Have you ever traveled with a group of friends?
I have been fantasizing of renting a chalet in the mountains and bringing a bunch of my friends. A place where we could sit together until late at night, drinking wine by the fireplace, brunching on the terrace on a sunny day and skinny-dipping in the sauna followed by a bath in the snow. Sounds too good to be true? At , in the Kitzbühel Alps in Austria, this is a just a regular day.
Located in the town of Fieberbrunn lies Grosslehen, a small and subtly luxurious mountain resort that’s been family-run for 3 generations. Recent renovations and improvements have upgraded the resort from 3 to 4 stars and anyone who had the pleasure of staying in one of their chalets will have to agree that this is quite possibly the most comfortably way to spend a snowed in getaway.
While you can easily just book a double room in the hotel’s main building, if you’re here with a group, getting your hands on the one of the chalets is where the magic happens. Across 2 floors you can find 3 cozy bedrooms, 2 large bathrooms (one of which comes with a sauna that could probably fit up to 10 people), a full kitchen with anything from espresso machine to dishwasher, a dining area and a snug living room sofa. There is a total of 4 cable TV’s so if you like to unwind with a movie or a show, this is your place.
Needless to say that better than any show is a view onto nature, in this case beautiful mountains, a forest and even a gated areas for deer just behind the chalets welcoming visitors. Another strangely entertaining highlight is the fireplace which, combined with a glass of wine, is just what the doctor ordered for the stress out city dweller.
Not just in winter
Make no mistake, despite the coziness oozing from the fireplace, the wooden features and the giant home sauna, coming here should by no means be limited to winter travel. In fact, possibly the most impressive feature of Grosslehen is it’s location, towering above the town of Fieberbrunn, at the very tip of various stunning hiking paths leading through family-friendly levels of heights, forests and mountains. It was so beautiful in fact, that I chose to forego the hotel gym in favor of hour-long morning hikes through nature. Relaxing has never come so easy!
Another big selling point for a summer trip is the stunning natural pool at the centre of the hotel and its 5 new chalets. Of course it was frozen when we went, but I imagine it must be fun for days to start each sunny morning with a dip.
Speaking of sunny – by some magic we had sun every single day in an otherwise grey January and there were days when my friend and I would even be sitting on the terrace of our house in our bikinis, working on those tan lines. No, we are not crazy, we just understood to make good use of both our sauna and the clear blue skies.
Winter activities
I am first to admit it, we are not skiers nor snow-boarders. Yet if we had been, we would have profited from the free shuttle transfer to the ski-lift that Grosslehen provides for their guests. If you’re keen, you will find multiple offers on , from snow-shoeing, to cross-country-skiing, regular skiing, hiking or even riding through Fieberbrunn on a horse carriage.
We’re not skiiers but we love a good hike through the snow and with a view of the Alps so we did that every single morning. There are so many stunning walkways to explore right behind the resort and it’s a great workout too, so a perfect excuse to ditch the gym!
We also loved the free sleds that are up for grabs at the small tobogganing hill next to the hotel. We are definitely not too old – or too cool – for that!
Another fun activity is a visit to the local public pool which not only boasts a 5 lane swimmer’s pool and a fun 65m slide – there is also a heated outdoor pool of considerable size which I ended up swimming up and down in for a full 2 hours. If you’re a guest at Grosslehen you enjoy a nice discount here.
Summer activities
Coming here in the warmer months? There is even more to do! Naturally the first thing you must do is to take a dip in the legendary lake that is the centerpiece of Grosslehen and it sounds like a dream to me to start my days by swimming a few laps in it. Apart from that this is an ideal area for all fans of mountain-biking, rock-climbing or hiking. But make no mistake, you do not need to be an expert at any of these, even beginners will have a blast trying out any of the above. Find more info .
We had an amazing time at Grosslehen and definitely were the envy of our friends following our Instagram stories for a while. Thanks to Grosslehen for inviting us and to Stromberger PR for organising this lovely trip! All opinions are naturally my own.
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