Mountain biking – my husband and my son are absolutely thrilled when it comes to this sport. So it happened that we wanted to get away for a few days in the summer; my husband and the children wanted to do sports and I wanted to relax. That's why we chose Saalbach, as there are many mountain bike trails, beautiful hiking paths, lifts, and of course, beautiful hotels here. We booked the 4-star superior Hotel eva‘ village, right in Saalbach, with an indoor pool and half-board for 4 days in August. Here are our experiences:
Hotel eva‘ Village in Saalbach
The hotel is located in the middle of Saalbach in a pedestrian zone; you are allowed to drive up to unload your car and then receive a parking card for the underground garage just around the corner. The car can be parked on the 5th floor. We didn't need it for the entire stay because everything is centrally located. The hotel is very well furnished, very modern and stylish. There are many nice places where you can linger, in front of the hotel on the terrace, in the entrance area, very nicely done. At the reception, there was a very friendly lady who explained everything to us.
The rooms
We took a standard room, i.e., you get a double room and the couch is pulled out. I never find that okay; the children pay the same price and don't get a proper bed. The room was modern and coolly furnished. The only thing is that there are far too few hooks to hang things up. The bathroom has a bathtub and sink; the toilet was separate. Outside in the anteroom, there were some cupboards and shelves. I have to admit that for four people, it is a bit tight. But since we wanted to be out and about a lot anyway, it was only intended for sleeping. The balcony was very large with 2 chairs and a table. The view was of the Kohlmais, Saalbach's local mountain. The cleaning staff always left great decorations – really great. It was very clean; only the faucet was loose for us, but it worked. It was always tidied up tip-top, even though it was quite chaotic with us with all the equipment stuff.
The culinary experience
The food was excellent, there was a great selection and it tasted very good. In the morning, there was a breakfast buffet with everything your heart desires: scrambled eggs, bacon, porridge, fruit, homemade fruit-vegetable smoothie, pastries, and you could order a café latte, and the day starts well.
At 4 p.m., a late lunch is offered; a small buffet is set up here with warm delicacies and desserts.
In the evening, the highlight is the 5-course menu. You start with a salad that you can put together yourself, then the appetizer, which is served, then the soup, which is also served. For the main course, you can always choose from 3 dishes in the evening, one of which is always vegetarian. Then the dessert, which is served again, and whoever wants can get cheese from the buffet.
There is a separate children's buffet for the children. However, our 13-year-olds wanted to eat our menu, and it was no problem, even though they were intended for the children's buffet.
Wellness
The hotel has an indoor pool, which is open until 8 p.m. A few loungers with towels are provided here. Next to it is the sauna, as well as a steam bath and sanarium. A Kneipp pool serves for cooling down. In good weather, you can lie on the sun deck – beautiful loungers with umbrellas for relaxing, with a view of Saalbach.
Anyone who wants can also book beauty treatments or massages, but I didn't try that.
Price
We paid € 1520 for 4 people (2 adults, 2 children 13 years old) for 4 days (as of 2022) – the underground garage and the local tax are added to this (for us it was 32.80 and 16).
The Joker Card
We received the Joker Card at the hotel. This card cannot be bought, but is issued by the accommodations that are Joker Card partners. This card turned out to be very practical, because several costs for beautiful excursions are included or discounted here. For example, rides on the mountain lifts are partially included. There would have been discounts for the high ropes park, Schnitza’s wood park, or the treetop path. Further information on the Joker Card can be found here: Joker Card in Saalbach
We only used the card for the mountain lifts.
Excursions and mountain biking in Saalbach
I must add: there were always guided hikes at the hotel, but I didn't participate. If I had stayed longer, I would certainly have tried it.
Montelino’s Adventure Trail – Kohlmaisbahn – Mountain bike trails
Hiking:
- Route length: 2.2 km
- Duration: 1:30
- Difficulty: easy
- Age: 4-10 years
- Admission: no admission
- Stroller-friendly: no
- Starting point: Kohlmaisbahn mountain station
Mountain biking:
- Panorama Trail: 1.3 km – easy
- Monti Trail: 2.9 km – easy
- Blue-Line: 2.6 km, easy
We rode the Kohlmaisbahn all the way up the mountain together. Andreas rode the mountain bike trails with the children. I hiked the Montelino’s Adventure Trail. Here you walk really comfortably with many beautiful stations for children down to the middle station. Children should pick up a card with the tasks at the station, then they can stick stickers in the passport at the visited stations.
I needed just under an hour, although I also looked at the stations again and again. On the way, there is also a nice hut to sit in.
Andreas tried out all the trails with the children.
Hiking and mountain biking on the Schattberg
The next destination was the Schattberg. The ascent is very comfortable with the fast Schattberg X-press. On the mountain, there are some loungers for sunbathing and relaxing; for children, there is a really nice playground with a great view. Right at the mountain station, there was a restaurant where you can strengthen yourself or sunbathe on the terrace. A few hiking trails lead away from there. I decided on the hiking trail over to the East Peak, from there I then hiked on to the Middle Peak.
Then back to the East Peak and there I met the mountain bikers and we had lunch together.
Andreas rode the trails with the children.
Tips for equipment
Andreas and the children had their mountain bikes with them, but right after a few descents, they realized that this was not optimal. They rented more suitable bikes at Sport Bründl. The shop is right by the Kohlmaisbahn and only a few minutes from the Hotel eva‘.
Andreas' bike even broke, and he had to rent one too. We recommend renting the appropriate bikes. We also had to rent a helmet for Lara, but everything is available in the shop. Really don't save money here and use good equipment; protectors and long pants are also important. There are always a few falls. Therefore, always take first aid kits with you. In Saalbach, there is also a pharmacy, about a 5-minute walk from our hotel.
Conclusion
We all liked the vacation very much; the hotel is really very, very great. The food was so good and varied. The children also liked it very much. The location is perfect; you are central and everywhere immediately; there are several shops, so I went strolling a bit one afternoon. The only thing was that the water in the indoor pool was quite fresh at 23 degrees when we went swimming for the first time. The next day, however, this was fixed and it was 26-27 degrees. The indoor pool is of course full quite quickly, especially when several children gather here. The loungers in the indoor pool are super comfortable; those who want it quieter move over to the sauna, there is a great relaxation area there. In front of the indoor pool is a stand with drinks, fruits, as well as nuts and fruit. In the evening, we were right next door for a drink, very practical, because when the children didn't want to anymore, they simply went back to the hotel and to the room. Andreas and the children were always nicely tired from all the riding and I had my wellness vacation.
We liked it very much and we enjoyed the days.
Photos by Sabine, meinhaushalt.at
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