Saalfelden B&B accommodation, Austria
| country: | Austria |
| location: | Salzburgerland |
| price: | From £15 - £23 per person (double room) per night, on B&B basis |
description
We offer friendly, comfortable holiday accommodation with organic food, bed linen and toiletries. All holidays impact on the environment, but some more so than others. We want to offer you accommodation that impacts a lot less by investing in a ‘nearly’ carbon neutral energy system (oil still required for felling and collection trees). Our heating and hot water source is a state of the art integrated woodpellet and solar system. The small amount of electric we use is from 93% renewables, mostly local hydro power.
Once here, you can enjoy breathtaking scenery and a fantastic range of ‘green and healthy activities’ which might wear you out, but not the planet. These include walking, cycling, swimming, golf, a full array of water and winter sports and more. The local outdoor pool is solar heated and the natural bathing lake is not chlorinated! Even the skiing is not too damaging as most of the electric is hydro in the region. All of this is either a short walk, or bus/train journey away meaning car(e)-free holidays. Due to our location, all of these activities can be enjoyed within a 15 mile/25km radius of the house.
Winter: Downhill skiing (lift system uses hydro electric and piste preparation equipment is trialing use of bio-diesel), cross-country skiing, tobogganing, skating on a natural skating lake (no refrigeration equipment required), walks, sleigh rides, wellness spas, pony trekking, ice karting.
Walking: We carry information on walking trails and mountain huts and can offer advice on trails. Many trails, including some mountain trails are accessible within a 10 – 30 min walk of the house.
Cycling: Bikeworld Leogang nearby (Europe’s largest purpose built mountain bike centre). The house is situated close to the Tauern cycle trail which runs from Krimml Waterfalls to the Danube at Passau. We keep a small number of cycle tools and offer cycle storage. There is a bike hire shop in the town that offers cycle hire. There are around 800km of valley and mountain trails within our region. The house is situated in a crossroads of 4 valleys offering an extensive of relatively level and varied valley trails. Most trails are either purpose built tarmac tracks or quiet country lanes. It is possible to cycle direct to us from Salzburg airport via the Tauern cycle trail – this is approx 6 hours steady cycle time. Public transport is well geared up to cycle transport.
Skiing: We are close to three main ski areas – Hochkoenig, Leogang-Saalbach/Hinterglemm and Zell am See/Kaprun Glacier. There is a regular skibus service (free to skipass holders) to the first two, the latter being accessed by rail or bus (payable). Ski bus stops are within a 100 m of the house.
Once here, you can enjoy breathtaking scenery and a fantastic range of ‘green and healthy activities’ which might wear you out, but not the planet. These include walking, cycling, swimming, golf, a full array of water and winter sports and more. The local outdoor pool is solar heated and the natural bathing lake is not chlorinated! Even the skiing is not too damaging as most of the electric is hydro in the region. All of this is either a short walk, or bus/train journey away meaning car(e)-free holidays. Due to our location, all of these activities can be enjoyed within a 15 mile/25km radius of the house.
special things to do and see here
Summer: Cycling, hiking in valleys and mountains, swimming in natural lakes or outdoor pools (local pool is solar heated), visits to natural features such as waterfalls, gorges, caves, climbing, white water rafting, summer toboggan runs, high rope adventure parks, parascending and golf. Winter: Downhill skiing (lift system uses hydro electric and piste preparation equipment is trialing use of bio-diesel), cross-country skiing, tobogganing, skating on a natural skating lake (no refrigeration equipment required), walks, sleigh rides, wellness spas, pony trekking, ice karting.
Walking: We carry information on walking trails and mountain huts and can offer advice on trails. Many trails, including some mountain trails are accessible within a 10 – 30 min walk of the house.
Cycling: Bikeworld Leogang nearby (Europe’s largest purpose built mountain bike centre). The house is situated close to the Tauern cycle trail which runs from Krimml Waterfalls to the Danube at Passau. We keep a small number of cycle tools and offer cycle storage. There is a bike hire shop in the town that offers cycle hire. There are around 800km of valley and mountain trails within our region. The house is situated in a crossroads of 4 valleys offering an extensive of relatively level and varied valley trails. Most trails are either purpose built tarmac tracks or quiet country lanes. It is possible to cycle direct to us from Salzburg airport via the Tauern cycle trail – this is approx 6 hours steady cycle time. Public transport is well geared up to cycle transport.
Skiing: We are close to three main ski areas – Hochkoenig, Leogang-Saalbach/Hinterglemm and Zell am See/Kaprun Glacier. There is a regular skibus service (free to skipass holders) to the first two, the latter being accessed by rail or bus (payable). Ski bus stops are within a 100 m of the house.
rooms, food and facilities
Two bedrooms and a guest lounge. Breakfast is normally in our kitchen although the guest lounge can be used, or our sunny south facing balcony in warmer times. Storage facilities for walking, skiing and cycling gear are available in our cellar. A number of restaurants and bars are available within a 2 – 10 minute walk of the house.
Family friendly: We offer 50% discounts for children up to 12 years. We only let two rooms and these are adjoining. It is possible to close the passageway door which means that the two rooms can be used together as a ‘mini-suite’. There is a sandpit in the garden and we offer an informal babysitting service in the evenings. Unlike many other accommodation providers, we do not profit from families by charging increased rates during school holidays. Our rates vary slightly between summer and winter to reflect increased heating costs during winter.
Baby friendly: Babies up to two years old are free if they stay in their parent’s room. A cot can be provided. Guests can use our kitchen for preparation/heating of baby foods.
By road: Saalfelden is situated 44 miles/68km south of the Baroque world heritage city of Salzburg on the B311 main road between Lofer and Zell am See. We are approximately 45 miles/70km east of Kitzbuhel. Our main access from Germany is via the A8 Munich to Salzburg Autobahn, exiting at Siegsdorf – approximately 50 mins travel time.
By air: we are 40 miles/60km south of Salzburg airport. There are regular (5 per day) direct bus links between the airport and Saalfelden (service 260). There are regular train links between Salzburg main station and Saalfelden. We are about 1hr 45mins east of Innsbruck airport by either train or car, via Kitzbuhel, St Johann in Tirol and Leogang). Our house lies close to the town centre (2 mins walk), railway station (12 mins walk) and bus station (5 mins walk).
Family friendly: We offer 50% discounts for children up to 12 years. We only let two rooms and these are adjoining. It is possible to close the passageway door which means that the two rooms can be used together as a ‘mini-suite’. There is a sandpit in the garden and we offer an informal babysitting service in the evenings. Unlike many other accommodation providers, we do not profit from families by charging increased rates during school holidays. Our rates vary slightly between summer and winter to reflect increased heating costs during winter.
Baby friendly: Babies up to two years old are free if they stay in their parent’s room. A cot can be provided. Guests can use our kitchen for preparation/heating of baby foods.
how to find us
Saalfelden is situated on the main railway line between Salzburg and Innsbruck. We are around 1hr 50mins from Salzburg and 1hr 45 mins from Innsbruck. By road: Saalfelden is situated 44 miles/68km south of the Baroque world heritage city of Salzburg on the B311 main road between Lofer and Zell am See. We are approximately 45 miles/70km east of Kitzbuhel. Our main access from Germany is via the A8 Munich to Salzburg Autobahn, exiting at Siegsdorf – approximately 50 mins travel time.
By air: we are 40 miles/60km south of Salzburg airport. There are regular (5 per day) direct bus links between the airport and Saalfelden (service 260). There are regular train links between Salzburg main station and Saalfelden. We are about 1hr 45mins east of Innsbruck airport by either train or car, via Kitzbuhel, St Johann in Tirol and Leogang). Our house lies close to the town centre (2 mins walk), railway station (12 mins walk) and bus station (5 mins walk).
how this holiday makes a difference
|
Offering responsible accommodation is a philosophy, not just a few policies copied from someone else. We use a holistic approach to offer eco-friendly, sustainable accommodation. For example offering only organic food, using hand printed organic cotton linen (sourced from Abbey Home Farm, Cirencester), organic towels from Greenfibres, Totnes, organic body care items in the bathrooms and using eco-friendly cleaning products around the house. We also have invested heavily in carbon minimal energy sources. We don’t offer wasteful ‘gimmicks’ in the rooms such as complimentary single portion toiletries or newspapers. The house is not decked out with trinkets, artefacts or collections of ‘very interesting plates and teapots’, as such collections, although decorative, we consider are a waste of resources. Our home is simply furnished and decorated to reflect the seasons using what we can find in the outside environment. Although we have a small garden, naturally this is managed along organic principles.
We chose to base ourselves in Austria as Austria doesn’t talk ‘environmental issues’ but actively implements them. Austria has one of the most advanced recycling facilities in Europe and offers an extensive range of advice and support on environmental issues. For example, we have had a 30,000 Euro subsidised loan from the local government for our environmental improvement works. There was also a grant for the solar. Austria also has a wide range of natural resources for power generation and its second great natural resource – timber, is used extensively in region for construction and a variety of other uses. The region offers a fantastic range of low- eco impact leisure facilities by making best use of the natural, mountainous environment. It is our wish to help preserve this environment, both now and for the long term. The facilities here enable the traveller to either engage with local customs and celebrations (there is still a close following of the seasonal and farming activities and seasonal changes), or the traveller can simply ‘do their own thing’. Being a small family run establishment and living here, we have a much better idea of local activities and those special places to visit. We are also able to offer that personal level of service in terms of independent travel, which is especially important to those trying their first ‘non-package’ holiday. We love this region and want you to enjoy it to, either for a short break, or preferably a longer one which minimises your travel impact relative to your length of stay. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |