In this blog post, I’m gonna show you the best things to do at Achensee – it is the perfect destination for a weekend trip for relaxing and hiking.
Last month I was on a weekend trip with my family. Do you do that sometimes as well? It was our first family trip since we, the „kids“, are grown-ups. And it was…different. Different in a positive way. Not like family holidays when we were kids. I remember our yearly holidays in Croatia or Italy always started a bit stressful, parents were busy and stressed out because they were afraid that they would forget any important thing. And we, the kids, were arguing during the whole 7-hour drive to the destination. My parents even bought a Volkswagen bus at one point in order to keep some distance between the three kids in the car.
And there we were again. In the red van. At a weekend in October. My two older brothers, his girlfriend, me and my parents. Each was in its usual seat, my twin brother and me in the last row, our older brother in the middle row and my parents in the front. My dad was driving – like 10 years ago when we used to go to Croatia. But this time the atmosphere was way more relaxed – no fighting, no stress, no hassle. All looking forward to a relaxed weekend together.
In this article I’m not gonna give you insider tips or show you the best hikes around, this is just a little story about our family trip. Quite normal, without big adventure. But still precious. Precious in a different way. On a social basis.
Our trip started on Saturday morning in our red Volkswagen van. After two hours drive while pouring rain we arrived at Achensee. Shortly before we reached the lake the weather changed suddenly and we were spoilt by the sun and blue sky.
After checking in and a warm welcome of the owners at our accommodation, Hotel Auszeit in Pertisau in Austria, we wanted to go for a hike. „Auszeit“ means time-out by the way, and that is exactly what we needed. We even received a sparkling welcome refreshment which we were zipping while observing the cows next to our window and decided to follow the recommendation of the hotel staff and hike to „Feil Alm“.
Hike to Feil Alm at Lake Achensee
This hike is very easy and was perfect for a relaxed afternoon. The way up to lead us along a little path through the forest with no other people. The leaves of the trees already turned a bit orange and brown but the sun was there all the time and gave us some kind of feeling of summer. After around 45 minutes we could already catch a glimpse of what was waiting for us on top: a gorgeous view at the lake.
Now the way was a bit broader dirt road and we enjoyed the direct sunlight. After another 45 minutes, we arrived the little hut „Feil Alm“ which was our destination.
We had a little rest and a late lunch there. Even if the service was horrible the food was very delicious. Typical Austrian dishes like Kaiserschmarrn or Zwetschgenstrudel were offered there – sweet dishes with loads of calories. But who cares right? We were just hiking for 1.5 hours.
For the way down we decided to turn to the right after the restaurant and take another route. It was not very spectacular. But we’ve seen some little waterfalls and the guys could even hunt for mushrooms in the forest. They didn’t find any but at least it was what they loved doing since they were very little.
Here some more impressions from the way down:
Relaxing at Hotel Auszeit in Pertisau
After our family hike, we wanted to make use of our Hotel „time-out“ and went to the spa area of the hotel. This is the second best thing to do at Achensee – relaxing. Our hotel had a little heated outdoor pool, four saunas, tee and relaxation facilities as well as two little basins for taking a hot footbath. That was exactly what we all needed after a chilly day in the mountains.
The hotel itself had very cosy rooms in traditional Austrian style with a huge comfortable bed, each of our rooms had a balcony with lake view. In addition spa utensils, like a bag, a bathrobe and slippes were provided.
Eat at the best restaurant in town: Golfvilla
In the evening we went to the best restaurant in town „Golfvilla! which offers not only typical Austrian Dishes but also some more special dishes like pumpkin risotto, steak or Moroccan Tajine. The atmosphere there is very traditional, hence cosy and the food was delicious – I can definitely recommend it!
Take a walk along the lake
The next day we were not so lucky anymore with the weather and it was raining. But even at a rainy day there are things to do at Achensee. The rain didn’t distract us from taking a walk along the lake. It even made the lake more special and a bit mystique.
From Pertisau you can basically walk along the whole lake to the south and even to the other side in the west.
Don’t miss to climb the stairs of this viewpoint construction and enjoy the lake from a different perspective:
And this was our little family trip and the best things to do at Achensee. Not super special in terms of what we did – but special in terms of what we did it together as a family.
All I want to tell you with my little story is: family is important. The most important part of life in fact. And it is important to spend time together. Life is not just about going out with your friends, go on a party trip to Cancun with your buddies or go shopping with your bestie. From my point of view, the family should be on the top of everything else. And even if this is not reality for everybody, I can strongly recommend planning some family activities together, because every experience you experience together and every minute you spend together bonds you together as a family.
Also, check out my favourite place to relax in Italy – away from the hustle bustle.
Never stop exploring – maybe next time with your family!
