More Skiing, Less Impact – Naturhotel Forsthofgut Launches Winter Packages

Have an eco-friendly ski holiday this winter, and enjoy two extra days on the slopes – travelling by train on the new Alpen Express to Naturhotel Forsthofgut, Austria’s stunning rail-in/rail-out, ski-in/ski-out family-run five-star hotel and spa in Leogang, with more than 400km of thrilling skiing on its doorstep.  Dine on vegan and locally-sourced speciality dishes and relax in the natural surroundings of Forsthofgut’s waldSPA.  

• New for 2019/20: Leogang’s Ski Alpin Card lift pass covers the entire Saalbach/Hinterglemm/Leogang/Fieberbrunn Ski Circus, plus Zell am See, Kaprun and the Kitzsteinhorn glacier ski areas.

THE ALPEN EXPRESS leaves Holland (The Hague) for the Austrian Alps on Friday evenings from 20 December to 13 March, returning on Saturday evenings from 21 December to 14 March.  Take the Eurostar from London at 15:04 on Friday to connect with the Alpen Express at Cologne, reaching Saalfelden (5 minute courtesy shuttle to the Forsthofgut) at 09:39 on Saturday morning; returning from Saalfelden at 20:39 the following Saturday to reach London at 12:57 on Sunday.  London-Saalfelden return prices from €328 per person in a 6-berth couchette compartment on the Alpen Express (5-berth and 3-berth compartments available; discounts for children aged 4-14 years; €19 service charge per booking). There is an on-board bar, and breakfast is served @ €6.50 (complimentary to passengers booking a 3-berth compartment).

Reservations: www.railtravelshop.com/winter-trains/austria/alpen-express-austria. For shorter stays, the daily Nightjet sleeper between Innsbruck and Cologne involves one extra change of train at Wörgl; also bookable through railtravelshop.       

SKI ALPIN CARD: One lift pass (www.alpincard.at), 408 kms of pistes, 121 lifts and 3 prime ski areas - Skicircus (Saalbach Hinterglemm Leogang Fieberbrunn), Schmittenhöhe in Zell and See, Maiskogel and Kitzsteinhorn Glacier in Kaprun, as well as the Hinterreit lifts at Maria Alm and Naglekoepfl in Walchen. Zell am See’s ski area is now directly accessible from Leogang via the new zellamseeXpress lift at Viehhofen.

DINING: all bookings are half-board and include three tempting menus: Vegan – innovative dishes prepared with 100% animal-free ingredients, and a fine selection of vegan wines; R50 – home-grown produce and ingredients from the Forsthofgut’s organic farm or from within 50km of the kitchen; Alpine – inspired by all the Alpine countries. The Delicacies Market offers a  packaging-free market stall-style presentation for breakfast, brunch and tea. Meals offered by the child-care service are healthy and home-made. A la carte dining at Restaurant 1617 is not included in the half-board price.  

 All prices are per person based on 2 sharing and include ½-board meals, a huge tea, activity programmes, free childcare (2 years and up) from 9am-9pm daily, access to the waldSPA, and the inhouse ski shop to arrange equipment hire, lift-passes and ski school.

Naturhotel Forsthofgut is a five-star family-run and family-friendly ski-in/ski-out hotel situated directly on the slopes of Austria’s Asitz mountain in Leogang, SalzburgerLand; surrounded by nature yet only 150m from the ski kindergarten and 200m from the nearest lift, for access to 408km of pistes and 121 lifts across 3 prime ski regions.  Dating back to 1617, the hotel has evolved from a forestry business and guest house into one of Austria’s top hotels. Exquisite dining with sustainable, organic and vegan menus; speciality cocktail bar; wine tastings in the cellar twice a week; the world’s first forest Spa, with indoor and outdoor pools, a natural bathing lake (summer), saunas and treatment rooms; organic farm with animal feeding visits; in-hotel ski shop; daily childcare from 9am to 9 pm; weekly programme of excursions. Reception will assist with all skiing arrangements.