For those of us who ski in and around St.Anton we already know of the outstanding natural beauty that abounds in this area but what most skiers do not appreciate is that during the summer months this area is even more beautiful and maybe more importantly for summer breaks - it is very peaceful. I have always thought and indeed been surprised by the fact that Austria has remained beneath the summer holiday radar of most people when they consider their mid year break. So what can Austria and the Arlberg region in particular offer.....? Well just for starters you will get fantastic scenery, clear air filling your lungs, beautiful mountain lakes and high quality but inexpensive locally sourced food all washed down with great wines - did you know that Austria produces some of the top wines in the world today? Whatever your needs are for your summer holidays - whether you like to have a very relaxing break or an active holiday full of adventure, you will be able to do all of this whilst being surrounded by the amazing unspoilt alpine scenery of the Arlberg region. Finally if you are not already interested..... let me tempt you with the something else - COST.... If you are fed you with being ripped off by airlines and tour operators just because it is the school holidays then think again - Great accommodation is not expensive in the village, I also have an apartment that is available during the summer for an amazing 400 Euro per week - for details click here. Flights start at around £20 return if you are clever and flexible! So if you want to find out more about this beautiful part of Europe then read on, I will provide you with as much info and photos about the region as I can - if you need more info just contact me....
St.Anton Village
For those of us who ski in St.Anton
we will be very familiar with the busy and sometimes very loud party
town, but during the summer St.Anton returns to how it has been for
hundreds of years - a peaceful and beautiful alpine village tucked up
in the Arlberg region, surrounded on all sides by amazing scenery.
The snow has been replaced by bright green pastures where lambs
and cattle gently graze the day away, the ski routes have disappeared
and in their place you will find many trails and paths working their
way up into the mountains. As you walk up you will find streams, rivers,
waterfalls, lakes and everywhere breathtaking scenery. The
local themselves have much more time during this period and to fill
their days there are many fests throughout the summer (again check the
dates with tourist office). These normally last for three nights and
two days and consist of music, dancing, eating and loads of beer!
Of course all the other attractions in the village are open: The
indoor and outdoor swimming pools, the bowling alley, the indoor and outdoor tennis &
squash courts, the spa and gym at the wellness centre and many of the
restaurants and bars too...The Mountains
The mountains in the summer are even more beautiful than they are in
the winter months and as you will not be flying down them on a set of
skis you will have much more time to take in the beautiful views that stretch all
the way down the valley's. If you sit on the Gampen you will see
all the marmots coming out to play and whistling at each other. Above
St.Christoph there are several lakes where you can sit and relax with a
picnic and some wine. You can walk all the way into the Ferwall to
the beautiful reservoir where there is a children's play area and a large
bar-b-que for you to cook on. Walk up to the Rendl Alm and stop for a
drink and some food before taking the path all the way across to Rendl
itself.Lake Constance
Just one hour's drive from St.Anton is Lake Constance, this lake borders
Austria, Switzerland and Germany and is extremely large and
spectacular. It is surrounded by beautiful towns and villages and makes
a great day out - why not take a train to Bregenz and then hire a bike
to cycle around the area. Bregenz itself is home to the worlds largest
floating stage at the famous festival house, this was featured in the
James Bond "Quantum of Solace" film in 2008 and during the summer there
are many wonderful open-air performances. Also in Bregenz art
lovers will find the Kunsthaus, which is one of the leading museums for
contemporary art in the whole of Europe.Biking
You can hire bikes in St.Anton and then set off to explore, there are
some great rides around the village (200km of bike tracks) and out through St.Jakob coming
back along the river from Pettnau or Flirsch as well as into the
Ferwall. For those of us who are pretty fit why not bike up to the
Rodelhutte for lunch or if you are extremely fit carry on up to the
Gampen! My favourite ride at the moment is to bike all the way to
Schoenweis or even on to Imst before catching the train back to St.Anton.
Whilst it is 40 - 50 km, the first stage to Landeck is pretty much
downhill all the way and very easy, it is a great day out and you do
not need to be super fit for this one! Walking
There are 110km of beautiful walks around the St.Anton area, the
lifts are open during the summer months (11th June - 27th Sept) and as long as you are reasonably fit and
active you will have no problems walking up into the mountains. I
would suggest that you take the lifts down rather than up, it is
actually much more strenuous and painful walking down! You can
walk for just a couple of hours or you can spend the whole day hiking
up to one of the many huts, taking a nice long lunch break before
making your way back down to the village. The tourist office employs many guides
for those of you who want to cover some distance but if you just fancy
a couple of hours making your way up to Gampen or Galzig then the
routes are clearly marked.Innsbruck
The picturesque town of Innsbruck
is under one hour away from St.Anton
by train and a trip for the day is well worth doing - the train ride is
very picturesque and not at all expensive. You can visit the
old town and historical centre and do a spot of shopping; there are
plenty of other attractions in and around Innsbruck
- museums, art galleries, churches, castles and palaces. You
can take a guided tour or an open top bus ride. Throughout the
summer there are many festivals and concerts that will satisfy most
tastes from classical - jazz - rock. You will also find plenty of
places to enjoy a nice lunch
and maybe a glass or two of wine.... then catch the train back to St.Anton once you have had your fill. Adventure
If it is outdoor adventure that you are looking for then there are many things that I can suggest!
Watersport.
If you
want to have some fun on the water then why not spend a day white water
rafting along 15 kms of river with experienced guides. In St.Anton
itself you can try out the sport of kayaking along the Rosanna. Another great adrenalin
filled water activity is canyoning. This where you are fully kitted out
in wet suits and helmets and then you set off to hike through the
canyon and explore the rivers! Easy climbs and jumping and sliding
down waterfalls all of which is of course great
fun. There are a couple of companies that I would
recommend in this respect, they are H2O and Wiggi Rafting - both
offer exhilarating fun that cater for both Adults and children. 
Mountain Coaster. Both
in Pettnau and Imst you will find a mountain coaster that is
a great laugh for all the family. A mountain coaster is basically a
monorail ride that takes you down the mountain in your own "car" and it
is great fun whatever your age. The challenge with the one in Imst is to be
able to do the whole run without braking..... I dare you!! For
details of the mountain coaster at Imst click here.
To try out the one in Pettnau just head down to the ski lift in
the village of Pettnau, purchase your tickets and head on up.
Climbing. Last summer
the new climbing facility was opened and this is a great place for the
whole family even if you have never tried climbing before. There are lots of different climbing walls catering for
all levels of ability and also for young kids. You can organise lessons that are
not expensive and within just a few hours you can be scaling the walls
both indoor and out. For details click here.
There is also a restaurant and bar area where you can sit a look
at the climbers making their way up past your window! In the same
building you will find the bowling alley, indoor tennis and squash
courts so really whatever you fancy doing the whole family can be
entertained here.
Segways. If you
have not seen or been on a Segway before then this is really
something that you should try! I had a go with my kids last
summer and it was great. A segway can best be described as a personal
transporter; it has two big wheels, which you stand between, and
handlebars that you hold onto. The fun bit is when you try to propel
it..... lean forwards and it goes forwards, backwards and it goes
backwards...... to turn you just lean the way that you wish to go.....
when you get the hang of it they are great fun! They are
available to hire from the Jennewein shop on the roundabout by the
Galzigbahn, included in the cost is training and a guide who will take
you all around St.Anton / Nasserein / St.Jakob and out through the
woods and along the river for some off roading! For details click here.
Paragliding.
Another
great way to see the mountains is from above, fly like the birds and
take a paragliding flight to get an eagles eye view of the
amazing alps, on a clear day you will see four countries:
Austria, Germany, Switzerland & Italy. Flight Connection Arlberg
is based about 30 minutes from St.Anton at Schnifis. There are also
some independant guys operating out of St.Anton itself with flights
from Kapall back down to the village and I would suggest that you call
in at the tourist office for further details. You would fly tandem so
it does not matter at all if you have no previous experience - all you
need is a head for heights!
Tree Walk.There
is a great tree top adventure that has now been built in the
Verwall Valley which allows both adults and kids alike to make there
way around this adventure course. The course is made up of
various rope bridges and walkways from which you can defeat the forces
of gravity by
rapelling and traversing as you make your way from tree to tree. Being
up in the tree canopy is a great way to spend some and provides fun for
all the family. At all times you are of course connected to a safety
rope by a harness.Food & Drink
During the summer many of the bars
and restaurants are open as well as the Funky Chicken and Bobo's Nitespots at the
weekends. The main hotels are also open and of course so are
their dining rooms - the meals are much cheaper in the summer months
(as are the supermarket prices!) and I have had many a lovely meal in
at the Hotel Post, Hotel Schwarzer Adler, Museum and Sonn Bichl.
It is great to sit out in the sunshine in one of the cafes
looking out over the mountains whilst you drink a glass of wine or
maybe an iced chocolate or coffee... Details of all of these can be
found on the main "Eating Out" page.Getting here in the summer
Getting to St. Anton in the summer can be nice and cheap if you get organised and are flexible. Ryanair is still my favourite option and I would expect to get flights for between £15 and £70 return, that is good when you think how much it is to get a flight to Spain! Also I have one apartment that is available for weekly rent during July, August and early September for just 400 Euro a week! So you can get a seriously cheap, fun packed holiday here in the mountains! For full details of all the airlines and routes to St.Anton please go to the main "Getting Here" page.