 Poster: A snowHead
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OK we've decided to head to the Alps this summer for a week. We're after great scenery (should be pretty easy), relaxed, small, traditional Alpine village. Good (treating ourselves) hotel, doesn't have to be swanky etc but with something special going for it! Hoping to walk, cycle to lunch....sit in the sun and watch the world go by.
Any suggestions welcome! 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Sport Hotel in Neustift, Glockenstuhl in Westendorf...
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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clarky999, Both look great, thanks
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Chris Angus, Berghof in St Johann-Alpendorf in Salzburgerland, Panorama-Sport Hotel in Wagrain, both Austria and in very traditional villages
Duftbräu, Samerberg is a Berghotel (ie on the mountain) family run with wonderful walks, excellent cycling and marvellous food
Hotel zum Post, Törwang am Samerberg is a really super family run hotel who will organise transport for you to other areas like to Prien for the ferries around Chiemsee or has walking groups going out on an ad hoc basis from the hotel. Food is superb and as it is my local I feel very lucky.
When you say not "swanky" what exactly do you mean?
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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If the Swiss Franc doesn't put you off, Wengen might do you, beautiful scenery, lots of walks or for a change you can go down to Interlaken and take one of the lake steamers on either of the lakes, I'd still suggest the Hotel Alpenrose in Wengen but almost any of the hotels in the area will be pretty good
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Les Gets is nice in the summer too - all the azaleas and lupins out on the mountains, makes you want to sing! Hotels in the village that are good but not swanky include the Labrador, Alpina, Belle Vue and I think the Marmotte is open in the summer. You can travel about on the lifts and always go down to the lake at Geneva
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PDS isn't a particularly great place in the summer if you want a quiet relaxing holiday. It's just full of english mountain bikers.
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el nombre, easy to get away from them, plenty of mountain for everyone 
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I'd agree about the mountain bikers - they can be truly terrifying if you're walking and well worth trying (if you're not a biker) to find a resort which has not yet started to "cater" for the mad b@stards. 
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Samerberg Sue, all look really good. By not needing somewhere 'swanky' I was trying (badly) to say that it doesn't need to be a smart/deluxe hotel but we are looking for something special- i.e. charm/character (all of the suggestions above fulfil that so thank you everyone). I can go to a sparkly OTT hotel if I want to round here in Dubai!
I think we might give PDS a try one winter, it's an area I've neglected. I think for this summer Austria looks to be the most likely destination.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Check out Le Monal in Sainte Foy. Quirky and very nice hotel, run by nice people, great food and another excellent restaurant right next door. Stunning views onto Mont Pourri.
A few mountain bikers about though... 
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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stevomcd, I'd get into trouble in that wine cellar....may compromise the walking the next day! 
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Another recommendation for the hotel Alpenrose in Wengen.
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You know it makes sense.
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Chris Angus, if you know Le Monal, it's worth me pointing out that Sainte Foy town has a fair bit of life about it in the summer as it's a "proper" village with a year-round population (unlike the ski resort and most other purpose-built resorts). We stop in pretty regularly on bike rides. Sitting out on the terrace with a beer looking up at Mont Pourri is a very pleasant way to finish a day!
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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If you'd be happy with a chalet rather than a hotel, it might be worth taking a look at Summer Zest? They run relaxed catered summer chalet holidays, with as many or as few activites as you'd like to add. They operate from Peisey which is a traditional village (although with quite a lot of newer development too) with plenty of walking and biking trails around.
Hope that helps - have a great summer!
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Poster: A snowHead
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Chris Angus, We had a great week at the Pension Enzian in Saalbach in the winter. Not swanky but very nice albeit it is just a pension. Run by a young English couple who really made us welcome.
http://www.pensionenzian.com/en/
Alternatively try the Hotel Tirolerhof in Zell am See, at 4.5 stars a bit more upmarket with fantastic facilities but still a very nice welcoming place, as with almost all Austrian hotels it is family run. ZamS gives you more in the way of entertainment around the town with the lake and the hills to enjoy. The only thing you might want to avoid is the number of Dubai 'locals' who will join you there?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I can recommend Hotel Gotthard in Lech. We stayed there in the August 2006 on our first summer trip to the alps. Its a family run hotel that also has a bakery under the hotel supplying most of the village. The staff were so friendly and were only too pleased to help out in any way. One morning they put on a mountain breakfast up in the hills by a mountain hut they own. There are plenty of ski lifts open in the summer and a good bus service in the area to access loads of walking paths.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Murren in the second half of June when all the meadows are in full bloom and its still quiet....Bliss 
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| Quote: |
Murren in the second half of June when all the meadows are in full bloom and its still quiet....Blis
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Yes, that sounds fantastic.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Chris Angus, Those places I recommended in Samerberg are exactly that Chocolate boxy and in small villages tucked away in a high alpine valley.
Take a look see: http://www.samerberg.de/
Unfortunately it is only in German but you'll get the picture
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try Pany or St Antonien in Switzerland (in Klosters valley). Or Val d'anniviers in Switzerland. Picture perfect and very chocolate boxy....
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It'll be last week of August so I guess the flowers might be done by then
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there'll still be flowers at altitude - just need to get up there! And with luck you could find heaps of wild raspberries.
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Good to know there will be flowers and wild raspberries in August as we are going to the Alps then too and looking forward to it.
I'm just hoping there won't be too many wasps!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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snowymum, I've not found wasps an issue, though one of our Belgian friends had some incredible bites from horse-flies (taons) which brought her legs up in big lumps. You also need to keep your eyes open for ticks. The raspberries will probably be at lower altitude than the flowers. Last summer I picked around 20 kgs - starting down in Hauteluce in mid August then moving up higher in the following couple of weeks. The best places were where trees had been felled and raspberry canes had colonised the more open areas, taking advantage of the light - they seem to grow like brambles do here. I was amused to find a French family ignoring the (to me) splendiferous raspberries and terribly pleased to have found some blackberries! You might find some myrtilles, too, but the wild strawberries will be finished, except for a few very shady spots. I did find a couple last August, and very delicious they were, too.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Chris Angus, can't help with hotels, as we've always stayed in s/c chalets or apartments in the summer, but can highly recommend Samoens/Morillon, Les Gets and St Gervais. Lovely, real villages with much more than just touristy shops/cafes etc., good local markets, stunning scenery, plenty to do or not do, great municipal swimming pools and lakes etc., etc. The Alps in summer are fab
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There is no better treat than finding an alpine strawberry just waiting for you as you struggle up the last steep bit of a black run mmmm
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You know it makes sense.
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There is no better treat than finding an alpine strawberry just waiting for you as you struggle up the last steep bit of a black run
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Maybe other than finding a naked Chemmy Alcott waiting for you in the hot tub after you struggle down a black run  ???
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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I'd put Mayrhofen on your list.
Nice town, great value nice hotels, fantastic walking (with ski lift access if you want it), easy to get to (by very scenic train ride from Munich airport) and the Hintertux glacier up the road for a spot of summer skiing
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Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Or, as you might expect from me, I'd recommend Arc 1950 - we're there for that last week of August this year.
Many consider it sniffily as 'Disney does chocolate box' - but the accommodation is good, the access and car free environment a real boon. And hell the architecture is there to take advantage of all that nature provides, with the views and vistas designed to be accessible down each of the 'streets'.
Plenty of activities, many laid on for free by the resort club, as well as some spectacular scenery, 700km of both knarly single track and family friendly biking, tennis, parcours, parapenting, white water rafting (at Bourg) , golf, archery, aqua-robics, indoor and outdoor pools, hot tubs, saunas, the whole nine yards.
Check out the videos on http://www.arc1950.com
Whisper it quietly, sometimes it is even better in the summer than the winter... (but I never said that on )
[/pimp my village]
Last edited by Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person on Wed 4-05-11 22:39; edited 1 time in total
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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As a resident I'm biased but Fieberbrunn and the surrounding area offers plenty walking and biking. There are plenty of hotels. You can find details at http://www.pillerseetal.at/en/summer/. Yet another choice
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the whole thing is just great. We like the summer as much as the winter, and autumn is terrific too. My first summer alpine experience was in Austria, many moons ago, walking with an Austrian woman (kind of friend of a friend, who ran a B & B in St Gilgen) and stopping for a snack at a little alpine hut where she knew the "Heidi's grandfather" proprietor, who gave us milk warm from the cows (or might have been goats) with rye bread and "speck". I must have been about 15. It was magical.
Wild raspberries!
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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a good morning's picking!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Everyone- many thanks some great suggestions- overwhelmed by the choice now.
I've only ever been in the Alps in the winter so definitely time to see the other side!
pam w, I'm very impressed with the raspberries- I'm guessing croissants with raspberry jam are popular in your household! 20kg is an impressive haul.
Samerberg Sue, it looks great I can struggle my way through the German.....A levels to the rescue- good to see they're useful for something!
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Chris Angus, hope you have a terrific holiday. Just watch out for those mad bikers whizzing down rocky paths at silly mph! I got a bit obsessed with the raspberry picking - I hated to think of them going to waste. I did make a lot of jam though it's all gone now. I wouldn't have bothered if I was just there for a week though.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Samerberg Sue, indeed...whatever happened to 'any colour so long as its black'! Thanks for the offer, we'll take a look in the couple of weeks. Need to make a decision!
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St Anton is also great in summer. All the facilities of a big resort, but quiet as can be.
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FAQ
! I'm looking for small and tucked away....I hesitate to admit perhaps a chocolate boxy place!
