TRAVEL / January
THE FINEST BLEND OF SPICES
AND GENUINE RUM
Gamsleiten 2 – one of the steepest slopes in Austria
and gastronomy. Alta Badia, however, is in a class of
its own, boasting six Michelin stars spread across
three restaurants, with South Tyrolean three-star
chef Norbert Niederkofler and his ever-excellent
Alpine cuisine in the village of St. Kassian being the
stand-out choice.
Returning to Obertauern and another option: if
your children take daytime lessons in one of the
ski schools or decide to take a day’s break from the
slopes, the Super 7 ski round comes tailor-made for
Dad. Here you can expect more challenges than on
the Tauernrunde, seeing as this tour takes in the
The difficult terrain and a
gradient of up to 45 percent
rule this out for all but the most
experienced skiers
seven highest points and the longest downhill runs
in the ski area. Naturally, it includes the notorious
Gamsleiten downhill run noted above, but the
difficult terrain and a gradient of up to 45 percent
rule this out for all but the most experienced skiers.
Those brave enough to try and master this
slope of moguls deserve some refreshment in
one of Obertauern’s numerous alpine huts, all of
which now offer high-quality and predominantly
regional cuisine. The famous Gamsmilchbar at the
Zehnerkar mountain station, for example, marks
one end of the Super 7 tour. It has long been a cult
stop-off for avid Obertauern fans and is also where
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none other than Wirt Walter, the self-proclaimed
former world champion in reverse skiing, graces
us with his alcoholic Gamsmilch in dishes like the
typical Austrian Kaspressknödelsuppe (bouillon with
cheese dumplings). A total of 25 such ski huts around
Obertauern await hungry skiers.
CHILDHOOD SKI LESSONS – GETTING
BETTER TOGETHER
I have great memories of ski lessons from my
childhood, which, in my case, ended in Ischgl, Tyrol.
A few peers in tow is all you need to try harder to
learn, and just like every other teenager, yours truly
also wanted to be top dog. It didn’t hurt having a ski
instructor who resembled the cute lead singer of the
Bangles, either. Just a pity, maybe, that my youthful
infatuation left me blind to the other eye candy,
namely, the beautiful Tyrolean mountains and the
endless choice of pistes at Ischgl.
Today Ischgl – now a foodie paradise with top
eateries like the Paznauner Stuben, Stüva, Stiar,
and Schlossherrenstube – remains one of my all-
time favourite Austrian resorts. It’s a place where you
feel there are always new routes awaiting discovery,
and it’s blessed with abundant, guaranteed snow
given its altitude.
Even would-be improvers looking beyond the ski
lessons at Ischgl or Obertauern need not worry – the
family ski park at Edelweißalm in Obertauern is the
ideal place to practise for skiers of all ages. The resort
houses three dedicated pistes, each offering its own
range of exercises and obstacles for those starting
out to the moderately advanced, all of which can also
be negotiated without a ski instructor. If memory
ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION IS HARMFUL TO
ONE`S HEALTH. THE SALE, SUPPLY AND
PROCUREMENT OF ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES
TO MINORS ARE AGAINST THE LAW.