Centre based guided walking, Austrian Tyrol

The base for these holidays is Gasthof Griesenau in the small hamlet of Griesenau, 10 minutes from the local market town of St Johann, which lies in a valley basin between the mountains of the Wilder Kaiser range and the Kitzbüheler Horn, in the centre of the district of Kitzbühel.

The Kitzbühler Ache (small river), the Fieberbrunner Ache and the Reither Ache unite in St. Johann and run into Bavaria as the Tiroler Ache. The center of town is approximately 660 metres above sea level and is a lively and attractive 'working' town, not just a tourist centre.

The rest day could be spent enjoying the ‘Panorama Badewelt’ swimming pool, which includes a large sauna and wellness area, as well as indoor and outdoor tennis courts. The summer toboggan run also provides some entertainment and is a popular meeting place. More adventurous visitors can take part in river rafting, ballooning, tandem paragliding and sky diving. Sally will discuss the rest day options with the guest at the start of their holiday and help with planning and make any arrangements.

» Click here to see a location map of Griesenau in the Austrian Tyrol.

History
This region was already settled in the 4th century BC by a Celtic tribe, the Ambisontiers, who pursued copper mining in the surrounding mountains. In the 8th century, missionaries built a Catholic church in the region of St. Johann, which was dedicated to John the Baptist and who gave St. Johann its name.

The opening of the copper and silver mines in 1540 increased the wealth of St. Johann. The mines were located in the small hills, known as Rerobichl close to Oberndorf, which belonged to St. Johann. In the 17th century the Heilig-Geist-Schacht (Holy Ghost Shaft) was the deepest shaft in the world, over 780 metres deep. The mining of copper and silver continued until the 18th century.

In 1961, after a referrendum, it was decided that a Nature Reserve should be established which included an area of 102km incorporating the peaks of the Wilder Kaiser and the Zahmen Kaiser. The lowest point is 480m and the highest 2,344m at the Ellmauer Halt.