"Baby, I'm dancing in the dark, with you between my arms // Barefoot on the grass, listening to our favorite song "
The most heart-warming lines of the year blast through the speakers of my car as I drive around under the warm winter sun. Perfect, Ed Sheeran's new single that is set to break the records of Thinking Out Loud, is not only a delight for hopeless romantics, but also for travellers. If you've seen the song's video, I'm sure you've fallen in love with the snow-clad mountains, camping scenes and cozy chalets. Perfect is shot in the the Hintertux Glacier in Austria, and is a snowy wonderland that you must visit once in your life.
Located in the Alps, Austria is a largely mountainous country where, no matter what time of the year, you can experience snow in at least one of its regions. The Hintertux Glacier, also known as the Gefrorene-Wand-Kees is one of Austria's hottest (or should I say coldest) tourist spots that is located in the state of Tyrol. It is widely renowned for being one of the only two places in the world that observe snow all 365 days of the year. Just as shown in the music video, Hintertux Glacier is no short of paradise, located at a height of 3250m amidst mountains blanketed in white and starry night skies that seem to hang low and close. If this isn't enough, one can also enjoy the panoramic view of the Alps! With snow being as thick as 400 ft thick across the 5km glacier, the Hintertux Glacier is the perfect spot if you’re looking for the most epic ski experience of your life.
Activities To Do:
Skiing:
This is one activity that takes place all through the year due to extremely good snow conditions. At the glacier, you can ski by registering at the ski schools which run for both beginners and advanced skiers. You can opt for the Tuxertal Ski School where children and adults can learn skiing. The children's ski programme at the school is an exclusive and exciting one where they are taught the basics of the sport in the company of a penguin!
An absolutely unique experience in the Hintertux Glacier is the Nature's Ice Palace that is located 25m beneath the slopes of the Glacier Ski Resort. Nature's Ice Palace is a naturally occurring ice chamber beautified with shiny blue walls of ice, icicles, frozen waterfalls and even a glacial lake! This is a once in a lifetime experience where you can be Anna from the movie Frozen and have your very own ice palace. Tours into the palace go on for about 2 hours, are open all through the year and will cost about ₹1700 for one.
This is a magnificent marble cave located high up the Hintertux Glacier which can be reached by a cable car till a certain point. After that, you will need to hike up to the caves and walk around in ice tunnels. Once in the cave, there is also a small lake over which you can take a boat ride. Depending upon your physical strength, you can also go into more challenging passages in the caves and witness the natural caves in all their splendour.
Hintertüx Waterfall Trail
The Hintertux Waterfall Trail is a 2 hour walk and takes you through the picturesque Schraubenwasserfal and Kesselfall waterfalls. This is an easy walk which will take you through granite bridges, caves and ravines. On the way also lies a split stone block, 'Whale Fish Mouth' that is shaped like a whale. Needless to say, the waterfalls are set within pristine beauty and are a traveller's delight.
Where To Stay At:
Located near the Zillertaler Gletscherbahn cable car station, Hotel Gletscher is a charming property that offers a wide view of the Alps. Tucked in between the mountains, it has the perfect location, situated only 30m away from the ski lift. The indoor swimming pool, spa, therapeutic treatments are the highlight services offered by the hotel. Alongside, the hotel will also arrange personalised outdoor activities like skiing, mountaineering and walking trails.
Cost: ₹13,000 - ₹30,000 per night (breakfast, dinner included)
Getting to Hintertux Glacier:
Air: The closest international airports to Hintertux Glacier are in Innsbruck (Kranebitten Airport, 93km away), Munich (Flughafen München, 190km ) and Salsburg (Salzburg Airport,250km). Several flights to all three international airports fly regularly from Indra Gandhi International Airport, New Delhi. From the airports, you can either have transport arranged from your hotel or take the train.
Rail: Mayrhofen is the closest railway station to Hintertux Glacier, located only 25 minutes away. From Mayrhofen, there are hourly bus services that will take you up to Hintertux.
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