By : Ivaylo Kantardzhiev

When I think of Austria, the first thing that comes to my mind is the Austrian Alps. Maybe just about everyone knows that Austria is one of the best places to go during the winter. It has countless winter resorts with amazing surroundings, perfect ski tracks suitable for all ages and difficulties and many more sport facilities in case you are not into skiing. For the tired skier or just for everyone who would like to relax and have fun, there are many suitable places to do it - from big swimming pools to hot bath-tubs and restaurants with specialties from around the world. But if you think that Austria is only for the winter ... think again! If you prefer taking a holiday especially for skiing, you can do so even in the summer with the help of the gorgeous Austrian glaciers. One of the most famous glaciers is the one in the Stubai Valley - the Stubai Glacier. It is visible even from the road and can be a remarkable view even for non-skiers.

Other perfect places for skiing in the summer are the Kaprun Glacier and Pasterze Glacier, which unfortunately is decreasing in size in the last years. And if you are keen on the big things than the largest glacier in Austria is for you - the Hintertux glacier. In Austria there are also magnificent hiking trails, revealing a huge part of the country's beauties. A beautiful place is Zell am See with its "Hohe Tauern" mountain range, the Zeller Lake and its belonging marked trails, suitable for both beginners and experts. There is also available biking, sailing and more. I am not going to give more examples of hiking trails because they are numerous in almost every resort in Austria and they surely bring the atmosphere of the amazing nature there. If you are a nature lover I can recommend here only a small fraction of the many nature reserves in Austria.