Austria. Media News.

Dear friends of Austria and fellow travelers,

In Austria's Western Alps lies the Arlberg with its five charming villages that have become somewhat the poster-children of the Austrian Alps: St. Anton, the wild one; Lech, the elegant one; Zürs, the sophisticated one; St. Christoph, the quiet one; and Stuben, the laid back one. All of them together offer quite the variety of classy mountain resorts, traditional Alpine events, outdoor nature explorations, and not to forget some of the best restaurants in Europe. 

Today, we will take you on a little hike through the Arlberg region and show you what it has to offer when the snow has melted and the sounds of cowbells and whistling marmots fill the warm fragrant air. 

With warmest regards,
Sigrid Pichler & Helen Bitschnau

Managers of Public Relations
Austrian Tourist Office New York City
sigrid.pichler@austria.info
helen.bitschnau@austria.info 
tel 212 575 7723 x 119 or x 112
www.austria.info 

While most of us associate any mountain destination with mostly outdoor activities and sports, there is so much more to be explored during a summer in the Austrian Alps: Enter the Lech Classical Festival. In 2023, it will once again offer an opulent program with Finnish star soprano and Bayreuth heroine Camilla Nylund. She is one of the outstanding interpreters of Richard Wagner and Richard Strauss. At the 11th Lech Classic Festival 2023 from 31 July to 6 August, Camilla Nylund will perform Richard Strauss's "Four Last Songs" at the opening concert.

Fresh mountain air, world class performances, what else does one need? Great local food to nourish your body and your spirit! We would like to introduce you to our friends - and fools - at Rote Wand. Owners and staff at the Rote Wand Gourmet Hotel in Zug (near Lech) dare to dream big. They turned their dreams into a vision and are now looking for Friends & Fools to support their ambitious idea to turn the area around the hotel into a sustainable source of most of the culinary needs in the hotel's kitchen and beyond: Farm and Garden. Culinary Lab and Cookery School. Bakery, Charcuterie and Fromagerie. They are tapping into their agricultural heritage – and their culinary future. They are building community that goes far beyond the family! Check it out for yourself​!

On the other side of Lech, the Bodenalpe restaurant serves up highest quality meats and Alpine specialties in the setting of a 400-year-old traditional hut. ​

 

If nothing else, the past three years have put a spotlight on the importance of physical and emotional wellbeing, and that lifestyle has become more and more a quintessential ingredient of travel as well.  

In the Arlberg region, you can roll out your yoga mat on Alpine meadows surrounded by majestic peaks at the annual Mountain Yoga Festival in St. Anton am Arlberg. Themed "Moving Into Stillness" the 7th annual Mountain Yoga Festival will be taking place this year from August 31 to September 3. Festival packages can be purchased directly on the website and include accommodation (breakfast or full board options) as well as access to all yoga classes and other festival highlights. The festival is drawing an increasingly international crowd with both participants and teachers from all over the world.

A different kind of meditation can be experienced on the Arlberg Trail, a long distance hiking trail that connects all five villages of the region. 25 miles in total length, the trail can be done in 3 stages: 3 days / 2 overnights with a commitment of about 6 hours of moderate-difficulty Alpine hiking per day. You will be rewarded with pristine Alpine nature and breathtaking views, hearty meals in mountain huts, and welcoming hosts to refresh you and cheer you on!

If you'd rather run than walk you should check out the Weisser Ring Trail Challenge. The Weisse Ring - the White Ring - is originally the Alps’ most legendary ski circuit and has linked nature and technology as well as the villages of Lech, Zürs, Zug and Oberlech for over 60 years. Attracting winter sports competitors, the White Ring is a half-day sporting challenge with approx. 14 miles of ski runs, as well as a more mellow ski-sightseeing tour on easy and intermediate ski runs with viewing platforms at the Rüfikopf and Madloch. In summertime, athletes and athletic nature lovers also test their endurance along various stages on the famous circuit against the backdrop of Lech’s mountain scenery.