The last weekend brought my mood somehow down. In both our winter destinations - Austria and Italy - winter holidays are still not possible. Until the end of February at least. So, one reason more to get back into good mood and to fully concentrate onto the upcoming SUMMER season. Last week I already wrote about our rich mountain portfolio, today the focus is on beach holidays in ITALY.

While still waiting for the winter season to get started, let's start to think about the upcoming summer season. Summer, sun and sea in Italy are great. But summer, sun and MOUNTAINS or lakes in Austria and Italy are a perfect option you should definitely think about. With today's blog post I start to provide you with in-depth insights what to do in the mountains in summer - apart from hiking of course :).

So, right on time with Christmas, most of Austrian skiing areas started into the winter season. The skilifts opened and our dear hoteliers in the mountains can enjoy their sloped to start then loaded with energy on January 18 or 23 - hopefully - into a great remaiming winter season 2021. Meanwhile in Vienna, the famous icerink in front of the cityhall - the Vienna Ice Dream (Wiener Eistraum) started earlier than originally planned into the ice skating season.

Isn't applause wonderful? It lets you know that you are doing well in something and it motivates you to keep going ahead. For the upcoming year 2021 I would like to understand the applause the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra gets for its New Year's concert also as an applause for an upcoming great year 2021.

While we are all waiting for the tourism to starting off again in 2021, let's get into the mood of Christmas. In Austria, Christmas time is Christmas cookies time. Among the classics - and they are also my very personal favourites - are the 'Vanillekipferl'. Turn on some Christmas music and enjoy baking the tiny delights. The recipe? Here we go - for you :)!

It was Dec 7, 2005 when I entered the Melur office for my very first working day, not really knowing what was expecting me. What would be my work? How will be my colleagues... and not to forget: is there a dresscode and do I need this very official business outfit?

When the skiing season in Austria will start, is not clear yet. Very clear, however, is the fact that there will not be any apres ski as we knew it from previous years. So, maybe this is the perfect time to rethink the winter holiday concept and to plan the skiing vacation in Innsbruck, where the skiing holiday may be perfectly combined with a city break.

The pandemic crisis lasts for 9 months now. From time to time it gets kind of difficult to stay positive and optimistic. With today's blog post I would like to share with you my recipe how I got and get through these months.

In these times it is difficult to stay positive... the soft lock down turns into a hard lock down and there are more and more doubts about the skiing season 2021. The e-paper traveller-online.at published a research about the Austrians' feeling about winter holidays 2021 which might be true for Europeans in general as well. Let's have a look into the study's outcome and my comments....

Space can be one of the most important criteria and a precious good when it comes to choosing where to go on holidays - at least in the special time we are living through at the moment.... Mountains - in winter and also in summer - do offer more space than anything else and the Italian skiing resort Val Gardena brought out an interesting calculation.