Pics from our 25th Wedding Anniversary in Austria

[Marco]

Del and I celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary this year in Austria, in a little mountain village called Grossarl, which is approximately 85km south of Salzburg. We had our honeymoon in Zell am Zee (on 22nd December 1991), and loved it so much we wanted to go back! :)

This year we stayed in the Hunter Suite at the Grossarler Hof Hotel, which was absolutely superb in every way. Details here: http://www.grossarlerhof.at/hotel-in-grossarl-grossarltal-salzburger-land/

Anyway, here are some snaps we took of the hotel and the surrounding areas we visited...

The stunning view from our balcony, which we woke up to every morning:

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/923/OdxQ5A.jpg (https://imageshack.com/i/pnOdxQ5Aj)

From another angle, showing part of a lake at the bottom:

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/923/egED2E.jpg (https://imageshack.com/i/pnegED2Ej)

We took a ride up to the top of one of the mountains in a cable car, and enjoyed amazing views like this:

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/924/eT39zc.jpg (https://imageshack.com/i/poeT39zcj)

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/921/vUETvh.jpg (https://imageshack.com/i/plvUETvhj)

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http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/923/RY7bNU.jpg (https://imageshack.com/i/pnRY7bNUj)

The front of the hotel at night:

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/924/elZRD8.jpg (https://imageshack.com/i/poelZRD8j)

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/923/0RmC9s.jpg (https://imageshack.com/i/pn0RmC9sj)

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/921/sqQHVf.jpg (https://imageshack.com/i/plsqQHVfj)

Some views of the inside... In the lounge where we spent many an hour relaxing by the log fire before and after meals, sipping cocktails, after-dinner drinks or enjoying a cool glass of the local beer:

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/922/r4lGnr.jpg (https://imageshack.com/i/pmr4lGnrj)

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/924/6Oahui.jpg (https://imageshack.com/i/po6Oahuij)

Outside of the cute little bespoke annex of the hotel's main restaurant, designed in typical alpine style, called the Jagersub'l:

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/921/mgGYS6.jpg (https://imageshack.com/i/plmgGYS6j)

And the inside, where we ate breakfast and dinner every evening:

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/923/QrWCGu.jpg (https://imageshack.com/i/pnQrWCGuj)

Some of the food we enjoyed there...

Assorted peppered sushi with garden herbs and pickled vegetables:


http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/924/ktH0BC.jpg (https://imageshack.com/i/poktH0BCj)

Del had grilled goats cheese with caramelised walnuts:


http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/921/yBpOjP.jpg (https://imageshack.com/i/plyBpOjPj)

Roast haunch of chamois (a type of goat-antelope), from the local Hüttschlag region, accompanied with local Pongauer wild boar, served with a leek tart and chorizo savoy cabbage, and loganberry compote, in a rich game jus [this was one of the nicest meat dishes I've eaten]:


http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/922/eMnR6S.jpg (https://imageshack.com/i/pmeMnR6Sj)


A palate-cleansing mid course of fresh raspberry sorbet, infused with Campari:


http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/922/T21ObJ.jpg (https://imageshack.com/i/pmT21ObJj)


And one of the nicest vegetarian dishes Del's ever eaten, which was Sous Vide cooked root vegetables with assorted local wild mushrooms and a verjus sabayon:


http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/921/cCUogM.jpg (https://imageshack.com/i/plcCUogMj)


An impressive looking hand-made and painted wardrobe in one of the halls leading to our bedroom:

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/921/v60QSY.jpg (https://imageshack.com/i/plv60QSYj)

Close-up of some of the panels:

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/923/vB6V5E.jpg (https://imageshack.com/i/pnvB6V5Ej) http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/924/Ix1Tto.jpg (https://imageshack.com/i/poIx1Ttoj)

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/923/2Cetyf.jpg (https://imageshack.com/i/pn2Cetyfj)


Some views of the village of Grossarl, where we stayed:

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/923/4NM43n.jpg (https://imageshack.com/i/pn4NM43nj)

The local church:

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/923/LgbJcg.jpg (https://imageshack.com/i/pnLgbJcgj)

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/921/95t4wF.jpg (https://imageshack.com/i/pl95t4wFj)

Inside... The poshest confessional box in the world?

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/922/808gB3.jpg (https://imageshack.com/i/pm808gB3j)

Superbly constructed crib/nativity scene:

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/924/skxfug.jpg (https://imageshack.com/i/poskxfugj)

Altar, etc:

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/923/ZoQ03e.jpg (https://imageshack.com/i/pnZoQ03ej)

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/922/cd89QN.jpg (https://imageshack.com/i/pmcd89QNj)

And some of the most impressive looking gravestones I've ever seen (with an amazing backdrop, too):

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/924/l2xKVr.jpg (https://imageshack.com/i/pol2xKVrj)


Town centre:

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/924/Ytv6Kk.jpg (https://imageshack.com/i/poYtv6Kkj)

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/924/SieLSE.jpg (https://imageshack.com/i/poSieLSEj)

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/921/alQArp.jpg (https://imageshack.com/i/plalQArpj)

Even the roundabouts in Grossarl are pretty at Christmas:

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/922/cte72a.jpg (https://imageshack.com/i/pmcte72aj)

The 'rival' four-star deluxe hotel in Grossarl, called the Edelweiss, which had a particularly impressively Christmassy entrance area at night:

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/924/N3fTTE.jpg (https://imageshack.com/i/poN3fTTEj) http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/921/muz6op.jpg (https://imageshack.com/i/plmuz6opj)

A nice little pub we had a few beers in:

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/924/idcjSP.jpg (https://imageshack.com/i/poidcjSPj)


In the local village of Hüttschlag:

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/922/MJLMsz.jpg (https://imageshack.com/i/pmMJLMszj)

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/924/yImNnR.jpg (https://imageshack.com/i/poyImNnRj)

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/922/4zIYOu.jpg (https://imageshack.com/i/pm4zIYOuj)

We loved some of the locals Christmas decorations, made from natural wood and trees:

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/923/j9gaA2.jpg (https://imageshack.com/i/pnj9gaA2j) http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/923/c9hNGJ.jpg (https://imageshack.com/i/pnc9hNGJj)

And a nativity scene, all beautifully hand-carved from wood:

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/923/2Bc2CF.jpg (https://imageshack.com/i/pn2Bc2CFj)

And even a Christmas tree constructed from logs and pine cones, which we intend to replicate at home next year:

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/922/PC2UAH.jpg (https://imageshack.com/i/pmPC2UAHj)

Another local town we visited was St Johann:

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/922/h0ke2x.jpg (https://imageshack.com/i/pmh0ke2xj)

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/921/LSOEC8.jpg (https://imageshack.com/i/plLSOEC8j)

We bought some beautiful hand-blown and painted Christmas tree baubles from here:

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/921/8cntTo.jpg (https://imageshack.com/i/pl8cntToj)

Marco.

[struth]

Lovely spot that. Always impressed with the way they handle the weather compared to us. Cosy looking hotel too...

[Spectral Morn]

Looks like a nice spot. Glad you and Del had a great time.

[Marco]

Cheers, guys. It was a very special place for a special occasion. We had a great time and made some nice memories to look back on in future, which was the whole point :)

We'll be going back, and next time driving there, so we can bring back some proper quantities of Austrian wine (the quality of which really impressed us) and other goodies, as well as touring more of the surrounding area :cool:

Marco.

[rmcin626]

Looks lovely with stunning views.

[brian2957]

Very nice indeed . Congratulations to you and Del on your 25th wedding anniversary :)

[Scooby]

Nice one! Always great to hear of successful long term loving relationships. What normal, well-adjusted person wouldn't enjoy seeing such lovely pics and hearing of a happy celebration of a Silver Wedding anniversary? Here's to the 25 years together for you both.

[walpurgis]

Great looking place Marco. Everything looks so clean too. Bet it was a bit nippy there. :)

[Macca]

Nice one! Always great to hear of successful long term loving relationships. What normal, well-adjusted person wouldn't enjoy seeing such lovely pics and hearing of a happy celebration of a Silver Wedding anniversary? Here's to the 25 years together for you both.

Now then. We shouldn't mock the afflicted especially at Christmas. ;)

I want to know how the priest is supposed to get into that pulpit. Does he just climb up the wall?

Looks like a lovely place although a bit too cold this time of year for me.

[struth]

Now then. We shouldn't mock the afflicted especially at Christmas. ;)

I want to know how the priest is supposed to get into that pulpit. Does he just climb up the wall?

Looks like a lovely place although a bit too cold this time of year for me.

Probably drinks red bull

[RobbieGong]

Just fabulous Marco.
Congratulations and max respect to you and Del for sticking together through thick and thin, great to see - well done !!
:)

[Marco]

Looks lovely with stunning views.

Cheers, Robin. Drawing open the curtains every morning, walking onto the balcony, seeing those views and breathing in the super-fresh clean mountain air was quite something - an ideal way to start the day before tucking into the amazing breakfast that awaited! :)

Marco.

[Marco]

Very nice indeed . Congratulations to you and Del on your 25th wedding anniversary :)

Cheers, mate. Every year has been fun, and a blessing! It's easy living with someone who's your perfect soul mate.

Marco.

[Firebottle]

Gordon Bennet, I take it the invite must have got lost in the post :doh:

..and anyway where are the pictures of the happy couple? He he.
Congrats, here is to many more :cool:

[Marco]

Nice one! Always great to hear of successful long term loving relationships.


Cheers, Andy, We feel the same about each other now as we did when we first met! :)


What normal, well-adjusted person wouldn't enjoy seeing such lovely pics and hearing of a happy celebration of a Silver Wedding anniversary? Here's to the 25 years together for you both.

I guess, none would. Only those bitter and twisted types, who are jealous of and resent other people's happiness ;)

Marco.

[Marco]

Great looking place Marco. Everything looks so clean too. Bet it was a bit nippy there. :)

Nippy? Yes, but bizarrely, until night time, not really cold. As long as the sun was out (which it was every day we were there), it felt warm and fresh, certainly in thermal clothing. It's a totally different type of climate and feeling of 'cold'. My type of weather.

Minus that damp-feeling, windchill factor thing we get here in the UK, the climate there really is rather pleasant, and a damn sight healthier than sweating to buggery in 80% humidity in a city in a typically warm country, or lying sweltering on a beach somewhere! ;)

Marco.

[Marco]

I want to know how the priest is supposed to get into that pulpit. Does he just climb up the wall?

Looks like a lovely place although a bit too cold this time of year for me.

After a few glasses of altar wine, he'll be up there quicker than Spiderman! :eyebrows:

As for cold, see my reply above to Geoff. Honestly mate, 1000s of feet up in the cable car at the top of the mountain, with the sun shining brightly, it *felt* warmer than in Wrexham most days during the summer! Indeed, when you reached the panoramic view at the top, where the restaurant was, there were even deckchairs outside for folk to sun bathe...

You'd get a better tan up there than on most beaches! :)

Marco.

[Marco]

Just fabulous Marco.
Congratulations and max respect to you and Del for sticking together through thick and thin, great to see - well done !!
:)

Hi Rob,

Cheers, mate. Honestly, it's flown by and seems like yesterday. Del and I are defo for keeps, so God willing, look out for the thread detailing the celebration of our Golden anniversary!! :D

Marco.

[Marco]

Gordon Bennet, I take it the invite must have got lost in the post :doh:

..and anyway where are the pictures of the happy couple? He he.
Congrats, here is to many more :cool:

Cheers, Alan. Have you been to Austria before? We love it, and having been again this time would seriously consider retiring there, as we love the climate, the people and the way of life :)

Marco.

[anthonyTD]

Beautiful! :)
A...

[Marco]

Cheers, mate. When Megan grows up, you should defo go there for a family holiday, as you'd love it! :cool:

Marco.

[archiesdad]

Stunning views, I'm not showing SWMBO though as she's looking for destination for 60th b/day break next year and the wallet may not be so understanding at that time.:lol:

[Marco]

Lol.... Probably wise, mate, but there are plenty of more affordable hotels/chalets around the area to stay than where we did, and it's not that expensive to eat out :)

Marco.

[petrat]

Congratulations! Lovely area. It's been nearly 40 years since I was last there, and your lovely photos make me think it's about time for a return visit. Not sure how the boss will react to fore-going the usual week in Skeggie, though :lol:

[hifinutt]

fantastic photos . we adore Austria and this summer we were in the dolomites [like Austrian part of Italy ]

http://i247.photobucket.com/albums/gg160/phil125/P1040680_zpscuulvrqc.jpg (http://s247.photobucket.com/user/phil125/media/P1040680_zpscuulvrqc.jpg.html)

[Marco]

Cheers, guys. Yes, we also love the Dolomites, and have often crossed them when driving to Italy. The views and scenery are stunning :)

Marco.

[Werner Berghofer]

Phil,

fantastic photos . we adore Austria and this summer we were in the dolomites [like Austrian part of Italy ]

http://i247.photobucket.com/albums/gg160/phil125/P1040680_zpscuulvrqc.jpg (http://s247.photobucket.com/user/phil125/media/P1040680_zpscuulvrqc.jpg.html)
being an Austrian myself, I have to confess that landscapes as on your above photo as well as on the photos from Marco’s wedding anniversary seem to originate from my most anxious, claustrophobic and oppressive nightmares ;-) My parents both come from the few flat regions of Austria, so I guess my preference for wide open, free landscapes is genetically conditioned.

http://www.berghofer.com/photos/tour/tour_17.jpg

My father’s roots: Burgenland, in the eastern part of Austria, near the Austrian/Hungarian border. Part of the Pannonian Basin, called “Puszta” in Hungary and Austria.


http://www.berghofer.com/photos/tour/tour_08.jpg

More Burgenland.


http://www.berghofer.com/photos/tour/tour_01.jpg

My mothers’s roots: Lower Austria, in the northern part of Austria, close to the Czech border.


During the last ten or fifteen years the climate change influenced the Austrian weather very badly. Extreme temperatures between –59 °F in winter and up to +104 °F in the summertime are difficult to bear for elderly men with lung diseases (COPD, pulmonary emphysema) like me. Spring and autumn do not seem to exist anymore. I’m looking for places with a constant climate between +59 °F and +77 °F, ideally with sea air, to spend my remaining years in retirement.

Being a passionate cyclist since my earliest childhood (I don’t even have a driving license), the places in Europe where I feel most comfortable are North Germany (Lower Saxony) and the Netherlands. Both are quite flat and low, sometimes even below sea level.

http://www.berghofer.com/photos/tour/tour_33.jpg

Baumkirchen near Innsbruck, Tyrol, where I lived since my resettlement from Vienna in summer 2004.


I’m happy that you and Marco enjoy the Austrian mountains that much.

Werner.

[hifinutt]

Cheers, Alan. Have you been to Austria before? We love it, and having been again this time would seriously consider retiring there, as we love the climate, the people and the way of life :)

Marco.

yes and its not too costly to live there . mind you we have been looking at prices this year and they have risen , i guess because of brexit

[hifinutt]

thanks werner for those lovely pics . how utterly amazing to have a tyrolean resident on aos . fantsatic . you would not have liked the high altitudes of the dolomites with the thin air if you have copd !!! even i was panting a bit

[JohnJo]

Marco, lovely looking hotel and scenery is breathtaking.

Good times to cherish, someday you'll look back on these as the good old days!

Congratulations on your anniversary.

P.S. You don't get many chips with those dinners :)

[JohnJo]

Werner, that last photograph is beautiful.

[Werner Berghofer]

John,

Werner, that last photograph is beautiful.
thank you! If you want to see more photographs from a longer bicycle journey I took in April/May 2016 visit this thread:
http://theartofsound.net/forum/showthread.php?45267-A-journey-to-the-origins-of-my-family

Werner.

[JohnJo]

John,

thank you! If you want to see more photographs from a longer bicycle journey I took in April/May 2016 visit this thread:
http://theartofsound.net/forum/showthread.php?45267-A-journey-to-the-origins-of-my-family

Werner.

That was great Werner, enjoyed the thread. We are thinking of going somewhere different for family holiday this year (usually a campsite in France). Your and Marco's photos are making me think of Austria! Any areas you would recommend?

[Werner Berghofer]

John,

Your and Marco's photos are making me think of Austria! Any areas you would recommend?
this depends on the season and the kind of holidays you prefer. Outdoor activities, cultural interests, mountains, lakes? As a rule of thumb: Starting with Salzburg, the western regions of Austria are more expensive, but usually the mountains there are higher too. For example if you’re interested in good wine and fine, regional meals, Burgenland and Lower Austria (Wachau along the Danube river) usually are the best locations.

Travel to Austria & Holidays in Austria: The Official Travel Guide (http://www.austria.info/uk)

Werner.

[JohnJo]

John,

this depends on the season and the kind of holidays you prefer. Outdoor activities, cultural interests, mountains, lakes? As a rule of thumb: Starting with Salzburg, the western regions of Austria are more expensive, but usually the mountains there are higher too. For example if you’re interested in good wine and fine, regional meals, Burgenland and Lower Austria (Wachau along the Danube river) usually are the best locations.

Travel to Austria & Holidays in Austria: The Official Travel Guide (http://www.austria.info/uk)

Werner.

Thanks Werner, will check this out.

[hifinutt]

That was great Werner, enjoyed the thread. We are thinking of going somewhere different for family holiday this year (usually a campsite in France). Your and Marco's photos are making me think of Austria! Any areas you would recommend?

i would thoroughly recommend selva in the italian part of the tyrol . magnificent and so many cable cars to get you very high up

https://youtu.be/IDSQ_5MkYiI

also alpbach is a beautiful village high up in the hills , very different from the lovely but very busy mayhofen !
you would love the views and the area

https://www.alpbachtal.at/en

thomson do holidays to both places

[JohnJo]

i would thoroughly recommend selva in the italian part of the tyrol . magnificent and so many cable cars to get you very high up

https://youtu.be/IDSQ_5MkYiI

also alpbach is a beautiful village high up in the hills , very different from the lovely but very busy mayhofen !
you would love the views and the area

https://www.alpbachtal.at/en

thomson do holidays to both places

Thanks Phil, very kind of you to take the time to post.

Can't see Austria as a destination on Thomson's website though, maybe they've stopped going there.

[Werner Berghofer]

Phil,


very different from the lovely but very busy mayhofen ! […]
in case you’re talking about Mayrhofen (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mayrhofen), the small town in the Zillertal area: I hate to disappoint you or probably to sound too bitter, but in the opinion of many people (including myself) Mayrhofen is nothing more than a so called Potemkin village (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potemkin_village). The only purpose of Mayrhofen and other, similar destinations in Tyrol and Austria is to fake a romantic, rural idyll to generate as much sales and profit as possible from tourists from all over world.

Mayrhofen and many other touristic destinations have nothing to do with the original, authentic, regional life and culture which once existed there. You have to look elsewhere and avoid the tourist paths if you’re really interested in experiencing such things, in case they still exist. Most Austrian touristic destinations are false, artificial theme parks.

Think about Hallstatt (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hallstatt), a famous location in Salzkammergut: On 2 June 2012, it was reported that Chinese mining company China Minmetals Corporation built a full-scale replica of the entire town in Huizhou, Guangdong province. In 1895 attractions and buildings of Venice have been reproduced and shown in the “Prater (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prater)” of Vienna, very similar to the world famous buildings one can see in Las Vegas nowadays.

It is no coincidence that Mayrhofen as “Lahnenberg” was the most important location and stage used in the deeply black, nasty comedy/satire “Piefke-Saga”, written by the Tyrolean author Felix Mitterer. This legendary four-part TV movie tells about the love/hate relationship and mutual dependency between the Tyroleans and their German holiday guests (known as “krauts” in UK and “Piefke (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_terms_used_for_Germans#Piefke_.28pejorativ e.29)” in Austria) and the devastating impact of tourism on original agriculture, landscape and culture. The Piefke-Saga was aired 1990; since then things got worse, because now mass tourism acts much more professionally and capitalistically.

Werner.

[hifinutt]

yes mayhofen is an aquired taste !!

[hifinutt]

Thanks Phil, very kind of you to take the time to post.

Can't see Austria as a destination on Thomson's website though, maybe they've stopped going there.

yes here we are

http://www.thomsonlakes.co.uk/search/sr.1

http://www.thomsonlakes.co.uk/search/sr.27

[JohnJo]

yes here we are

http://www.thomsonlakes.co.uk/search/sr.1

http://www.thomsonlakes.co.uk/search/sr.27

Thanks Phil