Monday, 23 September 2013

Activity Holidays in Austria’s Hohe Tauern National Park



The Hohe Tauern National Park is the largest national park in the whole of Europe, spanning an area of 1800 square kilometers. The parks piece de resistance is the Gross Glockner, which is the highest mountain in Austria, closely followed by the Gross Venediger, the fourth highest but boasting the record for the highest number of connecting glaciers in Austria.


The Hohe Tauern National Park is now a World Heritage site just like the Galapagos Islands and Mount Everest, so well worth a visit if you are into any type of climbing activity holidays.


A very special experience is the discovering of the park accompanied by a National Park ranger. In summer (from July to September) a wide range of guided tours and trekking tours lasting from half-day up to several days are offered regularly. In the winter season (from the middle of December to Easter) you can enjoy the national park with the rangers on wonderful snowshoe hikes. 


The National park is a unique alpine area so having the correct equipment is a must, including sturdy footwear and waterproof clothing. During the summer months it is recommended to pack lightweight caps and gloves but also sun protection, as once above the clouds the sun offers no protection.  There are a number of accommodation options available if you plan to stay overnight around the park, including many ski style hotels that also offer spa and dining facilities to help you unwind after a long day.


Getting to Austria is fairly straightforward, and you will probably be best suited to arrive in the medieval city of Innsbruck, the provincial capital of Tyrol. If travelling from the UK you will have plenty of time to fly from Heathrow or Gatwick and arrive in Austria, catch the train to Innsbruck and then make you way by bus to your accommodation ready to catch dinner.


You can go overland through Europe by train but travelling by air saves time best spent on you activity holidays and not wasted sat in a railway carriage.

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