Hotel Wiesenhof, Pertisau, Austrian Tyrol

Walking by Lake Achensee

• 4-star hotel with pool & spa • varied walking • wide range of activities • free bus travel • children’s playroom

Lake Achensee is one of those places where it is tempting simply to soak up the restful atmosphere and admire the grandeur of the surrounding mountains. Not many families, however, would settle for this while there is so much to see and do, right on the doorstep. As well as being a walker’s paradise, there are water sports available on nearby Lake Achensee, as well as a host of other activities to try.

Great days out

Travel by bus and train to historic Innsbruck, a fairy-tale city surrounded by mountains and boasting fine Baroque architecture, the elegant Imperial Palace and the unusual Goldenes Dachl ('Golden Roof'), an extraordinary Gothic bay window with 2,657 gilded copper tiles dating from the rule of Emperor Maximilian I. For a spectacular view over the city and the chance to meet some of the local wildlife, a ride on the Hungerburgbahn Funicular Railway to the Alpen Zoo - the highest zoo in Europe - is a must. It houses only animals that are indigenous to alpine areas and is renowned for its involvement in the European Endangered Species project.

Take a trip on the Seespitz Steam Railway, the oldest steam cog locomotive in the world, which has been transporting people between Seespitz (the highest lake in the Tyrol, just a 30-minute walk from Pertisau) and the market town of Jenbach for over 100 years. With a maximum gradient of 16% the train offers an exciting and nostalgic trip through the mountain woodland and pastures.
 
Visit the magnificent Tratzberg Castle, a former hunting lodge of Emperor Maximilian which reveals a variety of Swiss architectural styles from across the centuries. Children have the opportunity to meet a real knight and search the house for Tratzi, the elusive resident ghost.

With Lake Achensee, the Tyrol’s largest lake, on your doorstep, it would be a shame to miss out on a boat trips across the water. Gain a different perspective of the surrounding mountains and see six of the villages which line the shores of the lake.

Your visitor’s cards entitle you to free travel on the local buses

Walking

The walking here is magnificent (there are over 500 kilometres of trails), and the existence of various cable cars and handy buses (travel on which is free with your visitor’s cards) offers the possibility of enjoying high-level walks but avoiding too many ascents. We provide route notes for six different routes and give detailed guidance notes so that you can choose which ones are most suitable for your family. We strongly recommend walking boots for all the family.

Dalfaz Waterfall (6km, 2h30): starting and finishing with a bus ride, this short but enjoyable walk reveals an impressive waterfall then ascends to Dalfazalm, affording wonderful views across Lake Achensee to the high Alps beyond.

The Notburgaweg (8km, 3h): a gentle walk that starts with a bus ride then leads through forests and pastures to a chapel dedicated to the local saint Notburga.

Feilalm (11km, 3h): another relatively gentle walk that takes you away from the lake, through forests and alpine meadows, to Feilalm (1,380 metres), where you can enjoy a drink or a snack at the café with its wonderful views.

Achenkirch (16km, 5h): discover classic Alpine scenery and far-reaching views as you head to Achenkirch at the northern end of the lake. A steep but rewarding ascent brings you to the Pasillsattel, after which you contour the flank of the Seebergspitze ('Lake Mountain Summit') before descending to Achenkirch. You can then return to Pertisau by boat.

Bärenbad Alm (16km, 4h30): this route explores the woods and meadows south of Pertisau, with wonderful views. Starting on an easy forest path, you then ascend to the alpine meadow of Bärenbad Alm, from where a forest track leads down the valley to Seespitze, where a lakeside path returns you to Pertisau. You can avoid the ascent by taking the cable car.  

Around Lake Achensee (23km, 5h30): this is a long but rewarding walk. By leading around the shores of the lake, it serves as an excellent introduction to the area, and on a still day you can enjoy looking at the reflection of the mountains in the blue waters. You can shorten the walk (and avoid the most difficult section) by taking a boat part of the way.

Alternatively, there are free guided hiking tours organised by the area tourist office from Monday to Friday. A hiking map with suggested routes is also available from the tourist office.

Other activities

For outdoor pursuits such as Nordic walking and mountain biking, you can get information, make bookings and hire sports equipment through an English-speaking local guide, Christophe Leithner. Alternatively, take to the waters of Lake Achensee on a pedalo, dinghy or windsurf, which can be hired from the jetty, or join an excursion on the hotel’s own boat. The hotel also has four horses - hotelier Alexandra Entner is a keen horse rider and leads guided excursions (not suitable for beginners) into the nature reserve around Achensee. You can arrange riding lessons (for adults and children) through the hotel, or young children will enjoy a walking tour with their parents on one of the hotel’s three miniature donkeys.

Hotel Wiesenhof

This is a high-quality 4-star hotel, yet Hansi and Alexandra Entner, your English-speaking hosts, have created a relaxed atmosphere where the whole family is warmly welcomed.

All bedrooms are typically Austrian in style, decorated in rich colours and equipped with a balcony, hairdryer, internet access point, telephone, radio, satellite television and a shower or bath. We include a junior suite, which boasts spruce furniture, a canopy bed and a separate living room that can accommodate up to two children on either a double sofa bed or two separate beds. Families of three may prefer an ‘extra large room’, which are attractively furnished in cherry wood, with a queen-size bed, an additional bed, a seating corner, a bath, a safe and a balcony enjoying splendid views of the lake, the mountains or the village. All beds are Austrian twins – two single mattresses with individual bedding on one large base.

The public rooms include a lounge, a bar, a small library, a no-smoking snug room, and a games room with billiards, not to mention a state-of-the-art spa complex occupying the entire first floor of the hotel. Among the astonishing range of facilities are: an indoor swimming pool measuring 10 metres by 5 metres; a 60ºC herbal steam sauna that uses locally grown camomile, sage and lavender; a saline steam sauna in which brine is sprayed into the air to help the respiratory system; a Finnish sauna; a soft sauna, suitable for those who find Finnish saunas too hot; a ‘grotto’ where you can relax to the sound of a fountain; vitalising showers and foot spas; two relaxation rooms with views of the mountains; hay ‘baths’; Tyrolean shale oil baths; massages; facials and other beauty treatments; and a gym with a treadmill, rowing machines, exercise bikes and steppers (plus there is a weights room on the ground floor). Use of the facilities of free of charge, but you should pay locally for treatments. Children are welcome to use the pool but age restrictions apply to the spa facilities.

Child facilities include a playroom, toys, table tennis, table football, badminton, cots and highchairs.

Dinner starts with a buffet course, after which you can choose one of four menus. Some are traditionally Austrian, incorporating mostly local produce, others might have Italian or Mediterranean influences, for example. The hotel caters well for vegetarians and other dietary requirements.

The village

Pertisau has a few shops, a post office, a bank and some restaurants and cafés.

Prices & travel 2009

We are currently updating our website - please call for 2009 prices.

Start: Any day
Nights: 7
Meals: 7 breakfasts, 7 dinners
Self-drive includes: P&O Ferries Dover-Calais return Channel crossing for your party and one car Driving time from Calais: 10h15
Discovery Price includes: 7 days' category C hire car from Munich (e.g. VW Golf). A supplement applies for car hire from Innsbruck (£60 per category C car; e.g. Opel Meriva)
Recommended airports: Munich & Innsbruck
Driving time from airports: Munich 2h15; Innsbruck 0h45
Book your flights through us and we’ll find the best route, times and price to suit you

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