Accommodation
A warm welcome awaits you at the family - run Hotel Elan in the village of Oberau in the scenic Wildschonau Valley. Located on the edge of the village and with fabulous views over the Kitzbuhler Alps, this traditional Austrian chalet style 3 star hotel has high standards of comfort and a welcoming ambience. Leisure facilities are superb including an indoor pool, a spa and wonderful mountain views can be enjoyed from its sun terrace. The hotel also has a lift, a wine bar, a lounge and a restaurant serving Tyrolean and international cuisine. Free WiFi is available in all of the public areas. The spacious Austrian twin bedrooms all have a balcony or terrace overlooking the surrounding mountains and they also have a flat-screen satellite TV, a seating area and a bathroom with a hairdryer and toiletries. Accommodation is on a half board basis with continental buffet breakfasts and 3 course table d’hote dinners.
Oberau is an ideal starting point for our included excursions and is an absolutely idyllic place in which to relax and unwind on our leisure days. With its magnificent church and a handful of shops and cafes Oberau truly is a haven of peace and tranquillity. Wildschonau means ‘wild and beautiful’ and this unspoilt valley is certainly well named with spectacular scenery and a way of life much as it has been for centuries. There is a regular local bus service which runs along valley, enabling you to visit neighbouring villages or even to travel further afield. With chairlifts and cable cars along the valley, you can easily take to the mountain tops to admire the views and relax with a drink at one of the mountain restaurants.
Book this tour today from £1059
Excursions
During our stay we have arranged a programme of included and optional excursions and visits, all taken at a leisurely pace.
- Day 1 - Fly to Munich
Fly from your chosen airport to Munich. On arrival at Munich Airport it’s just a short journey to the Austrian border and then continue on to our hotel in the Tyrol, where we stay for seven nights. Seven breakfasts and seven dinners are included in the hotel.
- Day 2 - At leisure
Today is at leisure for you to relax in the comfortable surroundings of the hotel or to make your first discoveries in our Tyrolean village resort. Perhaps spend the day high in the mountains by taking a cable car or chairlift journey.
- Day 3 - Lake Achen, the Achensee cog railway and Rattenburg
After a morning at leisure, travel by coach through the Inn Valley to Jenbach where we join the original Achenseebahn cog railway, which dates back to 1889. These are some of the oldest steam engines in the world still being used for public transport. During the four mile journey to Seespitz the line climbs some 1500 feet through forests and meadows and offers some amazing views of the Rofan and Karwendel mountain ranges. On arrival in Seespitz there is free time for you to enjoy a stroll by the lake or you can take a cruise on the lake on board one of the steamers. We then re-join our coach for the return journey to our hotel. En-route we make a stop at Rattenberg, the oldest and smallest town in the Tyrol, known today as the Tyrolean home of glass and crystal.
- Day 4 - Nostalgic Ziller Valley railway and Mayrhofen
The Zillertal is one of Austria’s most famous railways. In 1902 this wonderful narrow gauge steam train made its first journey from Fugen up to Mayrhofen and it is still operating along the Ziller Valley well over a century later. This is a wonderful scenic journey which winds through alpine meadows dotted with traditional chalets and farmhouses. Throughout the entire adventure we pass an ever changing landscape of outstanding natural beauty with mountain forests, broad green valleys and snow-capped mountains which soar up to 10,000 feet and you will enjoy a little schnapps and some folk music along the way as we climb up through the Ziller Valley to Mayrhofen. Mayrhofen is a renowned ski resort and on arrival we’ll also have free time here before returning to our hotel.
- Day 5 - The Pinzgauer narrow gauge railway and Krimml Waterfalls
For over 120 years the Pinzgauer narrow gauge railway has been winding through the Salzach Valley to the Hohe Tauern National Park. During the train ride from Mitterswil to the Krimml Waterfalls you will see some of the most spectacular mountain scenery in Austria as the journey unfolds through alpine valleys at a slow, easy pace reminiscent of a bygone age. At 1,245 feet the incredible cascading waterfalls of Krimml are the longest free fall of water in Europe and the fifth highest in the world and you can walk down to the base of the falls or follow the trail up the side for a close-up experience of this breathtaking spectacle.
- Day 6 - Salzburg
Today we have arranged an excursion by coach to the 'Sound of Music' city of Salzburg, the birthpace of Mozart and the home of the Von Trapp family. Window shop in the famous Getreidegasse and visit Mozart's home, enjoy the beauty of the Mirabell Gardens and marvel at the spectacular Hohensalzburg fortress, which towers above the city and dates back to the 11th Century. A local guiide will take us on a walking tour around the Old Town, which is a maze of narrow streets, beautiful squares and historic landmarks.
- Day 7 - At leisure
Today is again at leisure for you to relax and enjoy the facilities of the hotel or to make further discoveries in the local area. Perhaps go for an exhilarating walk in the surrounding countryside or indulge in a coffee and cake in a pavement café – it’s a great way to relax and enjoy the scenery.
- Day 8 - Fly home
Today we leave Oberau at the appropriate time for the transfer to Salzburg airport and the return flight back to the UK.
Steam trains may on occasion be replaced by a diesel train
The days of the excursions may be subject to change
