Ischgl, good vibes in the Austrian Alps
The only way is down
The complexity of Ischgl’s vast network of over 200 km of pistes may be a haven for advanced skiers, snowboarders and off-piste daredevils in pursuit of their money’s worth of thrills. However, the interweaving black, red and blue lines on the map are enough to leave me cross-eyed and perplexed on my first day out on the slopes. Focus is required to get me down the steep run. Jolted out of the comfy seat-heated lift I find myself buffeted by wind and snow from all sides.The joy of skiing is lost on me. The feeling is more akin to horror as I unwillingly contemplate the icy decline ahead. I find myself wishing I’d opted for the sunny, safe comfort of a Greek island beach at Easter. But, the only way is down so I breathe deep, pray not to end up one of the many injured, wailing souls I’ve seen escorted away by medics on snowmobiles and wish for the best. I obviously survived to tell the tale.
The Ischgl fun factor
The choice of location for the annual family ski trip this year was heavily manoeuvred by the younger male members of the clan looking for a bit of post-ski entertainment. I had never heard of Ischgl, pronounced without the “g”, as I soon stood corrected. It turned out be something other than the deadpan, tranquil ski resort I was expecting. The narrow streets are alive with chatter, people fill the streets from morning on till late at night. It’s either the sound of tranquil village life interrupted by the ski season or, more likely, the ripple effect of the party crowd’s previous night’s adrenaline-packed shenanigans. You feel the buzz the moment you arrive. No one stays in. The many restaurants are chockablock and reservations are sometimes required days ahead; the bars, bursting at the seams with happy people, provide a steady flow of beer and schnapps while bottles of bubbly (Champagne Cristal being a common one) get popped or “sabered”. Business is booming.
Celebrities are welcome
In the past the resort was mainly a popular winter destination for well-to-do Germans and Scandinavians. Nowadays the clientele has diversified and much of this is due to the creative mind of an entrepreneurial local by the name of Günther Aloys, the visionary hotelier who some years ago decided to market the Ischgl brand into a global event tourism destination and elevate it to stardom attraction. This once sleepy, alpine village has since been revamped into a hotspot for those seeking luxury and fun at high-altitude.
Top of the Mountain concert
In light of that, every year, the start and end of the ski season is celebrated with the famous “Top of the Mountain” concert. The huge stage is set out on the ski slope in the Idalp area at a height of 2320m. Admission is free to all those in possession of a ski pass. Elton John was the first singer to ever perform here live for the ski suit-clad audience. Others soon followed, such as Jon Bon Jovi, Kylie Minogue, Rihanna, etc. During our stay in Ischgl the big names had already passed through, but we were still in time to enjoy some German rock performed by Max Giesinger. I have to admit that good vibes are guaranteed when the mountains come alive with the sound of music.
Flashforward
As for Günther Aloys, it seems he has a few more eye-openers in store for Ischgl. Besides a few futuristic, architectural projects planned for on the slopes, we can count on the opening of a Triple Black piste to be named Devil’s Edge and also the use of geothermal energy to keep the streets heated and avoid the use of salt. Least of all, he has envisioned a snowboard park, aptly named Pamela Anderson, emulating the curvy contours of a female body carved out in the snow. We are guaranteed a bumpy ride.
Smuggler’s run to Samnaun
Those looking for lighter leisure skiing can tackle the obstacles, bumps and jumps at the existing Snowpark, a sort of entertainment zone for freestyle skiers and families looking for some fun in the snow. Besides that, a novelty ski run that crosses the border between Austria and Switzerland was designed a couple of years ago for the more adventurous It goes by the name of The Smuggler’s Run and is divided into 3 different categories according to difficulty: Gold, Silver and Bronze. The Gold run is apparently one of the longest and most challenging ski runs in the world and only for advanced skiers. This idea pays tribute to the region’s past history when the locals’ source of income and survival was dependent on the flow of smuggling of furs, tobacco and foodstuffs that went on between Ischgl and Samnaun, in Switzerland. At some point during the skiing day you will inevitably end up in Swiss territory and be advised to switch off mobile data on your phones lest you wish to incur inclement Swiss mobile provider charges. So pay attention, unwary skier, of breaching border boundaries, because the use of mobile phones in the neighbour’s back yard will cost you dearly.
A much needed pit stop brings us to one of the most panoramic mountain bars I’ve seen so far and I am content to sit back and enjoy the stunning view over Switzerland all the way down to the little speck of a village in the distance. There yonder lies Samnaun, a village enclave renowned for its duty-free status. I wonder if the attraction of tax-reduced shopping is really worth the steep downhill trip on skis. I guess it is something one may enjoy bragging about during the après-ski later on in the day. Nonetheless, I think I’ll skip the shopping.
Not-so-tranquil Dorfstrasse
The centre of the village of Ischgl itself is quite charming and easy to cover by foot. It is no chore to fall into the general good vibes of people passing by. Parading troops of entire families, well-groomed couples fit for fashion magazine covers, overly tanned and pampered gents, ski bunnies and cuddly dogs, mostly poodles, stowed in handbags, fill up the main street. The few cars that need to be taken out for a ride are big, shiny and important as befits the affluent setting.
Most of the smart hotels, restaurants, cafes and lavish shops are set along or just off the main thoroughfare, the Dorfstrasse. To the less enthusiastic skier who reluctantly drags herself out of bed in the morning whimpering Take me home, mountain momma…, it comes as a relief to know that our hotel is close to the centre of village activity. I can certainly use some distraction after a tiresome day battling my mountain demons and the added drag of a ton of ski paraphernalia whilst burdened by footwear destined to make you hobble like an android. It goes without saying that after many a trip in said boots to WCs – sadistically cast away in the remotest dungeons of slope cafes and eateries – I have still not perfected a gracious walk.
More après, less ski
Now I am not the most avid après-skier, my skiing abilities requiring a clear head the day after, but you just can’t avoid the contagious fun that populates the many popular après-ski bars in town. Skiing generally winds down early on the slopes, besides for the usual mountain horny fanatics, in anticipation of a party. The atmosphere is loud and the mood is jolly. Soon the Austrian melodies, catchy, sentimental schlager hits are being belted out by all as the beer flows and the schnapps evaporates. If your hotel is located anywhere close to any of these spots you will need to keep your windows shut in order get some sleep later on in the night.
Austrian inhibitions?
Partying and drunken rowdiness goes on all night under the watchful eye of the friendly local police guarding the problematic points in town. The main ones are the Kuhstall (the Cowshed), the crazy Schatzi bar (think half-naked girls dancing on the counter tops while 30-50 year old males gape with dropped jaws) and the infamous Pacha disco club of Ibizan fame where – I’ve been told – pole dancers liven up the night. All in good taste, no doubt, and even if the general ratio of men to women in these places is unbalanced it does not detract from the fact that a good time can be had by all if you are there with your own crowd. Most reassuring of all is that despite the general, inevitable boozy state of the masses, things remain civilised. Let’s say, I saw no scenes of loutish behaviour, no street brawls or intoxicated, gutter layabouts as could be expected. Things are obviously under control in the village.
Thank Lucy for the sushi
On the matter of food. On the day we arrived, totally starved from the lengthy car trip we settled upon an Asian restaurant located near our hotel, Lucy Wang http://www.lucywang.at/. It turned out to be a case of gourmet serendipity since I had not had the time to do my homework regarding local foodie haunts. It is understandable why this trendy, elegant and friendly restaurant is a favourite in town. It delivers well prepared, modern Japanese food and sushi, a healthier option to the general mainstream. It was a promising start to the week.
Gröstl
As for local Tyrolean cuisine, it is a hearty affair concocted to endure the rigours of mountain life. The vegetarians amongst us have a hard time foraging for food although every restaurant does seem to promote a couple of vegetarian or vegan dishes. One of the favourite local specialities is gröstl, a sort of hash made with potatoes, onions, bacon, all sautéed together in a pan and crowned with a fried egg. (Make sure you will be skiing your butt off after this or you’ll end up with a double one.) You can’t deny it is tasty comfort food and is surely a lunch favourite with the young, the ravenous and the bold. No amount of skiing on my behalf would help burn that calorie bomb. I think I’ll pass, thank you very much.
Kaiserschmarren
Other hearty options for lunch (besides the common bratwurst) include the hugely popular Kaiserschmarren (tr. Emperor’s mess). This particular dish consists of a fluffy, thick, shredded pancake (I’d say more like a failed omelette) served with a combination of things at your choice: baked plums, berry compote, apple sauce and/or ice-cream. It is eaten at any time of the day either as a dessert or simply lunch. A generous (or over-stuffed) stranger sharing our table at one of the slope restaurants offered us half of his dish to taste. Was that a well-disguised call for help? It sure tasted good, but anyone who can pack that away after a sturdy, mountain meal commands respect.
Schlag
Last, but not least on the Alpine gastronomic scene, there is schlag – sahne, chantilly, whipped cream, call it what you want – and as much as I love a generous dollop of it on cakes, scones or pancakes the white blob stalked me all week. Soup was served on a daily basis as a start of our meal in our hotel. The soup itself, lest you sent a submarine down under to investigate, was usually indiscernible beneath the strategically placed, nuclear mushroom-like dose of the creamy stuff. Moreover, when soup was not corrupted by the cappuccino element then it was infiltrated by yet another mysterious element: sliced pancake strips! They call it frittatensuppe (omelette soup). Pancakes, or palatschinken as they are known here, get sliced into strips and thrown into a light beef consommé. Now we’re recycling food… Now imagine that served by a grim, elderly lady in traditional Tyrolean garb with the no-nonsense, rigid expression of someone who has weathered at least 60 harsh Alpine winters and you can imagine that my gourmet inclinations took a severe beating. Be it as it may, there were also many pleasant and edible things on my plate during the course of the week and, certainly, many good laughs were had over dinner at the expense of the ubiquitous use of schlag everywhere.
The Grill Alm
Besides Lucy Wang’s I cannot forego mentioning the restaurant we ended up in on the one fortunate evening our hotel’s kitchen was closed for rest (or probably whipping up enough cream for the week ahead). The Grill Alm http://www.ischgl.cc/kulinarik/feinste-kueche/ in the Hotel Gramaser located at the end of the main street, opposite the Salnerhof (my initial choice, but unfortunately full) was a surprisingly good experience. It was asparagus season and a full range of dishes based on the delicious vegetable were on the menu that day.
The highlight of my meal was definitely the tuna tartare which overwhelmed at first by its odd appearance as a whole piece of raw, tuna steak. However, once the freshness, taste and buttery consistence of the yellow fin specimen was ensured, any former qualms were vanquished. The food is good, reasonably priced for Ischgl norms and is matched with friendly and thoughtful service. Plus point: the wine list was up to the head of the family’s discerning wine palate.
Plangger wine bar
Speaking of wine, the town boasts a few options in terms of the liquid substance, not to mention champagne which is available everywhere. We happily stumbled upon the Plangger Delikatessen & Wine bar https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g608670-d9745576-Reviews-Plangger_Delikatessen-Ischgl_Tirol_Austrian_Alps.html. The warm and cosy atmosphere promotes interaction amongst the customers and adds to its charm. The place is run by a young bloke, Basti, aided by his friendly Dutch cook sidekick. All in all, a lovely place to sit back, unwind and discover some good Austrian wines. Only setback, the bar closes at 10 pm.
What I did not find in Ischgl – maybe fault lies with me – was one decent espresso, despite the daily, week long pursuit of an even close-to-decent specimen. So there is a hole in the market for espresso addicts.
Aufwiedersehen, Ischgl!
After an enjoyable winter break with the family I think we can all agree that cosmopolitan, fun-loving Ischgl has much to offer to everyone looking to balance the exertions of snow sports with a bit of pure, harmless pleasure. Beyond the sheen of glamour and the recent celebrity status I find it still retains the class and traditional charm of an Austrian mountain village. I, for one, am very happy to state “been there, done that” and, perhaps, might return again one day. I am convinced that Mr Aloys has a few more surprises in store for future visitors. Let’s hope an Italian espresso bar is on his bucket list.
As for the locals. Austrians are not Germans (maybe they share some Bavarian traits). Yes, they are straightforward, but generally quite friendly and helpful (we’ll disregard the odd, grumpy waitress). Surprisingly, and in spite of their image of progressiveness, they tend to smoke a lot, even indoors, they would rather have cash over credit cards (the Greeks of Northern Europe?) and, to top it all, when they’re not following all their rules they actually know how to let their hair down and have a jolly, good time. Prost!