Going up the Kitzsteinhorn glacier in Kaprun, Austria

Jess, aged 15, writes: During a lovely lakeside stay in Zell am See, Austria, I was lucky enough to visit the Kitzsteinhorn glacier with my grandpa. In the winter, the Kitzsteinhorn is generally used for skiing, but in summer the mountain is perfect for walks and admiring the gorgeous views. Our trip was definitely one of the most impressive in the entire holiday, and we both had a really good time.

The Kitzsteinhorn is about forty minutes away from Zell am See (our base) by bus, and we arrived just past midday. After pausing for a small drink and a pastry, we began our ascent up the mountain in a funitel. This journey was certainly one of the standout moments of the entire holiday.

[caption id="attachment_4114" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] The gondola lift up the mountain was incredible![/caption]

The Gletscherjet I (glacier jet one) takes you unbelievably high, and the journey is about five and a half minutes long. The small capsule size and lack of midweek crowds meant that it was just me and grandpa by ourselves, and it was lovely to move around and talk freely without strangers next to us! The views were absolutely magnificent: the towering green mountains stretched into the distance, interspersed with tall trees and trickling waterfalls. This was definitely the most majestic point of our entire holiday, and I loved it.

[caption id="attachment_4136" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] We loved our gondola journeys up the mountain![/caption]

After exiting the funitel, grandpa and I took a walk around the area. Luckily, the ground was flat, making it very accessible. The area consisted of a sports and a souvenir shop, a restaurant, and a climbing frame for children (I enjoyed this, despite probably being too old!) Our walk was short, but very pleasant. We stumbled upon some lambs and a river, and the views beneath us were simply gorgeous.

There are lots of lifts to choose in the winter, but there is less of a choice in summer. Grandpa and I took the Gletscherjet II to the next level: a journey which took about three minutes. This was equally as impressive as our first journey, and again, we had the capsule to ourselves.

[caption id="attachment_4133" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] We took the Gipfelwelt up to the top of the Kitzsteinhorn[/caption]

There is a lot to do once outside of the Gletscherjet II, but grandpa and I decided to forgo this and take the Gipfelwelt 3000 to the highest accessible point of the mountain. This journey took us from the mountain's lush grassy hills to the snow-covered glacier, and we could see people partaking in snow sports beneath us.

[caption id="attachment_4113" align="aligncenter" width="1280"] At the top of Salzburg![/caption]

It was extremely exciting to be at the top of the Kitzsteinhorn, as this meant that we were at the highest accessible point of Salzburg: 3029m high. The Gipfelwelt 3000 panorama was a perfect place for admiring the incredible view and taking photos. It was a stunning view, and it was cool to be at the highest point in the whole of Salzburg!

[caption id="attachment_4134" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] The views of the glacier were remarkable.[/caption]

Next came the National Park Gallery, which is located in a 360m long tunnel through the Kitzsteinhorn. It was fascinating to be able to walk through the mountain. We learnt about the formation of the Alps and the different crystals in the Kitzsteinhorn, but had to turn back as the altitude was making grandpa feel slightly uneasy.

Finally, it was time to take the Gipfelwelt, Gletscherjet II, and Gletscherjet I back to the bottom of the Kitzsteinhorn. I had had an amazing time, and was honestly sad to leave. The views from the gondolas had been phenomenal, and the mountain had been just so quiet and beautiful. There was so much grandpa and I didn't manage to do (exploring more of the museum, going to the cinema, or trying out snow sports), yet we still had such a relaxing and interesting time. I would definitely recommend a visit to the Kitzsteinhorn; it was simply a lovely day out.

Jess and her grandpa went on a package holiday with Inghams, flying via Ryan Air from Stansted Airport to Salzburg and then taking a coach to Zell. They were gifted two “summer cards” from the Zell am Zee tourism board, but they had no input into this blog post.

Read more about this holiday here

- you can find out all the other wonderful things that Jess and her grandpa got up to!

What happened to Viennese Jews? A moving visit to the Jewish Museums in Vienna

Vienna is one of the most beautiful cities I’ve ever visited, in Europe and the world. Once the capital of a thriving empire, it is now the most important city for a country of just 8.5 million but it still has the grandeur of the place it once was. And the history.

The city certainly has a chequered past–and not only when it comes to the 20^th century. That was when my father, aged two, had to escape from the city of his birth as a toddler, arriving in London just two weeks before the start of World War II. There were some very dark times indeed.

That’s why – when I recently visited this remarkable city with my father and son – I knew we had to make a trip to its two Jewish museums. I would recommend them both whole heartedly.

The first Jewish Museum is in Judenplatz (“Jewish place”) and contains the excavations of the old medieval synagogue, one of the largest in the middle ages. It is a small museum, giving the history of the Jews in these times, when it was a thriving community – and showing what life was like then. We took audio guides round (these include one for children, which my son enjoyed using) and would definitely recommend it – although it is a small museum, which will take only an hour or so to go around.

[caption id="attachment_3784" align="alignnone" width="1200"] The Whiteread memorial to the Holocaust[/caption]

The Jewish community in Vienna was completely destroyed in a pogrom in 1420-1, with over 200 Jews burnt on Erdberger Lände, so it is perhaps fitting that Rachel Whitread’s memorial to the victims of the Holocaust is built over the top of where the old synagogue was discovered.  It is intended to remember the 65,000 Austrian Jews who were killed in the Holocaust.

[caption id="attachment_3785" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Robert at the remains of the old medieval synagogue[/caption]

The second museum is in Dorotheergasse and you need to leave yourself more time here. We were here for a few hours, but it could have been longer.

The museum was designed with the intention of not being solely a “Holocaust Museum”, but to show the history of the Jews in Vienna as a whole. That means the good and the bad, including the war years and the post-war years when Austria was not willing to face up to its actions, and wanted only to see itself as another victim of Nazi aggression (Hitler marched in to the country in 1938, but to widespread acclaim). That was really about life after survival, and the in face of no assistance from the Austrian authorities, at least for many years

Before 1938, the Viennese Jewish community was huge, around 185,000 people, smaller only than those in Warsaw and Budapest. It’s now around 8,000, and its story means there is so much to see in this museum.

[caption id="attachment_3786" align="alignnone" width="1200"] The box sent to Lilly Bial by her parents - and which she didn't receive until she was 79[/caption]

If it’s possible, I’d recommend a tour (book in advance). We did a short one, and even in that time we found out some fascinating bits of history – not least when we were shown a small box, full of treats, books and photographs, that had been packed for a young girl, Lilly Bial, who had left on the kindertransport and sent to England. She never saw her parents again and the box wasn’t found until 2004, long after they died. It was extremely moving.

Jews were expelled from Vienna in 1421 and returned in the 17^th century, where they lived mainly in a ghetto before being expelled again in 1670. They did return, but were not officially recognised as a community (despite helping to finance wars and industry), being officially outlawed until 1852.  They were at the forefront of the 1848 revolution and its failure was a great disappointment after the emperor then revoked some of their entitlements, such as the right to own property. However, the community was recognised in 1852 and in 1867, every person in the monarchy was deemed equal before the law.

However, even despite this, and a flowering of Jews in Vienna (including famous names such as Sigmund Freud),  it is clear from the exhibition that anti-Semitism never went away and grew, virulently, in the 20^th century.

The museum has a permanent exhibition, Our City! Jewish Vienna – from then to now, which covers two floors, and starts by looking at the city in 1945.

The second floor covers Jewish Vienna from the Middle Ages to 1938-45 and it is the one where we spent the longest time, reading about the history and looking at the items of interest. These were wide ranging and moving.

For example, there is a photo of 13-year-old Maximilian Reich in a 1941 Viennese photo studio with St. Stephan’s Cathedral as a backdrop. On the back he wrote a note to his friend Martin Vogel, urging him not to forget him. He was deported three days later.

[caption id="attachment_3787" align="alignnone" width="700"] Judaica - pic courtesy of the Jewish Museum, Vienna[/caption]

The top floor is based around the collection of a man called Max Berger who specialised in Judaica. There are really beautiful Jewish items on show, including ritual objects such Torah shields, pointers and crowns (used when the Torah – or books of the law – are read in synagogue), Chanukah menorahs, Sabbath candlesticks and more, from all round Europe, including many communities which no longer have any Jewish presence at all.

[caption id="attachment_3788" align="alignnone" width="675"] These walking sticks are caricatures[/caption]

There are also some more problematic items, such as anti-Semitic walking sticks (yes really) or other models or postcards which contain people who are supposed to “look” Jewish.

All in all, I felt that these two museums were both important places to visit, to show a side of our history, as European Jews, which no one should forget.

Both Jewish Museums are closed on Saturdays. The bigger museum in Dorotheergasse is open from Sunday to friday from 10 to 6pm, while the other is open from 10 to 6 on Sunday to Thursday and 10 till 2 on Fridays.

You can buy a ticket for both museums, as long as you use it within four days of issue. It costs €12 for aduts and is free for children under 18, as well as being free if you have a Vienna Pass. You can also book a guided tour if you like.

The Museum in Dorotheergasse also has a lovely cafe and there are also a number of temporary exhibitions, which change throughout the year.

Travelling Times: Our Top Places to visit in 2014

 

[caption id="attachment_904" align="aligncenter" width="940"] On holiday in Tenerife[/caption]

Welcome to the second annual Family Travel Times Travel Awards! Once again, we have been lucky enough to visit some brilliant places, but which ones were our favourites? Welcome to the 2014 award ceremony and our top places to visit...

Best Day Out

Jess says: I definitely think that the "Art of the Brick" LEGO exhibition was our best day out this year. The exhibition, which is travelling worldwide, is composed of over 85 LEGO sculptures and all of them are fantastic. These sculptures ranged from 3D paintings such as The Kiss and The Scream to a giant dinosaur, and from the solar system to the Venus de Milo! We had a brilliant time looking at the sculptures, watching videos and even had a chance to create our own sculptures at the end!

Alternatively, Burghley house in Lincolnshire is a brilliant place to visit - we visited it over the summer and had a wonderful time. The house, which was built by William Cecil (Lord Burghley) is extremely impressive both inside and outside, as we found out when following the Beastly Boring Burghley tour. This tour was probably the best tour aimed at kids I've been to, and it was full of interesting facts. Afterwards, we loads of fun exploring the gardens, which consisted of a maze, Poseidon’s Grotto, sculptures and lots of fountains to run into.

Robert says:  The alligator tours in Florida was my favourite day out in 2014. It's not every day you get to see real life alligators and hold one too! It was a brilliant experience and I learnt many things like how to tell a crocodile from an alligator or how to spot if it is a male or female. I absolutely loved it and could do it again and again.

Brian (dad) says: I loved my visit to Kennedy Space Center in Florida. I particularly enjoyed the Rocket Garden, seeing the Space Shuttle Atlantis up close, hearing a veteran astronaut giving a talk, and walking underneath the enormous Saturn V rocket.

Best Overall Holiday

Robert says: My favourite holiday of the year was when dad and I went to Florida as I won a competition to go to Space Camp. Everything was great, from the inventive and exciting activities of space camp to the wonderful warm weather - not mentioning the cups and cups of free drinks. I loved learning all about space at Kennedy Space Center and the rides at Universal Studios were brilliant too.

Sarah says: For me, Austria was a perfect holiday. We all tried something different - cycling - and enjoyed the food, the scenery and the many things to do. I was genuinely overwhelmed by how beautiful it was and don't think it gets better than riding alongside Lake Wolfgang with the wind in my hair. It was magnificent.

Best in London

Robert says: We have been to some truly amazing things in London this year and my favourite has got to be ClueQuest. We had one hour to find a way to get out of a locked room. Everything was a clue from books to bottles, playing cards to tables. It was so fun and exciting but a bit stressful when we only had a few minutes left. It was an amazing day out that really pushed our minds to the limit.

Best View 

Jess says: The views at the top of the Schafbergbahn in Saint Wolfgang, Austria have to be the best I've ever seen. The summit of the mountain was 1,783m high and there were 360º beautiful views over the lakes Wolfgangsee, Irrsee, Mondsee and Fuschlsee. It truly was phenomenal.

[caption id="attachment_903" align="aligncenter" width="940"] The waves in Tenerife were captivating[/caption]

Sarah says: Obviously I loved the views in Austria, but I could also have watched the waves crashing onto the shore near our apartment in San Miguel, Tenerife, for hours. There were hardly any people around and we just sat and enjoyed the spectacle. They were just so dramatic, such an illustration of nature, that they were incredibly special. We have just come back from Tenerife - posts to come...

Best Place to Stay

[caption id="attachment_513" align="aligncenter" width="940"] Outside the House of Correction[/caption]

Jess says: The House of Correction in Folkingham, Lincolnshire was probably my favourite place to have ever stayed, and I would love to go back. The house belongs to the Landmark Trust and is built on the site of a big medieval castle. The house was a small prison for minor offenders and was initially built in 1611, but replaced in 1808 and enlarged in 1825. It was then closed in 1878. It is absolutely magnificent and only one family can stay at a time, making the experience even more special.

Best Ride

Robert says: I have been to two amazing parks this year which have both been full to the top with amazing attractions, so it was very hard to pick the winner for best ride. Instead I decided to pick three! The first is from Universal Studios in Florida and is the fast paced, scary indoor roller coaster Return of the Mummy. Most of the ride is in pitch black so it added extra suspense as you didn't know when there was going to be a drop. The first time I went on it I was scared out of my skin when we plummeted down into the red steaming smoke.



The next two winners of this category are from Siam Park, the Water Kingdom in Tenerife (post coming soon). Everything there was wonderful but I decided my first pick would be the Mekong Rapids that dad and I went on four times throughout the day. After a long tiring walk up hundreds of stairs we got to a small pool of water where inside we climbed into a yellow dinghy and then zoomed off down the tunnel. It was so fast and very wet. Dad was screaming like a baby the first time as there were so many drops. I loved the next ride, the Kinnaree the scariest ride we went on, but dad definitely didn't. However, it was still loads of fun. Of all the rides we went on this had the biggest drops and at some points we felt like we were going to go upside down. The ride was so cleverly made and I loved it but I don't think the guy next to me who was swearing the whole time did though.

Best Beach

Jess says: We travelled to Tenerife over Christmas, and the weather was lovely and the beaches superb. Although we had a lovely time at Los Cristianos, my favourite was the Playa del Bobo in Adeje. Not only was the sand lovely and soft, but the waves were brilliant and it was perfect for swimming and paddling. It wasn't too busy and was the perfect spot for a walk. There was also a delicious ice cream store nearby!

Best Educational Day Out

[caption id="attachment_171" align="aligncenter" width="504"] The actors at the Drake Fun Day[/caption]

Robert says: As we have been learning about World War II at school as a class we went to the Churchill War Cabinets and Churchill Museum. The audio tours were very detailed and informative. I learnt a lot about where the prime Minister of England stayed during WWII. I preferred the Churchill museum to the war cabinets as it was much more interactive. There was a table that told you what event happened on your birthday during the war, I got to hold Winston Churchill's teddy bears from when he was younger (they were so cute) and I even got to use a typewriter. It was a very interesting and fun day out.

Jess says: We also thought that the Drake Fun Day atop the Golden Hinde II (a replica of the ship which Sir Francis Drake used to sail all round the world) was fantastic. We played games and learned facts from the Captain and his strange assistant, Fart - this was lots of fun and very interesting! The event was two hours long and consisted of firing guns, learning a code and exploring the ship. I would recommend it to children aged 6+.

Best Hidden Gem

[caption id="attachment_151" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Robert at Groombridge Place's Mystic Pool[/caption]

Sarah says: Groombridge was gorgeous - and a surprise! We had gone to Kent for the weekend to visit Hever Castle where Anne Bolyen had lived, and as a Tudor aficionado, that was intended to be the main event. However, we decided we should visit another "attraction" too and that turned out to be Groombridge. We were so pleased we went as it was perfect for families, with gorgeous grounds and in particular many hidden treasures inside the woods. We'd highly recommend it.

Best Food

Robert says: For me the best food in 2014 came from VegFest, the big market where all the food was vegan. I had so many tasters of all the sweets, crackers, dips and drinks and I even had a go at using an electrical massage machine. I ate stuff that I had never seen before like bread crisps and I had salt and vinegar flavoured bread. Everyone was so nice and insisted that I should have more - how could I resist? It was a delicious day and I'll be coming back for more next year.

Thanks for reading Family Travel Times this year and enjoy 2015!

Read our Travelling Times awards for 2013 and let us know your favourites too!

 

A wonderful trip to Lake Wolfgang in Austria, part 2 (including Salzburg!)

[caption id="attachment_610" align="aligncenter" width="940"] There were great views of the city from the top of the Fortress[/caption]

We had a brilliant time on holiday in Austria, near Lake Wolfgang (the Wolfgangsee) as you may have seen from Jessica's first post last week. Here she tells you about the rest of our terrific stay - including a trip to Sound of Music heaven...

Over to Jess:

Our wonderful holiday continued with a trip to Salzburg on Thursday

Today, we visited Salzburg, and were very lucky to have a tour around the city by Michaela our amazing guide. She took us to churches, statues and locations from where The Sound of Music was filmed.

[caption id="attachment_601" align="aligncenter" width="940"] These steps are in the Sound of Music - they're where the children sing "Do, ray, me"[/caption]

I especially liked walking through the pretty square where part of “Do Ray Me” was sung and you can see some Sound of Music references in our video!

[kad_youtube url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ivzOAzN7FY" width=460 height=325 ]

Salzburg is full of stunning Baroque architecture, and we loved looking at all the incredible buildings, especially all of the churches. There are lots of religious places to see in the city, but my favourite was the church where Mozart was baptised. It was absolutely beautiful, and the walls had lovely black and white decorations.

[caption id="attachment_608" align="aligncenter" width="940"] Mozart was baptised at the beautiful Salzburg Cathedral[/caption]

Mozart lived in Salzburg, and his presence was everywhere. Salzburg is the home of Mozart chocolates which (happily) were in almost every shop, while you can also visit his old house and see a statue of him.

[caption id="attachment_603" align="aligncenter" width="940"] This is where Mozart lived in Salzburg[/caption]

Michaela told us lots of facts about Salzburg, which I was fascinated by. I never knew that Salzburg used to be an independent country but was annexed to the Austrian Empire in 1816, or that Salzburg means “salt castle”. This name is because of all the salt mining done nearby. We also bought some delicious things to eat...

[caption id="attachment_599" align="aligncenter" width="940"] I was lucky enough to find a huge doughnut pretzl in the Salzburg market.[/caption]

After this, our family took the cable car up to the fortress, which had lovely views over the city and was also full of history.

Next, we took the bus to the lovely palace of Hellbrunn, built in the 17th century, and which has lovely grounds and even boasts the pavilion where the song “Sixteen Going on Seventeen” was filmed for The Sound of Music.

[caption id="attachment_600" align="aligncenter" width="768"] You may recognise this pavilion from the Sound of Music[/caption]

Instead of exploring the rooms, we opted to go to the trick fountains, which we all loved. My brother got absolutely soaked.

Hundreds of years ago, the Archbishop loved inviting friends to his palace, but always tried to liven up their visits. By placing surprising fountains around the gardens, he would shock them and get them soaking wet!

[caption id="attachment_604" align="aligncenter" width="768"] Robert was soaking after a tour of the water gardens at Hellbrun[/caption]

We got to walk around, sit on chairs and watch shows which ultimately left us covered with water! One example was when we were watching a show with small figures powered by water. Before starting, our guide told us to watch the cannons. Once the show had finished, we were quite confused - no water had come out the cannons! Just ask we started to walk away, water started to spew out from the steps behind us, giving us a shock…

Friday

[caption id="attachment_607" align="aligncenter" width="940"] The water was so green and so clear[/caption]

On Friday, we went cycling again. First of all, we went to tobogganing centre in Strobl, passing a clear blue lake with people swimming in it on the way. It was gorgeous, and I thought it was amazing how unpolluted it was! In London, a lake like that would be brown and full of rubbish!

[caption id="attachment_609" align="aligncenter" width="940"] The tobogganing was lots of fun[/caption]

The tobogganing was lots of fun, and Rob especially loved it. You went up really high before sliding down the hill very quickly, and half of the time you were practically riding on the wall. Each go took a very long time as going up the hill took aages. There were two different ways you could go down; one was short and fast, and one was longer and slightly slower. You also got to control how fast you went by pulling a lever on the board you were riding on.

Next, we cycled 14k to St. Gilgen at the top of the Wolfgangsee, which looked sublime. It was another hot day, and we quenched our thirst with lemonade and a really bitter lemon drink that everyone hated but me!

[caption id="attachment_605" align="aligncenter" width="940"] This swing in St Gilgen has a beautiful backdrop![/caption]

After a brilliant pizza, we took a look around the shops, got cream cakes from a bakery and took a ferry back to Strobl.

Saturday

Today we had a short cycle in the direction of Bad Ischl, passing beautiful mountains, trees and waterfalls on the way. The weather was not lovely, but an erdbeer torte in a cafe back in Strobl more than made up for it…

So that was our fabulous holiday for the summer. Even though we spent a lot of time running, swimming and cycling, I still felt really relaxed and refreshed throughout the week, which is something that does not normally happen to me. The holiday was very different to others I have been on, and is definitely one of my favourites. Funnily enough, I had never been cycling for longer than half an hour before, but the holiday really helped me to improve my confidence, and there were not too many parts of the journeys that were uphill.

[caption id="attachment_598" align="aligncenter" width="940"] We loved our cycling experience by Lake Wolfgang[/caption]

I would 100 percent recommend this holiday to anyone - there seemed to be something for the whole family and I honestly cannot think of anything bad about it! The sights were incredible, the food was fantastic and there was loads to see and do. I wish that we could go back next year!

Disclosure: our tour around Salzburg with Michaela Muhr, a licensed guide, was complimentary and you can book your tour via the Salzburg Experience website. All the views and opinions about the tour and the city are our own.

Disclosure: we were offered a discounted media rate for a Headwater cycling holiday to Austria. However, all our views are entirely our own.

For August departures this year, Headwater would have charged: £1038 for an adult self drive including Eurotunnel (child under 12 sharing £599), £1238 for an adult flying with with BA from Gatwick-Salzburg (child £819) and £1029 for an adult tour only (child £619). This is for half-board accommodation, including transfers, plus the bikes!

This week we're part of the Sunday Traveler (or traveller as we would write in the UK!) where you can link up and read about travels around the world. It's hosted by by the lovely Sarah-Jane at Chase the Donkey!

A family holiday cycling in Austria by St Wolfgangsee (Pt 1)

[kad_youtube url="http://youtu.be/4ivzOAzN7FY" width=460 height=320 ]

 

We had the most fantastic family holiday this summer, but it was a surprise to all of us how much we enjoyed it!

[caption id="attachment_488" align="aligncenter" width="940"] In St Wolfgang[/caption]

 

Although we like sport, we are not the most outdoorsy kind of family, which was why I was dubious when Catherine Crone of Headwater Holidays suggested trying out one of their cycling vacations. The company offers tailor-made walking and cycling tours, but, when I made it clear that our cycling experience consisted of little more than occasional sessions in the gym (me) and wobbly trips around the park (9-year-old Robert), she suggested a trip whereby the company offered you bikes and a hotel as a base and left you to decide how much or little cycling to do. We did far more than we thought we would, and we LOVED it!

Here's Jess to tell you more:

"This summer, my family and I spent a wonderful week in the Salzkammergut region of Austria by Lake Wolfgang, and had an incredible time. We flew from Gatwick to Salzburg, and then stayed in the Hotel Bergrose in Strobl, about an hour and a quarter from Salzburg and right at the end of the lake, or St Wolfgangsee. It was absolutely beautiful.

[caption id="attachment_487" align="aligncenter" width="940"] We stayed at the Hotel Bergrose near Strobl[/caption]

 

The hotel in itself was amazing; our family room had incredible views and was really spacious, and there was loads of space for relaxing. We frequently played on the table tennis table, enjoyed the swimming pool and spa and ate strudel outside by the river. The Hotel Bergrose is also a restaurant, and as we were staying on half-board evening meals were included in our stay. This was brilliant, and the food was delightful. We have never stayed in a place where a hotel is able to cope with all of our family’s strange dietary needs, but this hotel managed to prepare delicious four-course meals every night for all of us, despite my brother's allergies and the fact that none of us eat meat. I know that my parents really appreciated this.

As this was a Headwater holiday, our family were given bikes and talked with John, the rep for Austria. We were told about all of the best places to go, cycling routes and got to read a book by other people who had stayed in the hotel and their thoughts. This was really useful, and gave us a great idea of what to do during our stay.
As we did soooo much during our holiday, I have decided to break it down into days and two blog posts! We travelled on both Sundays (and we even cycled on our first day, to the nearby little village of Strobl).

[caption id="attachment_482" align="aligncenter" width="940"] Our bikes, resting by the Lake in Strobl[/caption]

Monday…

After a great breakfast, we all cycled 8km to the lovely town of St. Wolfgang. The sun was shining and it was a relatively easy ride with lots of cycle paths, so we had a great journey. After checking out some of the shops and eating cake from the bakeries, we decided to walk along and look at the views, which were stunning. The Wolfgangsee was really clear and sparkled in the sun, and the mountains were breathtaking.

[caption id="attachment_490" align="aligncenter" width="940"] Going up the cog railway[/caption]

Next, we took a trip up the cog railway to the top of a mountain, which was simply fantastic. The summit was 1,783m high and the views were the best I had seen in my life. The 360º views of lakes Wolfgangsee, Irrsee, Mondsee and Fuschlsee were phenomenal, and everything just seemed so tiny and surreal.

[caption id="attachment_491" align="aligncenter" width="940"] At the top of the mountains by Lake Wolfgang. We loved these views![/caption]

After the 35 minute journey down the mountain, we took the ferry back to Strobl, and then cycled onto our hotel.

Tuesday…

Today we took the 150 bus to Bad Ischl (mum and dad want me to point out that, although they didn't find Austria to be very expensive, at least compared to London, the public transport was pricey!) and had a look around. First of all we had sublime cake in the world-famous Zauner coffee house, and I had a triangle full of marzipan and chocolate, which was honestly one of the nicest things I have ever eaten.

[caption id="attachment_498" align="aligncenter" width="940"] Delicious cakes at the Zauner Coffee House in Bad Ischl[/caption]

After this, we visited the Kaiservilla, which was the summer home of the Emperor in the times of the Habsburg Empire, and was described by Franz Josef I as "heaven on earth" for himself and his family. We took a guided tour around the house, and were given interesting sheets in English, as the tour was in German.

[caption id="attachment_496" align="aligncenter" width="940"] At the Kaiservilla in Bad Ischl[/caption]

I thought that the house was lovely, and was fascinated by pretty much everything, especially the letters on the Emperor’s desk. I definitely did not expect him to live so frugally, and was surprised by how bare his room was.

Wednesday...

On Wednesday, we took the bus to the small town of Hallstatt where we visited the Salt Mines. First of all, we took the railway to the top of the mountain, which had astonishing views over the town. After walking through an exhibition about burials at the salt mine and some signs with facts about the workers, we got to the main entrance, where we donned strange suits and walked through a museum before starting our tour, which was in German and English.

[caption id="attachment_500" align="aligncenter" width="940"] We took a cable car up to the top of the mountain at Hallstatt[/caption]

We walked through a tunnel into a mountain, which was quite cold. It was really cool to see the salt stuck to the sides of the tunnel. The tour was seventy minutes long, and was full of videos which had English captions. We did feel that some things were lost in translation and would have also liked to know a bit more about the history of the mine, which was a shame. However, I really enjoyed learning about the techniques used to get salt, and how the mine was formed in the first place.

[caption id="attachment_493" align="aligncenter" width="940"] Ready to go down the slide (note my fashionable attire)[/caption]

The miners used to go down slides to get into the mine, which we also got to ride. Although I would have liked to go faster, they were still loads of fun. The second one was 64m long and they were both quite steep.
At the end of our visit, we took a train out of the mountain, which went very fast. It was actually one of my favourite parts of our trip to Hallstatt! Then we took the bus back to our hotel.

Read Part Two of our wonderful holiday - including a trip to the site of the Sound of Music, Salzburg. And please enjoy our video too.

Disclosure: we were offered a discounted media rate for a Headwater cycling holiday to Austria. However, all our views are entirely our own.

For more on European holidays, read our tips for visiting the Eiffel Tower, with kids.

Travelling times: our "bests" of 2013

Welcome to
 THE FAMILY TRAVEL TIMES TRAVEL AWARDS!

We have been really lucky to visit some incredible places this year, but which ones have been particularly brilliant? Here are our top ten!

 

Best Beach

 

Jessica says: The best beach of the year, and probably the nicest one I've ever been to, was the famous seven mile beach at our holiday in Beaches Negril (post coming soon). The beautiful blue sea seemed to stretch out forever and the white sand was soft and lovely to walk on. This was combined with the wonderful weather - always hot and barely ever a cloud in the sky.

 

Best View

Robert says: My best view was in Austria (read our post here).When I looked out of my hotel room window I could see enormous grey mountains. When I looked higher I could see no grey just a big blob of bright white snow. I could also see beautiful dark green hills. I thought it was a great view because there weren't any buildings in the way.

Jessica says: My favourite view ever was looking out of the window on our flight to Jamaica. The Caribbean looked incredible from above. The sea was clear blue and there was such a variety of colours. My favourite part was looking at the change of blue in the sea and an island that looked like a giraffe with a massive foot!

 

Best Day Out

Robert says: My best day out was by far the London Bridge Experience and The London Tombs. It is fun, scary, interesting and funny. I liked both parts, the educational and the scary, but some people do find the London Tombs terrifying. Click here to see my post.
Best Day Out For The Whole Family

Jessica: My best day out for the whole family was at Universal Islands Of Adventure, Florida (read our blog post here). The rides were awesome and it was fantastic weather. Rob and I both loved everything, but the best had to be the Wizarding World of Harry Potter as it looked so real.
The atmosphere was amazing, but it was slightly cagey at the start of the day as everyone was rivals in a race to get to the Harry Potter ride first! Disney World felt kinder and more relaxed, but the rides at Universal were better suited to us.

Sarah says: I think the best day out has to be the Harry Potter studio experience in Leavesden. There is so much to see, and it's not all about the rides! It's brilliantly done and works for every age (though there is a lot of walking). Read more of what I thought in my post here.

Best Hotel

The gorgeous Hilton Grand Vacation Suites at Seaworld

Jess says: We have stayed at loads of places during 2013, but a few have really stood out. Firstly, as part of our visit to Orlando in February, we stayed at the Hilton Grand Vacation Suites. This hotel had gigantic and luxurious rooms, as well as massive pools. We were there for a week and thought that it was so convenient as it was near to just about everything and we could walk to Seaworld easily.
Mum and I also adored Beaches Negril in Jamaica, as there was so much to do, everyone was charming and friendly and the food was delicious. It was, really, a holiday in itself.
A more unique and engaging hotel was St Ermins, which is situated right in the middle of London and near all the best sightseeing spots. I have written a review of it here and we got to try out the "Budding Bonds" package, letting us become secret agents. We cracked codes and searched local landmarks for clues, eventually being rewarded for our hard work with mocktails!

Best Ride

Robert says: Jess and I have three best rides. I will tell you about two of them and Jess will do one. The Simpsons ride is at Universal Studios. Our family was laughing before the ride had begun because when you were waiting Krusty would tell you funny jokes. In the ride, you are on a rollercoaster that has been sabotaged by Sideshow Bob. Bob seeks revenge so there are a lot of surprises throughout the ride. The ride is a simulator. The Spiderman ride was also at Universal, but in the Islands of Adventure section. It was an action simulator and a lot of fun. This ride was in 3D.You could feel the car bump when Spiderman landed on your car. You get to see all the baddies use their powers on you. There was real fire.

Jessica says: Harry Potter: A Forbidden Journey, also at Universal Islands Of Adventure is a mixture of a ride and motion simulator. It uses state-of-the-art graphics and motion technology to make you feel like you are actually flying through a quidditch match with Harry, Ron and Hermione!

Most Educational Day Out

Jess says: We had a really brilliant time in Bristol, where I learnt loads without ever getting bored. We went on a City Sightseeing Bus Tour which was fascinating, but the best part was At-Bristol, a fabulous interactive science museum that I enjoyed more than the one in London! As well as this, we visited Bristol Zoo, which I also enjoyed more than the ones at London. The best bit was feeding the Lorikeets - tiny, colourful birds.

Sarah says: We also had a lovely day out in Bath, which was full of things to see and do. The Roman Baths are a must, but we also did a bus top tour, which gave us some historical background, ate at Sally Lunn's (you can read about that here) and simply walked around taking in the sights.

Most Comfortable Bed

Sarah says: We stayed in a lot of lovely places this year and slept in a lot of beds, from the Premier Inn in Bristol, to the gorgeous Meridien Etoile in Paris. But we had our best night's sleep in Thornbury in Bristol. The fabulous double bed at the magnificent Thornbury Castle (Read here for more on our stay at Thornbury) was just so comfortable, I would have liked to have taken it home with me. I even found out what the mattresses were, and they are Vi-Spring mattresses. Fab.

Best Way To Travel

Sarah says: I'm not a huge fan of flying, although I know that it's the only way to get to far off places. That's why my favourite way of travelling this year was via the Eurostar to Paris. I couldn't believe how convenient it was. The security procedures didn't take hours and hours (unlike airports) and there was space to get up and move around. I had been told that it was an extremely boring journey, mostly through a tunnel, so was pleasantly surprised by how much of it was outside, where you could watch the countryside whizz by. Even better, we were in the centre of Paris in just a few hours without being exhausted from an early start or much hanging around. Brilliant.

Coolest Room

Jessica says: I loved our very atmospheric room at Thornbury Castle, which made me feel like I was in medieval or Tudor times! There was a stone staircase leading up to the room and a massive tapestry, and very posh toilet roll. There was loads of space, and it was like no hotel room I had - or imagine ever will again - experience in my life...