ALPINE GETAWAY

Combining a family visit with a ski trip makes for a brilliant Winter Break!

BY BILLIE ROSE, RESIDENT AND PUBLICATION MANAGER

The Wiesbauer family’s holiday break was double the fun when they combined a European family visit with a ski trip to the Austrian Alps! Says Anna, “In Austria, we spent Christmas with my husband’s family. Our children met their aunts, uncles, grandparents, and cousins. It was a nice winter break.” She added, “the best time for me in Europe is Christmas. You get the whole Christmas atmosphere, traditional food, and Christmas markets. Also, just spending time with family and exploring together is the best gift you can give to your children. They will remember it forever.”

After Christmas, The Wiesbauers drove 2.5 hours to Schladming, located in Upper Austria, and spent a week skiing. Anna, her husband Mathias, and daughters Sophia (11) and Amelie (8), never ran out of things to do: “when we were at the skiing resort, there were a lot of winter activities other than skiing. The kids went ice skating one day and went night tobogganing (sledding). The children had so much fun tobogganing; we’d have to use a lift to take us all the way to the top of the Hochwurzen mountain, then sled 7 kilometers downhill. It was an adrenaline rush!”

Anna recommends planning a European trip ahead of time. “Exploring is very easy when you have an itinerary. I learned that traveling by train is the fastest and easiest transport. Explore your options when you choose an airport. We did multi-city and took the trains in between countries and just got a rental car for our skiing trip. If you plan to ski in Europe, it’s a great experience with breathtaking views, the lift pass can take you mostly to all mountains that are right next to each other.”

The best part of the trip for Anna was “spending time with my family and also making wonderful memories with our children. My husband is an avid skier and it’s great to experience skiing in the Austrian alps!”