You probably mean this place http://www.hotelstrass.com/en/portal.html Crystal and Thomson call it the Spa Hotel but the owners don't! If so I'd say first option for rainy day is stay in and enjoy the pools!
Innsbruck city centre and Rattenberg http://www.rattenberg.at/en/home.html with it's glass works are within reach by public transport. Swarovski Crystal World at Watten near Innsbruck is heavily promoted but reviews suggest it's a love or hate type of place so if you're not already interested probably not worth the cost.
Mayrhofen is at the end of a valley called the Zillertal and connects with the main roads and railway at Jenbach to the north. The small railway to Jenbach has occasional steam trains (but mostly diesel) and on the opposite side of Jenbach station is another small steam train that goes up the hill to the lake at Achensee where there is a ship that cruises around, but that's not really a wet weather trip. The main Zillertal tourist site is http://www.zillertal.at
If you fly to Innsbruck and the wind is from the west (normal), if you sit on the left side of the plane it will be descending over the Achensee and Jenbach then make a sharp right turn at which point there is fantastic view of the Zillertal. If you're not a good flyer you don't want to know what happens next!
Innsbruck city centre and Rattenberg http://www.rattenberg.at/en/home.html with it's glass works are within reach by public transport. Swarovski Crystal World at Watten near Innsbruck is heavily promoted but reviews suggest it's a love or hate type of place so if you're not already interested probably not worth the cost.
Mayrhofen is at the end of a valley called the Zillertal and connects with the main roads and railway at Jenbach to the north. The small railway to Jenbach has occasional steam trains (but mostly diesel) and on the opposite side of Jenbach station is another small steam train that goes up the hill to the lake at Achensee where there is a ship that cruises around, but that's not really a wet weather trip. The main Zillertal tourist site is http://www.zillertal.at
If you fly to Innsbruck and the wind is from the west (normal), if you sit on the left side of the plane it will be descending over the Achensee and Jenbach then make a sharp right turn at which point there is fantastic view of the Zillertal. If you're not a good flyer you don't want to know what happens next!
It's a good few years since I've been but I have very happy memories of Mayrhofen - including one holiday with3 generations of the extended family. We virtually filled the little gasthof that we stayed in on the edge of the village. The Zillertal is really lovely and as Steve has said - probably the best idea on a wet day is to stay in and enjoy the facilities of your hotel which I don't know but looks really good. The weather might be a little unsettled in August but in my experience it is going to be warmer and drier than the Lake district here in August.
So on the good days one of the 'musts' just has to be the trip to Achensee and the streamer trip - it's very easy to do by public transport and the Tourist Info Office used to handout leaflets with all the relevant connecting train and steamer times on it which made it easy-peasy. But another 'must' is to go all the way to the top of the cable car and chair lift system to get to the Hintertux glacier. Even if all you do is have a drink on the terrace of the cafe at the top and admire the view it is worth it. If you are walkers and have the gear then you can irritate the skiers, as we did, by heading out across the glacier and walking to the top of the Hintertux - alpine climbing made easy. The views are stupendous. But there are plenty of low level walks down the valley using what in winter are the cross-country sking trails. The Tourist Info office can provide you with maps of them and a good many of them wonderfully end at an Inn or climbing hut!
Off the top of my head I can't remember how easy it was to get to the Krimml Falls from Mayrhofen (we might have usually done that from Kitzbuhel) but I can check. If it is possible then that is another real 'must see' with a well marked and graded path and series of bridges that take you through the gorge from bottom to top. A great one to do the first fine day after rain!
SM
So on the good days one of the 'musts' just has to be the trip to Achensee and the streamer trip - it's very easy to do by public transport and the Tourist Info Office used to handout leaflets with all the relevant connecting train and steamer times on it which made it easy-peasy. But another 'must' is to go all the way to the top of the cable car and chair lift system to get to the Hintertux glacier. Even if all you do is have a drink on the terrace of the cafe at the top and admire the view it is worth it. If you are walkers and have the gear then you can irritate the skiers, as we did, by heading out across the glacier and walking to the top of the Hintertux - alpine climbing made easy. The views are stupendous. But there are plenty of low level walks down the valley using what in winter are the cross-country sking trails. The Tourist Info office can provide you with maps of them and a good many of them wonderfully end at an Inn or climbing hut!
Off the top of my head I can't remember how easy it was to get to the Krimml Falls from Mayrhofen (we might have usually done that from Kitzbuhel) but I can check. If it is possible then that is another real 'must see' with a well marked and graded path and series of bridges that take you through the gorge from bottom to top. A great one to do the first fine day after rain!
SM
I'd already thought of Krimml but there is a disappointing gap in the bus network over the Gerlos pass, almost certainly caused by the fact that it would mean leaving Tirol and crossing into Salzburgerland - and the local politicians don't like funding that! It means you'd have to go the long way round via Kitzbuhel. But if a local coach company is offering excursions that include Krimml Waterfalls then definately go for it.
I've been through my list of webcams and found these (which may not be on 24/7, you have to keep trying!)
Mayrhofen village http://livecam.feratel.at/cam/mayrhofen/5637/index.jsp?
Achensee (very nice at moment!) http://www.tiroler-wasserkraft.at/de/hn/stromerzeugung/kraftwerkspark/achensee/webcam/index.php
Krimml waterfalls http://members.aon.at/wasserfall/live_cam.html
Hintertux http://www.tux.at/infos-anreise/webcam.html
when you're there a good trick is to put the TV on as soon as you wake and watch either ORF2 or TW1 (also at http://www.tw1.at ) which show live cameras with local weather predictions. The weather can change in a short distance in the mountains so if it's raining in Mayrhofen it may be fine not far away (and vice versa!). Also cloud cover can be low so the sun may be out at higher places and you can rise through it.
I've been through my list of webcams and found these (which may not be on 24/7, you have to keep trying!)
Mayrhofen village http://livecam.feratel.at/cam/mayrhofen/5637/index.jsp?
Achensee (very nice at moment!) http://www.tiroler-wasserkraft.at/de/hn/stromerzeugung/kraftwerkspark/achensee/webcam/index.php
Krimml waterfalls http://members.aon.at/wasserfall/live_cam.html
Hintertux http://www.tux.at/infos-anreise/webcam.html
when you're there a good trick is to put the TV on as soon as you wake and watch either ORF2 or TW1 (also at http://www.tw1.at ) which show live cameras with local weather predictions. The weather can change in a short distance in the mountains so if it's raining in Mayrhofen it may be fine not far away (and vice versa!). Also cloud cover can be low so the sun may be out at higher places and you can rise through it.
Hi Both
Thanks for the info and weblinks - will start compiling a list of things to do. We like walking but wouldn't class ourselves as walkers - I am hoping that the weather will allow us to be outdoors as much as possible though. We've actually already been to Krimml - we had a week in Zell am See in Sept 2005 and managed a trip to the falls before the weather turned to heavy rain for the second half of our stay. We didn't have a pool at our hotel in Zell and ended up very bored so that's why I chose the Strass. Wil post a review when we get back.
Thanks for the info and weblinks - will start compiling a list of things to do. We like walking but wouldn't class ourselves as walkers - I am hoping that the weather will allow us to be outdoors as much as possible though. We've actually already been to Krimml - we had a week in Zell am See in Sept 2005 and managed a trip to the falls before the weather turned to heavy rain for the second half of our stay. We didn't have a pool at our hotel in Zell and ended up very bored so that's why I chose the Strass. Wil post a review when we get back.
Have finally got round to finishing my review - here you go!
Austria Review - August 2010
We spent 7 nights in Mayrhofen in the Austrian Tirol in August 2010. Here follows an account of our trip:
The Journey
We flew out from Birmingham to Salzburg with Thomson as unfortunately there were no seats left on any of the Innsbruck flights. Both flights departed and arrived on time and the included in-flight meals were ok. There was no in-flight entertainment though. Transfers to Mayrhofen were by coach and took well over 2 hrs each way.
The Weather
The forecasts had shown quite a bit of rain in early August so we were prepared for some wet weather. In the end, we did see some rain most days but this generally passed quickly, leaving warm and sunny weather with occasional cloudy and windy periods. The weather appeared to change much more rapidly at altitude though so it is always worth taking warm layers and a waterproof jacket just in case.
Austria Review - August 2010
We spent 7 nights in Mayrhofen in the Austrian Tirol in August 2010. Here follows an account of our trip:
The Journey
We flew out from Birmingham to Salzburg with Thomson as unfortunately there were no seats left on any of the Innsbruck flights. Both flights departed and arrived on time and the included in-flight meals were ok. There was no in-flight entertainment though. Transfers to Mayrhofen were by coach and took well over 2 hrs each way.
The Weather
The forecasts had shown quite a bit of rain in early August so we were prepared for some wet weather. In the end, we did see some rain most days but this generally passed quickly, leaving warm and sunny weather with occasional cloudy and windy periods. The weather appeared to change much more rapidly at altitude though so it is always worth taking warm layers and a waterproof jacket just in case.
The Hotel
Spa Hotel Strass, Mayrhofen
(http://www.hotelstrass.com/en/hotel-strass/mayrhofen/hotel.html)
We were looking for a centrally located hotel with a range of facilities and the Strass complex of hotels seemed to fit the bill. We chose the original ‘Spa Hotel' building in the end as it seemed to be further away from the hotel's main summer season bar, which turned out to be the correct assumption once we had arrived. The standard room allocation with Thomson is a ‘small' room in the ‘Sport Hotel' building so we paid an extra £10 each per night to upgrade to a larger room with balcony in the ‘Spa Hotel'. This was definitely worth the extra as we ended up with a big room which had a sofa and a table and chairs plus a large balcony, also with furniture. The only downside was that the balcony was in quite a shaded area which meant it was not good for sunbathing but the hotel has deckchairs in the garden so it wasn't a major problem and the location was nice and quiet. The TV had a lot of English language channels which was great when the weather wasn't as good and the web-cam channels of the local mountains were invaluable when deciding what sightseeing to do.
If you are on half board, when you arrive you will be allocated a table for the duration of your stay. Ours was in a windowless area which was a bit dark but it was next to a ‘waterfall' wall and it was always nice and warm there, even when it was a bit cold outside. Dinner was a set 4 course menu with a choice of 3 different main courses, plus a self-service salad buffet and the food was lovely every night. We were also really pleased that the staff were happy to serve us tap water with dinner every night as we normally end up spending a fortune on bottled water on holiday. The breakfast buffet was also extensive and our package also included a free packed lunch which we ordered at dinner to pick up the next morning, another good cash-saver for us. The main bar was rather loud and smoky and the lounge bar smelled of chlorine so we went out if we wanted a drink in the evening - the Scotland Yard pub with its undercover beer garden was by far our favourite.
One of the main reasons we booked the hotel was because of the spa and swimming pool facilities. Sadly they didn't live up to expectations - the main pools were freezing cold and the spa is only accessible if you are willing to go naked - something which didn't appeal to us, though if the weather had been worse we might have given it a try! There is a pay as you go internet kiosk just off reception which proved to be very useful. Twice a week, the hotel runs a welcome meeting which is worth going to if you haven't been to Mayrhofen before. They also run daily trips/activities but we didn't participate in any of them.
Mayrhofen itself is a lovely town in the summer - with plenty of traditional buildings and restaurants alongside more modern shops etc. We found it to be a good base for our week's holiday and wouldn't hesitate to recommend it, and the Hotel Strass, to others, although if we were to go back in winter I think we'd pick accommodation further away from the main streets as I can imagine it must get pretty loud and crowded during the ski-season.
Spa Hotel Strass, Mayrhofen
(http://www.hotelstrass.com/en/hotel-strass/mayrhofen/hotel.html)
We were looking for a centrally located hotel with a range of facilities and the Strass complex of hotels seemed to fit the bill. We chose the original ‘Spa Hotel' building in the end as it seemed to be further away from the hotel's main summer season bar, which turned out to be the correct assumption once we had arrived. The standard room allocation with Thomson is a ‘small' room in the ‘Sport Hotel' building so we paid an extra £10 each per night to upgrade to a larger room with balcony in the ‘Spa Hotel'. This was definitely worth the extra as we ended up with a big room which had a sofa and a table and chairs plus a large balcony, also with furniture. The only downside was that the balcony was in quite a shaded area which meant it was not good for sunbathing but the hotel has deckchairs in the garden so it wasn't a major problem and the location was nice and quiet. The TV had a lot of English language channels which was great when the weather wasn't as good and the web-cam channels of the local mountains were invaluable when deciding what sightseeing to do.
If you are on half board, when you arrive you will be allocated a table for the duration of your stay. Ours was in a windowless area which was a bit dark but it was next to a ‘waterfall' wall and it was always nice and warm there, even when it was a bit cold outside. Dinner was a set 4 course menu with a choice of 3 different main courses, plus a self-service salad buffet and the food was lovely every night. We were also really pleased that the staff were happy to serve us tap water with dinner every night as we normally end up spending a fortune on bottled water on holiday. The breakfast buffet was also extensive and our package also included a free packed lunch which we ordered at dinner to pick up the next morning, another good cash-saver for us. The main bar was rather loud and smoky and the lounge bar smelled of chlorine so we went out if we wanted a drink in the evening - the Scotland Yard pub with its undercover beer garden was by far our favourite.
One of the main reasons we booked the hotel was because of the spa and swimming pool facilities. Sadly they didn't live up to expectations - the main pools were freezing cold and the spa is only accessible if you are willing to go naked - something which didn't appeal to us, though if the weather had been worse we might have given it a try! There is a pay as you go internet kiosk just off reception which proved to be very useful. Twice a week, the hotel runs a welcome meeting which is worth going to if you haven't been to Mayrhofen before. They also run daily trips/activities but we didn't participate in any of them.
Mayrhofen itself is a lovely town in the summer - with plenty of traditional buildings and restaurants alongside more modern shops etc. We found it to be a good base for our week's holiday and wouldn't hesitate to recommend it, and the Hotel Strass, to others, although if we were to go back in winter I think we'd pick accommodation further away from the main streets as I can imagine it must get pretty loud and crowded during the ski-season.
Things to do
One of the first things we did after arriving in Mayrhofen was to buy a 6 day Zillertal Activcard (http://www.tux.at/en/summer/zillertal-activcard.html). As 51 euros each, this wasn't a cheap purchase but it pretty much covered all our sightseeing for the week. Some of the things we did were as follows:
Penkenbahn (Mayrhofen) - This was right next to our hotel so there was no way we weren't going to try it. The first stage of the journey is a bit scary as you go over some very high bits but we also really liked the second stage with the open air chair lift. There are lots of different walks you can do from the top - we headed in the direction of the Finkenberger Almbahnen, taking full advantage of the Gasthofs on the way.
Ahornbahn (Mayrhofen) - Again, this wasn't far from our hotel so we were very keen to take the trip up to the top. Once up there, we followed the marked out Panoramic trail which isn't very long but still gave us lots of different views over the surrounding mountains. We also walked down to the chill out garden which is well worth a visit in good weather.
Ramsberglift (Ramsau) - This single open air chairlift was by far our favourite - it takes a leisurely 20 mins to get to the top with fabulous views all around. There is very little at the top though, so incoming bad weather meant we ended up descending almost straight away. It's only a short walk from the Hippach Ramsau stop on the train line.
Hintertux Gletscherbahn (Hintertux) - The Activcard allows you to get up as far as the Sommerbergalm - if you want to go right up the top for some summer skiing then you have to pay extra. The weather wasn't too good the day we went up there though so we just had a wander around the Sommerbergalm area. Probably better to go up on a clear day if you can. The road from Mayrhofen is quite slow and windy so the bus journey there may take longer than you expect.
Rosenalmbahn (Zell am Ziller) - Our main reason for going here was to go on the Arena Coaster summer toboggan run. If you have an Activcard, you can get 2 tickets for this for the price of one before 1pm from Monday-Friday. We've been on summer toboggan runs before but this was by far the longest and fastest we've ever been on. Definitely the highlight of our holiday! We then took the Rosenalmbahn to the end of the second cableway and then walked up to the Kreuzjochhutte which was a long steep climb but worth it for the views.
Spieljochbahn (Fugen) - This is a bit of a walk up-hill from the nearest train station (Fugen/Hart) so it's worth trying to get the connecting bus to the cable car station if you can. The panorama walk at the top was a bit too steep and rocky for me so we ended up taking a walk down to a little lake and chapel instead which was really nice. We also had fun watching groups of kids trying out Via Ferrata and watching families trying to keep the local goats off their picnic tables!
Zillertalbahn - The Activcard gives you free travel on many of the trains and buses in the Zillertal valley. We spent quite a nice morning travelling the whole length of the line from Mayrhofen to Jenbach by normal train. You can also do this route by steam train but it will cost you a lot more. There is nothing really to see in Jenbach but you can catch trains onwards to Achensee or Innsbruck. We also made use of the trains and buses for short journeys around the valley and found them to be convenient and reliable, if a little crowded at times.
In addition, we also did wild-water rafting in Mayrhofen which was great fun but we seemed to spend very little time actually on the water - a lot of time was spent getting changed, getting to the river etc. There are longer trips available but these involve more travelling so we decided to stick with the local rafting. This was booked through the Thomson/Crystal office - make sure you pay in cash there as if you pay by card they will apply a significantly lower exchange rate then you will get from an ATM.
Finally, on our last day we went on the ‘Tourist' train around Mayrhofen - basically a tractor with a few rickety carriages attached. At 5 euros each, it was pretty expensive considering the journey itself was less than 30 mins but it did at least allow us to see some of the outlying areas that we might otherwise have missed. In hindsight, it might have been better to have done in on the first day to help us get our bearings. If you want any other ideas of things to see and do in the area then it's worth trying the Tourist Information Centre or the Thomson/Crystal office as both have lots of leaflets, many of them in English.
One of the first things we did after arriving in Mayrhofen was to buy a 6 day Zillertal Activcard (http://www.tux.at/en/summer/zillertal-activcard.html). As 51 euros each, this wasn't a cheap purchase but it pretty much covered all our sightseeing for the week. Some of the things we did were as follows:
Penkenbahn (Mayrhofen) - This was right next to our hotel so there was no way we weren't going to try it. The first stage of the journey is a bit scary as you go over some very high bits but we also really liked the second stage with the open air chair lift. There are lots of different walks you can do from the top - we headed in the direction of the Finkenberger Almbahnen, taking full advantage of the Gasthofs on the way.
Ahornbahn (Mayrhofen) - Again, this wasn't far from our hotel so we were very keen to take the trip up to the top. Once up there, we followed the marked out Panoramic trail which isn't very long but still gave us lots of different views over the surrounding mountains. We also walked down to the chill out garden which is well worth a visit in good weather.
Ramsberglift (Ramsau) - This single open air chairlift was by far our favourite - it takes a leisurely 20 mins to get to the top with fabulous views all around. There is very little at the top though, so incoming bad weather meant we ended up descending almost straight away. It's only a short walk from the Hippach Ramsau stop on the train line.
Hintertux Gletscherbahn (Hintertux) - The Activcard allows you to get up as far as the Sommerbergalm - if you want to go right up the top for some summer skiing then you have to pay extra. The weather wasn't too good the day we went up there though so we just had a wander around the Sommerbergalm area. Probably better to go up on a clear day if you can. The road from Mayrhofen is quite slow and windy so the bus journey there may take longer than you expect.
Rosenalmbahn (Zell am Ziller) - Our main reason for going here was to go on the Arena Coaster summer toboggan run. If you have an Activcard, you can get 2 tickets for this for the price of one before 1pm from Monday-Friday. We've been on summer toboggan runs before but this was by far the longest and fastest we've ever been on. Definitely the highlight of our holiday! We then took the Rosenalmbahn to the end of the second cableway and then walked up to the Kreuzjochhutte which was a long steep climb but worth it for the views.
Spieljochbahn (Fugen) - This is a bit of a walk up-hill from the nearest train station (Fugen/Hart) so it's worth trying to get the connecting bus to the cable car station if you can. The panorama walk at the top was a bit too steep and rocky for me so we ended up taking a walk down to a little lake and chapel instead which was really nice. We also had fun watching groups of kids trying out Via Ferrata and watching families trying to keep the local goats off their picnic tables!
Zillertalbahn - The Activcard gives you free travel on many of the trains and buses in the Zillertal valley. We spent quite a nice morning travelling the whole length of the line from Mayrhofen to Jenbach by normal train. You can also do this route by steam train but it will cost you a lot more. There is nothing really to see in Jenbach but you can catch trains onwards to Achensee or Innsbruck. We also made use of the trains and buses for short journeys around the valley and found them to be convenient and reliable, if a little crowded at times.
In addition, we also did wild-water rafting in Mayrhofen which was great fun but we seemed to spend very little time actually on the water - a lot of time was spent getting changed, getting to the river etc. There are longer trips available but these involve more travelling so we decided to stick with the local rafting. This was booked through the Thomson/Crystal office - make sure you pay in cash there as if you pay by card they will apply a significantly lower exchange rate then you will get from an ATM.
Finally, on our last day we went on the ‘Tourist' train around Mayrhofen - basically a tractor with a few rickety carriages attached. At 5 euros each, it was pretty expensive considering the journey itself was less than 30 mins but it did at least allow us to see some of the outlying areas that we might otherwise have missed. In hindsight, it might have been better to have done in on the first day to help us get our bearings. If you want any other ideas of things to see and do in the area then it's worth trying the Tourist Information Centre or the Thomson/Crystal office as both have lots of leaflets, many of them in English.
Aww thanks Corinne for your report it made really interesting reading. Sounds as though you had a brilliant time 
Would you please copy your hotel review over to here:- http://www.holidaytruths.co.uk/reviews/strass-hotel/
Many thanks
Would you please copy your hotel review over to here:- http://www.holidaytruths.co.uk/reviews/strass-hotel/
Many thanks
Glad to hear that you had such a lovely time, Corinne and good to hear the Mayrhofen sounds as if it is still very much as I remember it. I'd forgotten all about the summer toboggan run but, yes, isn't it fantastic? I'd also forgotten about the Austrian tendency towards a very 'natural' approach to spas and saunas! Probably because we too were too self-conscious to join in as well! Your reviews made me all nostalgic and set me thinking that we should go back in the not too distant future.
Many thanks for your review Corinne which has now been approved and can be read here:-
http://www.holidaytruths.co.uk/reviews/strass-hotel/
http://www.holidaytruths.co.uk/reviews/strass-hotel/
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