The phrase ‘Euro Summer’ gets thrown around a lot at this time of year, with TikTok full of videos of people jetting off to Italy, Spain and Greece to spend their summer holidays by the sea. Now don’t get me wrong, I love a bowl of pasta and Aperol Spritz on the coast - however, please take this as my official plea that there is far more to a European summer than southern Europe.
In fact, for me the best part of ‘Euro Summer’ is spending a much-needed long weekend in the Alps. Specifically, the mountain region just outside of Salzburg in Austria, where you still get glorious weather for sunbathing, and delicious food and drinks, but without the crowds. Plus, the underrated added bonus of mountain views.
If you fancy spending a few days surrounded by green pastures, all the cheese you can get your hands on and peaceful spa moments, this is your sign to head to the Austrian Alps.
Where to stay
Wiesergut
A great location to ease yourself into the serenity and peace of the mountains is in the village of Hinterglemm. In winter, it’s a well-known skiing destination, but come summer, it's transformed into a hiking and cycling paradise. We travelled by car from Salzburg Airport to Hinterglemm, which takes around an hour and a half, to arrive in what is easily one of the most beautiful and design-lead hotels I’ve ever stayed in - Wiesergut.
It’s totally different to the other hotels in the area, which adopt the traditional alpine ski lodge look. Instead, it’s all flat ceilings, large windows, chic mood lighting (there’s not a big light in sight) and rich textures of natural stone and wood in every room, giving a relaxed but impressive feel. We stayed in one of the hideaway suites, which would be perfectly suited for a romantic getaway (except I was there with my sister), as each room has a log burning fire and its own sauna and hot tub.
If your room doesn’t come with a sauna, you can head to the hotel’s spa area, which has both an outdoor and indoor pool, saunas and steam room. There’s also the nicest hotel gym area I’ve ever seen, which comes complete with two reformer pilates machines.
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When it comes to the food at the hotel, forget your classic breakfast buffet. At Wiesergut, breakfast is an important occasion, and each course of your breakfast (yes there are multiple courses) is served on a trolley to your table where you can make your selection from.
A pre-dinner drink is not to be missed as the hotel’s bar does a drink of the day, and during our visit we tried a variety of spritzes, including their local spritz. Now speaking of dinner, if you’re staying at the hotel, you must spend at least one night in their restaurant. Each evening they create a new seven course meal (yep!) from fresh local produce, that you can either select to have all seven courses of or just select the amount that takes your fancy. Make sure to leave room for dessert as we tried their soufflé which I'm still thinking about now.
Prices from £324 BB per night in a ManorSuite Bliss
Priesteregg
For a very different Alpine experience, we headed further up into the mountains, past the town of Leogang and to the resort of Priesteregg. The word resort is perhaps a bit misleading as the hotel consists of 18 chalets, that are a mixture of traditional architecture with wooden beams and flooring, combined with design forward bathrooms using natural stone and the coolest technology in the kitchen.
Each chalet comes with its own sauna and hot tub and some have access to a natural pool right from the back garden. Even if you’ve not got the pool, you don’t need to worry as you can just head to the hotel’s spa, but more on that later.
The resort is truly one of a kind, and you instantly feel at peace when you open the back doors and breathe in the mountain air. It’s a very calm and quiet environment and though we saw a few other guests, we rarely heard them and we were able to disconnect from all thoughts of home and just focus on the nature around us.
There’s also an entire wellness programme on offer, including meditation platforms situated in the forest, as well as large platforms seemingly suspended in the trees for yoga.
Owned by Renate and Hubert ‘Huwi’ Oberlader, the family have created a truly community based ethos to the stay and throughout the week there are small events you can join such as an evening of cooking fish on the grill outside, or gathering together to share fresh bread straight out of the oven.
Prices from £579 BB per night in a Berg Mountain Chalet (based on 2 sharing)
What to do
Go on a big hike
If you’re in the alps for summer you’re usually there for one of two activities - hiking or biking. We are much bigger fans of the former, and from both hotels we were able to do a number of walks into the stunning countryside which have unrivalled views of the mountains and its local neighbours (expect to pass a lot of goats, cows and the occasional mountain pony).
These are some of the best hikes in the area:
- The walk to Birnbachloch - If you’re staying at the Priesteregg you have a headstart on this cool hike. However, you can also access it from outside the hotel. It’s a steep climb that passes the stunning bridge crossing of Birnbachbrücke. It will take around two to three hours each way.
- Talschluss Hohenweg - Situated in Hinterglemm this circular trail is just over 11km long and should take around four hours in total.
- Hochkogel - it’s one of the higher peaks in the area and will take around five to seven hours depending on your pace.
Relax, relax and some more relaxing
After all that activity, a bit of TLC is needed and so if you’re staying at the Priesteregg make sure to include a long visit to their spa as part of your stay. Even if you're not staying, you can book in for a spa day at the resort. There’s an indoor and outdoor pool, both heated, so you feel like you’re in a giant bath. The outdoor infinity pool stretches out into the valley, giving you truly incredible views of the surrounding mountain scenery.
There’s also a sauna, two relaxation areas and a small restaurant. If you’re going for a spa day, we’d recommend booking in for a treatment too. While there we had a JetPeel facial treatment which is a non-invasive treatment that uses high pressure jet streams to clear and rejuvenate the skin. And in the week I returned from Austria I received a number of compliments on my skin.
Go on one of the world’s longest zip-lines
If a slower pace isn’t for you, we’d make sure to include a trip to the Flying Fox XXL. The zip-line is 143 metres above the ground and covers a distance of 1.6 kilometres across the valley, going at speeds up to 130 kilometres an hour. Definitely not one for the faint hearted!
Where to eat
Wieser Alm
Traditionally, an alm is known as a small wooden hut in the mountains, however, in the last few years the name has taken on a whole new meaning as these humble huts have been transformed into must visit food spots in the mountains. They're dotted around the mountains and make perfect pit-stops for a refreshing post-hike pint, or in our case for having a very long lunch. We opted for the multi-course lunch which included a soup, salad, palette cleanser, main and dessert.
The dessert is a must-try - Kaiserschmarrn is a regional delicacy which is essentially shredded pancakes topped with icing sugar that you can cover with fruity jams. If you don’t fancy a hike up there, it’s just a 10 minute drive away from the hotel, however a Kaiserschmarrn tastes so much better after a few miles of cycling or walking.
Omii
If you're staying in Hinterglemm, Omii (meaning grandma) should be top of your list for a dinner reservation. It’s a spot with a laidback but sophisticated feel, with a menu that includes a range of delicious sourdough pizzas as well as more local fare such as baked mountain cheese, schnitzel and steak.
Huwi's Alm
Another alm, however this time it’s part of the Priesteregg resort but you can book a visit for dinner or lunch without being a guest of the hotel. The restaurant was originally the only part of the resort, belonging to the owner’s family for generations and at one period only had three tables available.
While it’s still got that wholesome local feel to it, the restaurant has been transformed to sit over 80 guests and if you go you should book ahead and order the Tartar’s Hat, a traditional mountain dish where you cook meat on a metal hat shaped burner. They’re also known for their ribs, which are accompanied with baked potatoes and chive sauce. They also have a broad menu that includes alternative dishes such as an incredible octopus risotto and a whole smoked trout.
Mama Thresl
For more casual dining, head down into the outskirts of Leogang to Mama Thresl, a local hotel, which has a must-visit restaurant. The menu consists of two sides, a local delicacy range of goulash, braised ox-cheek and traditional flatbreads, and on the other side a mix of American and Asian inspired dishes. The burgers are not to be missed, we ordered the traditional and the brisket burger, both of which were accompanied by crispy potato wedges and a drool worthy BBQ sauce.
Good to know
- Depending on your plans, you don’t necessarily need a car to navigate the Alps, and can take a taxi or a train to get to Hinterglemm from the airport. Both hotels mentioned here have a variety of walks that you can access directly from the hotel and Wiesergut is located within a village with a variety of restaurants, bars and shops.
- When staying in Hinterglemm make use of the Joker Card which allows you access to all the cable cars in the area.
Lydia Venn is Cosmopolitan UK’s Senior Entertainment and Lifestyle Writer. She covers everything from TV and film, to the latest celebrity news. She also writes across our work/life section regularly creating quizzes, covering exciting new food releases and sharing the latest interior must-haves. In her role she’s interviewed everyone from Margot Robbie to Niall Horan, and her work has appeared on an episode of The Kardashians. After completing a degree in English at the University of Exeter, Lydia moved into fashion journalism, writing for the Daily Express, before working as Features Editor at The Tab, where she spoke on BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour and Talk Radio. She has an encyclopedic knowledge of Gilmore Girls and 00s teen movies, and in her free time can be found with a margarita in hand watching the Real Housewives on repeat. Find her on LinkedIn.
