The first thing that will most likely strike you
,
whether in snow covered winter or green summer, is the
quiet, yet demanding beauty of the Stubai Valley. From the
minute you leave the autobahn it is like entering the
twilight zone, almost like a time warp, if you will.
Gone is the whiz, whiz of cars and huge trucks rushing
down the high road to prosperity. The only distractions now
should be the unfolding landscape, which gives your mind
more cause for relaxation as you round every corner.
This delightful vista starts the moment you
leave the Autobahn - continues by Fulpmes,
past Neustift and concludes at the foot of the
Stubai Glacier. On the way, you will spot
Telfes, Mieders, and Schonberg the other major
players in this league of tranquility. If
there are captains in this league, players
that attract more tourist geld than the
others, they would probably be Fulpmes and
Neustift. They have the most beds and probably
earn the biggest share of the action. But
if you are looking for the star attraction,
look no further, go no farther than to the end
of the valley and worship at the foot of the
Stubai Glacier.
You don't have to be a skier to enjoy this monumental ice
cake or the road leading to it. Who needs to be on boards
to appreciate a rushing river or the broad expanse of
valley it runs along? The villages? As you will read in this article, they are
rather typical of the Austrian Tirol. Small and beautiful,
the church spire is the central attraction.
This area has, as the Americans say, "an attitude". A good
one. This attitude is one of striving for comfort and
quality. It is evident with accommodations, slope grooming
and most other amenities and necessities that make up a
well-run village/resort destination.
The Stubai Valley then is a quiet, peaceful place to ski
and enjoy a get-away vacation almost any time of year. As
individual resorts go, the villages in the Stubai Valley
are not international household names. It is in fact their
relative lack of star status on the international scene
that makes them so attractive to visitors from farther
a-field. Villages like this are largely responsible for
Austria's charm and attraction to tourists.Europeans and many Austrians find the Stubai Valley much
to their liking. North Americans and the rest of the world
somewhat less so, except for day trips from Innsbruck, but
that is changing. When Germans flock from their big city
centres, or Austrians from the non-mountainous parts of
the country to plan a ski holiday, the resorts in the
valley below the Stubai glacier are often high on their
list of choices.
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