Austria - Carinthia Escape to the Continent

This elegant building towering behind me

was constructed in just eight months

and has already broken a world and a European record.

Find out what the records were and where I am in just a moment.

Today we're helping a Nottinghamshire couple

who are convinced a new life on the Continent would offer them

their perfect mix of scenery, sport and style.

-The house I want to show you is this one.

-Oh, wow!

-Wow!

And our search for their dream home could take them to a distant land.

It's like a fairytale castle.

-Yes, it is like, welcome to Hogwarts!

-There you go.

Welcome to Escape to the Continent.

Today, we're in the beautiful Alpine region

of Carinthia in southern Austria

and this is the world's tallest wooden observation tower.

It's called the Pyramidenkogel,

which is the name of the hill on which it stands.

This is its third reincarnation.

It was built once in the '50s, again in the '60s

and this one opened in June 2013.

It is just shy of 100 metres tall

and if you don't fancy climbing the 441 steps down to the bottom,

inside, there's also Europe's tallest slide.

Yippee!

See you at the bottom.

Wh-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo!

Whoo! Oh! Oh!

And on with the show.

Carinthia is Austria's southernmost region,

bordering Italy to the southwest and Slovenia to the southeast.

Some of the most breathtaking scenery can be found

to the northwest in the Hohe Tauern National Park.

A 30-mile long scenic driving route takes in

the might of Austria's tallest mountain, the Grossglockner.

The Alpine scenery is also home to some of Europe's

top winter sports destinations,

such as Bad Kleinkirchheim.

The whole region offers up over 625 miles of open pistes

to satisfy skiers of all levels,

but these majestic mountains are also a mecca for walkers

and cyclists in the hot summer months.

To the south of the region,

Worthersee is the largest Alpine lake in Europe.

It's popular with boating enthusiasts and lake swimmers alike,

who are attracted by the crystal-clear, super-clean waters.

To the east lies the region's capital, Klagenfurt.

This attractive city was rebuilt in the 16th century

based on an Italian architect's Renaissance ideals.

The pedestrianised Old Square offers up a relaxed shopping experience

alongside some architectural masterpieces,

including the Landhaus building,

which is home to the regional parliament.

Austria's Carinthia region remains relatively

undiscovered by the British expat community,

but its rich mix of history, lifestyle and incredible scenery

certainly offers up the right ingredients

for a potential move to the Continent.

Let's talk figures so you have an idea of how much things cost here.

A family house in Carinthia costs on average £228,000,

which is about £30,000 less than the average figure at home.

And in Austria, generally, it's a booming market.

In 2012, house prices went up by 11%,

more than any other European country.

And Carinthia is a really good place to buy

because it's 50% cheaper here

than in the neighbouring region of Salzburgerland.

Unless you want to go up into the more ritzy ski resorts

like Bad Kleinkirchheim,

where you're going to be paying a premium.

So there's lots of lovely property and lots of lovely locations,

but what's going to suit our buyers today?

Let's meet them and find out.

John and Elaine have lived in the Nottinghamshire hamlet

of Church Laneham for the last ten years.

They're very happy in their three-bedroom farmhouse,

but are looking for a change of scene and have turned to John's

beloved Austria to fulfil their life-changing Continental dream.

I went when I was probably in my early 20s

and I fell in love with the people, culture, the whole Austria thing.

And then convinced Elaine that she'd like it too.

And then, under sufferance, she came along and then said, "Actually,

"you're right," which is quite a rare thing for Elaine to say.

And it's the region of Carinthia in Austria that's attracting them.

With its good transport links and varied climate,

it could satisfy John's passion for sport,

as well as Elaine's more laidback approach to the great outdoors.

John loves to ski and I like to sunbathe.

So, in the region that we're now looking,

we will get the best of both worlds.

John and Elaine run a caravan park from their 30-acre farm estate

and it's the runaway success of this business that's led them

to re-evaluate their future.

We went from being a very small caravan site through,

over the years, building up slowly but surely

to the point where it's taken over our lives.

So their plan is to take a step back and employ staff to run the site,

whilst they oversee it from their dream home in the Austrian Alps.

With the marvels of technology, most stuff can be done remotely now.

So, whether we'll be in Austria or the United Kingdom, we can

keep tabs on what we need to do.

John is certainly driving this move, but Elaine appears to be on board,

although she sees it more as a gradual transition.

We could pack everything up and go and buy somewhere and then,

if in four months' time we don't like it, then what do you do?

This is why the move needs to be more of a transition,

rather than an up sticks and going.

John and Elaine's daughter is grown up

and will stay at home to continue her studies.

She'll also look after Elaine's five show horses and three of her dogs.

But they'll also be leaving behind a wider network of friends and family.

Moving away from the UK, obviously, there's family members

left at home, but it takes us two hours to drive to my parents now.

I can fly in to Manchester and in three hours...

I will miss the people, the busyness of the caravan site, interaction with

a lot of people, and I do talk a lot, so yeah, I'll probably miss that!

SHE LAUGHS

As with any move to the Continent, a grasp of the local language

would certainly help, so how is their German?

I'm quite comfortable with the language. Elaine's probably not...

I'm not as comfortable in German.

This is buying into a whole new way of life.

New language, new challenges, new everything.

Moving it forward. That's where we want to be.

John and Elaine seem unfazed by the notion of an international move

and they've hot-footed it to Austria,

armed with a healthy budget of £375,000.

I'm meeting up with them in the north west of the Carinthia region,

at the scenic Lake Millstatt, to get the lowdown on their Austrian plans.

-Welcome to Austria, guys.

-Thank you very much indeed.

Thanks for bringing us here. What a beautiful spot.

It's fabulous, isn't it?

Tell me a bit about this move cos it's always a big move

when you leave the UK to come to another place.

-Who is the impetus from?

-Me.

-From John.

I like everything about the...

The options that you have within the Alps.

Everything from something like this, boating, playing golf,

all of the summer activities, it's 38 degrees here in the summer,

-and I'm an avid skier.

-I'm not a great skier,

so we need to address what I would do in the winter.

Is this a time of your life when you can change the pace of your life?

Yes. We work a lot of hours at the minute

and we're just trying to sort of cut back on that.

That is something we were both agreed on.

-Yes.

-Very good. So you're not selling up?

-No

-So this is a transition?

-It is, yes.

What are you looking for, in terms of an ideal home here in Austria?

Three bedrooms, so that obviously the family can come over

and we've got somewhere for them to stay.

I like open plan. I like sort of roomy...

-rooms. Preferably not a lot of garden or...

-Maintenance.

-I'm not keen on pushing the lawn mower around either.

-OK.

What about style and age? Are you looking for...?

-No, we're very open to that.

-Open-minded.

-So you're not dreaming of one of those chocolate box...?

-No.

In the mountainside on a hill!

No!

We have one of those. We live in a field at the moment.

We'd like to a little bit closer to people and maybe restaurants

-and shops.

-We've got some beautiful houses.

-I'm really excited to show them to you. Let's crack on.

-Super! Looking forward to it!

'Our buyers are looking eventually to move here permanently,

'although their initial plan is to divide their time

'between Austria and their home and business in the UK.

'They have a budget of £375,000 and would like a property with

'a minimum of three bedrooms, a feeling of open plan living

'and a low-maintenance garden.

'Finally, they want to be part of a community, ideally within

'range of ski resort, to satisfy John's passion for the slopes.

'We've got four impressive Austrian properties to tempt today's buyers.

'Although they're open-minded about style,

'the final challenging mystery house might be a step too far,

'but would certainly offer them a brighter future.

'What they don't know is that they will also be staying in a property that we've rented for them to give

'them a fuller flavour of Carinthian life.

'Our first property is around 55 miles northwest from Klagenfurt,

'in the mountain community of Grantsch.

'It's a short drive from the beautiful lakeside town of Millstatt.

'This is an historic centre, famed for a Romanesque Benedictine abbey,

'its red turrets standing proudly over the town's marketplace.

'Millstatt offers up a good range of shops and cafes

'and is also a focal point for a wide range of sporting activities.

'Our first property is a little way from this thriving centre.

'I just hope it's not too remote for their liking.'

-Here we have house number one.

-It's a cuckoo clock house!

It's a very traditional Austrian block house, a Carinthian block house.

-It's very pretty.

-And the views are absolutely staggering.

-Yeah.

We've got Millstatt down there - that would be your local town.

How old is the property?

-1998.

-So it's quite new, then?

-Yeah. 15-odd years.

Really, it doesn't look new, does it?

Inside, it feels very kind of modern. Are you a fan of wood?

Probably not that much.

-I'd have to see.

-But it's very in keeping with the area.

In terms of the aspect... I mean, this is the garden.

-It's very manageable. It's not huge.

-I love the pond.

There's no reason why you couldn't put a swimming pool here.

-They didn't want a swimming pool.

-That would be good!

-I'm maybe not so keen on that idea. That's maintenance!

-Ah!

The dreaded M word!

'We'll leave them to battle that one out.

'But this wraparound garden is genuinely low maintenance.

'The pond extends across the front of the plot to a storage shed,

'whilst the rest of the garden is laid out to lawn

'with a few attractive shrubs. Nothing too demanding for Elaine

'to handle, but can she get over her aversion to wood

'in this Alpine setting?'

-Thank you.

-You step into the main area here.

It's all open plan. You've got the living area here,

those big double doors out onto the balcony. The terrace, I mean.

And then through here into the kitchen-dining area.

I love the snug. And I love the stove.

Ah. The stove is very traditional.

All over Germany and Austria, you get these Kachelofen tiled stoves.

And then they just heat through the night.

-What do you think, Elaine?

-Too much wood.

-Too much wood.

-Yeah.

I rather like the wood. I like the Alpine feel to it.

If you painted the walls, for example, or the ceilings,

-everything white...

-Yeah, it would brighten it up.

-It feels a bit sort of oppressive.

-Who is the cook?

Do you cook, the two of you?

-I enjoy cooking. I find it very relaxing.

-So I don't like to argue.

If John wants to cook, I'm not going to argue.

-So you're not really fussed about the kitchen.

-It looks nice.

It's all right. THEY LAUGH

So, if you're the cook, John, would you be happy in a kitchen that size?

More than happy, as long as Elaine can't get in it,

that's an advantage, really!

I can practise making my schnitzels in there.

'Elaine's not exactly enamoured with the ground floor.

'There's also a basement on offer,

'with two rooms currently being used as a utility

'and a storage space, but we're heading up to the first floor.

'There's a brief respite from the wooden interior in the modern

'bathroom suite,

'which features an enclosed bath and modern enamel taps.

'There are two bedrooms to the front of the property.

'The first of which is dual aspect,

'offering up those spectacular views to the mountains.'

We've got two rooms at the front of the house like this,

sort of mirrored.

-OK.

-They're not huge.

-Quite cosy.

-Not much storage.

-No.

-That's the thing, isn't it?

Not a lot of scope for either fitted wardrobes or anything like that,

but would you want to put any more wood in there?

THEY LAUGH No-one would.

But they do have this feature.

Wow!

-What a fabulous view!

-That is fantastic!

Really, the whole house is pretty much this view.

Yes. It's what it's about, isn't it?

'We may be moving away from the views,

'but the last room, to the rear of the first floor,

'could offer up the kind of space our buyers appear to be after.'

This would have been, I imagine, designed as the master bedroom.

They use it as an office, but it kind of makes sense to use it

as a bedroom cos there's more storage there, you've got a wardrobe here.

It wouldn't take a great deal to make it into a great bedroom. It's very light. Feels quite open.

-Mm.

-You're not so convinced.

-No, it's not punching my buttons, this.

I'm rather taken with the views.

The views are fabulous. There's no doubt about that.

The views are stunning, but there's a lot of wood!

OK, let's step outside. We can talk about the price.

'Well, there's a bit of a divided camp on this one.

'Elaine did originally say she was open to any style,

'but clearly wood is now off the agenda.

'I don't even think this fantastic setting is going to win her over,

'as we step outside to talk price.'

We've got the views. I know that's a winner.

-The wood has not been such a winner with you.

-No.

But what do you think this little slice of Carinthia costs?

I would say...325?

What do you think?

I don't think this is a particularly touristy area.

I think this would be about 285-290.

In this instance, you should listen to Elaine.

-She's almost exactly right. It's on just under 327.

-OK.

-OK.

We're actually quite close to a very good ski resort.

The area is a bit more prestigious than perhaps you might have known.

That still represents great value, with the views here.

-Have a look and explore downstairs. I'll see you at the front and then we can push on.

-Thank you.

'Our first property is almost £50,000 under John

'and Elaine's maximum budget. It was built 15 years ago,

'in the style of a traditional wooden block house.

'It currently has two bedrooms, plus a spacious first floor office.

'Downstairs offers up generous open plan living,

'whilst the outside space features a large pond,

'set against spectacular mountainside views.'

Although it's a traditional Austrian house, which

I think's really pretty, the inside just doesn't do it for me at all.

Coming here has given us a clearer direction, clear pointers,

as to what exactly we probably want out of a property in Austria.

My relationship with Elaine has always been about compromise.

We'll thrash it out. It could be a bumpy journey, but we'll get there.

-Still lovely weather here in Austria.

-Fantastic.

-Beautiful.

Absolutely fantastic.

We thought, rather than bundle you off to a hotel, which is

not very authentically Austrian,

we would sort you out your own Austrian home for the week.

Oh, fabulous!

So we found you a lakeside dwelling, not far from Villach,

where you can settle in and live the Austrian dream.

Can't wait!

'I'm hoping this immersive experience will give them

'a feel for Austrian life. Their rental property is a ten minute

'drive from the centre of Villach, in the district of St Magdalen.

'And they're soon settling in.

'John hasn't tackled a schnitzel,

'but has produced a pretty authentic meat platter, as they chat

'about exactly what they hope to get out of their Carinthian visit.'

Having your own apartment gives you a better idea of the area

-and how people live.

-Be nice to meet local people.

-To have a wander round and see what...

-Adventure.

We need to be looking at day-to-day living of ordinary people to

get a proper feel of the area and how we feel we'll fit in.

Do you think we're any closer to what we want yet?

I think I've got a lot more idea as to what I'm looking for now.

My idea was having something a lot more ski resort-based.

I don't want that at all now.

-I want a more...whole year round.

-Yes, something that's...yeah.

We can walk the dogs, we can go to the spas...

I thought you were going to work.

-I'm thinking about doing less work now.

-Really?

I'm thinking about you doing more!

'Well, I'm sure the work-life balance will get ironed

'out as they settle down to their first night in Austria.

'It's the second day of our property hunt in Carinthia, Austria,

'with Nottinghamshire couple John and Elaine.

'They're embracing local life, starting their day with a Continental breakfast,

'and a spot of shopping in the nearby city of Villach.

'I'm just hoping John has more luck convincing

'Elaine about the move than he does about his potential purchase.'

-What about the hat?

-SHE LAUGHS

Maybe not.

Today, I'd like us to concentrate on getting them to move here properly.

None of this low-maintenance lock-up-and-leave stuff

cos that's just going to tend towards it being a holiday home

and not really a transition into the move here.

So the first house today really is a beautiful house you've got to fall in love with and commit to

and I'm hoping it's going to change the game.

'Our second property is in the rural village of Linsenberg.

'It's less than half an hour from the region's historic capital

'Klagenfurt, whose extensive shopping and cultural diversity

'could offer a useful focal point for the less sporty Elaine.

'The local area is a little further away from ski resorts,

'but is still incredibly picturesque.

'Stunning views dominate over the Slovenian Karavank mountain

'range, whilst local amenities, including a supermarket and bank,

'are available in the nearby town of Poggersdorf.

'Our house is a five minute drive from the village,

'up a peaceful lane.'

Here we are.

House number two.

Mm, that's nice.

-Yeah.

-It's got these amazing views of the mountains.

It's very quiet, it's a rural area.

The house is quite big and it's built to an enormously high spec.

It's beautifully done inside. What are your first impressions?

-I think it's quite quirky.

-I like the overall aspect of it.

Yeah, I like it.

Not quite reading you, but that's all right. Shall we go inside?

-Absolutely.

-Super.

-You'll be glad to know there's less wood.

-That's good!

'I think John and Elaine may be reserving judgment for now.

'This detached house was built in 1983.

'Its individual design

'and aspect aimed at capturing the magnificent views.

'I'm hoping the interior's quality

'and space will appeal more than our first property,

'as we enter straight into an impressive open-plan room.'

-Very different feel from yesterday.

-Gosh, yeah.

-It's a very striking property.

-Yes, it is, yeah. It's very nice.

Enormously wide doors, bamboo floors,

tiles mixed through into the hall.

Big windows, but in sort of unusual shapes and sizes.

Vast amount of attention to detail,

-with decorating and quality of finish.

-Yeah.

The heating throughout the house is this clever sort of heat

-exchange system. Familiar with that?

-Right, yes.

So you use the heat differential to heat the house and cool the house.

What are your feelings?

Cos this is more of a grand home that you want to live in.

It is. It's a little bit bigger than I had sort of in my mind.

-But it's feeling good. Yes.

-Let's take a look in the kitchen.

'The living space seems to have gone down well.

'Let's see how the rest of the ground floor measures up.'

Coming into the kitchen.

Certainly bigger than yesterday. Not huge.

-Mm.

-That's quite disappointing.

Actually, that's a lot disappointing.

It's a broom cupboard. I don't want to cook in a broom cupboard.

I like open plan.

For such a beautiful big house and then to put a corner kitchen in...

-That wall would have to go.

-So you'd bring it out.

-Yeah.

What you said yesterday, the kitchen was fine yesterday,

-and that was tiny.

-But it was open plan.

And it opened into the main room and here, you're in an enclosed space.

-Strong words.

-Yeah.

You spend a lot of time in the kitchen.

'John may have bared his teeth there,

'but the wall is not an insurmountable problem.

'The open plan living space also feeds into a separate

'breakfast room, complete with a feature tiled stove.

'And the ground floor is rounded off by the first of this

'property's bedrooms.'

They have this as their master bedroom

and you've got a bathroom and a toilet all on sort of one floor.

-How do you feel about sleeping downstairs?

-Yeah, I don't mind.

-Doesn't make any difference.

-Comfy with that, aren't we?

-Yeah.

This is more uplifting. It's not dingy. It's quite light.

There is so much storage in this house,

you would not really need any more wardrobes.

You've got all those outside. Downstairs in the cellar,

there's an entire room kitted out for your winter clothes when it's

-the summer and your summer clothes when it's the winter.

-More shopping!

-I think not!

-'This is a really spacious house.

'The enormous basement also offers up a utility room

'and wine cellar, but we're heading up the attractive feature

'staircase to the first floor.

'There's a newly tiled bathroom, complete with a double sink.

'The two upstairs bedrooms are both spacious,

'whilst the angled roofline gives a cosy feel.

'But we've saved the best room till last.'

-This is...a big room.

-Wow!

-This is nice.

-An upstairs lounge.

Again, taking advantage of these unusual triangular windows.

And the view is obviously stunning.

You're never short of space in this house.

-This is nice.

-They're all different sorts of spaces,

with different feels to them.

I'm not really getting a feeling of whether you like it or not.

The downstairs just doesn't really flow for me at all.

I don't know if I could see myself wandering around here

and living here really.

It would be quite nice if you could say a bit more. We're trying to find the dream house.

Yeah, the kitchen was disappointing.

To make it how I would like it downstairs, I think

I'd have to spend quite a bit of money on it.

'I'm still not quite sure why this amazing architect-designed

'house doesn't live up to Elaine's expectations.

'The outside space is stunning. There's a mix of mature shrubs

'and fruit trees dotted around the lawned gardens.

'However, it is quite big.

'And despite the owner's hands-off approach to grass cutting,

'I'm keen to find out whether it would prove too much for John

'and Elaine to handle.'

What are your first impressions?

I quite like it because it's very old flowerbeds...

It's sort of well-established.

So apart from walking round with a mower, there isn't really that much.

-How much do you think this house costs?

-I'm going to go for 348.

I'm going to go even higher. I think it's more around the 400.

Well, in this instance, you should split the difference.

This is actually on at 378.

-So just a little bit over the 375 you were looking for.

-Yeah.

But it's been on a while and I think the owners are keen to move,

so you'd probably be able to negotiate.

I would like you to explore more cos it's a much bigger house than yesterday's.

-There's more to look at. In you go.

-Cheers.

I'm finding it very difficult to read these two,

whether they're - this is not a contender -

or it might be a contender but there are a few things we need to sort out.

So we need to earwig what they're saying.

'Our second property is just £3,000 over John and Elaine's budget.

'It's a spacious detached house, built in the 1980s,

'offering up three bedrooms and a large first floor living space.

'The property also features a heat exchange system,

'while the large garden benefits from magnificent views.'

What a fabulous idea!

I suppose this is because you have so cold winters

and so hot summers, that you split lots of clothes.

Yeah, split lots of clothes.

Would you get all your handbags in here?

-I think not.

-Risky!

I really like the garden.

Although, it's quite a big garden, it's just such low-maintenance

because everything is so well established.

The actual look of the house is really,

really nice from the outside.

The certain negatives, for me, I think

it's probably a little bit too far off the beaten track.

The kitchen's just way too pokey, I really like an open-plan

kitchen and I want to be able to see the people that I'm cooking for.

The downstairs area is probably bigger

than we've got at the minute but the upstairs is a little bit smaller.

I quite like bigger bedrooms

but, maybe, not as much living space.

-Well, that tour's finished.

-OK.

-We've got one more house today, so let's head on off.

-Super!

Perched high above the city of Villach,

lies the ruins of Landskron Castle.

This ancient site was mentioned in manuscripts as far back as the

9th century and has been occupied by monks, dukes and even emperors.

The noble theme continues today,

as this magnificent setting is now home to what was once

known as the sport of kings, the ancient art of falconry.

We know Elaine feels passionately about her animals, so we've arranged

for her and John to meet head falconer Franz Schuttelkopf,

to find out more about this most historic of pastimes.

What's the history behind falconry?

The beginning of falconry you can find in the Middle East

and in the Far East about 4,000 years ago.

Really?

-It was, erm, a hunting art, mostly for poor people...

-Right.

..to get the food and later in the Middle Age in Europe,

it was more sport for the high class.

Yes, for the gentry.

-Yes.

-And how long have they been here at the castle?

We started at the castle 30 years ago.

We are 150 metres above the flat area,

birds of prey like to

fly in the up-current, they can use the wind and relax.

The centre has established a breeding programme for a

broad spectrum of endangered hunting birds,

many of which are still found throughout the region.

The main aim is to educate the public about their behaviour

and habitat, through a variety of talks and demonstrations.

Franz has agreed to give John

and Elaine a hands-on experience with perhaps the most magnificent

of Austria's native birds, a Golden Eagle, called Cleopatra.

Wow!

EAGLE CRIES

The hood we use for the transport.

So that she's not nervous.

-She's crying all the time because she's young...

-OK.

And in nature she is crying all day for mama and papa.

To come and feed her!

This is the bird on the Austrian flag?

-Yes, this is the heraldic bird of Austria.

-OK.

The Golden Eagle is native to Austria,

-we have about 300 couples of Golden Eagles.

-Wow!

With the introductions over,

Elaine can get to grips with Cleopatra herself.

How do you train the birds differently to what you would

have done in olden days, as it were?

The basic training, for the bird, is very similar.

It's important for the bird to fly and to form the muscles,

to condition and the bird has to come back to the falconer.

And it's time for Cleopatra's first flight of the day.

Franz sets himself up about 50 metres away, whilst Elaine

prepares to pull the hood off.

Oh, wow!

EAGLE CRIES

As Cleopatra is only four months old,

she's not expected to return directly to the handler's gauntlet.

The aim is to make her land on a timber post,

with the added motivation of Franz's tasty chicken morsel.

Birds of prey are relatively unemotional creatures.

So, the relationship with the falconer is initially based

on a mutual understanding that the bird will return to the handler

if it's provided with the easiest form of food.

And Cleopatra has spotted another temptation.

There's just no holding Elaine back!

Here she comes!

How cool is that!?

Absolutely amazing!

But flying time's finally over for today

and it's time to bid Cleopatra and Franz farewell.

-Fabulous!

-Franz, that was just awesome!

-I really enjoyed that.

-Absolutely amazing!

-Can I have a job?

-Yes, you can have a job.

THEY LAUGH

Although John may have been less hands on,

he seems buoyed up by this fantastic experience

and takes the opportunity to see if Elaine has any further

thoughts about their potential international move.

Can you see us living here full-time?

I don't know, I think it is just the upping sticks and going

and it would have to be right.

-Does the area feel right, so far?

-I like the area.

I love the mountains and the valley, I love the way it is but it's very

hot in summer and very cold in winter.

But Elaine's concerns seemed more to do with the house.

Nothing has impressed her so far and we need to change that,

as we continue our tour around Austria's Carinthia region.

For our third property we're staying in the surrounding area,

as we head to lakeside village of Annenheim.

It's a ten minute drive from Villach's historic city centre,

which sits on the river Drava,

beneath the peaks of the Gailtal Alps.

This medieval centre is a real cultural highlight of the region,

hosting various carnivals and festivals throughout the year.

Its pedestrianised centre also offers up a good

selection of local shops, cafes and restaurants.

Our property might only be ten minutes from the city,

but it couldn't feel further removed in its stunning, tranquil location.

Here we have it!

-Cracking on...

-OK.

House number three is next to this amazing lake, Ossiacher Lake.

The house I want to show you is this one.

-Oh, wow!

-Wow!

-Ja, do you like it?

-Yes, I do.

-Yes.

-Do you like the style?

Even though it's a little bit wooden.

Yeah, but it's a lot different than the first one.

And exuding character.

It's got lots of character, let's look.

The main part of the house was built in the late 1980s,

across a two year period.

The exterior's mix of wood

and render seems to be a happy compromise for John

and Elaine and I think they'll be blown away by the outlook,

as we make the climb to its elevated position.

It's all about this!

-The view!

-That is a fabulous view!

-It's a goody, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-And this is pretty much your garden.

-OK.

This is really where you'd be spending all your time.

And you've got, obviously, access to the lake, swimming and water-sports.

And, behind us here, well literally,

the bottom of the cable car is down here, is a big ski resort.

-Fantastic!

-Really?

-So, 20 kilometres of skiing...

-Really?

And you can walk to the ski lift.

That pushes my buttons.

-What are you thinking about it?

-I like it.

I like the view, I love the way it's where it is.

-Erm, and the look of the house looks nice.

-Let's look inside.

Now, I've had positive starts with these two before

but the interiors haven't added up.

Let's hope Elaine gets a positive first impression

as we enter in through the side conservatory.

So, there's this big space with these retractable doors.

-This is nice.

-This is beautiful.

And then into the main space.

This is, perhaps, a slightly more snug room with the fireplace and

then he's built in this great, big seating area to maximise the view.

Good feel...yeah.

-Job well done so far.

-So far, so good.

Is it going to pass the kitchen test, let's see.

There's this dining are with this fabulous kachelofen,

as you know, but perhaps the smallest of all our kitchens.

JOHN GROANS

Oh, that's little.

It's interesting the Austrians and Germans too,

don't really like open-plan kitchens, they think they smell.

-I'm not quite as doomy about the small kitchen.

-Really?

-OK.

-So, what is it that's changed your tune?

-The view.

-No, no, no, no, let's be honest about this, the ski-lift.

Ah, ha-ha!

You know him much better than me.

Absolutely!

I think that's what you call being totally rumbled.

As with many Austrian houses, this property also has a huge

basement, with plenty of storage as well as a utility room and workshop.

But we're heading up to the first floor,

which has a spacious bathroom with an enclosed shower.

It also houses a sunbed

but that could also be removed to free up space for a bath.

There are also two bedrooms.

The first of which benefits from full-length doors, giving it

a light and airy feel, whilst the second has to be my trump card.

Not going to get a lot more open-plan than that!

-No.

-This is a nice space, really nice space.

-The house only has two bedrooms...

-OK.

..largely because this one is so gigantic.

And then a very big, nice, wooden-clad bathroom,

with its own sauna.

Oh, gosh!

And a little, sort of, toilet that looks like a sauna

but it's actually a toilet.

THEY LAUGH

Would two bedrooms work?

You could change something

downstairs that if you need to accommodate more people.

Yeah...would you like waking up here?

Yeah, I think I could live with that.

Could you, Elaine, that's the question?

-Hmmm, I don't know.

-What's the stumbling block?

Erm, just the outside space of this one.

I need another good look around outside.

Well, let's go outside and talk about money.

Here we are, back out with the view!

Stunning!

So, I think you'd probably rethink the way that you actually live

because you would end up spending quite a lot of time out here.

-Yes.

-This would be your garden.

-How much do you think the house is worth?

-I would say...

365.

Yeah, I think we're on the same page but I'll say 360.

-This is on the market for 335.

-Really!?

That's fantastic value.

That surprised me because of its location and the views

and what we've seen so far.

You know, just have a wonder round and see

whether you can make this work for you.

OK, will do.

Our third property comes in at £40,000 under John

and Elaine's budget.

It's a traditional Austrian village house, with two bedrooms,

an open-plan living space and a large cellar.

While the house doesn't come with much outside space,

it does offer up spectacular views

and it's just a stone's throw away from a local ski area.

Well, this house definitely spins my wheel, floats my boat!

It's open-plan, it's compact, it's pretty low-maintenance all-round.

The downstairs cellar has loads of scope for a spare room

and a bathroom and making it from a two to a three bed.

Everything's just fantastic!

I like the fact it's under budget, which would give us

enough money to do a few alterations that I think it would need.

My concern is just the access for when weather is bad.

I need to know how isolated I am if we're under three foot of snow.

-Finished?

-Yes, thank you.

-All done.

This seems like it had more of a thumbs-up than most.

-Definite!

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

Good, well, keep that positive energy and let's have a rest.

Super! Lead on.

Carinthia, Austria is renowned for its appealing, varied landscape.

Countless emerald-green lakes are interspersed with towering

mountain peaks, creating unbeatable views throughout the region.

Despite this beauty,

it's still relatively undiscovered by the British

but I've arranged to meet a couple who have decided to make

Carinthia their permanent home.

And our rendezvous doesn't get much more dramatic!

I think John's rubbing his hands in glee, as we head up to

over 3,000 metres to the stunning, snow-covered Molltaler Glacier.

Welcome to this beautiful bit of Austria.

John and Elaine, this is Guy and Jill, they've been here two years?

Coming up for two years, yeah.

I can't imagine why you'd want to move here!

How often can you ski?

Erm, you can ski here on the glacier almost all year apart from

a few weeks in May and June.

I'm assuming this is the reason why you moved to Austria, is it?

Yes, we were looking for an outdoor life and we love skiing,

so that was the primary factor.

But also in the summer we can go mountain biking and hiking

and walking the dog...

-Water-skiing.

-Water-skiing, yes.

-Oh, awesome!

-That's you sorted!

These are really resonating with you, are they?

I could do some, just the skiing doesn't appeal that much.

There's buckets of things to do.

Just the sightseeing alone,

some of the mountain drives that you can do, you can shop, you can...

Don't use the "shopping" word.

THEY LAUGH

-You and I are going to get some hot-chocolate.

-Sounds ideal.

But, John, it's your lucky day

cos I'm going to let you go skiing with these expert skiers.

-Fantastic!

-Go enjoy yourselves.

Guy and Jill are captivated by the area.

They retired from their jobs in the Metropolitan Police Force to

fulfil their dream of an Austrian life.

And you really can't blame them

when this mountain is pretty much in their back garden.

-Have you had many good days up here?

-We've had fabulous days up here!

And lots of them.

More like this than like anything else, so yeah, really good.

-More chance of getting sunburn than anything else then?

-Yup.

This southerly region is known as one of the sunniest ski

areas in Austria.

Perfect conditions to enjoy over 25 miles of groomed glacial pistes.

Ah, that was just awesome!

Spot on, wasn't it?

-What a place to be!

-Spot on!

-It's a good view.

-Unbelievable!

What's the tall one over there?

That's the Grossglockner, the highest mountain in Austria.

Clearly so!

John's clearly blown away by the scenery

but there's more to Austrian life than skiing,

so they're making a home run to get the lowdown on the realities

of a permanent move to Carinthia.

Well, you're all in one piece, that's a good sign.

So, we wanted to pick your brains or rather these two wanted to

pick your brains about life here in Austria.

-OK.

-Fire away!

Have you any regrets with your move?

I have absolutely no regrets whatsoever!

I love the life here and I can't see me

ever moving back to the UK full-time.

And you've settled in and fitted into the Austrian lifestyle OK?

We have, yes.

I think we've integrated ourselves into local village life,

there's many festivals

and the Austrians will always have an excuse for a party.

We tend to turn up to just about all of them.

Did you do a transitional move or did you just up sticks and come out here?

We've got a flat in the UK, which we've kept

and are keeping for the time being.

But when we made the move, we came out,

we moved all our stuff and we haven't gone back.

No regrets and it's good that everyone wants to come out

here and see us.

So, it seems like you, kind of, work in seasons here,

-much more than we do in the UK.

-Yeah, very much so.

There's two very distinct seasons,

the winter which runs from the last couple of weeks of December

through to April, depending upon where Easter is

and then everything shuts down until, probably, the second

week in June and then the hiking and walking season in the summer starts.

-It's quite busy around here then, in the summer as well?

-It is very busy.

Even when it's busy, it's not crowded.

Nowhere's ever crowded, that's the sense we get about Austria.

I hear that there's slight differences in the legislation

in motor vehicles from the UK to here.

Well, one of the things that you need is you need to

carry your driving licence with you all the time

and you need to carry your insurance certificate with you all the time

and the insurance, I must tell you, is slightly hefty here.

The potential to slide off the road, to have accidents is greater.

There's a lot of animals, deer, erm,

and pine marten, which eat the electrics in the car.

We have a four-by-four, which is around about 1,600 euros

a year to insure but that includes the road tax.

I suppose there's a lot of snow-sweeping

and keeping the roads good to go.

There is, you're paying for the local authorities to keep the roads clear.

We can have, maybe, a metre and a half of snow overnight

and everyone just gets up, goes to work, the roads are clear.

Carries on as normal.

And they carry on as they are.

Some invaluable advice from

Guy and Jill on what to expect from local life but there are also

a few things to bear in mind when purchasing a property in Austria.

The legal process is slightly different to that of the UK.

Rather than using individual solicitors,

a notary acts for both purchaser

and vendor, drawing up the deed of sale and other relevant paperwork.

Once a formal offer has been accepted in writing,

it's seen as a binding contract for both parties,

doing away with any risk of gazumping.

And, finally, it's worth noting that if a house is sold

within ten years, the vendor will be liable for a 25% capital gains tax.

So, a long-term investment may well be preferable for most buyers.

So, it's the final day of our Austrian property hunt,

with Nottinghamshire couple John and Elaine.

After a lukewarm start,

they were blown away by a stunning lakeside home

but is this move turning out to be John's dream rather than Elaine's?

I think she still needs convincing that she won't be playing second

fiddle to John's love of skiing,

otherwise this whole move could find itself on a very slippery slope.

For our mystery property,

we're heading to the district of Volkermarkt and the town of Griffen.

The local area is dominated by a 12th century castle,

which sits high on a limestone crag,

amidst the stunning tree-lined scenery.

The town itself offers up a good range of amenities,

including varied local shops and a selection of cafes and restaurants.

The location certainly gives Elaine that sense of community

and John's beloved skiing is only 20 minutes away,

so the mystery element lies with the property.

And I can safely say it speaks for itself.

This is the mystery house!

Well, it's different.

THEY LAUGH

Yeah!

I feel I'm in Disneyland.

Everything was constructed by the man himself, he's a carpenter.

So, all the astragal glazing in the windows, all the design

of the tiling and the roof and obviously the colour scheme.

You've always wanted a castle...

Yeah, maybe not in the middle of a village.

..a mini Austrian castle.

And maybe not a yellow one.

-We can paint it.

-That's a good point.

-Open minded, John, open minded.

-Yeah, and I like the gargoyles.

-Oh, do you?

-And I like the gutter ends, they're very cool indeed.

All bespoke and this one runs into a bath-tub,

so you can collect the water to feed the dogs.

-Shall we look inside?

-Indeed.

Yeah, looking forward to this one.

Well, it is the mystery house!

The current owner has moved his furniture out to his next project.

Apparently, he's converting a farm into a Wild West town,

so he's not short of imagination!

This is an open-plan extravaganza!

How many houses have you seen with two octagonal rooms?

It's like a fairytale castle!

It is like "Welcome to Hogwarts!"

There you go, you see.

It's, at least, the biggest kachelofen of all.

So, this is actually not one but two storeys high.

It heats the entire centre of the house.

Mosaic tiles, open staircase, lots of features and a big kitchen,

the biggest kitchen we've shown you so far.

Yeah, that has a huge amount of scope.

And a little, sort of, octagonal dining room.

I'm not horrified now that I've got in.

The outside was a bit...wow!

And the finish is actually really quite good.

I was expecting a little bit, probably, DIY.

In terms of square footage,

this is probably the largest property we're going to show you.

-It's very individual, really individual.

-We are individual!

Well, this is why we though we'd show it to you because

it's the sort of extrovert house and you're quite an extrovert couple.

We'd obviously need to make the outside a bit louder

than it is at the moment.

Turn it up!

I think they actually quite like the more understated interior,

although they haven't seen the downstairs bathroom yet.

Oh, wow! Oh, my God!

The downstairs bathroom.

Welcome to my boudoir!

I mean, the attention to detail is fabulous!

Is it something you could live with or would you tear it out

and start again?

Erm, you'd have to give it time, wouldn't you?

Yeah, about 20 minutes, I think!

THEY LAUGH

Well, each to their own

but it certainly is spacious, as is the rest of this house.

A further reception room leads off the bathroom, whilst a huge basement

is laid out below, mirroring the footprint of the ground floor.

And as we head upstairs, the space keeps on coming!

-The fantasy continues up here.

-More Hogwarts!

-Look, it's a drawbridge.

-Yes.

It's very individual. I quite like that it's different.

Through here is a really beautiful room,

this is above the octagonal sitting room.

It's, sort of, an octagonal...it wouldn't be suitable as

a bedroom but it would be a reading room

or a meditation room or a study.

It's really quite striking!

Then here you've got another room which could be a bedroom,

though these two rooms are not finished.

That's the upstairs bathroom, that's not quite finished.

-OK.

-But the rest of the first floor is pretty pristine.

The second and third bedrooms are set in the eaves,

featuring charming dormer windows with that distinct ornate glazing.

And there's one more bedroom on offer.

This is the biggest room, so this would probably be your master.

It's a nice room. It actually has a nice feel, this room.

I mean, you can see why we brought you here.

Obviously, it's quite a striking property from the outside

but it really does offer you an awful lot of space.

-It does offer a lot of space.

-And scope.

It's actually quite useful to see it empty because you could,

perhaps, move the kitchen to the back of the house.

Yes, into the other octagonal room.

Let's look downstairs and the garden.

You know, I think much to their surprise,

John and Elaine are quite taken with this property.

The outside space is manageable,

a level lawn wraps around the house, bordered by mature

conifers on one side and a charming stream to the other.

So, you missed the yellow inside, didn't you?

Yes, you forget how bright it is.

So, what are you thinking about the garden, is this too big?

No, this is nice, this is a fine size.

We'd just get one of those automated lawn mowers.

How much do you think it's on the market for?

365?

I think with the property in its current state and condition,

hmmm, about 330 but I do realise it has a huge square meterage.

This house is on the market for just over...

£239,000.

Wow, really!?

That is a bargain!

Why don't you go and explore?

There are huge cellars, lots of rooms we haven't explored.

It's an epic building. Go...make it yours!

Thank you...gosh!

I love doing that!

I love telling people that it's £100,000 less than they thought.

And look, so happy.

Our mystery house is indeed value for money.

It's a unique property, built with great imagination.

Offering up four bedrooms and huge open-plan living,

including two beautiful octagonal rooms.

There's also a massive basement,

whilst the outside space is a manageable enclosed garden,

set in a quiet location on the edge of the town.

There's a massive amount of potential here. It's a lot of fun!

The house is so much fun.

Erm, it would make a fantastic holiday home

but we're looking for a full-time home and I don't think this is it.

I think this house appeals a little bit because I could do quite

a lot to it and I do like to do houses up, really.

And if John's off at work and skiing or golfing,

at least I've got something I can get my teeth into,

that would make it feel like home and it would be my little thing.

The fairytale tour is over, erm, let's go somewhere beautiful

so you can collect your thoughts.

Fantastic!

Carinthia's central European location established it

as an important trading post in medieval times.

The ancient town of Friesach rose above all others,

its strategic position between Vienna and Venice securing it

as the most important town in 13th century Austria.

This wealth needed defending

and it came in the form of no less than three castles.

This history of fortification has sparked an ambitious venture by

the local government and the EU to build a fourth castle from scratch.

The aim is to embrace medieval building techniques and learn

preservation techniques to conserve the older monuments in the area.

I'm heading to a nearby forest to meet project co-ordinator

Claudia Dolschek to find out more.

-Claudia, it's amazing here!

-Yeah.

-It feels like we've stepped back in time!

-Yes.

What's going on here? What's the idea?

We're here in the medieval construction site of the castle.

These are only the huts because our craftsmen

have to make the different things to build a castle.

This first phase of the project has taken four years.

Vast quantities of traditional materials have to be prepared

before work can start on the castle itself.

The whole build is expected to take another 20 years to complete.

Are you being 100% authentic, or are you cheating a bit

with deliveries and...?

No, we want to reconstruct, and try to find out

how does it work, to build such big castles

without electricity, without modern tools.

We are also researching the medieval construction methods.

While the construction site feels totally authentic,

all of the materials are sourced locally,

including vast quantities of wood from the surrounding forest.

The project's blacksmiths are also an integral part of the build.

So, what exactly is it that he's making?

It's a little bowl for the bricklayers.

-Oh, I see.

-Here we have one.

-Oh, yeah.

-To pour the...

-To pour the sand, the water and the lime,

-to mix them, and...

-Ah, the cement.

-It's like a scoop.

-Yes.

-Ha!

The project's aim to recreate medieval life

has led to some impressive structures.

They're even building a wooden aqueduct

to funnel the waters from a mountain spring.

But we're heading right to the top of the site,

to inspect the strategic location of the castle.

If the model is anything to go by, this towering structure

will be a magnificent sight when it's completed.

-We are now here on the foundation of the castle.

-Mm-hmm.

And it will be eight metres on each side, yes.

-And how high?

-More than 20 metres.

20 metres!

And in the back side, there will be the residential quarters,

and the chapel, the castle gardens...

-It's such a great concept...

-Yes.

-..because it's creating history...

-Yes.

..it's creating jobs...

Some of the 30-strong team were formerly unemployed,

whilst others have chosen to retrain to be involved in this paid project.

Werner was once an electrician, but is now a carpenter in the sawmill.

He's cutting some structural planks with a traditional frame saw,

and I reckon he could do with a break.

-How long do you take to do this?

-Half hour.

-Half an hour?

Is there a trick - ein Geheimtipp?

HE REPLIES IN GERMAN

Ah! Like Arnold Schwarzenegger does it!

Rrrr!

It's a lot of exercise of the shoulders.

'The frame saw has been used since Roman times.

'Its rigidity allows the carpenter to saw through

'considerably larger trunks than this,

'but I think I'll be here all day, so probably best

'to leave it to the professionals.'

Thank you so much. Nice to meet you.

'I'll look forward to returning in 20 years,

'when this ambitious historic project is complete.'

But for now, I need to round off our tour of Carinthia

and find out whether John and Elaine can picture their future

amidst this delightful Alpine landscape.

Well, our little trip to Carinthia has almost come to a close.

-Disappointingly so.

-Elaine, I'm interested in whether this week

in Carinthia has changed your idea of living in Austria?

I think it has, yes, to see it without snow, as well,

erm... We've been living the Austrian lifestyle,

and going shopping and

trying to work out what things are, so, really enjoyed it.

Has it persuaded you that you could imagine living here full-time?

Erm, not 100%, but I am more positive than I...

-Initially, it was a no.

-We need to spend more summer time out there,

as well as winter stuff, I think.

-Mmm. Yeah, probably, to get...

-To get a more encapsulating view.

What about you, John - is there anything

that you've discovered that you're not so keen on?

No, I just like it even more.

The opportunity to do much more than just golf and skiing

has been enlightening.

So, what's going to happen now, in terms of real, practical stuff?

I would probably like to come out and have a...a more

of a recce round the area.

And to see - I would like to look at the house near the lake again.

And to see what the options are.

And the mystery house - is that sort of off the books?

No, I don't think it is!

-I think that's something we probably need to talk about.

-Yeah!

Yeah, I think I could do a lot with that, and especially

with it being so much under budget.

So, it's not completely off, but I think it needs a bit of...

-talking about!

-It might be a bit of the compromise.

Well, I hope that we contributed in some shape or form

-to the move?

-It's been most helpful, it really has.

-It's been great.

Carinthia needs you!

-It does.

-Really?!

It needs your golf clubs!

In my honest opinion, I think the Millstadt Lake would freeze over

before Elaine moves to Austria.

But luckily, that happens every year, so I'm quite optimistic!

And I think that this trip has been a great one

for her and John, because...

well, largely because Carinthia is so beautiful,

and who can resist its charms?

Hopefully you can't, and you will join us

in another jaunt to the Continent next time on the show.

On reflection, John and Elaine had concerns over access

at the lake house, and felt that the mystery house

was stylistically a step too far.

But they are planning to return to Austria in the near future

to continue their search of this beautiful region.

And if you're interested in escaping to the Continent

and would like our help, please apply online,

at bbc.co.uk/beonashow.