Austria
Austria in summer - discover the Zillertal
Summer in
Austria
Austria is the country of choice for enjoying impressive mountain scenery and winter sports. But did you know that this country is also perfect for a summer vacation with plenty of fun activities? We recently visited Zillertal, one of the most beautiful regions of Austria. Here you can read about what there is to do and why you should go there.
Transport
By car, Zillertal in Austria is about ten hours away. But you can also get there perfectly from Belgium by train and bus and then you would arrive faster. Public transportation is fairly well regulated in Austria, so you can turn your vacation into a sustainable trip right away. If you love nature, it’s also important to protect it and engage in sustainable travel and living. So a nice alternative is to travel by train. And it’s perfectly possible!
Arrived in
Mayrhofen
For a week we stayed in Mayrhofen, a village in Tyrol with about 3800 inhabitants. It is enormously cozy and the typical Tyrolean atmosphere is immediately noticeable. Unique stores, delicious restaurants and a number of luxurious yet charming hotels including the Neue Post Hotel. Here we were also allowed to stay the night and we can recommend it to everyone.
You will enjoy comfortable and spacious rooms at the Neue Post Hotel, a daily fresh and refined 5-course menu, a quality wellness and so much more. Soon you will even be able to enjoy a brand new rooftop pool there. Everything to make guests feel even more comfortable and provide the relaxation you desire. The hospitality of the family hotel also makes you feel right at home. And this hotel is located in the middle of the village of Mayrhofen near the stores and restaurants.
Summer Activities
Winter or summer, the Zillertal region always has something to offer. Of course you can enjoy winter sports including skiing, snowboarding, cross-country skiing, etc. But did you know that you also have a tremendous amount of fun activities here in the summer? For both young and old, there are summer activities that will stay with you for the rest of your life.
For example, we tried canyoning at Mountain Sports Zillertal. In this sport you brave a (wild) river alternating swimming, climbing and abseiling. It is an intensive but enormously fun activity offered for both children and adults, in different groups. On a sunny summer day, this is pure enjoyment. The team at Mountain Sports Zillertal is also very professional and ensures that you can always cross the river safely. Along the way, they also take fun photos of all your adventures that you get sent for free afterwards.
In addition to the adventurous canyoning, we enjoyed a beautiful daily hike in the Austrian Alps. Zillertal is a breathtaking region where you can take several cable cars up to the mountain peaks. From there you can start the most insane hikes. Zillertal is additionally known for waterfalls and bright blue lakes so you may encounter these on one of your hikes. There is so much beauty to see that you will enjoy taking the effort.
For those who prefer to cycle along the most beautiful landscapes, there is also the possibility to rent (electric) bikes or mountain bikes. Paragliding/shield flying is also one of the possibilities for the real dare devils.
When you stay in Mayrhofen, you have plenty of the above activities at your fingertips. You can easily spend a week or two here without getting bored.
Hintertux Glacier
For winter sports enthusiasts, Zillertal is the place to be in Austria as you can find snow here 365 days a year on the highest peaks, for example on the Hintertuxer Glacier. This glacier serves as a year-round winter sports destination. As a snowboarder or skier you can enjoy yourself on the various slopes. And in the summer you do that in peace since most winter sports people only appear here in the winter.
Natur Eis Palast
At about 3250 meters altitude on the Hintertuxer Glacier you can also enjoy the most beautiful views as a non-winter sports enthusiast and visit, for example, the Natur Eis Palast. This “palace of ice” in the middle of the glacier was discovered in 2017 by Roman Erler during one of his hikes through the Alps. Still he discovers new places and can expand the glacier even more with new finds, although it is already amazingly large. You will find yourself in a whole new world that will no doubt leave you stunned. A must do!
Ahorn
Another activity we highly recommend is taking the cable car up Ahorn Mountain before sunrise. On Thursday morning we took the first gondola from Mayrhofen towards Ahorn to enjoy the spectacle of color on the plateau before sunrise. And it did not disappoint! With a view of the valley, where Mayrhofen is located, you can see the dark sky gently change to pale pink, purple and finally sky blue colors that contrast beautifully with the mountain landscape. Even if you are not an early riser we definitely recommend this experience. It will be a morning to remember.
Austria in summer - Zillertal
Of course, we were not able to see or experience everything Zillertal has to offer. For that, we’ll have to go back one more time. Know that there are plenty of challenging sports but also quiet activities. And that you will fall from one surprise into another as you traverse this region. There really is so much to experience, and besides, you don’t have to travel long distances to experience a diverse vacation. Zillertal is enjoying the Austrian Alps in the best possible way and offers the best of both worlds: for winter and summer vacations.
Be sure to check out the official Zillertal website for more information and activities.