Animal Experiences in Austria
In times of stress and sadness, four-legged friends can bring a smile to many. Here are some of the animals in Austria cheering up their carers at the moment, and who'll be waiting to welcome back holidaymakers when they can visit once again.
In Vorarlberg’s beautiful Brandnertal, ‘Husky Toni’ raises, trains and cares for 18 friendly huskies. He hosts workshops and tours at which holidaymakers can meet the energetic, devoted and agile dogs, learn about the breed and their training, go on snow-shoe walks to get to know the pups and race through the gorgeous alpine countryside as they pull along the sleds. There are programmes for small groups and children, exclusive excursions designed for just two people, and even ‘Husky Workshops Extreme’ featuring three touring sleds and an overnight stay in a mountain camp.
Llamas & Alpacas in SalzburgerLand and Tirol
Hiking on holiday is great fun. It’s active, adventurous and allows one to experience some of the world’s most beautiful destinations up close. For children, however, the appeal isn’t always so obvious. Bringing along an animal is a sure-fire way to get kids on board with nature walks. Alpaca and llama treks invite hikers to lead their cute companions through lively summer forests and winter wonderlands. In SalzburgerLand, head to Zell am See-Kaprun’s high mountain reservoirs for fortnightly alpaca and llama walks through to September, or the Abenteuer Lama Farm in Saalbach Hinterglemm to meet Loriot, Simon and Ronaldo. Trek with the cuddly creatures through an autumnal paradise in Kitzbüheler Alpen in Tirol, or under winter night skies in the Tiroler Zugspitz Arena.
The Grossglockner High Alpine Road, leading far up into Austria’s tallest mountain, provides some of Europe’s most stunning panoramic views. In amongst the road’s surrounding meadows, mountains and rocky terrain live some of Austria’s sweetest little animals: alpine marmots. These fluffy critters can be seen on the ascent to the Kaiser-Franz-Josefs-Höhe, where they have become accustomed to and curious about their human visitors. To see more of these high mountain residents, look through the Swarovski-Beobachtungswarte binoculars, visit the Murmi-Schau at the Haus Alpine, or stop by the Mankei-Wirt, at which the inn keeper actually raises tame marmots.
Founded in 1962, this is the world’s only alpine-themed zoo, Europe’s highest zoo at 750m above sea level, and home to the world’s largest cold-water aquarium. Founded for the purposes of research, conservation and education, it has made an invaluable contribution to the reintroduction of endangered species into the wild. Visitors can watch ibexes leaping from rock to mountain rock, brown bears playing in waterfalls, lynxes lounging in the sun and bearded vultures swooping through the air. For those wanting to get closer to the zoo’s residents, there are several walk-through enclosures and aviaries, as well as a petting area with friendly farm animals.
High-res images are available to download below. For further information such as exact prices, dates and addresses, please contact eleanor.moody@austria.info.