This is a continuation of last month’s article. We left Selva Val Gardena, went through the Brenner Pass and arrived in Innsbruck about an hour and half later. The Brenner Pass, for the most part, is a lovely view of mountains and valleys that has been in use since prehistoric eras and is still an important route in Europe today.
I’d been told Innsbruck was just a big city (it’s the capital) that also happened to be in the mountains, but that Kitzbuhel or Garmisch was where we should go for a more charming mountain experience. We’d been to Garmisch, so that was out, and we’d already decided to spend a few days exploring Kitzbuhel. The real reason was that our kids wanted to extend their trip and visit Innsbruck, so of course that was an easy decision.
We stayed at a Hilton for a couple of reasons: its proximity to the old, historic section of Innsbruck, and I got a great rate on booking.com. I love the more charming local hotels that dot the avenues of the old part of the city, but the practical part of me thought that at this point in the trip, it might be okay to just soak up the culture in restaurants, on streets and in conversations rather than lodgings.
Our weather was cold but crystal clear. Christmas stalls still occupied the center of the pedestrian main street of Old Town and were filled with different and unusual gifts from what we’d seen in either Germany or Italy. I found great gifts to take home and found the people to be extremely friendly. We asked around and were told the Stiltskeller for lunch was a favorite (sort of a Hofbrauhaus style restaurant – touristy, but still fun). It was noisy, the food was Austrian, the beer was spectacular, service was average and the meal was hearty – pretty much everything you need when arriving with a noisy group of nine people with three who are age three and under.
One thing you learn when traveling with toddlers and babies – historic tours of churches and houses are not a big hit. You are lucky to read the plaque on the door and snap a few pictures. This was pretty much our modus operandi for the entire trip. Thus, we did not enter the Golden Door, go on a historic walk, enter the church off the main square or do any of the things we would have done if it had been the two of us. I love doing those things, but I love being with my grandkids more. We strolled, saw narrow, winding, historic streets and broad avenues, shopped, enjoyed each other – it’s kind of the definition of a great trip. We also pointed out the giants and fairy-tale figures adorning all corners of buildings to our toddlers, but fairy tales are the stuff of my childhood while Richard Scarry’s books define the childhood of my kids and their kids.
We said goodbye to our family and left Innsbruck for Kitzbuhel, a small, medieval town about 60 miles from Innsbruck in south Tyrol that is also a renowned ski resort. It’s the Aspen or Vail of Austrian resorts in that it’s pricey, scenic, chic and offers some of the best skiing in the Alps.
Although there are many lodging options right in Kitzbuhel proper, my attempt to book them in October was a month or two too late. By the time I started checking, only very high-end accommodations were still available ($1,200-$1,500 per night). But about 5km outside of town, in Aurach bei Kitzbuhel, I found Heike’s Pension on Trip Advisor (pictured). Having stayed in a similar place in Garmisch several years ago, I had no qualms about booking a room there. It was nothing fancy but comfortable and clean, and Heike, the owner, was friendly and helpful. If you don’t mind a no-frills place to rest your head and a short drive, I would recommend it.
We tacked this portion of the trip onto the last two days, and though I’m glad we saw Kitzbuhel, the trip began to feel a bit long, probably due to the prolonged cough and cold I’d developed and couldn’t shake. Due to this, we opted to hike rather than ski on our one full day there. We took the Hahnenkamm lift to the top and hiked the two miles to the restaurant, had a lunch of goulash and hiked back. While I appreciated the beauty, I regretted not skiing even with a cold. The snow was perfect, and the trails were just right for us.
We had good meals in Kitzbuhel proper, but the best was Hallerwirt, a charming, authentic Austrian restaurant in Aurach, approximately one mile from Heike’s Pension and recommended by Heike. The building has been around for 300 years but has only been a restaurant since the 1800’s. It was a great note to end our trip on. We headed back to Munich the next morning to fly home the following day. Auf Wiedersehen!
