Alpbach: One of the Hidden Gems for Skiers in the Alps
After exploring lively and glamorous Lech Zurs, we headed to Alpbach, named “Austria's prettiest village”, and set 1000m high in the Tyrolean Alps, just an hour's drive from Innsbruck or two hours from Munich.
Alpbach is a strikingly picturesque town with a strong sense of tradition and a main street lined with pretty churches and handsome, homogeneous wooden farmhouses. In the 1950s, the village introduced laws requiring every new building to be constructed in a traditional stone-and-wood style, which keeps it very beautiful and authentic. Alpbach is famous for its excellent hospitality, which keeps its loyal clientele returning year after year (we met one lady who was there for her 51st ski season!).
Since the recent arrival of a gondola linking the Alpbach side of the resort with Wildschönau Valley, Alpbach has become part of the Ski Juwel area, offering 145km of blue, red and black pistes, powder snow runs and 47 lifts, which makes it one of the largest areas in the Tyrol. We loved its long blue and red pistes, and found many of them quite challenging.
We enjoyed the relaxed pace and great scenery, both in the town and on the slopes. Mountain huts and restaurants with panoramic sun terraces offer a great choice of tasty Tyrolian specialities - spit-roasted chicken, Gröstl, an Austrian hash of beef or bacon fried in a huge iron pan with herbs and potatoes, Knödel (spinach dumplings), Käsespätzle (cheesy noodles) or Germknödel, a sweet yeast dumpling. And, of course, traditional Austrian desserts, such as Strudel or Zaher cake. The rustic meals and amazingly tasty breakfasts, with fresh dairy products from local farms, sum up Alpbach’s retro charm.
For those who are into après ski, you won’t be dancing on tabletops, but you can find some après ski bars in Alpbach. However, we preferred to head to the spa or to stay in our amazing room with a fireplace at Alpbacherhof Hotel instead of drinking beer in bars.
Everyone can find their piece of paradise in this village – from hiking to skiing, from amazing outdoor swimming pools to gourmet restaurants – despite its isolated location high in the mountains, it has everything you need for the perfect winter holiday.
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Written by Alina Lisina
I fell in love with traveling much earlier than I fell in love with my first man. And I'm still faithful to that love (But I have exchanged some men since my first one). I have never had a reason to regret my passion. I constantly dream of going further, it gives me indescribable emotions and meaning to my life.
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