What's new in Tirol for Summer 2016

by Shrutee K/DNS

Summer travel to the mountains of the Austrian Tirol is on the increase. Short breaks are on the up as people, with more disposable income, start to travel more and there's the desire to see more places. As people lead busy lives a shorter duration fits into their schedule and sometimes a hiking or mountain biking holiday is best done over a few days.Travel to the mountains in summer invites those looking for a sense of adventure from walking, hiking, cycling and mountain biking, whilst also appealing to those looking to improve their wellbeing, happiness and practice mindfulness. This summer sees a collection of new hotels and renovations across the region, the opening of Europe's highest motorbike museum, new hiking trails, mountain bike trails and a selection of new family friendly highlights.

Seefeld-This summer Seefeld is home to several new properties and renovations. Situated high above the Inn Valley, Seefeld is one of Tirol’s most loved summer resorts and boasts a wide range of mountain activities to enjoy throughout the summer including mountain biking and hiking. Visitors can also enjoy the mountain vibe in the centre of Seefeld, with its pavement cafes, bars and restaurants. For more information: www.seefeld.com. 

5* Hotel Klosterbrau Seefeld celebrates its 500th anniversary- The 5* Luxury Hotel Klosterbrau in Seefeld is celebrating its 500th year of history, dating back to when it was a monastery. Founded in 1516 by  by Emperor Maximilian I, it functioned as a monastery for over 250 years, before it was sold to Anton Harting, who supplied the local mail service and Nikolaus Seiler, a butcher in Seefeld in 1809. When Harting passed away his widow married into the well-known Seyrling family and in 1888, their son purchased the brewery and consolidated all the whole buildings together. To this day the hotel is still run by the Seyrling family, which is now into its sixth generation.

There‘s 15 different room types to choose from, including single rooms to presidential suites. The award-winning Spiritual Spa’ is a highlight and has been inspired by its history of the monastery and the rituals of the old monks. The concept of the spa embodies the 10 pillars of contemplation such as ‘health through fire’ (sauna baths, open fireplaces, fire) and ‘health through earth’ (stones, crystals, grottos). From 18th – 23rd September there will be a week long of celebrations, where each day will be dedicated to a particular period in the history of the Klosterbrau. For summer 2016, prices start from €139 per person per night in the Augustiner suite - www.klosterbraeu.com .

Luxury apartments close to the golf course-The Hotel Princess Bergfrieden in Seefeld has been expanded to offer 8 new luxury hotel apartments for summer 2016. The new Residenz Apartments are self-catering apartments, located with direct access to the golf course and just a few minutes walk from the town centre. The new chalet-style, self-catering Residenz Apartments have been fitted with luxury, high quality materials, design fittings and all boast a balcony or terrace with panoramic views over Seefeld. For summer 2016, prices start from €190 per night, for 4 people sharing a 2 bedroom Residenz apartment. www.princessbergfrieden.comThe Alpenhotel Karwendel in Leutasch will boast a new wine cellar and ten new suites for 2016, whilst the Hotel HaymonSeefeld has newly renovated its rooms and the Hotel AlteSchmiede in Seefeld will offer new apartments.

New "Arte Hotel" 2016 in Kufstein-The town of Kufstein is a popular base for exploring the Tirol region. Located under an hour away from Innsbruck, Kufstein is full of cobbled streets, unusual shops and ancient sights, including the Kufstein fortress, protectively positioned overlooking the town. The impressive peaks of the Wilder Kaiser mountain range beckon visitors to go hiking, biking, climbing and walking. www.kufstein.com The new arte Hotel Kufstein will open in June 2016, located in the centre of  Kufstein and offering 85 double rooms, 6 rooms with disabled access, 10 studios and several three-bed rooms. This will be the second lifetyle hotel opened by the private Austrian IPP Hotel Group, with a clear focus on creating a refreshing atmosphere with lots of light, air and space with a chic, modern city feel.  For summer 2016, prices start from €165 per night, based on 2 sharing a double room. www.arte-kufstein.at

Pitztal: New ‚Wellness Huttendorf-The Pitztal Valley is an ideal place for a summer recreational holiday, with plenty of hiking, walking, mountain bikiing and nature to discover. www.pitztal.at

In St Leonhard in Pitztal, the new ‚Wellness Huttendorf‘ will enjoy its first summer season in 2016. The new mountain hut village comprises of three mountain huts, the ‚Geieskogel‘ and ‚Gemeindekopf‘, which sleep 2 adults and 2 children and the ‚Sollberg‘, which sleeps 4 adults and 2 children. Equipped with a fireplace, wooden floors, wooden kitchen, bathroom, bedrooms and living rooms, as well as an outdoor heated swimming pool and sauna cabin, the mountain huts guarantee a comfortable and cosy stay. For summer 2016, prices start from €65 per person per night and between €15 - €65 per night for children, depending on their age.www.wellness-huettendorf.at

Spa by the shores of Lake Achensee-The crystal clear waters of Lake Achensee is a popular summer destination for relaxation. This summer two new hotels will boast amazing new spas to make sure you are taking it easy. In March 2016, the 4* Wellnessresidenz Alpenrose in Maurach on Lake Achensee will open their new ‚House of elements‘ within the spa area. Comprising of a new 23m indoor pool, outdoor and infinity pool, rest and relaxation rooms, heated loungers, and panoramic sauna.For summer 2016, prices start from €164 per person per night on half board. www.alpenrose.at

In July 2016, the Karwendel Sky Spa will open at the 4* Hotel Karwendel in Pertisau, creating a spa area to almost 2800 m2, doubling it’sexisiting spa. The highlight of the new Sky Spa will be the new Sky Pool, allowing you to swim above the rooftops of Pertisau with an unobstructed view of Lake Achensee. The expanded area will also include new saunas, thematic infusions, infra-red thermal bath, relaxation rooms, open-air sun deck, whirlpool and rock grotto. For summer 2016, prices start from €113 per person per night on half board. www.karwendel-achensee.com

Opening of Europe's highest Motorcycle Museum-In the popular resort of Obergurgl-Hochgurgl in the otztal, a new mountain lift station opened at the start of the ski season at 2175m along the Timmesljoch High Alpine Pass Road. This was no ordinary base station. The new multi-functional building with its futuristic deisgn houses a state-of-the-art mountain restaurant and from April 2016 the new motorbike museum with its full exhibition will officially open. The highest motorcycle museum in Europe (Top Mountain Crosspoint) will house around 170 exhibits, over a space of 2,600 square metres, including: Moto Guzzi, MV Augusta, Ducati, BMW, NSU, DKW, Zundapp, Triumph, Sunbeam, Norton, Matchless, AJS, Brough Superior, Vincent, Honda, Henderson, Indian and of course Harley Davidson. In addition to the motorobikes, there will also be some exclusive cars on show in the museum, such as Californian Ferrari Spider, a Porsche 959 and a Lotus 23 B. For more information visit http://www.obergurgl.com/top-mountain-crosspoint-en

Country Enduro Trails for mountain bikers in Nauders-Nauders in Tirol attracts a loyal following from the mountain bike community and 2016 will be the first summer that the new cross-border, 3 Country Enduro Trail can be completed. Joining Austria, Italy and Switzerland the new trail has got it all from woods to stony terrain, from tree roots to forest tracks, varied terrain and single trail tracks, some technically demanding and others perfectly manageable. Take a look at the video here.  The 3 Country Enduro Trails are perfect for all single trail riders, with four cable cars guaranteeing seamless transport maximising fun on the trail. Start the tour in Nauders, located on the Reschenpass, and pick out the sections to do or treat it as a proper training run. For more infirmation visit www.nauders.com 

Historic Kaiserschutzen hiking trail to open in Nauders-In the footsteps of the past, a new hiking trail steeped in history opens in summer 2016: the Kaiserschutzenweg. Taking us back to 1916 and World War I battles, the trail leads from the fortress in Nauders for 2km through forests to the fortifications, past dilapidated posts and rock caverns. The Kaiser and Imperial and Royal Landesschutzen were three regiments of the mountain infantry during the Austro-Hungarian Empire and troops were recruited from local areas in Tirol and Vorarlberg to maintain border defenses. Inside the Nauders fortress there is an informative memorial to the Kaiserschutzen. www.nauders.com

Follow the herd at Widiversum – a children’s adventure park in Oetz-In Oetz there will be added family fun this summer with the opening of the new children’s adventure park in July 2016. Located at the mountain station of the Acherkogelbahn at over 2000m, the new adventure park , called Widiversum, centers on the theme of sheep! Children can take on the role of a shepherd, and make sure his flock of sheep is properly under control, there’s much more to epxlore with a waterworld, sand and mud area, climbing frame, lookout point and walking trail. For more information visit www.oetz.com. 

Children ViaFerrata in Mayrhofen-Children love to climb and it is a skill they learn almost before they start walking. As they get older, skills improve and now Mayrhofen have included their first family-friendly via ferrata route, designed for children aged 6-14 yeras, The route complements the three existing via Ferrate routes in Mayrhofen and alternates between classic Ferrate terrain (rock faces and walking sections) and interesting high rope course elements. There is also a small practice area next to the via Ferrata access point, where young climbers can gain confidence, test their sure-footedness and familiarise themselves with the rules of climbing. For more information visitwww.mayrhofen.at