You only see what you know (Goethe)
Before I arrived at Villa Excelsior in Bad Gastein I had already read about one of its most famous guests: Sigmund Freud. He spent several summer holidays here. The audio guide talking about sights in Bad Gastein also told me it was here where Mr. Freud was putting down his thoughts about Eros and Thanatos.
The Villa Excelsior opened as a hotel in 1897. Later, the building served as a spa for priests. The chapel of the hotel dates back to this time and is still available to guests today. On bright days, the stained glass windows immerse the room in a special light.
Villa Excelsior has already hosted famous guests. For example, Sigmund Freud spent several summer holidays here. My tour guide told me it was here where the Austrian neurologist was thinking about the concept of Eros and Thanatos.
The hotel is situated next to a biking route at the northern beginning of the Gastein Valley. The place is fine as starting point for biking, hiking, skiing and collecting mushrooms. Actually I had a delicious mushroom dish while staying at the hotel.
At my hotel in Dorfgastein I had a fun bedside lamp. One can turn on and off the light just by touching anywhere at the metal. Any ideas how this works?
The conference hotel SPES (Seminarhotel SPES) is situated on a plateau overlooking the Upper Kremstal valley (Oberes Kremstal). It is near the centre of Schlierbach but also next to a forest. It offers rooms in a modern building opened in 2009 but also in a eco-holiday resort at the foot of the plateau.
The hotel is situated at a street between Zell am See and Kaprun. The train station of the Pinzgau Railway is near the hotel so one can have a ride to the Krimml Wasserfälle on the spot. The hotel offers a spa area in the basement of a second building opposite the street.
Fun! On my trip to Zell am See I stayed at the Hotel Tauernstüberl which is using socks as ‘Do Not Disturb’ signs at its room doors. This is a kind of pun. In German language there is the phrase ‘You are a lazy sock’ which means someone is a bit lazy in general.
The hotel is situated in Kaprun not far away from the car museum Vötter. The origins of the building are dating back to the 15th century so it is known as the oldest inn of Kaprun. The rooms are in rural style.
After I walked along the Iler valley, I had the chance to relax at the wellness area of the Hotel Ortnerhof. Unfortunately, I didn’t have the time to join a horseback ride which is a special offer of this hotel. They even offer western-style riding.
Today I am invited by 50plus Hotels Österreich to be a guest of the Hotel Ortnerhof in Prägraten am Großvenediger. I look forward to learn something about western-style riding and walking along the beautiful Virgen Valley (Virgental)
In cooperation with 50+ Hotels Österreich I started to discover Austria in mid June. The visited hotels are mentioned below.