Leisure Pursuits For Austria:
1. RECREATION CENTER “AQUARENA”
The Aquarena water center can be a great option for a family vacation after an active skiing holiday in winter or for recuperation and escape from the heat in summer. This is an indoor complex offering vacationers several swimming pools, a Finnish sauna, a steam room, an infrared cabin, heated loungers, a hammam, massage services (classic massage, therapeutic massage, sports massage, lymphatic drainage massage and foot reflexology massage) and mud treatments.
In the summer (on Tuesdays) aqua fitness lessons are held for everyone. Conventionally, the “water area” can be divided into two parts. The first is a spacious pool for recreation and relaxation with waterfalls and a jacuzzi area, a children’s section with a small slide for the youngest visitors of the center. Comfortable loungers are installed around the pool. For older children, two long indoor water slides are offered. They are not very fast, but they lift your spirits. The second part is a 25-meter-long pool, which is available to anyone who wants to swim. In the sports pool area, a new infrared cabin Physiotherm-Pro2 is installed.
The center has spacious changing rooms, including for families, and you can use powerful hair dryers. In the warm season, most visitors enjoy the sun on the terrace and lawn. In addition, such a service as rental of swimwear and towels is offered. And if you are hungry, visit the restaurant “Naturtalent”, whose menu includes main dishes of international cuisine, salads, snacks and children’s dishes.
By the way, entry to the restaurant is available regardless of whether you are a visitor to the center or not. In “Aquarena” there is also a playroom for young guests and a gambling hall for adults. Since this center belongs to “Bergbahn Kitzbühel AG”, do not forget to take your ski pass with you, thanks to which you can get a small discount on your visit.
2. FAMILY RECREATION CENTER “ELLMI’S MAGIC WORLD”
Fairies, goblins, ghosts and the magical frog Ellmi will be happy to welcome your whole family to the magical land of Elmau. The “Magic Express” will take you to the mystical and mysterious Hartkaiser mountain in just 7 minutes. Ellmi’s Magic World has a lot to offer for families and especially children in terms of recreation and even learning. At an altitude of 1,555 meters, there is a whole play and recreation center with an area of ​​4,000 square meters, offering a lot of activities for all members of the family.
The youngest visitors will probably enjoy the spacious playground with carousels, slides, swings, various play structures and constructions. Some people will be interested in climbing a rock-climbing wall or sliding down a wooden tower, while others will be more interested in a trampoline or walking through a labyrinth. The playground also features several types of water games, including a gold panning attraction.
In addition, families with children will be interested in visiting the botanical garden and getting to know exotic and local plant species or looking at animals in the mini-zoo. Many more unusual adventures await both adults and children on the territory of the magical land: you will see an enchanted pond, a magical forest, talk to a talking owl, visit a goblin hut and cave, a forest chapel, see an enchanted stone and a goblin head splashing water. For lovers of walking, we offer a fascinating hike along the 1.5-kilometer Rübezahl-path (Bergstation Hartkaiserbahn – Jägerhütte – Rübezahlalm – Middle Station Hartkaiserbahn), where along the entire route you will be accompanied and shown the right way by huge wooden statues – the Rübezahl family.
After numerous adventures, you can quench your thirst and hunger in the restaurant “Bergkaise”, located right next to the ski lift. From May to October, on certain days (usually on Sundays), various concerts, parties, performances by artists, and organized events for children are held on the territory of the family and children’s recreation park “Ellmi’s Magic World”. You can always find out the schedule of events on the park’s website.
3. RATTENBERG – THE CITY OF GLASSBLOWERS:
On the right bank of the Inn River, in one of the most picturesque places in Tyrol, there is a tiny settlement – ​​Rattenberg, proudly bearing the status of the smallest city in Austria. The population of Rattenberg is only about 400 people, but the atmosphere in the town is extremely pleasant. Local residents are always happy to see guests, especially little travelers, who are distinguished by their special curiosity. This character trait is considered one of the main virtues of a person here, because there is really something to see in Rattenberg.
Having found themselves in the smallest city in Tyrol, tourists seem to be lost in time. It is surprising, but the magnificent architectural ensemble has been preserved almost in its original form. Burgher houses, large city gates in the medieval city center, Nagelschmidholzer buildings with thick marble walls – all this creates that unique spirit of antiquity, for which the last romantics go to the most remote points of the globe. The Tyrolean “Little One” does not require such sacrifices – it is much easier to get to. Fans of medieval architecture will certainly be impressed by the monumental ruins of Rattenberg Castle.
This Bavarian fortress in ancient times served several functions at once: it was a prison, a stronghold, and the home of the ruling family. Today, colorful theatrical productions are staged here in the summer. In the summer, the city with its special flavor is visited by many tourists from all over the world. In winter, Rattenberg celebrates Advent Saturdays in a unique way. Artists from the region and the city itself present theatrical and musical performances to the public, following ancient customs and traditions. But the town of Rattenberg is famous not for its architectural monuments (although, to their credit, they are incomparable here). The whole world knows Rattenberg as a place where skilled glassblowers live and work. The ancestors of modern glass masters came here from Kramsach in the 19th century, when silver mining in the local lands ceased. Less than two hundred years later, the production of decorative glass became the main source of income for local glassblowers, and the city, thanks to this elegant craft, gained worldwide fame.
The medieval pedestrian zone is dominated by unique exhibits of glass craft in numerous shops. Children especially enjoy visiting the glass workshops and shops of Rattenberg. Here they have the opportunity not only to choose and buy incredibly beautiful glass souvenirs, but also to see with their own eyes the process of their production, as they say, from start to finish. Parents, if they wish, can arrange a mini-excursion into the world of decorative glass production for their young inquisitive travelers. Fortunately, there are plenty of workshops in Rattenberg. Seeing glassblowers, glass artists, engravers and grinders at work means gaining invaluable experience and knowledge that will certainly be useful to a child in the future.
4. MITTERSILL NATIONAL PARK MUSEUM:
Before talking about the Mittersill National Park Museum, it is worth mentioning the town in which it is located. Mittersill is a small settlement in the Zell am See district with a population of just under five and a half thousand people. The town is located on the very edge of the Hohe Tauern National Park, the largest in Austria and one of the largest in all of Europe. Its territory stretches across three Austrian provinces: Tyrol, Salzburg and Carinthia. The park is an incredibly beautiful pristine landscape in which nature itself has painted mountains, glaciers, waterfalls, thickets of green forests and emerald alpine pastures with its magical brushes.
The area of ​​the Hohe Tauern nature reserve is about 1,800 square kilometers. In the winter season, the park sees an influx of skiers and snowboarders. They are offered a lot of trails of varying difficulty levels, as well as entertainment areas. Even extreme sports enthusiasts will find something to please themselves with in The Hohe Tauern. Areas for crazy sliding outside the mountain slopes are located in special places of the park. You can take a break from winter fun in a cozy restaurant offering guests local cuisine. The museum, located in the National Park, opened only a few years ago. In its nine halls, visitors can learn the history of the town of Mittersill, as well as a large number of interesting facts about the Alpine region.
Thus, in the museum you will be told about almost all the Alpine mountains, including the highest point of the reserve – the monumental mountain Großglockner with a height of 3798 m. You will certainly be amazed by the significant number of glaciers and will be amazed by the story of the most powerful and rapid waterfalls in the world – Golling and Krimmler. A trip through the museum allows guests to learn a lot of interesting things about the resources of The Hohe Tauern National Park. Children love the bird’s eye view of the park, and are also delighted by the unique 3D computer animation show. This performance is dedicated to showing the grandiose dome of the avalanche waterfall and the alpine glaciers of the reserve. Young visitors to the museum will certainly be interested in the animal models – representatives of the local fauna.
On the walls of the museum are displayed photographs of the incredible nature of The Hohe Tauern, taken by professional photographers. Another educational exhibition is dedicated to the types of trees that can be found in the mountains and forests of this region. Thanks to this exhibition, you can learn a lot about the life of thousand-year-old trees, the ecological significance of the mountain forest and the inhabitants of the “forest giants”.
5. HOCHTAL WILDSCHONAU SKI SCHOOL:
The ski school “Ski & Snowboardschule Hochtal Wildschönau” is open for you in the village of Auffach, it also has a representative office in the village of Oberau (lifts in the Roggenboden area). The school is a holder of the Quality Award, a prestigious prize for quality and high standards in its work, which was awarded to it by the Tyrolean Ski Association.
One lesson per day lasts four hours with a lunch break, but if desired, lessons can also be taken for half a day (two hours). The maximum number of students in a group is twelve people. For an additional fee, a child can be left in the group during the lunch break. In this case, he will have lunch with other students and instructors in one of the local restaurants.
At the middle station of the Schatzbergbahn lift there is a special children’s learning area with a “magic carpet”, a ski carousel, a playground and many devices that facilitate the quick and unobtrusive learning of little skiers. Every week, the school organizes an exciting train ride, as well as an afternoon of skiing in a wooded area. On Thursdays, a children’s Olympics is held, the participants of which receive a medal and their starting number in the competition as a souvenir of the race.
6. AMBRAS CASTLE:
The incredibly beautiful Ambras palace complex is known in every city in Austria. You should not miss this historical landmark if you find yourself near Innsbruck. Ambras Castle is beautiful, powerful, majestic and extremely charismatic. Its carved ceilings, mosaic doors and ancient frescoes are able to impress even a seasoned traveler. Ambras is surrounded by a well-kept green park, where you can relax after a long walk through the halls of the palace. For those interested in history, a few interesting facts. Ambras was reconstructed by order of Emperor Ferdinand II, who made the ancient castle-fortress his actual residence.
In addition to the fact that the emperor was a great lover of the arts and was interested in science, he was also distinguished by his courage. Not every august person of that time would have dared to secretly marry a woman of non-aristocratic origin. Ferdinand II, however, became engaged to the beautiful Philippine Welser and settled with her in Innsbruck in a Renaissance palace, since his wife was forbidden to come to court. It is worth noting that Ambras Castle differs from most palaces in Austria. Despite all its courtesy and grandeur, it is rather a defensive fortress. It consists of the Upper and Lower Castles. Today, the Lower Castle displays two exhibitions: the Armory and a kind of Kunstkamera – the Chamber of Arts and Curiosities or, as it is also called, the Chamber of Curiosities.
The Armory is especially loved by boys of all ages – the mass of knightly weapons and medieval armor excites and intrigues. In the past, the Armory collection was one of the richest in Europe. Today, a large number of its exhibits are distributed among numerous museums in Vienna. Children also love to visit the Kunstkamera. Here you will find original musical instruments, unusual statues and figures made of coral, ancient scientific instruments, portraits of strange and scary creatures and other curiosities. The ceremonial Spanish Hall, also located in the Lower Castle, was built in the 16th century. It is still considered one of the most beautiful halls of its era in the Renaissance style. The Upper Castle will be no less interesting for both large and small guests of Ambras. Today, it houses a portrait gallery belonging to the Habsburg family. Come here and be amazed by the wealth on display: the walls of the gallery contain about two hundred paintings by famous world artists: Velazquez, Van Dyck, Titian and other authors. Both parts of the castle are connected by the Spanish Hall, which is considered a real pearl of the building. The coffered ceiling, mosaic doors, and wall frescoes make visitors linger in it for a while.
Today, concerts and other cultural events are held here. Interesting fact. This castle is so popular and famous that in 2002 a silver collector coin with its image with a face value of 10 euros was issued. On one side of the coin is a general view of the castle, and on the other – musicians in the very same Spanish Hall. After walking around the ancient parquet of Ambras and enjoying the rich collections, before leaving, look into the local shop. Here are memorable accessories designed for buyers of all social levels. The choice is truly huge: children’s toy armor and books, CDs, textiles, exact copies of medieval utensils, weapons and helmets, jewelry made according to historical samples, stationery, postcards and posters, sweets, and, of course, magnets!