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2020 Kühtai Apartments Now Available to Investors

December 18, 2014 By

Venture Plus AG and Kristall Spaces are proud to announce a stunning new build of holiday apartments in Kühtai, Austria’s highest ski resort. This is a unique opportunity to invest in ski property in one of the most snow-sure resorts in Austria.

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Austria’s highest resort

At 2020 metres above sea-level, Kühtai nestles among the peaks and mountain lakes above the Ötztal valley — yet it’s only 35 minutes from Innsbruck airport. With snow on the higher pistes for most of the year, the resort has invested heavily in tourism, including a planned installation of a 100MB WiFi system, and it was voted by ADAC as Europe’s best value for money ski destination, as well as winning the SkipassIndex for 2013/2014.

2020 Apartments

The new 2020 apartments (named after Kühtai’s altitude) are being designed by one of Austria’s leading architects, with construction due to start in April. Designed for the luxury market, they’ll be ski-in, ski-out properties located centrally in Kühtai, with current prices ranging from €286,000 for a two-bedroom ground floor unit to €641,500 for a large, three-bedroom penthouse apartment.

All the apartments will be luxuriously fitted out, with traditional furnishings and underfloor heating beneath the Swiss parquet floors. Kitchen and bathroom fittings will be by designers such as Hans Grohe, Miele and Siematic, while they’ll be completely up to date with smart TVs and wireless LAN. Triple-glazed, floor-to-ceiling windows will allow you a perfect vista of Kühtai’s breath-taking scenery.

A unique investment opportunity

It isn’t often that this kind of opportunity becomes available in one of Austria’s top resorts. The authorities keep very strict control over holiday homes, and Venture Plus AG and Kristall Spaces have carefully acquired permission for a new build in such a premier location.

Kühtai’s winter sports season starts earlier than most other resorts and lasts a long way into the year.  There’s no shortage of snow at 2020 metres!  Whilst the summer offers visitors the chance to enjoy the breathtaking Alpine scenery with a range of activities suited to all ages, so there’s demand for holiday apartments all year round. Kristall Spaces will not only manage the apartments, but also arrange rentals through renowned tour operators.

With VAT rebates available on the properties and strong annual capital growth rates, they not only guarantee a good return on investment through rentals, but are also almost certain to appreciate in value.

You can reserve an apartment by putting down a deposit, but several have been sold already, and the rest are likely to follow quickly. Check out the details for a wonderful investment opportunity!  Download Brochure.

Filed Under: Austrian Property, Development News, Kühtai

Zell am See — What Does It Have to Offer?

December 18, 2014 By

Nestled on the shores of the Zeller See and dominated by stunning peaks, Zell am See and its neighbouring resort of Kaprun offer some of the most spectacular scenery in Salzburgerland. Not to mention some of the most varied skiing options, with a season lasting ten months of the year. Whether you’re an expert skier or on holiday with young children, whether you want to party at night or have a relaxing time — Zell am See has what you need.

Winter sports in Zell am See

The town is surrounded by three mountains, the Schmittenhöhe, the Kitzsteinhorn and the Maiskogel, which between them offer everything from freestyle slopes to child-friendly pistes. The Kitzsteinhorn has the most challenging slopes to suit the experts, while the Maiskogel is more suitable as a place to take the kids. The Schmittenhöhe has a full range, from expert to easy.

Each of the mountains has a snow park. The Snowpark Kitzsteinhorn, at 2900 metres, includes Austria’s biggest superpipe, 160 metres long and 6 metres high, while the Schmittenhöhe boasts the world’s longest Funslope, packed full of obstacles. The MPark on the Maiskogel mainly caters for children to have fun, but it includes areas to challenge advanced skiers, too.

There’s a ski shuttle to take you to whichever mountain you want, which is free with a ski pass, and the area has many ski schools, if you feel the need to improve your skills.

Après-ski

The night-life of a ski resort is important too, of course. Pubs and bars both down in the town and on the slopes offer drinks, live music and a party atmosphere. These include the Schnapps Hans Alm-Bar, the biggest après-ski in the Alps, but there are many other choices to suit every taste.

Or maybe that isn’t your thing. If you’re more interested in a romantic evening — or just a quiet one — than partying until you drop, there are plenty of Gasthofs and mountain huts that offer local specialities like Kasnocken and Gluhwein while you can look down at the lights in the valley or across the lake.

And, if you’re looking for something completely different, there’s always the Ice Camp Kitzsteinhorn, an igloo complex high on the mountain that offers an Ice Bar and Ice Lounges for social events.

Salzburgerland

In the unlikely event that you can tear yourself away from the slopes for a day, there’s still plenty to do in the area, ranging from the museum of vintage cars in Kaprun to the sights of Salzburg itself — whether you’re more a fan of Mozart or of The Sound of Music.

Whatever you’re looking for in a winter holiday, Zell am See has everything you could want.

Filed Under: Zell am See

Top 5 Events in Ischgl this Winter

December 16, 2014 By

Ischgl is as well known for its party spirit as for its fantastic slopes and winter sports facilities. Every day’s an event in Ischgl, but there are highlights through the winter. Here are five of the top events.

New Year’s Eve

The party of the year, as always, the New Year will be seen in here with music and fireworks. The countdown will start at ten to midnight, and the stroke of twelve will be welcomed by the pealing of the Pummerin bells, followed by the Blue Danube. The end of Austria’s national waltz signals in the fireworks with a spectacular musical soundtrack, and the party will carry on through the night.

silvester-ischgl

Shapes in White

This January will see the 22nd annual snow sculpture contest in Ischgl. Between the 12th and the 16th, international artists will compete to produce the finest creation of snow. Each year has a theme, and this year it’s “talent shows” — whatever the artists choose to make of that. The top ten designs submitted to the jury will be created on the slopes above Ischgl over the four days of the contest, culminating in the awards ceremony on the 16th. The sculptures will then remain for skiers to enjoy, until they finally succumb to summer.

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Top of the Mountain Easter Concert

The second Top of the Mountain concert of the season will be held on the 5th April in the Silvretta Arena, high on the mountain above Ischgl. The artist hasn’t yet been announced, but the concerts always attract top international acts. Last Easter’s artist was Robbie Williams, while the opening concert in November featured James Blunt. The concert that closes the season will follow on the 2nd May.

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World Rookie Finals

The culmination of the Rookie Tour for the snowboarders of the future, this is the chance for up-and-coming performers to show their most spectacular moves from the 9th to the 11th April. Although there are no money prizes, there’s plenty at stake. The best snowboarders at the event can expect sponsorship deals, video shoots and a starting place on the TTR tour.

World Rookie Finals

Silvretta Trophäe

On the 18th April, the International Silvretta Trophy will take place on the slopes above Ischgl. A giant slalom from the Flimjochbahn mountain station to the Idalp, the course drops by 450 metres from top to bottom. If you feel brave enough, you can register to take part. Otherwise, you can watch the skiers negotiating the course, finishing at the Top of the Mountain concert stage. And, of course, you can enjoy the après-ski celebrations afterwards, which promise to be spectacular — as they always are at Ischgl.

Silvretta Trophäe

Filed Under: Galtür, Ischgl Tagged With: ,

Channel 4’s The Jump Is Confirmed for Kühtai

December 12, 2014 By

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Channel 4’s hit celebrity skiing show, The Jump, will be back on the screens in the new year, and, like the first series last winter, it will be filmed in Kühtai.

This year’s line-up

heather mills 270610The line-up for the new series has now been announced in full. The competitors are:

• Mike Tindall, former England rugby captain and husband of Zara Phillips
• Sally Bercow, wife of the Speaker of the House of Commons
• JB Gill, singer with JLS
• Heather Mills, ex-model, formerly married to Paul McCartney
• Phil Tufnell, former England test cricketer
• Louise Hazel, Commonwealth gold medallist for the heptathlon
• Jon-Allan Butterworth, Paralympian cyclist
• Ola Jordan, from Strictly Come Dancing
• Dom Parker, from the TV show Gogglebox
• Ashley Roberts, former member of the Pussycat Dolls
• Joey Essex, from the reality show The Only Way Is Essex
• Stacey Solomon, contestant on The X Factor
• Steve-O, from Jackass
• Louise Thompson, from Made in Chelsea
• Louie Spence, dancer
• Lady Victoria Hervey, socialite

showbiz-joey-essexDavina McCall, who hosted the first series, will return for the second.

The contest

The Jump consists of a series of challenges between the contestants, using winter sports including ski cross, giant slalom, skeleton, bobsleigh and speed skating, with new events rumoured for this year. The two competitors with the slowest times or speeds on each event must go head-to-head on a ski jump, with the loser eliminated.

The contestants train hard, but the challenges are by no means safe. On the last series, Henry Conway, Melinda Messenger, Sir Steve Redgrave and Marcus Brigstocke were all forced to withdraw with injury — though, thankfully, none of them serious. The overall winner was singer Joe McElderry, who had joined the line-up as a replacement for Conway.

The venue

The various challenges are held in different locations around Austria, but the show’s home is Kühtai, the highest resort in Austria and arguably the most spectacular. Only 35 minutes from Innsbruck, Kühtai lies in a huge snow bowl in the middle of spectacular alpine scenery, with an impressive range of pistes on offer. The mixture of convenience, the quality of the slopes, the scenery — and, of course, the kind of après-ski that only Austria can offer — make it a favourite with everyone from families to professional skiers.

You never know. If you’re holidaying in Kühtai this winter, you might bump into one of The Jump’s celebrities, whether on the slopes or in après-ski. That would be something to make a great holiday even more memorable.

Filed Under: Kühtai

Galtür for Investment in Ski Apartments

December 10, 2014 By

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This is a perfect time to invest in ski property in Austria, and the new build by Venture Plus AG and Kristall Spaces in Galtür, just a few miles from Ischgl, offers the perfect location. Galtür is a lovely village, notable for being especially family friendly, but a free ten-minute bus-ride will take you into the heart of Ischgl, with its huge choice of slopes and lively night-life.

Galtür

Once described by Ernest Hemingway as “an alpine idyll”, Galtür is in the heart of the Silvretta group of mountains, many of which look down on the village from over three thousand metres. Its pistes are mostly intermediate level, though with state-of-the-art lifts and facilities, but it’s just a few minutes’ bus-ride from both Ischgl and Voralberg, where you can find two of the most challenging black pistes in Austria.

Galtür prides itself on being family friendly, and among its facilities is a guest kindergarten where you can safely leave your younger children while you ski.

In the summer, Galtür offers a wide range of activities, from hiking to white-water rafting, in its beautiful Alpine scenery.

Silvapark Galtür

In 2007, Galtür’s Silvapark was redesigned, and is now the only park of its kind in Europe. It has six distinct areas, geared for different levels of skill and ambition, ranging from children’s sectors where they can learn by having fun in the snow to a sector designed for expert freestylers and freeriders. In addition, the “High and Nordic” sector offers cross-country slopes and tours into the high mountains.

Food & drink

The mountains around Galtür are dotted with lovely Alpine lodges and mountain restaurants, such as Fluchthorn Alm, Weiberhimml and Panorama Tenne, which offer traditional décor and traditional food from Tirol. You have the choice of staying cosy inside or enjoying the majestic views from terraces.

But you don’t have to go into the mountains. There are plenty of restaurants, cafés and bars in and around the village, offering a staggering range of styles and cuisine, as well as entertainment for your après-ski. And, if even this choice isn’t enough, it’s only ten minutes up the road to get to Ischgl and all its facilities.

Silva Peak Residences

Construction is due to start in April on our Silva Park Residences, and they’ll be complete by next Christmas. Located in the middle of the village, the charming Galtür hotel Marangun will make way for the luxury apartments each with dedicated underground parking, lifts and intercom access, as well as furnishings and fittings by top designers. Servicing and marketing will be managed by the local Türtscher family, who have more than twenty-five years’ experience of managing hotels and guest houses.

With ski property like this in such a wonderful setting as Galtür, all investors need to do is sit back to watch the income rolling in and the value increase.

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Filed Under: Galtür, Ischgl

James Blunt live in Ischgl

December 2, 2014 By

James Blunt officially opened the Winter Season in Ischgl on Saturday night, 29 November 2014.

He played with support and introduced his latest album, Moon Landing, and even played a brand new number before crowdsurfing and then giving his band the night off to play his “sad songs”, as he put it.

Meanwhile, the audience who had flocked from their Ischgl apartments and neighbouring resorts who numbered around 17,000 took advantage of the free entry with their ski pass.

The atmosphere was warm and family orientated as they shuffled around and enjoyed Austrian refreshments from various bars which had been set up.  One or two holding up their phones to the old classics like You’re Beautiful and Carry me Home.

Not bad for 88 Euros which comprised a two-day ski pass and entry to the concert.  The snow wasn’t the best but the organisers had done a good job to provide coverage on Ischgl’s vast ski area of nearly 240 kilometres.

Highlights of the day are in the video below in English and German.

Filed Under: Galtür, Ischgl

Testing New Skis on Austria’s Highest Mountains

November 19, 2014 By

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Early & late season skiing

Some Austrian resorts are high enough to make early season skiing well worth while. Kühtai and Sölden are perhaps the best of these, Kühtai being one of the highest resorts in Europe. Although early and late seasons don’t offer as full a range of skiing as the height of the winter season, it’s far less crowded, and the experience of hurtling down glaciers and high alpine tracks under blue summer skies is not to be missed.

Certainly, with the nearest winter slopes in the southern hemisphere, die-hard skiers flock from as far afield as Moscow to enjoy these locations. Kühtai is 2020 metres up, with slopes towering above the village, making it ideal for out-of-season skiing, and properties for sale in Kühtai are in great demand. Many athletes, such as Bode Miller and Lindsay Vonn, use it for high-altitude training all year-round.

Testing the skis

It’s to these resorts the industry turns to test the equipment they’re planning to sell for the following winter. This year, for instance, Kühtai hosted the Snowsport Industries of Great Britain ski test, while Sölden is popular for events held by individual companies including the Salomon Station on the Rettenbach glacier.

Testing carries on from the tail-end of the winter through to the summer and autumn months, going from determining which designs will be worth selling to familiarising employees with the strengths and quirks of each pair of skis. Typically, testers will be given the chance to try out equipment on the glacier and then fill in a report card, scoring the skis on criteria such as agility, ease of use and stability.

Completely new ski designs are rare, of course, and most of the new products are refinements or improvements of existing models and construction techniques. Manufacturers constantly test their products, so the skis are always evolving, though every so often a ski is produced that remains popular year after year, needing little change.

Different sidecuts, cambers and rockers suit different kinds of skiers and slope conditions. An intermediate who wants to turn more easily won’t want the same design as the dedicated off-piste skier who wants to float in deeper snow, though some models are made to be versatile.

Whatever the specifications, Europe’s leading ski manufacturers have the perfect setting to make sure their improvements work on Austria’s high alpine resorts found in Tirol.

Filed Under: Kühtai

Your Chance to Invest in Premium Austrian Ski Property

November 18, 2014 By

The Austrian authorities are careful about granting permits to build ski property in their top resorts, and demand is high when there is an opportunity. But Kristall Spaces has achieved a rare coup by obtaining permits to build in several resorts, including Saalbach, Galtür/Ischgl and Kühtai.

New luxury apartments

These two and three bedroom luxury apartments are brand-new builds, and Kristall Spaces is offering them as excellent chances for investment, since the scarcity caused by planning restrictions ensures that capital growth is high. Our new units are always heavily subscribed even before we start building, and it’s unheard of for any to remain to be sold by the time the project is complete. There are few better investments — with the current exchange rate, even holding sterling is less attractive to UK investors.

Top properties in top Austrian resorts

The resorts earmarked for the new developments are among the most attractive in Austria, chosen for guaranteed long winter sports seasons, together with wonderful golf courses and great opportunities for walking and alpine sports in summer. We offer properties that are central with private parking, and many with ski-in, ski-out locations.

  • Kühtai — only 35 minutes from Innsbruck airport, we offer ski-in, ski-out apartments in this beautiful, high-altitude resort.
  • Galtür — quite apart from the family-friendly skiing in a beautiful, tranquil setting, it’s only 10 minutes on a free bus to the more glamorous Ischgl, from where you can ski over the border into Switzerland.
  • Saalbach — just an hour from Salzburg airport, our properties in Saalbach offer ski-in, ski-out in winter and excellent golf courses in summer, guaranteeing a 5-year rental return of 5%.

A great investment

Our properties in these resorts are built, designed and furnished to exacting standards, each with at least two bedrooms, a large bathroom and a balcony. Kristall Spaces makes all the arrangements through the best tour operators for year-round rental, and the facilities on offer ensure the apartments will be in high demand both summer and winter. And, as if the opportunities weren’t enough, you can even claim a VAT rebate on your property.

Kristall Spaces will soon be announcing new projects in other Austrian resorts. For now, though, you can check out more about our apartments, priced from €280,000 to €334,500, in Kühtai, Galtür/Ischgl and Saalbach.

Filed Under: Austrian Property, Development News, Galtür, Ischgl, Kühtai, Saalbach Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

The Top 5 Places to Eat in Saalbach Austria

November 17, 2014 By

It’s the slopes that make or break a skiing holiday, but you’re not going to be skiing all the time. A ski resort needs a range of other facilities, not least great places to eat.

The Saalbach-Hinterglemm has over fifty restaurants of various kinds. Most are excellent, but which are rated the best five in and around Saalbach?

Westernstadl Altachof

Westernstadl AltachofOn the mountain just out of Saalbach to the west, the Westernstadl Altachof is a country and western themed restaurant, but done with a style and humour that saves it from being tacky. The menu, mainly Austrian cuisine, is varied and well cooked, and the waitresses combine efficiency with charm and humour. The tables are well enough spaced to keep noise at a reasonable level, and an added bonus is that you can watch the horses in an adjoining stable while you eat.

Maisalm

MaisalmOn the mountain to the north of resort, the Maisalm has outdoor seating with warm sheepskin covers on the chairs, allowing you to enjoy the stunning vista of the surrounding mountains and valley. Offering a mixture of Austrian and Italian food, it has everything from cheese and cold cuts to pizza, strudels to stockpot, all served quickly by friendly staff in traditional dress. They also serve a local beer that’s highly recommended.

Panorama Alm

As its name suggests, this is up on the slopes with beautiful views out over the valley. The Panorama Alm is run by a local couple with an emphasis on being family friendly, and it offers a children’s play area and a garden containing a small lake, as well as a museum of local farming tools. You can sit out on a terrace to take advantage of the view, and both the food — Austrian cuisine — and the service are excellent.

Panorama Alm Saalbach

Schattberg Stube

Located at the top of the Schattberg lift, this is a cut above many lift-top restaurants. Offering table service, self-service and a bar area, its mainly Austrian food is excellent, and the restaurant gives all-round views of the Alpine scenery. Both service and value for money are good, whether you have a full meal, a snack or just a drink. Being easily accessible from the village, though, it’s very popular, so you need to arrive reasonably early for a table in the evening.

Schattberg Stube

La Trattoria

Austrian food is excellent, but if you feel the need for a change, La Trattoria is a great Italian restaurant in Saalbach village. It offer a wide range of Italian dishes, from pasta to steaks to pizza, as well as Italian wine. The service is fast and unflapped, and the restaurant has a friendly atmosphere. It’s often crowded in the evening, so it may be advisable to book in advance.

La Trattoria saalbach

Filed Under: Saalbach

Snow in Kühtai before lifts open 28 November​

November 16, 2014 By

As Kühtai gets ready for the opening of the season on Friday 28 November, there’s already a good covering of snow.

We took a few photos of the awe-inspiring aspects from the 2020 Kühtai​ apartments which are situated right in the middle of the resort.

Most of the sunbathed apartments will have views towards the South and the lifts around the Graf Ferdinandhaus hut on the slopes of the Zwölferkogel.

Kristall-Spaces-2020-Kühtai​-apartments-South-aspect-Zwölferkogel

2020 Kühtai​ apartments view towards the Zwölferkogel

And towards the South West which is essentially the view down the main road and across to the peaks in the distance.

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2020 Kühtai​ apartments South West view

You can keep an eye on the pistes and the snow as more of it falls thanks to http://www.bergfex.at/kuehtai/webcams/

Filed Under: Kühtai
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