Latest news on our Austrian properties for sale

Zell am See Development update: we’re pleased to see the wooden facades, glass balconies and balustrades finished.

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The external scaffolding is down.  Another official building stage reached!

Meanwhile, another Galtür (Ischgl) apartment has been sold and 8 are under consideration.

All our Kühtai properties are under consideration.

News on other brand new developments and properties for sale in Austria coming soon.

Ski Resorts Close As Snow Continues To Fall

Skiing in Austria

Snow reports are noting fresh snow on the ground, as well as excellent skiing conditions, but many areas have been closed over the weekend. However, over 100 ski resorts stayed open for skiers.

All across the Alps, visitors will find mixed weather, with snow falling above the 1,700m line. Additionally, reports are predicting another half meter over the next few days.

It seems that winter is back, and with a vengeance.

Murren, in Switzerland, was closed this past weekend after more than 30cm fell. Snow was also reported in Verbier.

In Austria the weather is also changing. A great deal of snow fell over the past few days, which is a great way to end the season. The afternoon snows were light, but the temperatures overnight were very cold, so the snowpacks refroze, offering great spring conditions for skiers.

Other ski resorts that closed this weekend included La Rosiere and its neighbour La Thuile. These Italian resorts were closed for the entire weekend.

Val d’Isere and Tignes saw fresh snow this past weekend, as well.

Also note that some resorts in Europe reported more than 5m bases and ones in North America reported 3.9m bases. And there was also fresh snow reported at the Piau Engaly resort.

Most of the closed resorts were in the northern hemisphere, but more than 100 remained open.

In the Pyrenees, the Pic du Midi above the resort of La Mongie announced that it will stay open until May 11th. While in The Alps, Val Thorens and Tignes will also close on May 11th.

In Canada, Lake Louise closes on May 11th and so does Hemsedal in Norway.

There are still a few great weeks of the season left! Now that spring is in full swing, there are plenty of other great outdoor activities, such as hiking, biking and more.

Aqua Dome Solden Austria

Aqua Dome

Known as one of the great resort spas in all of Europe, the Solden Aqua Dome offers unparalleled comfort and relaxation for anyone looking to get away from the winter cold or the summer heat. You wouldn’t think that the snow-capped mountains contain thermal spas, but the lava-heated water rushes up through the pipeline to bubble right around your shoulders to toes. From the interior of the bedrock, these healing waters come up to the surface heights of Solden, Austria, helping visitors to experience one of the great rejuvenating powers of the world.

Lodged in the beautiful Otzal Mountains, the Solden Aqua Dome rises from the valley to project pillars of steam in the winter months and crystal-blue waters in the summer months. The ornate rings of glass and steel frame the pools while allowing high quality light to stream through. There’s three outdoor pools, each one projected upon stilts to rise from the surrounding area, as well as two indoor pools surrounded by coloured canopies and decorate interiors.

Fire up your holiday vacation with the heat of the sauna. Known as the “Gletschergluhen”, this massive indoor steam bath allows you to sweat out every iota of stress in your body, then immerse yourself back into the cold water to feel refreshed and up for the next challenge. It’s not just a one-sauna experience, however, since the Solden Aqua Dome includes a loft sauna, a hay barn sauna, and the ravine sauna.

Aqua-Dome-in-Tyrol-Austria_Beautiful-view_1629Once you’ve finished heating up in the warm pools or cooling off in the temperate pools, put your body through a new physical test with the Gipfelstrum fitness centre within the spa centre. The personal trainers help you to get to new levels in your workout, by taking on training equipment just like the types used by professional athletes, or taking classes in aerobics or spinning to feel better. Once you’re done, have a diagnostic on your fitness level ran to see how you compare to the professionals who make millions on the grass or track or ice or snow.

With the day done, it’s time to relax and make your inner beauty shine. The beauty programs and care treatments available at the spa help you to look and feel like the prime of your life. Whether you want exclusive products, expert advice, or a litany of treatments that emphasize your well-being, you can find it all at the Aqua Dome in Solden.

Guide to the slopes of St Anton

St AntonSt Anton should have the title ‘Resort with most under-classified slopes’ because many of its blue runs should be classified as red. And on top of that, they have a number of red runs that should be classified as black.

However, none of St Anton’s runs are extremely steep, because their toughest runs are actually called ‘ski routes’ or ‘high alpine touring runs’. Touring runs, like Rendi and Stuben, are actually off-piste runs that do not appear on the piste maps of most resorts. For those who would like to discover these runs, they must hire a guide.

While the piste maps note that the ski routes are marked, they are also avalanche controlled but not groomed or patrolled.

These should be patrolled pistes, though, as several areas such as Schindler Spitze and Rendl, are very popular runs and they are treated like pistes. Some of these routes are actually groomed, but only sporadically.

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Large Linked St Anton Areas

St Anton’s slopes all fall into three main sectors, and two of these are linked.

St Anton’s major sector is just beneath the Valluga, which is accessed by the  gondola to Galzig, and then a cable car. The cable car will take skiers to Valluga Grat where they will have access to St Anton’s high, sunny bowls, as well as the long red/blue run to Alpe Rauz.

The run to Alpe Rauz and the high Valluga runs can only be accessed by riding the Schindlergrat triple chair.

Beyond this valley, skiers can head to the Kapall-Gampen sector, which is reachable by chairlift from central St Anton or by gondola from Nasserein.

Skiers who wish to go to Rendl should note that it is a separate mountain, which can be reached by a gondola from the centre of town. There are also a handful of lifts that serve the west-facing upper runs, and the north-facing piste to the valley.

News on our Austrian properties for sale

Good progress continues internally and to the exterior on these beautiful properties for sale in Austria Zell am See.

The locally sourced wood cladding is being fitted to the facades and the granite slab flooring is in place.

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On the interiors: all flooring, bedroom furniture, doors, kitchen fittings and the final coat of paint is being applied.

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The bathrooms are tiled and the WCs, basins and shower / bathroom fittings are being installed.

Galtür / Ischgl apartments: very good levels of interest.  4 of the 18 apartments have now been sold with a further 6 under close consideration with prospective buyers.

Kühtai apartments: currently have interest on all the units.

Other locations:  very soon we will be in a position to announce further Austrian real estate investment opportunities, so please don’t hesitate to get in touch and enquire about these new developments.

Snow Volleyball Has Taken The Austrian Alps By Storm

1907976_737130112975229_9065532505984641856_n A popular new sport has emerged at ski resorts all over the Alps. It’s called “snow volleyball” and it’s becoming increasingly popular as time goes on. The rules are essentially the same as traditional volleyball, only it’s played at an altitude of 6,500 feet while the participants are surrounded by both snow and skiers.

Snow volleyball has been around in a casual capacity for years, though it has been picking up a huge amount of steam recently. Organisers of the Snow Volleyball Tour have expanded their lineup to include Switzerland, Austria, Germany and Italy. They hope that snow volleyball could soon become a competitive event played all over the world.

The St. Anton ski resort hosted the final stop on the Snow Volleyball Tour in early April, 2014. Instead of the cold and frosty atmosphere that one would expect from a ski resort at this time of year, the entire event looked like something you would be more likely to find on a sandy beach. Players were surrounded by both palm trees and cheerleaders, the same way they would be if they were competing in a beach volleyball tournament. The only major difference was that instead of a skimpy bikini or a fashionable swimsuit, players were wearing something a little heavier to protect themselves against the harsh winter weather.

Players who are having a great time with snow volleyball have talked at length about just how similar it is to the traditional game. Strategising is exactly the same as traditional volleyball. The way that you move through snow versus the way you move through sand, however, is completely different. This small but pivotal change is what makes snow volleyball a completely unique entity all unto itself, as well as a great deal of fun in general.

Snow volleyball has also been seen as a boost for tourism at the locations that have been participating in the tour. 50 teams participated in the events and they were surrounded by an estimated 15,000 cheering spectators. The Austrian volleyball association has already taken the necessary steps to recognise snow volleyball based on its popularity. Its rumored that the German and Swiss authorities are well on their way to making the same decision.

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What to do in St Anton in the summer?

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St Anton is a wonderful year round holiday destination, and there is plenty to do here in the summertime! From rafting to hiking to cycling and swimming, this area offers lots for the outdoorsy to enjoy.

There are a number of summer activities in St. Anton for children, too. They will love the beautiful nature settings, while you enjoy the safety of the area that they play in! The natural beauty of St. Anton is breathtaking. The views, and the heights, are amazing.

There are alpine meadows, gigantic mountain summits, plenty of peace and quiet, and lots of organised outdoor activities if you are so inclined to enjoy them. In fact, there are over 300 kilometers of hiking trails, plenty of rock climbing opportunities for the adventurous extreme sports lovers in your party, and even the “WunderWanderWeg”, which translates to the Wonder Hiking Route.

St. Anton also boasts a high ropes course (again, for the most adventurous in your group), cycle tours you can sign up for, and plenty of swimming on beautiful summer days.  There are many activities for both the young and old to participate in here http://www.stantonamarlberg.com/en/sommer/sport-aktiv/sports-activities.html

Families love St. Anton, because there is truly something for everyone.

No matter when you visit, there is always something new to find, too. When you holiday in the Arlberg area you will find new paths, wonders that you have never encountered before, views you have never seen before. Breathe the fresh air and immerse your senses in the gorgeous outdoors!

And if you love the area, why not look for property for sale in St Anton, Austria?  So that you will always have a place to stay during the holidays!  The area is beautiful year round, and purchasing your own homestead will give you plenty of reason to summer here!

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The Perfect Spring Attraction – ALPINARIUM GALTÜR

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Alpinarium Galtur is much more than just a museum! It is the perfect place to visit this spring, and summer. While it is called a museum, visitors may be surprised to learn the Alpinarium Galtur also offers visitors the chance to dine in its panorama café, an opportunity to experience their climbing wall, and more!

Alpinarium Galtür is simply put, a versatile, adventure-filled museum that has been given the museum seal of approval. When a museum is given the ‘museum seal of approval, it means that it must “assume the responsibility of preserving cultural heritage, and a visitor can expect high-quality exhibits and a high-level of service provisions.“ (as stated in the guidelines of the ICOM Austria and the Austrian Museums Association). And Alpinarium Galtur does all of this, and so much more!

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The museum is aesthetically pleasing, with its natural settings and its one of a kind barrier wall. Inside, you will find a contemporary design that is very artistic. There are a number of permanent exhibits inside, such as ‘The Wall’ and ‘The fascination of snow; the legend of the avalanche’.

As mentioned before, visitors must check out the panorama in the “Frozen Water” café. The café offers visitors the chance to sit on the sun terrace whilst taking in the amazing views. Visitors will also love the convenience of the Internet lounge with free WiFi. Additionally, the museum has a number of rotating exhibits that are always changing and a memorial room that remembers the victims of the 23rd February 1999 disaster.

There is plenty to see in Galtur and the Alpinarium is an attraction not to be missed.

Looking to invest in this area? Check out properties for sale in Galtur, you won’t be disappointed!

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Best Austrian Resort for Cross-Border Skiing

For those looking for the best Austrian resort for skiing across borders, then duty-free Samnaun is the place to start.  Being part of one of the biggest ski areas in Austria, the 238km Silvretta Ski Arena, which boasts stunning scenery from mountainous views combined with a magnitude of ski runs. Making this all year-round tourist destination the perfect place to ski!

Samnaun is perfect for intermediate skiers and boarders. It is also linked to Ischgl which offers plenty of runs for intermediate skiers. In fact, it also has a new, very modern lift system and an après-ski scene which rivals that of St. Anton.

Both of these resorts are well integrated and 90 percent of the lift users ski across the border. The scenery is beautiful and most of the runs are based over 2,000m, offering wonderful views from the mountains. The Silvretta Ski Pass also takes visitors skiing in Galtur, Kappl and See.

Visitors can take what is known as the ‘duty-free run’, which leads down to Samnaun. It is great for elegant carving but is not as great for boarders, because it has a number of flat sections. Additionally, here skiers will find the Zeblas Waterfalls–but the less experienced skiers may want to bypass the falls as they can be quite tricky to pass.

The run is called the ‘duty-free run’ because Samnaun is the only duty-free area in Switzerland, so visitors will want to take note!
To rejoin the main ski area in Ischgl, take the

Double Decker Gondola

(this double decker gondola was the first one of its kind in the world!). From here, visitors can visit popular, and not too difficult, Alp Trida area. The runs from here back to Ischgl are all red and advised to be tackled by a more seasoned skier.

Finally, lunch on the border! Visitors will want to head to Paznauner Taya, A-6561 Ischgl. Simply ski down from the Palinkopf into Austria, and that is where the Paznauner Taya is found, right by the bottom station of the Hollspitzbahn. Everyone will enjoy taking a long lunch in this popular, lively area– and enjoy the people watching before hitting the slopes again!

Zeblas Waterfalls

 

The snow settles in Ischgl for Easter

A blast of icy, wet air travelled up and over the central Alps in the last week of March, proving that winter still has plenty of potential to breathe new life into the Austrian ski slopes. With some resorts reporting over 100 centimetres of snowfall, it’s a perfect time to get out and traverse your favourite slopes all over again. Indeed, many slopes have better runs, softer powder, and superior conditions compared to their status only a few months back. In fact, with less-crowded slopes, it’s even easier to find good ski resorts, ski apartments, and routes without needing to wait on reservations or the next lift.

All across the central Alps, the conditions have been quite favourable. This comes as welcome news for Austrian ski fanatics, who had to endure a disappointing winter for many resorts that struggled to accumulate large quantities of snow. But the snow finally came, transforming green and grey mountainsides into white wonderlands. It’s good quality powder snow all over Austria, furthermore: not so wet that it clumps together and makes skiing difficult.

The advent of quality snow may be enough to recoup many of the declining Austrian figures. While British tourists maintained a steady stream into Austria, holding down the number one spot for foreign skiers, Germans numbered fewer the past years than the historical average. New tours and resorts are offering excellent last-minute deals in order to capitalise on the new snowfall, as only three percent of UK ski tourists visit Austria during the month or April. One tour operator noted that if this snowfall had taken place two months earlier, there would be no room for travellers, but the courses remain open and in excellent condition.