Winter in Gastein, Austria - What to do

* Horse sleigh ride             *Skiing/Winter sports             * Thermal Spa

  

1. Horse sleigh ride

On Christmas day, We met up with H's brother's family for an afternoon horse sleigh ride from my favorite hotel in the area, Gruener Baum.  It was the hotel where we had our wedding cocktail hour and traditional post-ceremony wedding game. Needless to say, I will always have a fond memory of this place.   H's brother booked the sleigh ride a long time ago since it is a popular holiday activity, and I can totally see why.  We all snuggled up together, wrapped in two layers of blankets, and another layer of some animal fur.  The ride took us through the Hohe Tauern National Park.  It was a crisp sunny day with clear air and barely any wind.  The horse trotting and sleigh bell ringing made a delightful rhythm for the gorgeous scenery right in from of our eyes.  It had been a while since the whole family got together.  We all had big grins on our faces talking about everything and nothing.  I knew this moment would go down as one of my favorite Chirstmas memory. 

Information:

• You can find more information from Ski, mountains & spa Gastein, the Gastein vally's main tourism website or ask your hotel concierge for reservation. 
• There are also horse carriage rides if you visit in the summer time. 
• The ideal time for the ride would be early afternoon as you will be able to see the scenery during the sunlight and sunset. 

2. Skiing/Winter sports    

Surrounded by the Alps, Bad Gastein & Bad-Hofgastein are a great destination for winter sports. Many tourists poured in during the week between Christmas and New Year's. Most hotels only accept week long reservations.  I booked four hours of private sessions with an instructor to brush up on my rusty -barely beginner's skiing skills. Our friends took their three-year-old son to his first children skiing school.  It was really adorable to see all the little kids skiing.

Even if you don't ski or snowboard, it is also worth to get a lift ticket and get on the cable cars to enjoy the impressive mountain views.  There are also many mountain lodges within the ski area that you can ski in to get food and drinks.  The food served in these skiing areas were delicious!




3. Thermal spa

Thermal spa put Bad Gastein on the travel map as early as the 15th century.  It was once the popular destination attracting royals, and the "rich and famous".  The name "Bad" means Spa. The thermal spring water from the mountain contains radon.  Some people believe that the water has therapeutic effects to many illnesses. 

So, can you think of any better way to relax and rejuvenate after a long day of skiing other than soaking yourself in the therapeutic hot spring  pools? 

Information:

• Alpentherme, Bad Hofgastein
• Felsentherme, Bad Gastein
• Remember to bring your own soap and shampoo. They are not provided in the showers.  

PHOTO ALBUM

Previous: Winter in Gastein, Austria - Prelude


Next: Winter in Gastein, Austria - What to see

Winter in Gastein, Austria - Prelude

Friends who are familiar with my traveling habits know that I have some peculiar rules when it comes to the definition of a trip. Here are the basic guidelines:

• Taiwan & Austria do not count, because these trips serve a purpose to visit family and friends. 
• Staying at friends' places do not count. Lodging is an important part of the travel experience. 
• Destinations within driving distance do not count.  They are getaways, not trips.

I know my husband is rolling his eyes now, but the most memorable trips for me were the ones when I had  entered unknown territories with foreign landscapes, languages, and cultures.  I felt excited, stimulated,  and super aware of my surroundings.  These are the kind of experiences I crave when I travel. 


Having been to my husband's hometown for more times than I can remember, I never thought about putting these trips on my blog. That is, until this past holiday season when I spent 10 days with my husband's family in his hometown. Initially, I viewed this trip more of a family obligation rather than a pleasurable vacation. However, I was truly surprised by how much I enjoyed it! It had been way too long since my last winter visit, and I came away with a new found appreciation of this pristine alpine winter wonderland.  

This picture was taken from my mother-in-law's 3rd floor garden. 

Her garden reaches the river. (translation: lots of yard work in the summer time)  

There is a golf course on the other side of river . 

Next: Winter in Gastein, Austria - What to do 

Christmas lights - Dyker Heights, Brooklyn

This post was meant to be published before the holidays; however, my December was extremely busy.  I assume that all the lights had already been taken down, but you can always plan for next year's visit.


Dyker Heights' Christmas lights has been quite a local spectacles.  I vaguely remember watching it on the local news many years ago, and always wanted to visit.


We drover there on a Sunday evening in early December to avoid the crowd, but the down side was that not all the houses had their lights up.


However, there were plenty of houses with extravagant Christmas lights. This was my favorite house.  It was very tastefully done.


This house had the most over-the-top Christmas decoration.  It had so much going on that you could barely see the house itself.


There were some impressive mensions with huge yards in the neighborhood.


It is a really fun activity to do during the holiday season and a great place to visit if you have out of town guests.

To see the Dyker Lights next year, click the Link for more information.