Issue summer 2020 Moments in Kufsteinerland Hiking, like in A wildlife Conquered the old days cuddle course in the storm A journey through time with A visit to the Wildbichl Celebrations at a mountain guide Wildlife Park Kufstein Fortress Read ‘Moments’ and experience moments in Kufsteinerland. An information guide as a source of ideas and company directory for locals and guests alike. BEHIND THE HOUSE AWAITS PARADISE We believe that a holiday is more than just a hotel which offers all the usual comforts. What’s better than passing your downtime? Enjoying it to the fullest at the Unterwirt. Zest – duck | apple | date | fennel Time – from breakfasts to wedding celebrations Space – every day deserves to get off to a good start THE BACKYARD IS A SPACE FOR BREAKS Fuel yourself with Alpine air, vigour & energy at the Unterwirt Wir haben Lust, Zeit und Raum. Whenever you seat yourself on a bench in the sun and take time to unwind, it becomes a www.unterwirt.at GEO Saison has ranked resting spot. Sauntering in the garden. Field flowers and blumblebee harmony. Leaving the Unterwirt among all your cares behind, in the sun, as well as in the shadows. Leaf arches and blossom Europe’s 100 most butter. A picnic by the stream sounds good? We have zest, time and space. beautiful hotels in 2019 WWW.UNTERWIRT.AT 202003-RZ-Unterwirt-Anzeige-A4-Momente-FINAL-EN.indd 1 20.03.20 08:14 Editorial Dear reader, Georg Hörhager Travel is about a yearning to live life to the full. That special holiday feeling begins Chairman Tourismusverband Kufsteinerland on your first free day when you are not woken by the alarm clock like at home and instead can begin a relaxing yet adventure-packed time. Once your bags are packed, you’ve shut the door behind you and you’ve left your home behind, there’s nothing stopping you from enjoying a great time! People come from all over the world to spend their holiday in picturesque Kufsteinerland. They all enjoy the long days and nature which reach their peak during the warm "Happiness is season. Picturesque lakes, surrounded by mountains, provide soothing refresh- ment. Along the banks of the green river Inn, cyclists and walkers enjoy some time the sum total of out in the fresh air. The guest gardens in the fortress town of Kufstein are perfect unforgettable for some relaxation while summit climbers and leisure hikers let off steam in the moments. And in Kaiser peaks. Kufsteinerland Holidaymakers and gourmets are quite literally spoilt for choice. With our award- there are many of winning MOMENTS magazine, we hope to make the decision easier for some of our readers. This 9th issue too serves as a source of ideas and company directory in our them." region of Kufsteinerland. Georg Hörhager We hope you enjoy our summery reading materials! Imprint: Responsible for the content: TVB Kufsteinerland, Unterer Stadtplatz 11-13, 6330 Kufstein, Phone: +43 5372 62207 Circulation: 9,000 copies in German, 1,000 copies in English Georg Hörhager Design / Text / Graphics: ofp kommunikation GmbH Kufstein Place of publication: Kufstein Photos: ofp kommunikation, Kufsteinerland, Gemeindechronik Langkampfen – Mayr Heinrich, Max Draeger,sportalpenmarketing, Mey Media, Stefan Achorner, Gasthaus Hotel Dresch, Stadthotel Alpenrose, Lolin, Christian Kapfinger, Bierol, Hotel Gasthof Blaue Quelle, Dietmar Tollerian, Rene Ruprecht, Michaela Seidl Photography, Florian Egger vanmeyphotography, Christian Vorhofer 14 A dose of fresh air 26 The most beautiful Haflinger horse 40 A magnificent flood of awards 28 Dream Factory in Thiersee Contents PURE INDULGENCE: FROM NATURE Editorial 3 STRAIGHT TO YOUR Hiking, like in the old days 6 PLATE A journey back in time with a mountain guide Wildlife cuddle course 10 A visit to the Wildbichl Wildlife Park A dose of fresh air 14 Useful information about our forests Conquered in the storm 18 Celebrations at Kufstein Fortress Carpenters and sailors 22 Early shipping on the Inn in Langkampfen The most beautiful Haflinger horse 26 World Haflinger Show in Ebbs Dream Factory in Thiersee 28 Insight into film history The kingdom of bees 32 An interview with beekeeper Franz Daxer Strolling along the foot of the fortress 38 Shopping experience in Kufstein A magnificent flood of awards 40 Exceptional cuisine in Kufsteinerland Here’s to the student days 44 Kufstein as a centre of training Sport beneath a blue sky 48 Fitness trails in Kufsteinerland GOURMET CULTURE MEETS CULTURAL INDULGENCE. Music dates at the Sattlerwirt: 10 may / 28 jun / 02 aug / 06 sep / 29 sep / 13 oct 19 oct / 09 nov / 16 nov / 22 dec Sattlerwirt · Fam. Astner Oberndorf 89 · A-6341 Ebbs/Kufstein · T: +43 5373 422 03 [email protected] · open daily www.sattlerwirt.at 6 Hiking, like in the old days 7 A journey back in time with mountain guide Hans Georg Hotter Hiking, like in the old days Time never stands still – it never stops for the mountains or for the mountaineers. Over the last 50 years, sport has developed real mass appeal in the Alps. Mountain guide Hans Georg Hotter from Schwoich takes a look back at the past and compares the differences between then and now. ans Georg Hotter takes us on a wild and The mountain always presents a risk romantic walk to the Widschwendtalm in Prior to working as a mountain guide, Hans Georg Hotter was a surveyor. He HSchwoich. In the past, the route was not the could never have envisaged spending his life at a desk and always felt the destination but rather the summit,” explains the pull of nature. He wanted to measure the mountains with his own steps. passionate mountaineer and hiking guide. During Perhaps he was also attracted by the unpredictability of the mountains. our leisurely tour, he talks about the old times. The Nowadays, you can track your altitude, record your heart rate and read the clothing back then was designed for slender men – as weather forecast – but there is still an element of risk. The weather often if not a single day has passed. But today, it only takes a turns more quickly in the mountains than in the valley. Hans Georg Hotter phone call to arrange a hiking trip. Back then, that first has had to bivouac on his excursions more than once! step was more complicated. “It was normal for people to get together on a Thursday for a regulars’ drinking session. It was here that they would set their sights on their upcoming goal,” says Hans Georg Hotter. The ethics of mountaineers “There was a code of honour among mountaineers,” the mountain climber continues. “Once you had agreed on a tour, then you couldn’t climb this summit with any other mountain partner. You remained loyal to your mountain colleagues”. The mountain tours and hikes were logged in a so-called tour book. Hans Georg Hotter flicks through the red book from the 70s. He has marked down his own mountain experiences with a blue pen. “I was very lucky on several occasions,” he says with a reflective look on his face. Some of his colleagues never returned from their tours. An extract from the tour book documents a tour to the Totenkirchl in 1970. >> 8 Hiking, like in the old days At the Widschwendtalm 50-year-old mountain boots The equipment has changed very little. “In the past, This picturesque lodge can be reached in around 2 the kit was simpler. The most important thing were hours from the centre of Schwoich village. From the the boots which were comparatively expensive. In football pitch, you follow a gentle ascent along a road the beginning, the mountain boots had a nailed-on past the ‘Grub’ and ‘Unterdaxenbühel’ farms to the leather sole which was later replaced by a rubber sole,” old ‘Widschwendt’ farmhouse. From here, the route the mountain enthusiast explains. He has a whole continues along a forest road for around an hour shoe collection at his home in Schwoich. He can’t through a pine forest. Once at the top, the forest thins bear to throw away the boots which took him up to the out and you can see the Widschwendtalm: in the centre highest mountains. Some of them are over 50 years is a 200 year old majestic royal lime tree which fills old and are still holding up! you with energy just looking at it. Alongside, an Alpine lodge is nestled in the lush meadow. Below are stables Mountain experiences or mountain sport for the free-range cows. The nearby summit cross is Hans Georg Hotter assumes that people’s reasons just approx. 10 minutes away. And from here, you can for hiking have changed over time. “For me, it has enjoy fantastic views of the Inntal valley. always been about experiencing the mountain. I wanted to climb the most beautiful mountains and try something special. Today, for many people, it’s more about sport”. Hiking and walking are among the most popular leisure activities of Austrians. One in three Tyroleans claim to exercise in nature on a regular basis. “Prior to the war and shortly afterwards, people performed hard physical labour. They were active all day. It was only later – when many desk jobs emerged – that hiking became regarded as a balance,” says Hans Georg Hotter. But one thing never seems to change: people’s fascination with the view of the high mountain peaks. The rocky stacks stretch up into the skies in a rugged grey. “Clouds and whisps of fog seem to play tag along the walls of the Kaiser peaks,” Hans Georg Hotter notes in his tour book. As soon as you see the imposing mountains of Kufsteinerland, you will want to put on your hiking boots.