Inflight Magazine of Brussels Airlines

Summer on the mountain

Summer is the season to enjoy the thrills, spills – but none of the chills – of Europe’s mountain resorts, reports Matt Barr

It used to be so simple. A winter holiday meant time to brush up on your parallel ski turns, while a summer trip was synonymous with lounging on the beach with a good paperback. Well, not any more. With travelling habits getting ever more adventurous, resorts and punters alike have cottoned on to the fact that the mountains are just as exciting a destination in the summer. And some of them are going to ever more elaborate lengths to attract holidaymakers. Here are our pick of the best resorts to visit this summer.

Serfaus, Munich

In the winter, Serfaus is hardly one of Austria’s heavy hitters. Hats off then for stealing a march on their summer rivals with some frankly elaborate attractions. Aware that the usual summer pursuits of mountain biking and hiking are becoming pretty commonplace, the people at Serfaus have come up with a brilliant idea – the incredible ‘Fisser Flieger’ and Adventure Park.

The Fisser Flieger is essentially a hang-glider on rollers. Passengers are suspended into a harness, winched upwards and then ‘dropped’ down towards the valley at speeds of up to 80kmh. The flight lasts about five minutes, which is more than long enough when you’re suspended 48 metres above ground. Just remember not to look down!

Once you’ve bagged the flier, there’s still the Serfaus Adventure Park to explore. However, we recommend the 18km rafting for beginners tour down the steep-sided Tosner Gorge if you’ve still not quite had enough of an adrenaline kick. The Tirol is also rightly famed for its great food and drink – try the Kirschner family’s traditional Tiroler kitchen in the middle of Serfaus – the Hiasl Stubn restaurant (Dorfbahnstrasse, tel. ).

Levi, Finland

Smart resorts know that if they want to stand out in the summer, they have to offer something out of the ordinary. After all, anyone can clamp mountain bikes to their lifts and call their resort a summer trail area – but not every ski area can turn their lifted area into separate Reindeer and Adventure parks once the mercury starts to rise. Step forward Levi in Finnish Lapland.

Already one of Europe’s more visually arresting resorts thanks to its position 170km north of the Arctic Circle, Levi comes into its own during the summer months, and the Adventure Park is a case in point. Six colour-coded tracks offer a variety of high-level thrills, with much of the action taking place a few metres above the ground on a variety of climbing frames and zip wires. Hiking, fishing, Nordic walking, canoeing and golf are also on offer and the whole place is bathed in ethereal midnight sunlight. You don’t get that in Meribel.

Nor do you get a 170-hectare Reindeer Park to keep the kids happy and to remind you where you really are. When we’re sitting on chairlifts and eating in mountain restaurants, it’s easy to forget that ski resorts are really huge natural arenas. Here you get the opportunity to catch a glimpse of the local way of life and see these wonderful creatures in their natural environment.

Nightlife and eating are taken equally as seriously in Levi, with the Lappish cuisine and home fires of Kammi usually very busy. Follow this with some ales and a few rounds of darts with the locals in Panimo, before heading to the legendary Areena nightclub at the Crazy Reindeer hotel, or Hullu Poro as the locals call it (Rakkavaarantie, tel. .

If you can remember it the next morning, you probably weren’t there.

Stay The K5 hotel (Kätkänrannantie 2, tel. , www.k5levi.fi) is the best in the area, combining modern luxury with a good take on local heritage. There’s a reindeer corral in the courtyard, as well as three on-site restaurants and great boutique-style rooms.

South Tyrol, Italy

Located just a few hours drive from Milan, another resort with a twist on summer activities is Valdora/Olang in Italy’s South Tyrol region. Situated at the far end of the Italian Alps, South Tyrol is a fascinating stew of Alpine and Mediterranean influences set against a backdrop of Europe’s most neck-craning scenery.

Valdora/Olang is a great summer introduction to the region thanks to their ‘Saddle and Spa’ combinations.

It’s a great premise: instead of relying on bikes or Nordic skis (another summer Alpine mainstay) to get around, why not experience mountain transport of a more rarefied kind? The Hotel Post Tolderhof is home to the area’s largest stable, and offers visitors the chance to ride Haflinger ponies that are apparently indigenous to the region. Round things off with a visit to the wellness centre to sample one of the specially designed spa treatments.

As you might expect, this part of the world is also famed for its cuisine and fine wines. Locals rate the dark reds made from the ever-present Vernatsch grape, but why not form your own opinion by following the South Tyrol wine road to the famous Cantina Tramin (), whose cellar master, Willi Sturz, was named the country’s best in 2004.

Stay Base yourself at the Hotel Post Tolderhof (, www.post-tolderhof.com) – prices start at €739 per person for seven nights half board, and include three riding lessons, four massages, a mudpack and a facial.

Cube Biberwier-lermoos, Munich

For most resorts, modifying their lift systems to accommodate a summer mountain biking clientele is a bit of a nobrainer. Few, however, have pulled it off quite as successfully as the people behind the Cube hotel in the Tirolean resort of Biberwier-Lermoos. It really is at the cutting edge of modern summer sports facilities.

The state-of-the-art hotel sits right next to a lift accessing the huge Zugspitze arena – one of Europe’s largest linked mountain bike networks with enough berms, whoops and death-defying downhill sections (plus over 100 trails) to ensure riders of every standard go home happy.

Then there is the hotel itself (tel. , www.cube-hotels.com), with its unsurpassed facilities. Each room has a bike showroom at the entrance, with storage areas for your bike and your muddy gear, and you can literally freewheel out of your door each morning. There’s also a test centre for brands such as Shimano and Schwalbe on site, so riders can try an incredible array of gear during their stay. And, just in case you get bored of biking, there are 90 hiking trails and a nine-hole golf course on hand. They take their well-being equally seriously as well, with a rooftop ‘relax area’ and a fully fitted out gym.

There is a general air of healthiness about the Cube complexes, and this extends to the food and drink options. As well as a self-service restaurant (serving breakfast until 3pm), there are snacks available at the 24-hour bar. Those looking for something a little more high class should check out the CUBE Grill, the on-site à la carte steakhouse.

Stay Check the site for any deals, but Cube has 80 rooms and 275 beds arranged into double and quad rooms.

FR L’été sur la montagne

Eté comme hiver, la montagne est une destination qui s’avère excitante. Découvrez notre sélection des meilleures stations.

Serfaus, Munich

Les gens de Serfaus ont développé cet incroyable ‘Fisser Flieger’ ainsi qu’un Parc d’Aventures. Le Fisser Flieger est essentiellement une piste d’envol sur roues. Les passagers, attachés par des harnais, sont propulsés et ‘retombent’ dans la vallée à une vitesse allant jusqu’à 80kmh. Après avoir testé le flier, il vous restera encore explorer le Parc d’Aventures de Serfaus.

Levi, Finlande

Au Parc d’Aventures de Levi, les pistes de couleurs offrent une variété de découvertes passionnantes. Randonnée, pêche, Nordic walking, canoë et golf peuvent également être pratiqués et le lieu est constamment baigné dans la lumière éthérée du soleil de minuit. C’est une chose que vous ne trouverez certainement pas à Méribel, tout comme vous ne trouverez pas non plus un Parc à rennes de 170 hectares, pour garder les enfants agréablement occupés et pour vous rappeler où vous vous trouvez.

Sud Tyrol, Italie

Valdora/Olang offrent de fantastiques combinaisons ‘Eaux et Equitation’. L’Hôtel Post Tolderhof abrite la plus grande écurie de l’endroit et propose aux visiteurs de monter des poneys Haflinger, une espèce propre à la région. Terminez votre tour par une visite au centre de remise en forme et essayez l’un des traitements spéciaux de l’établissement thermal.

Cube Biberwier-lermoos, Munich

Hôtel à la pointe, l’hôtel Cube, dans la station tyrolienne de Biberwier-Lermoos est situé juste à côté d’un ascenseur donnant accès au vaste domaine de Zugspitze – l’un des plus grands réseaux de mountain bike d’Europe, avec suffisamment de berges et de descentes vertigineuses, à vous mettre au défi. Ici, les cyclistes de tous niveaux trouvent leur bonheur.

NL Zomer in de bergen

In de bergen is het steeds leuk vertoeven, zomer of winter. Onze keuze viel alvast op de volgende bestemmingen.

Serfaus, München

In een avonturenpark in Serfaus wacht je de ongelooflijke ‘Fisser Flieger’, een deltavlieger op rollen. Passagiers worden er vastgehaakt in een harnas en naar boven gebracht. Daarna worden ze losgelaten en duiken ze de vallei in met snelheden tot 80 km/h. Eenmaal van dit avontuur bekomen, moet je zeker ook het Serfaus-avonturenpark eens intrekken.

Levi, Finland

In het avonturenpark van Levi staan paden met verschillende kleurcodes garant voor allerlei sensaties. Je kunt er trekken, vissen, aan Nordic walking doen, kajakken en golfen, en de hele plek is gehuld in het magische middernachtlicht. Dat krijg je alvast niet te zien in Benidorm! En waar anders kan je de kinderen verrassen met een rendierpark van 170 hectare?

Zuid-tirol, Italië

Valdora/Olang vergast je op een geweldige combinatie van maneges en kuuroorden. Hotel Post Tolderhof beschikt over de grootste paardenstal in de streek, en biedt bezoekers de kans om de inheemse Haflingerpony te berijden. Rond je vakantie af met een bezoek aan het wellnesscentrum, waar je kunt genieten van een speciale kuur.

Cube Biberwier-lermoos, München

Het hypermoderne Cube-hotel in het Tiroolse Biberwier-Lermoos ligt vlak aan een lift die je naar het uitgestrekte Zugspitze-gebied brengt. Daar vind je een van Europa’s grootste mountainbikenetwerken, met zijn vele bermen en adembenemende bergafwaartse stukken de droom van elke waaghals.

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