibly think I laughed the loudest, but he also looked quite amused ;)). And then you notice that you have control that remembers that Beata is from Poland! She didn't seem to recognise this particular dumpling anyway, but she was the one who dared to try it without hesitation! 😉 As for the 360 films, we have not received them yet (difficult from the hotel), but I will post a link when they arrive. What is on Facebook is 360 photos (ie still images that you can move around with the mouse pointer, in 360 degrees). It is not possible to link directly to the photos. I can only link to our FB page, and then you have to scroll down. To see them properly, you need the latest version of the Chrome, Firefox or Opera browsers (not Safari) or you need to look at Facebook in the FB app. It's all very new technology!
09 January 2017 - 22:05
Mrs Anne-Marie says:
Sounds like a nice end to your trip with all the new snow.
Sure, it gets quiet when there is a lot of snow. Like cotton almost. 🙂
I ate dumplings when I was on a language trip to Salzburg in 1978. Nothing particularly good, I thought at the time, but that's typical of Austria.
10 January 2017 - 4:10
Veiken says:
I don't like dumplings!!!!
I am surprised that you can smoke in bars in Austria. I thought it was a country in time .....
Wonderful photos that take me back to my school days in Switzerland! 🙂
11 January 2017 - 2:47
admin says:
Anne-Marie, yes the last day was incredibly beautiful with all the snow and sun! I have only eaten dumplings in the Czech Republic and there it is perfectly ok, but nothing I long for if I say so ...
Of course, we were also very surprised by the smoking! People even smoked inside the tobacco shops ...
11 January 2017 - 8:33
Christine - 29°. says:
So wonderful and fun with a skiing holiday. 🙂
11 January 2017 - 8:44
admin says:
Christine, we very rarely go on a ski trip (the last one was eight years ago!) so it was great fun! Maybe you have to be more often! 😉
14 January 2017 - 6:16