Habichen (Oetz) im Oetztal (A - August 2010)
After our journey last year to the Pitz valley, this summer we choose for the Oetz
valley, a parallel valley to the Pitz valley, also ending into the Inn
valley. In contrast to the Pitz valley, the Oetz valley allows you to
cross the Alps to Italy via the Timmelsjoch pass at the end of the Oetz
valley. This pass however is not suited for trucks nor caravans and is only
open a few months a year.
The Hotel Habicherhof, an enjoyable family hotel, located in the suburb
of Oetz, called Habichen, was our holiday stay this year. A first impression
is given by the picture below.
More information on the hotel and its accomodations can be found on:
http://www.hotel.habicherhof.at/
The first day we were very lucky with the weather; it was
a blue sky day, ideal for enjoying already our Oetztal-pass. We drove to Sölden
(about 1360 m above sea level) where we drove on a windy an steep tollroad (for "experienced
drivers only" - see first picture below) to about 2700 meters height;
there, high in the mountains, you have to drive through a somewhat misty,
creepy and dark tunnel to the parking lot on the other side of the mountain
where you leave your car behind to take the Tiefenbach cable lift towards 3249 m,
where a magnificent 360° panorama is your reward for making this journey. A
special tourist attraction there, is the hanging cable bridge above a
snow-white abyss that really gives you a somewhat weird feeling in your
stomach ...and legs.....
Next day we went to Oetz village where we took the Acherkogelbahn , which brought
us to 2020 m; there we made a firm walk through green meadows, decorated with lots of
typical brown alp-cows and pine trees. Nice panoramic views were our reward; an
even better reward -of course- is a nice and quite terras at a typical
alpine block-hut (or mountain-pub) where you can relax, drink a glas of buttermilk or...
a fresh pint of beer
Back down in the village of Oetz my photografic eye was
attracted by "tageshit" (bottom right on the first picture below) which
means "hit of the day" but could also be read as "Tage-shit", maening
something like "daily shit" :-)
Next day, no sunshine anymore but therefore we felt
ourselves invited for a
warming walk in Umhausen to the Stuiben-waterfalls. The grey, humid weather
was probably ideal for cultivating mushrooms like the fly agaric mushroom (Amanita
Muscaria).
The waterfall walk can be
in 2 different ways: along the rather steep mountain path .... with special
safety equipment in para-commando style via the shortest route! This latter
option we left to others. The normal pathway brings you to different viewing
platforms, where you really are standing in the moisturing clouds of the
falling water splashing on the rocks on its way down.
After this "refreshing stroll, we went to Ötzi-village,
closeby. The Ötzi-hype inspred the Ötz-valley inhabitants to setup a "Bokrijk"-like
historical village (Bokrijk is a well known open-air museum in Belgium,
close to Hasselt) to show homo sapiens (and tourists) how Ötzi and his
family made arrows, cultivated honey bees (3rd picture below) and made use
of animal skins to make clothes....
very didactical :-)
Like in Jurassic Parc, also here they succeeded to bring
to live again the prehistoric aurochs and some moufflons with out-of-space
eyes....
Next day, without own pictures we drove to a local wood
carving shop and exposition close to Langenfeld. Then we used our Ötztal-pass
to enjoy 3 full hours the waterworld of the famous Aquadome.
Warm and cold water, salty and sulfuric water, water falls,
tunnel waterslides, wild rivers, quite and relaxing hot tubs with relaxing
music (under water !!), deck chairs, sauna's, 4-5 outdoor and 3-4 indoor
pools etc.......really worth the excursion !
More info to be found on:
http://www.aqua-dome.at/xxl/_lang/de/_area/therme/therme.html
The following day the sky did look that promising so we
decided to pay a visit to the castle of Tratzberg, situated close to the
entrance of the Zillertal on the top of a small steep hill (picture). The castle has a well designed own website in
many languages:
http://www.schloss-tratzberg.at. A tourist train (picture) allows you to
reach the castle gates from the parking lot below in about 5 minutes. For
sportslike people the short but steep climb can be done on foot in 15-20
minutes.
A few pictures I took myself on the outside are listed here below (inside
photgraphing was forbidden!). When having paid the entrance fee, you receive
an electronic guide in the language you want (and there is a very broad
choice of all different languages !). I must admit it was worth visiting !
On our way back to the hotel, we passed the famous -but rather very
commercial- Swarowski galeries in Hall. You start walking through a flashy
exposition with lots of mirrors, through a myriad of lights and colors which
made us forget for a while the bad weather outside. A small selection of my
self-made pictures here below: a extremely well decorated horse, a crystal
X-mas tree and the sun and moon dancing on on ice.
As expected, the walk ends in a gigantic crystal shop where you are seduced
not to return home empty-handed.....
On the 7th and last day the weather was beautiful again so
we drove on a rather windy road to Kühtai (on 2017 m - picture left below)
where we took the 3-Sea cable-lift to 2350 m; there we made a panoramic walk
through meadows full of sheep, to the Finstertal-reservoir lake (picture
right). The superb views are worth the excursion.
Back down in Kühtai we enjoyed (again) a blockhut terras
and a mountain beer, and with the local mountain fauna & flora on our minds
and the fresh mountain air in our lungs we had to pack our luggage again to
return home on the very next day...
Beautiful songs do not last long....
