It’s the end of the day, the light is flat and my cut corners have turned into controlled slides. Mentally, my lifeless corpus is already collapsed on a soft towel in a steamy sauna. I skid hard and come to a stop next to my husband, the brilliant man who suggested ‘one more run’.
“The snow is better at the edge of the slope,” he chirps. “Why do you keep skiing down the middle?”
“Oh good, more advice,” I think.
Sounds familiar?
Whether you’re a blue-run couple or heli-ski veterans like us, taking a ski trip means different things to different people. The reality of skiing à deux – arguments to the contrary – is almost always a balancing act. A minefield of unparalleled speeds and powers, card reading fracas and varying desires to resist DJ Otzi longer than you can hold your breath. Besides canoeing and ballroom dancing, skiing together may require more patience than landing on the surface of Mars. So why would you do it?
Because this story will end happily.
It’s a ski holiday, but it’s not just about skiing. A holiday is indeed spiritual – a chance to learn new things, to create shared memories, to make each other happy. By making it a combination holiday – part skiing, part city – you’re guaranteed high-altitude excitement alongside a dose of cultural enrichment. Live the difference with this four-step plan for success – and just one extra change of clothes.
Step one: Choose the right resort
For us, the Austrian province of Salzburgerland has met all the requirements. Culturally, the capital Salzburg is a jewel, dotted with baroque cathedrals and Mitteleuropa cafés.
Mozart is a mini-industry here and every year his birthday is celebrated on January 27 with a week of around 60 events, attended by 25,000 music lovers (about a tenth of the summer festival, which makes winter even more attractive). Eager to be there last winter, we booked tickets to the magnificent Vienna Philharmonic, as we both agreed it would be a welcome change from an alpine explosion of oompah-pah Schlager music. The visit to Salzburg was also an opportunity for my husband to explore the city where his father was born in 1928.
We then had to find the perfect ski resort to combine with our final in the city – luckily the province has 66 to choose from. Including Bad Gastein, which is only 90 minutes from the capital by direct train. Sold for its Belle Époque beauty, there would be no tight transfers or arguments over who was driving.
Step two: Don’t be afraid to call in the experts
“Men want to play with their toys, their cars, their skis. They just want to go fast,” explains Werner Scancin, our ski guide. The Gasteinertal’s 200km of pistes spread over several areas – Bad Gastein, Hofgastein, Dorgastein and Sportgastein – make it an easy choice for the modern visitor – and there’s more to it.
Since the 18e century it has lured the likes of Goethe and Emperor Wilhelm to use its thermal waters and breathe the clear mountain air. True to form, Werner and my husband were way ahead of me, breathing deeply, but I didn’t mind. With stunning views as far as the Grossglockner and the Black Forest, I embraced my inner, free-spirited Empress Sisi and happily immersed myself in it.
As the Schlossalmbahn took us to the top of the 10.5km Hohe Scharte, the longest descent in the region, Werner paused to share his advice on marital harmony. “Men may get older, but they remain children. If the man is too good only in his own mind, tell him you want to hire a guide.”
Sensible words (if somewhat self-serving). I’ve taken many solo classes over the years, including some excellent women-only clinics, to great benefit. As Werner added, “Men overestimate their skills, while women tend to underestimate – and men are often reluctant to hire an instructor.” There’s no doubt that a few hours away from your partner with a trained professional boosts confidence, sharpens skills and is just plain fun. After all, who needs the pressure but on those ski edges?
Step three: Agree to each other’s plans
From our sun-drenched loungers at the Angerblick hut we gazed at the eternal postcard of the Austrian Alps. For me, this storybook perch was a destination in itself. For him it was a pleasant distraction from a go-go ski day. We split the difference as the afternoon clouds began to gather, plotting an afternoon of watery wellness at the hotel. (Okay, I made a plan and according to our agreement, he agreed.)
Austria’s age-old wellness culture lives in the Gasteinertal. Unlike most accommodations, our Das Goldberg Hotel was not only a ski-in/ski-out, but also a spa paradise – an endeavor that the Austrians have elevated to an art. Whatever unrest was taking place on the slopes was put to rest in the dimly lit 46ºC gold mine sauna. Built from 420,000 kg of stone lifted from the nearby massif, it is a cocoon of heat and humidity.
Step four: Be flexible
Après ski – literally everything after skiing – is a chance to a) try something unusual, and b) try something that at least one of you is interested in. Our afternoon forest bath started at the mouth of the Angertal (Anger Valley in English). Led by local hiking guide Theresa Sommerbichler, she shared her encyclopedic knowledge of all things flora, including walking among the terpenes – substances released by trees that are thought to activate the immune system and prevent various diseases. “A bit of a shame without the dog,” my husband muttered as we left. After an hour of stress-relieving tree action, he’d inhaled the essential oils and drank the Kool-aid (in this case, nettle tea) and was ready for my next attack: a romantic sleigh ride.
After three days of skiing it was time to switch. Barely an hour from Bad Gastein, the annual Mozart Week in Salzburg was in full swing and there was just enough time for a walking tour. There is the Strudel tour, the Stube tour, the Church tour and there are even mapped out beer tours.
Local guide Sissy Schur brought the child prodigy’s trials and triumphs to life during our Mozart Tour, adding new dimensions to the upcoming concert. Frau Schur even embraced our hunt for the grave of my husband’s ancestors, discovered in one of the graceful snow-covered arcades of St. Peter’s Cemetery, low in the shadow of Salzburg’s enormous 11th-century Hohensalzburg Fortress.
The history is complicated, but our last evening was simple, pure fun. An early dinner at Gasthof Goldgasse (the signature roast chicken soaked in milk since 1719 and a light Salzburger Nockerl for pudding) wrapped up just in time for the great moment in the Great Festival Hall. Conductor Robin Ticciati and pianist Maria João Pires interweave Mozartian magic with the Interlude music of Thamos, the king of Egypt, and the Linz Symphony.
Nothing can beat that for harmony. Except maybe one more run with my loved one.
How to do that
The next Mozart Week will take place from January 25 to February 4, 2024. Das Goldberg Hotel in Badhofgastein offers double rooms from €195 per person per night, full board. Hotel Stein in Salzburg offers double rooms from €150 per person per night, B&B. Fly from London Gatwick to Salzburg with British Airways from £45 one way, on a return basis, valid until January 2024.
Buses between Salzburg Airport and Central Station, every 20 minutes daily, from less than €5 (4.30) per adult. Book a train transfer between Salzburg and Gastein via Austrian Railways, one way, from €38 (£33) per person.
Leslie Woit and her husband were guests at SalzburgerLand, Gastein, Salzburg cityDas Goldberg Hotel in Badhofgastein and Hotel Stein in Salzburg.