Nature Reloaded in East Tyrol

It takes around nine hours to travel by public transport from Zurich to Kals am Grossglockner. By car, it takes just under six hours – without traffic jams. And yet people like to say that it is only a stone’s throw to Tyrol. But be careful, Tyrol is divided into a northern and an eastern part. The eastern one is called “East Tyrol” and is – if I may use this expression – at the top of the world. A year ago, on the way to Slovenia, I got to know East Tyrol for the first time and took a look at the district capital Lienz – a pretty little town.

Last week, as part of the second atb_experience (an event of the Austrian National Tourist Office, which brings together 100 international tour operators, opinion leaders and journalists from a total of 28 nations with around 100 Austrian hosts) I had the opportunity to gain insights into the impressive mountain world of East Tyrol. And one thing was clear from the start, the location was a perfect fit for the conference theme “Nature Reloaded”. Because East Tyrol is definitely different from the Tyrol and the Arlberg. It is more reduced, more original, more authentic and decelerating.

Where nature meets design

As I said, Kals am Grossglockner is not exactly around the corner. The village scores with its unique location directly at the foot of Austria’s highest mountain, but until a few years ago it had to struggle with emigration. The turnaround came with the opening of the Gradonna****S Mountain Resort Châlets & Hotel. The hotel complex is nestled in the alpine surroundings above the village centre. The only thing that stands out is the eleven-storey tower building of the main house, which rises boldly out of the forest. In terms of architecture, new standards have been set in terms of sustainability and the use of local resources. Worth mentioning, for example, are the façades, which were clad with wooden shingles.

In 2014, this innovative approach was rewarded with a nomination for the 2014 State Prize for Architecture for Tourism and Leisure. Unfortunately, due to the packed activity program of the conference, I hardly had time to enjoy the advantages of the hotel and to relax on the waterbeds with mountain views. For me, however, the hotel would definitely be reason enough to take the long journey especially for it. If you’re looking for a stylish retreat far away from the beaten track, you’ve come to the right place.

Breakfast with a view of the Grossglockner

Hotel guests of the Gradonna can enjoy the privileges of a ski-in and ski-out resort in winter, and in summer there are over 250 kilometres of hiking trails in the Hohe Tauern National Park. A paradise for outdoor lovers. Don’t miss the Adler Lounge at 2,500 m above sea level, which can be reached from Kals either on foot or comfortably by cable car. We started the day up here with a view of the impressive mountain panorama with a hearty breakfast. As if we had ordered it from Petrus, the clouds revealed the summit of the Grossglockner punctually at 8:00 a.m. On a clear day, the panoramic view includes over 60 three-thousand-metre peaks.

The most beautiful valley head in the Eastern Alps

From the Lienz Dolomites to Alta Pusteria to the National Park region and the Defereggen Valley, there are countless excursion opportunities for hikers and bikers in East Tyrol. The choice of program was correspondingly difficult for me. In the end, I decided to take the carriage trip to Innergschlöss. The Gschlösstal is a side valley of the Tauern Valley and belongs to the municipality of Matrei in East Tyrol. If you arrive by motor, you have to park your car at the Matreier Tauernhaus at the entrance to the valley. From here you can only walk or take a horse-drawn carriage towards the head of the valley.

Particularly charming are the two alpine settlements Aussergschlöss and Innergschlöss and the rock chapel in between (reachable on foot in about 1 hour 15 minutes). I would have loved to stay in one of these pretty alpine huts. It takes another 30 minutes to reach the valley shot, where you are almost directly in front of the imposing glacier wall of the Grossvenediger. Afterwards we strengthened ourselves with cheese spaetzle in the Venedigerhaus.

By the way, my travel blogger colleague Lea has a detailed East Tyrol travel guide. Readable!

I was in Kals at the invitation of Austria Tourism. Thank you very much for this! – As always, my readers can be sure that I always represent my views and enthusiasm.