Europe > Austria > Tyrol > Westendorf > Articles > Summer in the Tirol

There’s a feel-good factor about being in an Alpine meadow in summertime that is hard to beat – bobbing wild flowers, circle of craggy peaks, occasional glisten of snow and the haphazard church-bell chime of cow bells. I could almost do a Julie Andrews twirl.

Anyone whose idea of family summer fun is a beach on the Med should think again. Not only do winter ski resorts offer blue skies and high temperatures in summer, they are also packed with family activities, from swimming in lakes and large outdoor pools, to cable car rides, summer toboggans, mountain biking and walks peppered with kids’ discovery trails. The air is fresh and traffic minimal. There are no crowds and a good choice of hotels and B&Bs – all at off-season prices.

I’m in the Tirol, in the west of Austria – far in distance and spirit from Vienna and closer to neighbouring Bavaria. Munich is the local airport. My first stop is Westendorf and the homely Hotel Jakobwirt, established in 1664 and run by three sisters. Traditional values are strong in this part of Austria, which has a 95% Catholic population. Most cafes and hotels have been in the same family for generations. Receipts will be printed with, for example, ‘Thank you from the Papp Family’.

Westendorf is a paragliding centre and I considered, very briefly, trying out a tandem flight in the interests of research. Instead I settled for a mountain hike followed by a hearty lunch in an alpine Gasthof, Alte Mittel, to the accompaniment of an old man on a zither, (think soundtrack of The Third Man). The old man was big in Japan, I was told, having played in front of the king there.

The village has three large, interlinking pools surrounded by parkland. An events brochure tells me that on a Tuesday morning, if the mood took me, I could walk along the Alpinolino route, across meadows, brooks and stones in bare feet: ‘We will make our own holiday souvenir out of hay! Please bring along a towel.’ It all brings back wholesome summer holidays of yesteryear and, yes, images of the von Trapp family.

The next day, at Swarovski Crystal World in Wattens, the mood could not have been more different. Here are startling installations and sculptures, such as a zebra standing inside a glittering red high-heeled shoe; a floating poem – constantly rewriting itself with the aid of projection technology; the world’s biggest kaleidoscope; plus a collection of fine art by Chagall, Miro and Warhol with a crystal theme.

It’s a surreal, scintillating wonderland, entered via a giant’s face cut out of a hill, with a waterfall tumbling from his mouth and huge crystals for eyes. You can walk into a crystal dome, which emulates the inside of a crystal in 590 mirrored facets, or try the white-out experience by entering a white cube where equal reflections of light cause contours to dissolve. Disorientated, you will emerge into the Swarovski Crystal shop, where the prices will bring you to your senses.

Next stop was the village of Lermoos, in a valley overlooked by Germany’s highest mountain, the Zugspitz. Scenic paths link Lermoos to the neighbouring villages of Ehrwald and Biberwier. On the shore of the nearby Heiterwanger Sea, I had my most memorable breakfast ever. Once a week, the Hotel Post transports the hotel dining room by boat to a perfect spot on the edge of this vast lake, hemmed by mountains and fields of wild flowers. Breakfast is served in style and a walk round the lake brings you back to the starting point, where the hotel bus is waiting.

The Hotel Post has been in the same family since 1560 and is the pick of the bunch in the area. Recently reopened after a total rebuild, with a new spa and swimming pool, all rooms overlook the Zugspitz. The food and service are excellent as well as excellent value, with an evening menu of 25 euro.

A short excursion brings you across the Bavarian border to Neuschwanstein, where tour buses spill people out to climb or take a horse and cart up to ‘mad’ King Ludwig’s castle. Built in 1869, it is the prototype fairytale castle, imitated by Disney. Ludwig was shy, withdrawn and possibly depressed, but his latent homosexuality and patronage of Richard Wagner contributed to his being considered insane by contemporaries.

While you can visit the sumptuous interior if you climb the hill, the castle can only really be appreciated from a distance, where it perches above a lake among snowy mountain peaks and forests, sometimes appearing to float in the clouds. The town’s gift shops offer such souvenirs as a delicate cup and saucer for 750 euro. Fussen, a walled Bavarian town nearby, also has a delightful setting - and cheaper shops.

Back at Lermoos, a visit to Cafe Simon is a must, not least to make the acquaintance of Alfrieda, the welcoming owner. Cakes are baked fresh every morning by her husband and served on a panoramic terrace.

From Alfrieda I learnt about the Passion Play that takes place every 10 years in Oberammergau, which I was to visit the next day. The tradition started in 1633, when villagers promised to perform the story of Christ’s life if the village was purged of the plague. The epidemic came to a standstill and the Passion Play has remained a part of village life to the present day.

The actors are all amateurs and must have been born in Oberammergau or have lived there for 20 years. In the last play, 2,000 of the 5,000 population were involved, either on stage or backstage, 550 of them children. The next performance is in 2010 and tickets are being booked now. They must be paid for in full one year in advance, which is also when the leading men are picked and told to start growing their hair and beards.

The town itself, I discovered, is also a centre for woodcarving and shops are full of carved figures and tableaux. The world’s biggest Christmas shop, open all year, is also in Oberammergau, and the fronts of some of the houses are painted with scenes from fairytales.

The Tirol in summer is a place for simple, back-to-nature pleasures. Even in sophisticated hotels such as the Post, the mood is familial. Nightlife options may be fewer out of season, but for a family or group of friends who are happy to tire themselves out during the day, eat and drink well and go to bed fairly early, there are bargains to be had. And if you’re into early Christmas shopping, you’ve got it made.

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