Our Blog - Property sale Austria

Last 2 apartments for sale in Galtür

December 4, 2015 By admin

The Silva Peak Residences in Galtür are getting very close to completion and handover in time for the first guests to arrive on Saturday 19 December.

Apartments 5 and 17 are under close consideration and should potential viewers need any reassurance then below is a selection of photographs from the interior of 17. The quality of these apartments is impressive: from the spec of each unit to all the general areas such as the sauna and steam room.

Below is the enthralling view from the balcony in apartment 17 above the roof tops and up to the Predigberg which lies to the South East and looks down onto the Jamtal.

Here is the view to the Greiskogl with the church spire in the foreground. This photo is taken from the master bedroom in apartment 17.

And here is a photo of the high spec kitchen with all Miele appliances. Apartment 17 is a 61m² luxury apartment with two double bedrooms, one with an ensuite bathroom with Hans Grohe units and shower. There is a second communal bathroom which contains a large Hans Grohe bath. The living area is open plan with kitchen and dining area and sofas, one of which is a large fold down double sofa bed.

Best of all is the view through the floor to ceiling windows which lead out onto the private balcony with a mesmerising view of the mountains.

The price is €432,305 which includes an underground parking space.

Filed Under: Austrian Property, Galtür

Kristall Spaces sponsors the Special Olympics World Winter Games 2017

November 17, 2015 By admin

Kristall Spaces is proud to announce that we are now an official sponsor of the Special Olympics World Winter Games, to be held in March 2017 in Austria, joining brands such as Audi, Coca-Cola and Microsoft. We’re very excited to have the chance to contribute to a world-class event promoting the combination of winter sports, social responsibility and of course Austria.

Kristall Spaces sponsor - Special Olympics

The Special Olympics

Special Olympics International (SO) was founded in 1968 by Eunice Kennedy Shriver, sister of the late President Kennedy, to open up sports competition at the highest level to people with intellectual disabilities. The first summer games in that year were followed by winter games in 1977, and the Special Olympics International was recognised by the International Olympic Committee in 1988 as part of the Olympics movement.

It’s continued to grow, and is now a truly worldwide movement. We at Kristall Spaces thoroughly applaud the opportunities it offers to often-marginalised people in all sports, although of course our particular passion is for winter sports.

The 2017 World Winter Games in Austria

It’s not surprising that Austria is a favourite host for the World Winter Games. Besides having world-class Alpine ski facilities and a comprehensive winter sports infrastructure, it’s one of the few countries where top skiers, skaters and snowboarders receive the kind of adulation normally reserved for footballers.

The Games, running from 14th – 25th March 2017, will be based in Graz, Schladming, Ramsau and Schladming-Rohrmoos, with 3,000 athletes from 110 countries taking part. They’ll incorporate all the iconic elements of the Olympics, including the torch and spectacular opening and closing ceremonies, at Schladming and Graz respectively. In between, the athletes will be competing in eight disciplines, including Alpine skiing, Nordic skiing and snowboarding.

Before then, the Pre-Games 2016 will run from 10th – 15th January 2016 at Schladming, Ramsau and other venues. Though effectively a dress-rehearsal for the World Games, this is a significant event in its own right, with winter sports specialists from all over Austria and beyond competing. Featuring most of the events in the main games, the Pre-Games will be contested by 1,000 athletes, including delegations from countries like Qatar and Jordan that aren’t traditionally associated with winter sports.

The Wider Impact of the Games

The impact of the Special Olympics goes beyond the events, though. A schools programme, throughout Austria and beyond, has the aim of raising awareness of the potential of intellectually disabled athletes and developing inclusive sports in schools. SO also runs the Healthy Athletes programme, not only offering advanced healthcare for participants in the games, but also undertaking research and education on the special medical needs of people with intellectual disabilities.

And, of course, Kristall Spaces will be joining other international sponsors of the Special Olympics World Winter Games in spreading the word about the event and the movement worldwide. We’d love to see you at Schladming on 14th March 2017 for the opening ceremony.

Filed Under: Austrian Property, Special Olympics 2017

Perfect time to own and rent ski property in Austria

October 12, 2015 By admin

Official figures released by the Tirolean tourism office reported increased visitor stays in Tirol for the period November 2014 through end April 2015.

During this winter period, total arrivals (or guests) coming to Tirol totalled 5.6 million guests which is 4% increase year on year and these 5.6 million guests contributed 25.9 million overnight stays which is also up 2.1% year on year. Source: Tirol Werbung

A key factor was the increased number of German visitors to the region. Whilst the German numbers increased by only 4.4%, this country provides half of all the tourist visits from all nations.

At the same time, guests from the Netherlands, Switzerland and the UK all contributed to the growth in numbers and this is corroborated by Kristall Spaces’ own data when conferring with the operators of our previous and current developments: all apartment owners and their operating companies are seeing healthy rental returns.

Interestingly, Chinese visitors delivered a 55% growth year on year when it comes to total numbers of guests.

As predicted, Russian numbers have suffered and the statistics point to a 35% decrease in both guests and overnight stays.

Other nations posting increased visits were the Belgium, Italy, Czech Republic and Poland – Italy by as much as 10%.

What type of accommodation are they choosing increasingly?

Rented apartments – like the ones Kristall Spaces builds for ownership with a flexible rental and management model.

Another good reason to invest in Austrian property today.

Filed Under: Austrian Property

The opening of the Ski Season in Tyrolean Resorts

September 23, 2015 By admin

As holiday resorts that rely on sun and sea wind down towards the end of the season, ski resorts are gearing up for opening, if the season hasn’t already started. Here’s some information about the season openings in three of the top resorts in Austria’s stunning Tyrol region.

Sölden – 10 October

Some of Sölden’s glacier runs are already open subject to daily snow conditions, with the lifts going up from 8 am till 3.30 pm and the last downward journey at 4 pm. On the 10^th and 11^th October, the iconic Rettenbach Glacier opens with a celebration including free tests of top-branded ski and snowboarding equipment, not to mention a big party throughout the resort. The offical Winter season starts on the 14^th of November when more lifts will open.

One of Austria’s leading ski resorts, Sölden gives access to 146km of slopes for all levels of skiers, though it particularly suits the adventurous intermediate skier. The Rettenbach regularly hosts the first event of the World Cup, the Giant Slalom, from the spectacular stadium on the glacier, giving holiday-makers the opportunity to rub shoulders with the world’s top skiers, whether on the glacier or at the resort’s lively après-ski scene.

Kühtai – 27 November

Although Kühtai’s higher slopes have snow to allow year-round skiing for die-hards and photoshoots, the season properly gets underway on the 27^th November when all slopes and lifts open for the winter. From then on, the lifts and pistes open at 9 am, with the pistes closing at 4 pm and the lifts a quarter of an hour later.

From Kühtai, you have access to 41 km of pistes slopes (80 km when you link to Oetz), consisting of blue, red, black and freestyle parks, offering everything from a safe environment for children to learn to real challenges for the experts, whether skiing or snowboarding. The resort’s height, at 2,200m, means that you can always rely on good snow even on the bottom slopes from November right through to May.

St Anton – 4 December

St Anton has a justified reputation as a party resort with spectacular après-ski, that’s secondary to the main business of skiing. The season kicks off on the 4^th December with a three-day festival of skiing and music, with its highlight a concert on the 5th featuring 80s pop star Kim Wilde.

Once the season is underway, St Anton’s 97 lifts and cable cars give access to 350km of managed pistes and 200km of challenging off-piste slopes. There’s something for everyone. Although the area is especially known for its expert-level slopes, it also offers some of the best children’s lessons in the Alps. And there’s always that lively après-ski scene in the evening.

Kristall Spaces has ski apartments for sale in all three resorts. Contact us today in case you are visiting the area and would like to visit on of our developments.

Filed Under: Kühtai, Sölden, St Anton

Luxury apartments for sale in Oetz

July 14, 2015 By admin

Kristall Spaces will soon be announcing the sales and marketing phase of an exciting luxury apartment resort in Ötz, a bi-seasonal tourist destination in the Ötztal valley just 20 minutes from Innsbruck.

Highlights:

45 one, two and three-bedroom luxury apartments
500m² spa in sunny location
100 metres from Acherkogelbahn (a new 8-man gondola ski lift)
Underground parking
Restaurant and bar
Managed by a renowned global, international operator
2 rental models: flexi and fixed with guaranteed returns up to 5%
Construction begins in 2016 to be finished in 2017

Ötz is a dual-season tourist resort with approximately 400,000 overnight stays per annum.

The town has long been associated with winter and summer alpine sports and has a unique atmosphere that blends tourism, breath-taking nature and its own rich heritage, including museums and galleries.

It is the quintessential Tirolean setting. Its late Gothic parish church is surrounded by some of Tirol’s finest scenery including the Piburger See (one of the most beautiful locations in Austria to picnic and swim), the Auer Klamm gorge and some of the highest waterfalls in Austria.

Oetz has one of the strongest summer seasons in Tirol.

It sits on the banks above the Ötztaler Ache river which runs all down the valley from Obergurgl and Sölden which boast some of Austria’s highest peaks including the Wildspitze 3,770m and two glacier skiing areas. Once the snow retreats, there is even a high mountain pass that offers trips from Obergurgl over into the Passeier Valley and Merano in the province of Südtirol, Italy.

With so many summer and winter activities on offer plus its excellent transport connections (its own train station), Oetz represents a wonderful lifestyle investment as a rental property with free owner usage.

In winter, it offers many skiing possibilities: either walk 100 metres from your apartment to the new 8-seater gondola lift connecting to Hochoetz (30km of pistes, 11 lifts including 2 gondolas) or take a short bus ride up to Kühtai (41km pistes), Austria’s highest skiing village at 2,020 m.

The Acherkogelbahn starts 100m from the apartments.

Or even try out some glacier skiing on the Rettenbach and Tiefenbachferner glaciers in Sölden. Out of all these destinations, you can be sure to find top quality skiing and boarding conditions.

Then in summer, you will be awe-struck by the range and quality of activities that are available from rafting, canyoning, glacier safaris and high rope courses to mountainbiking, archery, climbing or simple relaxing and some of the finest wellness facilities in the world.

There are many options to participate in professionally guided and instructed classes and groups. Many visitors are glowing in their references and testimonials about how well run these activities are run and how charming their Austrian hosts are.

If you’re looking for completely unrestrained excitement then take a look at Area 47 www.area47.at/en best described as where nature and the high-tech combine to produce an extraordinary experience for all.

The apartments are a 3-minute walk to the new 8-man Acherkogelbahn.
If you would like to know more about owning a luxury apartment in Oetz just 100 metres from the ski lift, then please Contact us today.

Filed Under: Austrian Property, Oetz

Kirchberg: a lower cost – but equally lively – alternative to Kitzbühel

May 10, 2015 By admin

Just round the corner from its more famous sister resort of Kitzbühel, the well-established yet still upcoming resort of Kirchberg is a good lower-cost alternative. Attracting couples and a younger more informal clientele, Kirchberg offers the same great ski area as Kitzbühel and an equally lively and cosmopolitan après ski scene.

Ski area
Skiing in Kirchberg offers access to one of the largest linked ski areas in Austria. Kirchberg’s principal ski area access points are the Fleckalmbahn and Maierlbahn gondolas, each based just a couple of ski-bus stops away from the centre of Kirchberg village and both serving the Ehrenbachhohe sector of the Kitzbühel-Kirchberg-Pass Thurn ski area.

Less experienced skiers can start off on the gentle slopes of Kirchberg’s own mountain, Gaisberg, where there is a small beginners’ area. While more experienced skiers can opt for the red and black ski pistes – equipped with floodlighting for night skiing. If you really want a challenge then you can try your hand at the world’s most difficult downhill run, The Hahnenkamm.

This entire area is also prime intermediate cruising territory, with a number of short black runs and a couple of ungroomed ‘ski routes’ to entertain more advanced visitors too.

The iconic Kitzbüheler Horn that pierces the horizon directly north-east of Kirchberg is another nearby ski area, of particular interest to freestyle enthusiasts as it houses a good snowpark; this separate area is accessed via a gondola based in the north-eastern suburb of Kitzbühel and is covered on the same area lift pass.

Other options from Kirchberg include the Ki-West gondola further along the Aschauer Valley to the south; this serves the Gampenkogel sector of the Westendorf ski area in the SkiWelt domain, home to one of the best snowparks in the region. Westendorf is linked via Brixen im Thale into the core SkiWelt circuit, but a more convenient access route is simply to take the short bus or train journey from Kirchberg directly to Brixen.

All ski-bus services, plus limited daytime train services between Kirchberg and Kitzbühel, are free-of-charge to area lift pass holders.

Off the slopes and apres ski
Kirchberg is a picturesque and lively village, with plenty of shops, cafes, restaurants and bars all within walking distance. But Kirchberg really comes to life in the evening. The après ski gets going from mid-afternoon onwards at slope-side mountain bars, such as Schneebar Oberkaser on the home-run from Maierl, and the popular ice-bars and pubs of the village after the lifts close.
In the village you can find everything from a laid-back cosy pub to disco-bars where dancing on tables is encouraged. Prime venues include the renowned London Pub, the Kuhstall and the Tiroler Disco.

Kristall Spaces will soon be offering property for sale in Kirchberg.

Filed Under: Kirchberg

Amazing powder days in Galtür & Ischgl

April 8, 2015 By admin

Just back from the perfect family trip to Galtür. Staying in the Hotel Marangun before it becomes the only collection of luxury apartments in Galtür by the end of December 2015.

We had 4 days in Galtür where the children were incredibly well looked after in the ski school. I have never known a ski resort that is so well organised around the little ones. For 15 Euros, they can be taken off for lunch at the Wirlerhof too.

This enabled the grown-ups to venture out for the occasional lunch on the mountain and to take advantage of the conditions.

We had everything in those 4 days: blazing sun, cold temperatures and lots of fresh snow.

Best run in Galtür: I can recommend the offpiste under the Birkhahnbahn through the powder. A quick journey on the chairlift to the top and then almost straight off the piste and away from the other skiers.

This is real bird-nest skiing through the trees with snow that flies up in the face on the steeper, faster turns. Very nice to see a pair of Birkhahn (Black Grouse) one morning too.

Of the 4 days in Galtür, we had 3 mornings of powder skiing. The last one was in beautiful sunshine with a dreamy view down the valley to Galtür. Note the colour of sky, which here they call Paznaun blue.

Although we had to share the deep snow with fairer weather powder skiers, we still found a few spots for our fresh tracks, which is what it’s all about.

For the last 3 days, we hopped on the bus and took the whole family down to Ischgl where we spent most of the time on the long blue runs from the top of Zeblasbahn down to bottom of the 23 where the Höllkar starts. Easy enough for the whole family with a couple of powder opportunities to the side whilst the ladies chaperoned the Kinder down.

Then something amazing happened. The children and the wives packed in at 3 … just as the clouds disappeared leaving a big blue.

Within the hour, we had made it to the top of the Piz Val Gronda: the mother of all cable cars and far away from the Idalp so it’s strangely quiet bar a few serious, ABS-wearing types with powder and touring skis (not sure the ice picks were necessary).

From the top, we had the last run down under the cable car and made turns under the blue sky through steep, untouched snow that had fallen over night.

Deep enough to control the speed of descent and long enough to make a few dozen turns without stopping.

All on our own too.

Filed Under: Galtür, Ischgl

First impressions of Kühtai

March 21, 2015 By admin

The drive up to Kühtai reminded me of Maine in the States: snowy roads and a small river running by the roadside; but it was the sense of being in the wilderness that really fires the imagination. I expected a moose to run across the road at any moment and yet we were only 10 minutes from the Oetztal Bahnhof. No wonder those Habsburgs liked the hunting round here so much.

My host for the day was a Kühtai connoisseur (a Chemistry teacher from Innsbruck who was born on skis in Sölden and thanks to his Tirol ski pass can pick any of the top resorts for a day’s skiing when he fancies). He and his pals favour Kühtai because “the snow is the best” as soon as you come off the very first lift (no uphill trek needed to find quality pistes); the atmosphere is never showy and for the abiding fact that your personal space is never invaded. I distinctly recall following him down from the top of the Dreiseenbahn to the foot of the Gaiskogelift and not once did I adjust my line or speed to avoid other skiers. “So, it’s true what they say: it really does feel like being in your own private ski resort,” I thought to myself.

The snow was excellent too. We only started skiing at 2:00pm but it was still cold and smooth as we flew down the pistes. No slush or sudden moguls here or those annoying piles of snow where skiers have scraped all the loose snow into a mini snow drift leaving a sheet of ice as a run-up. In fact, the piste is so consistent that you will see various ski teams (US and Austrian) training by the side of the slope.

And hardly any snowboarders sat around in groups philosophising over Jägermeister and Limp Biscuit. They’re all in the K-Park: supposedly Austria’s biggest half pipe with a series of big air kickers and gnarly looking bits of metal sticking out for them to slide over or do whatever they do. I quite fancied one of enormous kickers – maybe I would pluck up the courage to have a go later in the day.

We skied down into the snow bowl in which the resort is positioned surrounded by white peaks which mostly lead to nowhere. We had been skiing on the North facing slopes and so ventured across to the South side where the night skiing had been the night before. No queues anywhere by the way as I reminded myself that this was a Thursday afternoon in March, so still high season.

It was like being in our own ski resort: there were even fewer people on this side! The runs down from the Hochalterbahn were pretty much ours. And the views were spectacular as we chatted over a Weizenbeer looking back down into Kühtai. I was now talking up trying one of those kickers: the ones were you have to be traveling at over 60kms to get enough speed to make it over the 6-metre lip between the end of the ramp and the landing so steep it looks like the start of a speed skiing course. The science teacher explained these facts. Also, that I was 43, not wearing a helmet and he didn’t fancy hanging out in Innsbruck hospital.

So, overall impressions were very, very good. I have skied in countless, medium sized resorts and I was trying to compare Kühtai but it’s unique. There is a lot skiing of here and the runs are really smooth and nicely pisted. No grim moguls waiting round the corner – just wide motorways. I loved the fact that I felt like I had the piste to myself and there is definitely a different tempo here compared to the bigger, more famous resorts. It’s more relaxed and yet it’s only 35 minutes from Innsbruck and that’s a major attraction if you are looking for an Austrian property: quick access to the airport means you can land and be on the slopes the same day like I did. It’s also close to the hospital if you get carried away in the K-Park.

Filed Under: Austrian Property, Kühtai

22% more Brits looking for property for sale in Austria (year on year)

March 9, 2015 By admin

Kristall Spaces’ data points to a significant rise in interest among UK buyers looking to buy property for sale in Austria, driven by Euro’s continual slide against the Pound.

The Pound is at a 7-year high and buying an Austrian property now for around €400,000 saves UK buyers circa £20,000, compared with January 2014.

Austria’s gain is neighbouring Switzerland’s loss meanwhile: online customer searches for Swiss property has dropped 15% according to Kristall Spaces research thanks mainly to Switzerland’s decision to unpeg its currency from the Euro.

A UK buyer wanting to acquire an apartment or chalet in Switzerland is going to get 13% less for their money now than they would have at the beginning of the year.

Liz Cass of Kristall Spaces says, “Our marketing experts analyse and compare data from different sources including Google’s real time search tools and we are seeing a healthy upsurge in online customer behaviour in the UK which mirrors the reaction to events in Europe such as quantitative easing to rescue flagging European economies.

“We’re also hearing from one or two savvy UK buyers wanting to secure an apartment at current rates with the uncertainty of an election coming closer. On the whole, they know they are getting a better return than buying in France or Switzerland and they particularly like the Austrian way of doing things.

“Our properties are typically managed by the original families who have been welcoming skiers to the area for generations. They really do understand the personal touch when it comes to service and looking after guests. You don’t always get that in ski resorts in other countries and for this reason customers like to come back to Austria time and again.”

Please contact Liz today to find out about the different developments we are building in 2015 and selling directly to buyers without any sales agent fees.

Filed Under: Austrian Property

Ischgl or St. Anton?

February 15, 2015 By admin

The snowy paradise that is St Anton has long been a favourite destination among avid skiers. With its exceptional off-psite and second-to-none après ski, St Anton gaurantees a great ski break. However, despite being a skiing hotspot, St Anton does face stiff competition. Just 40 minutes down the road is the up-and-coming Ischgl, which offers a similar blend of a large ski area, great skiing and epic après ski. But can this new contender steal St Anton’s crown? Let’s take a look…

Choice of Accommodation

St Anton steals an easy win here. The town offers a huge range of accommodation options, from small and basic guesthouses (which can be great value) to apartments, catered chalets and seriously impressive hotels, such as the new Mooser hotel.

By contrast, Ischgl’s hotel scene is much more focused on traditional hotels – there are a few self-catered apartments around, but almost nothing in the way of affordable guesthouses. This can mean that it ends up costing significantly more to stay in Ischgl.

Buying a property

Both places are difficult to buy an apartment in. Property in Ischgl is very expensive and rarely comes on the market, so if you are looking to buy it’s best to opt for an apartment in Galtür with its picturesque setting and family oriented ski area with over 40km of pistes. For a start, the prices are much more reasonable and you are only 10 minutes away on the free ski bus.

The same goes if you want to buy an apartment in St Anton – they are hard to come by and the demand is very high, plus there are additional land prices.

Snow quality

It’s a draw here – the two resorts are geographically near enough that if one gets hit with snow the other shouldn’t be too far behind.

It’s also worth noting that the village of Lech (part of the St Anton ski area) is routinely listed as the snowiest in the Alps.

Skiing – on piste

Ischgl just pips St Anton to the post here. The resort has an abundance of predominantly red runs, and if you’re a fan of skiing smooth motorways you can have an epic time just dashing around the mountain.

But that’s not to say St Anton is at all shabby on-piste though, especially when you consider the sheer scale of the ski area. It’s also fair to say that both St Anton and Ischgl suffer from a similar problem – the main runs back to the town centre can become horribly busy and cut up late in the afternoon.

Skiing – off piste

St Anton wins by a mile here. This resort is considered to be among the world’s greatest off piste destinations, which is one of the reasons why many serious skiers choose to base themselves there. Despite St Anton’s win, Ischgl also has some excellent off piste available when the conditions are right.

Après ski

Both Ischgl and St Anton are renowned for their lively après skis, but the two approach it in slightly different ways.

In St Anton, the focus is really on the ski-boots-on après ski scene, and in particular on two bars that are perched on the Galzig run back into St Anton – the Krazy Kangaruh and the Mooserwirt. Past 3.30pm things really get going, with 4 hours or so of stomping on the tables, guzzling down beers and singing along to cheesy Germanic pop anthems.

In Ischgl, the party is more focused in the town rather than up on the slopes. People ski down and head straight on to Niko’s Hexenkücke or the Hotel Elisabeth (complete with dancing girls in short Dirndls), but while the party is fun, it doesn’t quite have the same atmosphere as that at the Mooserwirt.

However Ischgl’s real strength lies in its nightlife. For those who have the energy to go out after the afternoon/early evening fun in the Mooserwirt or Krazy Kangaruh, the St Anton late night après ski can feel a little bit tame, and perhaps a bit of a disappointment.

Ischgl, on the other hand, boasts an exceptional nightlife. There is a branch of Pacha, the Ibizan superclub, replete with podium dancers and VIP lounge. There is are also a number of other locations (Posthorndl, Fire and Ice) that are substantially more sophisticated than anything in St Anton, plus two strip clubs – if you’re into that sort of thing.

So which is better?

Of course it is down to personal preference and what your priorities are in a ski trip. If you’re looking for sheer quality for skiing (especially off piste) St Anton is heaven for all those who live and breathe skiing.

Whereas, Ischgl’s greatest strength lies in its epic late night party scene. But this means that a lot of people at this resort are there for the clubs and so it tends to attract less serious skiers.

Go to both and decide for yourself – don’t be surprised if you end going back to each one again.

Filed Under: Galtür, Ischgl, St Anton

Sölden – 10 October

Kühtai – 27 November

St Anton – 4 December

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