Not only is mayrhofen fab in the winter-or so i've heard-it's also perfect for a summer holiday destination, and should certainly not be dismissed because it's primarily known as a ski resort.
for anyone who has ever been
skiing or
snowboarding in the
tyrol region of austria, you will know what a wonderful place it is, complete with picturesque villages consisting of gruelling yet invigorating mountain walks, and delightfully quaint gift shops.
when i visited mayrhofen with
my boyfriend , it was the first time i had encountered such breathtaking scenery, and i was enchanted by the charming, almost magical, appeal it had. ok, so it may sound as if i'm exaggerating, but my first impression of
my home for the next 7 days was most impressive!
-------------------------------------------
what?s has mayrhofen got to offer?
-------------------------------------------
firstly, i'll start by explaining what?s in mayrhofen. it's a fairly small town, but is extremely popular, particularly in the winter with the skiers. however, it's also immensely popular with skiers and snowboarders in the summer too, as there's a glacier nearby. the glacier is well worth a visit although the ride to the top is thrilling to say the least.
as well as the glacier to entertain avid skiers and snowboarders (which, by the way is a bit hit-and-miss in the summer, as its effectiveness depends on the weather), there's a number of activities to partake in, and numerous places to visit. for the more active amongst you, there's an indoor pool and an outdoor pool, which are both excellent. on top of that, there are tenniscourts, golf courses and bike
hiring facilities, all of which are charged at a reasonable
price.
During my stay there, my most strenuous activities were hiring a bike and a mountain walk. The bike ride was great, as we got
to see a bit more of the scenery beyond the town, and it was good exercise too! The mountain walk really *was* strenuous! We took a gondola (a
cable car basically, for all of you who don't know 'ski jargon'!) to the top of a mountain, and walked all the way down. It took 3 hours, and I was *very* tired when we got to the bottom! Still, it was an experience and I'm glad I did it.
I'd just like to point out that-as most of you will be aware-that the gondolas in the winter are a basic necessity for skiers and snowboarders, as they just use them to get to the top of the mountain and then ski/snowboard back down. However, they are somewhat of a tourist attraction in the summer, and there are 2 separate gondola stations in Mayrhofen itself, and many more in the surrounding area. The most notable is the Penkenbahn, which really was quite terrifying! I unwillingly went on it to please my boyfriend, and was extremely frightened as it was so steep! Nevertheless, I would wholly recommend it, as I felt quite proud once I was up there. But then I had to face the journey back down...
Other features of the town include numerous bars and restaurants. Here's my list of recommendations:
*Bars*
Neue Post- This is a
hotel/
bar/restaurant, and we visited a number of times in the evenings to have a drink.
Or two. It has a really nice, peaceful atmosphere, and is quite a classy place to go.
Mo's- This is quite a lively, American-style bar. It offers an alternative to the more conservative style of many of the other bars, and is famous for its live music and cocktails!
As well as the Neue Post and Mo's, there's a whole host of bars and pubs, including a traditional English pub (!) and quite a few stylis
h bars, which offer live Austrian music performed by local bands. Be warned though- if you're into clubbing, Mayrhofen really isn?t the place to go, as it's quite tranquil. However, there are a few clubs dotted about, but I'm not really sure if they're up to much.
*Restaurants*
Landenhof- If you visit Mayrhofen, be sure to make a visit. Enough said, trust me.
Mamma Mia?s- This was a wonderful Italian pizzeria, based in Mayrhofen?s premier hotel, The Elisabeth. The pizza was divine, yet we were left slightly disappointed at the bad service on a couple of occasions.
So, I've given you a brief tour of the places to eat and drink. I suppose you now want to learn a bit about the
hotels in Mayrhofen. Let me tell you, you're spoilt for choice. We stayed in the 3*
GastHaus Pramstaller, based in the centre of the town (coincidentally!). As this isn't an op about the hotel, I won't go into too much detail, but it's a very comfortable hotel. I liked this, as it completed the whole experience. However, if you're looking for a more contemporary place to stay, there are quite a few fashionable, 4* hotels complete with
gyms and
swimming pools, etc. (And a 5* one)These are usually very expensive, so you should look around for a good deal. Unless you have lots of money to spare, of course!
I will now go on to tell you about the shopping facilities in Mayrhofen. If you're staying in a self-catering apartment (as I did), a supermarket is a necessity. Mayrhofen has 2 of them
: Spar and Billa (a German-based company methinks), as well as a couple of other convenience stores.
As we ate out every night, all we needed to buy was snack
food such as crisps, and basics such as drinks. Food in the supermarkets is priced as you'd expect it to be. A positive aspect of visiting an Austrian supermarket is the extensive collection on Kinder products they have, which you can't get hold of here.
Concerning gift shops, they're everywhere. Most of them sell pretty much the same thing, and there are a few Blackpool-style tacky ones you can't really avoid, wherever in the world you are.
I bought many a nice souvenir from many a nice shop, and was impressed by the collection of specialist shops, such as the Swavorski crystal one, and several jewellery ones. Additionally, there is a shop entirely devoted to meat. It was very strange, as you would buy a big ham, and it would be wrapped up in a colourful ribbon, like a gift! They clearly love their meat.
Furthermore, there are a few clothes stores, selling Miss Sixty, DKNY and Playboy clothes and accessories, amongst others. The prices aren't really any cheaper than at home though, so it's not really worth splashing out if you wouldn't normally.
-----------------------
General information
-----------------------
Now I've given you an insight into what?s how and what's not in Mayrhofen, it's time for some basic information:
*We flew with Malmo Aviation from
Glasgow to Slazburg, and drove to Mayrhofen. This took just under two adn a half hours.
There are also flights to
Innsbruck,
Austria which is nearer, and may be more convenient for some people.
*The language spoken in Mayrhofen is German, but everyone speaks English fluently.
*As I've already mentioned, prices are fairly reasonable: A pint will set you
back around £2, and a main course in a
restaurant ranges from £3-£10.
*There are no particular rules to abide by when in Mayrhofen- just have fun! (Within reason of course- don't be tempted to run down the street naked!)
--------------
Conclusion
--------------
So there you have it- my guide to Mayrhofen. Believe me, you will be very pleased with your decision to visit if you decide to take my advice!
It's amazing how you adapt to being surrounded by picturesque Austrian style buildings-think wooden, with arched roofs-so quickly, and how you become attached to the pretty
lit-up trees lining the pavements.
Mayrhofen in Summer 
