Do you ski?
I myself have learned how to ski at a very young age. It’s an absolute joy to watch my older son delight in it, too. But, he says, “I don’t want to go to the mountains by car. Let’s take the train there, mummy, shall we?”
Leaving the car behind: Toddler travel, public transport and our ski adventure.
Long queues on highways, cranky toddlers and the stress of making progress among aggressive drivers. More often than not, I’m opting out of taking the car when going on journeys like these.
Trains, of course, can also be delayed, even cancelled. But normally things work out just fine: we board the train in Vienna with our ski travel bags, take our seats in the family section of the train, change trains in Salzburg and get off again in Bad Hofgastein. From the train station, the bus continues almost seamlessly to Kaiser-Franz-Platz in the centre of Bad Hofgastein, and from there we walk just two minutes to our accommodation, the beautiful family-run Pension Gstrein. It’s easy, even when dragging an exhausted toddler behind at the end of a day’s worth of travelling.
Taking the train to our ski resort in Bad Hofgastein comes with a kids’ programme in the family section of the train.
“All I’ve got”: My big ski bag to hold our outdoor ski equipment, my son Liam and his kangaroo rucksack filled with toys, our shared suitcase with all things needed for the week.
When in Salzburg, do visit Austria’s biggest ski museum in Werfenweng.
We interrupt our journey to the Gastein Valley for one particular highlight: The FIS ski museum in Werfenweng. Liam can’t get over the type of boards the children used to ski on in the past!
The ski museum, which is housed in a converted barn, also impresses me with its special exhibition about the legendary Austrian ski racer Annemarie Moser-Pröll. This (the exhibition, not the skier) is located in the neighbouring 16th century miners’ house. It is really worth seeing for this historic reason alone. Many thanks to the initiator and collector Hans Müller, to whom we owe this interesting stopover!
There’s a “reading gondola” (Lesegondel) at the entrance to the ski museum, where you are welcome to a book exchange.
Hans Müller explains just how people used to ski in the past.
Among the ski and mountain pioneers were women also …
… and even the little ones used to ski back then already. Wow!
In comparison, today’s equipment is a lot lighter, safer and, I guess, more comfortable too!
Right next to the ski museum, you can visit this old miners’ house dating back to the 16th century.
Liam’s second season training at the Bad Hofgastein Ski School.
As in the previous year, we decided to take a ski course at the Bad Hofgastein ski school with our now four-year-old son Liam. As a three-year-old, he started as a “Mini” and has now progressed to “Gasti Blue“, promptly winning this year’s children’s ski race (first place out of only three participants, but hey – first is first! 😀 ).
My tip for all parents enrolling children under the age of six on a ski course: Patience, patience, patience.
The learning progress may not be huge at such a young age, but the joy that the children have when moving in the snow definitely is. Like adults, they clearly need a day or two to really get into it. From the third day onwards, it starts being fun for everyone involved: “I can ski. I want to come back tomorrow. That’s fun.”
Incidentally, when learning to ski, children practise fun postures like aeroplane, pizza, hand raising and more. The final race is really just the icing on the cake of a great week organised by Bad Hofgastein’s patient and skilled ski instructors.
Thank you so much, dear team at the Bad Hofgastein ski school!
Liam practicing skiing at the Angertal Ski Resort …
… I’ve got this!
Thank you so much, dear ski instructor Felix – it was a great week with you!
Well done, Liam, for winning your first golden medal!
While Liam is on his practice slope, I have some time to explore the ski resort properly …
… inkluding #ArtOnSnow sculptures such as these …
… these wooden ones likely last the entire year.
The view from the top, at Stubnerkogel mountain, is just great …
… or here at the Schlossalm mountain range.
As is custom, one should really stop at a traditional mountain hut for refreshments.
When in Bad Hofgastein, go wild on local food, visit the spa centre and do a winter torch hike.
If you’re staying in Bad Hofgastein, you can’t avoid visiting Alpentherme Gastein – especially not with children. The family area in this modern spa centre comes complete with slides, a “water cinema” as well as a great baby and toddler pool area.
For refreshments, I recommend Gasthaus zum Goldenen Adler, just a few minutes away, as well as the (vegetarian) Kraut & Rüben.
Enjoy your meal at the Goldenen Adler in Bad Hofgastein!
Calling all veggie fans at the Kraut & Rüben restaurant …
… Liam digs into his waffle meal right here.
One evening during our stay, we did something else entirely: Through the local tourism board, we registered for a guided torchlight hike including a visit to a farm in Dorfgastein. It was once again easy to go to the meeting point by bus, otherwise taxis are also available.
Much to my delight, the farm we visit is the very farm where we booked a carriage ride two years ago: The Torbauer Hof in Maierhofen! The massive “Noriker” breed ladies Rosalie and Lorena, who pulled us back then, were heavily pregnant like me: unlike us humans, who are still quite helpless at the age of two, the two-year-old horse “babies” in front of me are now fully grown!
From Dorfgastein we walk to Maierhofen and listen to the explanations of former mayor Rudi: The Angerer woodturning plant in the Gastein Valley is a world market leader in the production of wooden figures for games of all kinds.
Allowed into the barn, we can feel the good energy among animals and people.
A little later, it’s time to light the fire!
What an adventure! Both Liam and me really like this evening trip out with torches. Rudi even has some local schnapps fro us at this stage, as well as sweets for the kids.
Pension Gstrein as a family accommodation tip in Bad Hofgastein.
Last but not least, I can only recommend the really lovely Pension Gstrein.
Andrea Gstrein gave us a very warm welcome and spoilt us at breakfast; a small guest library and the games on offer made us feel at home. The location in the Wasserfallgasse (literally Waterfall Street!) just a few steps away from the centre, the pedestrian zone and the Alpentherme Bad Hofgastein, makes it an ideal home base for families.
In addition to the Ferienhaus Schiwiese, where we have stayed in recent years, this accommodation is also highly recommended for a stay in the Gastein Valley!
Disclaimer: We have been invited by the Ski School Bad Hofgastein during our week in Gastein Valley. All opinions are my own.