Page 338 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide 2016 - Austria

336  Tr a vellers ’ needs

OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES

a ustria is an ideal country for sports lakes are perfectly suited for water skiing,
enthusiasts all year round. For winter sports sailing and wind surfing, and of course for
you can find some 22,000 perfect pistes for swimming in summer, while the Tyrolean
downhill skiing and 16,000 km (10,000 miles) alps are a paradise for rock climbers
of dedicated trails for cross-country skiing and mountaineers. Throughout austria
in the alps as well as some 14,000 km (9,000 there are also superb facilities for more
miles) of walking trails, which are cleared unusual sports, such as glacier climbing,
of snow so that you can admire the stunning snowshoe walking, rafting, canoeing,
mountain scenery unimpeded. The countless bungee jumping or paragliding.

Skiing
year round. Most Austrian
The main sport in the Alps is, winter sports centres sell passes
of course, skiing. Visitors have which give access to all the
a choice from skiing on the local ski facilities. If you wish to
gentlest family slopes to braving experience the thrill of skiing
rough runs down the steep down the route that has been
slopes of the high Alps, from used in the World Cup since
staying in the deep, fresh snow 1972, go to the Planai slopes in
of the nursery slopes to venturing the Styrian resort of Schladming.
onto extremely difficult “black” The Baroque monastery
downhill runs. Even nighttime in Stams in Tyrol has a skiing
skiing is possible, since some of college whose graduates
the runs are illuminated at night. include several international
The best areas for skiing are champions. Those who are
in Upper and Lower Austria more interested in the high
and in Styria. Around Innsbruck, life among Europe’s aristocracy A skier studying an information board in
one of Austria’s largest winter and in the pleasures of après-ski, the mountains
sports areas, year-round skiing should make for the pistes in
is possible, for example in the Lech and Zürs am Arlberg, Snowboarding
Stubaital, Glungezer, Axamer in Voralberg, and in Kitzbühel, Snowboarding is one of the
Lizum and Mutterer Alm. in Tyrol. most popular winter activities
The Salzburg region has some Langlauf, nordic or cross- in Austria after skiing. The sport
860 km (530 miles) of ski trails country skiing, is also well arrived in Europe from the
and 270 ski lifts, and resorts catered for in Austria, with United States and was originally
such as Filzmoos and Kleinarl numerous attractive routes, no more than a teenage craze.
regularly host many famous called Loipe. Almost all cross- It has long since turned serious –
skiing contests. The permanent country routes also have Austria was one of the first
glaciers, such as those in the sprint sections, where you countries to hold contests in
Ötztal Alps, welcome skiers all can try out your steps. the discipline, and the annual
event in Seefeld, Tyrol, has
become a meeting ground for
the world’s snowboarding elite.
Austrians won many medals
in the last two Olympic Winter
Games, both in the parallel
slalom and the half pipe (some-
thing between a ski piste and a
bobsleigh run), and one of the
first snowboarding champions,
Stefan Gimpl, enjoys great
popularity in his country.
Tyrol is the snowboarder’s
paradise and it used to be
the home of the International
Snowboarding Federation.
Young people from all over the
world come here to participate
in the Powder Turns, in Kaprun
Downhill skiing – Austria’s most popular sport or Saalbach-Hinterglemm.

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Eyewitness Travel LAYERS PRINTED:
Practical template “UK” LAYER
(Source v1.6)
Date 7th January 2013
Size 125mm x 217mm