This little-known (by Americans) resort town in the Austrian Alps Ziller Valley offers R&R, adventure, and even nightlife.

By Nikki Goth Itoi

A friend and frequent traveler to Austria recently offered two points of advice for traveling in the Austrian Alps: explore on a whim some of the hidden Alpine valleys and villages, but don't plan to stay in Mayrhofen.

Years ago, he had wandered into the Ziller Valley and arrived at this bustling town, only to find it overrun with thousands of sales representatives from Amway Corporation. It seems Amway likes Mayrhofen so much, it brings its employees to the town for two months every spring and another two months in the fall.

It's an arrangement that can make finding a bed in Mayrhofen a challenge, even in off-seasons. But Amway aside, Mayrhofen is a treasure in winter and summer alike, and worth a visit by anyone seeking Alpine serenity, outdoor adventure, or some combination of the two.

An easy two and a half-hour drive from Munich or Salzburg, the Ziller Valley begins at the town of Jenbach (population 6,000), and runs south following the Ziller River between the Tux Alps and the Kitzbhel Alps. At the end of the valley sits Mayrhofen, a town of 3,000 residents that grew from its origins as a summer haven for Viennese city folk to an 8,900-bed skiing and hiking resort.

The town handles its flood of year-round visitors remarkably well, thanks to an 11-employee tourist office which sends out some 300 brochures a day to prospective guests. They manage to do so while catering to the needs of thousands of current visitors, and also insuring that the town preserves its traditional flavor by sponsoring frequent Tyrolean evenings at the Europahaus convention center and other venues around town.

During the winter months, Mayrhofen caters to a fairly young and boisterous crowd of Dutch, British, and German skiers. Until a couple of years ago, the resort had a poor reputation because of terribly long lift lines, but since the installation of a new 15-person per car gondola, the Penken-Seilbahn, Mayrhofen has become one of Austrias most popular ski resorts.

A number of wintertime activities, however, don't require traipsing around in stiff boots attached to long, skinny planks. The tourist office can arrange a hot air balloon ride or a panoramic alpine flight, horseback riding, sleigh rides, ice skating, or tobogganing. In the rare case of inclement weather, indoor activities include swimming at the "adventure" pool (Waldbadstrasse); soaking in a hot tub, sauna, or Jacuzzi; playing squash, billiards, bowling, or chess; and of course, browsing the shops along Hauptstrasse.

To get the full effect of the Ziller Valley, take a ride up the Penken gondola. Conveniently, it departs from the middle of town (between #470 and #476 Hauptstrasse) within walking distance of nearly every hotel. Even nonskiers will appreciate the spectacular views and the abundance of beer huts, outdoor bars, and restaurants serving staples like local brews on tap, hot mulled Glhwein, Wrstel, Wiener Schnitzel, Gulasch soup, and apple strudel. The Penken gondola is open year-round, from 9am till 5pm daily, weather permitting.

For the truly adventurous, Mayrhofens most unusual pastime in winter and summer is paragliding. On a clear day, one can look up from the valley floor and spy a dozen or more brightly colored parachutes drifting down from the mountain tops to the valley floor. For 1,000 AS ($79), adventure-seekers can ride tandem with a guide for a 20 minute-long sail that ends at the Edenlehen Hotel

This June, Mayrhofen will host Europes biggest paragliding competition, the Yahoi Mountain Festival. Its an event thats designed for observers as much as for the participants. The tourist office claims that during last years competition there were 211 paragliders in the air at once.

In addition to paragliding, there is a national kayaking competition, a farmers festival and handcraft presentation, and of course plenty of Tyrolean food and live music.

Apparently, a day of fresh mountain air isnt enough to tire the majority of visitors. Contrary to what one would expect of a secluded mountain town, Mayrhofen has a night life that should please most anyone. Many of the upscale hotels offer live music: the Elisabeth Hotel has a Tyrolean Day on Saturday afternoons, piano music on Tuesday evenings, and a live band on Fridays; the Neuhaus provides music it describes as "evergreens" songs not Tyrolean, but also not too modern; and the Hotel Strass invites local bands to play in its lounge. In addition, Mos Esscafe & Music Room (Hauptstrasse 417, tel +43 5285/63435) is an American pub that features karaoke.

A recommended excursion from Mayrhofen is to leave the valley and drive east on Route 165 over the 1,507 meter (4,944 feet) high Gerlos Pass and across the northern edge of the Hohe Tauern National Park toward Zell am See. This 1,786 square meter park is Europes largest, and contains both Austrias highest peak, the Grossglockner at 3,797 meters (12,458 feet) and Austrias tallest waterfall, the Krimml.

In the summertime, there are spectacular views of the triple level falls from the road. Visitors can walk up a four km (2.5 miles) path to get a closer view. (Entry costs 10 AS/$8 between May and October. The trail does get steep in some parts.) Unfortunately, in winter the Krimml is just a large slab of ice and visitors then may wonder what all the fuss is about.

After the falls, Route 165 continues east toward the town of Mittersill and the start of the Felber Tauern road, which runs south toward Lienz. (More information on Lienz and the Hohe Tauern National Park will appear in a future issue.)