Episode 2 Getaways

Hello and welcome to Getaways,

the show where we go where you tell us to go.

This week we're in Austria,

on a winter sports holiday, to find out why this has become a key

destination for both skiers and non-skiers alike.

We're in the Gastein Valley, which is not only famed for its skiing

and its snow, but also for its thermal springs and spas.

On our website, we asked you for your recommendations,

and you have been tweeting us and texting with your top ski tips,

ideas for days out and ways to avoid doing serious damage to your pocket.

Coming up, we hit the slopes.

Whoa!

We find out what's on offer for the non-skier.

We visit Salzburg, where the hills are alive with Mozart

and the sound of music.

And I take a look at some of our favourite

things in County Armagh, in this week's short getaway.

It's straightforward enough to get to the Gastein Valley.

There is a direct flight from Belfast to Salzburg.

The flight takes a neat two and a half hours,

and the journey time to our resort,

Bad Hofgastein, takes just over an hour.

That's not bad for a ski transfer.

Bad Hofgastein is one of the three villages that make up the Gastein

ski region in central Austria.

After the Second World War, the area was developed as a ski resort,

and now the Gastein Valley ski zone stretches over 200km.

These slopes, or pistes, are always graded by colours,

indicating how difficult they are.

Here you'll find nine of the toughest black runs,

41 intermediate standard red runs

and 14 blues for novices and beginners.

Rebecca Gibson from Bangor said,

"You really should think very carefully about when you come here."

She was here at the start of December

and she found the going extremely icy.

Now, that is going to hurt if you fall on it.

What I would recommend is you come here between January

and the end of March.

Packing for ski holidays is an art.

OK, it is virtually impossible to pack light for skiing,

so just go with it.

First off, you're going to need a ski jacket - with a hood, ideally.

A little snood thingy. Salopettes, or ski trousers for the uninitiated.

Snow boots. You need those for walking home.

Then we've got gloves, keep you warm.

And also these little hand-warmer things.

Snap them, keep them in your pocket, nice and toasty during the day.

Ski socks. Prevent blisters.

Little eye mask to make sure you get a good night's sleep.

Thermals, always necessary.

Thermal water for your face so you don't get sweaty.

SPF so you don't get burnt. Sunglasses. Lip balm.

Then we have some little silky numbers for apres ski. Mm-hm.

And finally, slippers. You need these after a hard day on the slopes.

You may not choose this particular style - other slippers are available.

Anton O'Callaghan from County Kerry recommended hiring

all your ski gear when you get here.

Boots, skis, snowboards - it will save on excess baggage,

and unless you're skiing every year, they are a pretty hefty investment.

Also the ski-hire shops upgrade their stock regularly.

Their kit is well maintained,

and you often get to try the latest models.

Here we go. It is amazing to find boots to fit my massive feet in.

There we go.

I love these boots, you walk like Robocop in them. Brilliant.

OK, I look for a snowboard.

-Are you a beginner?

-Yes.

-It is a good lane. Right or left in front?

-I would be left.

-Left, OK.

Look at that, straight on, you're ready go. Beaut!

-There you go. Tickety-boo, done.

-And we are finished.

-Thank you, thanks very much, man. Appreciated.

-Bye.

A week's hire of boots and snowboard costs around 130 euros.

Skiing kit costs much the same as snowboarding gear.

Now, you've got your snowboard and you're good to go,

but another bit of equipment I would recommend getting is the helmet.

It is compulsory in Austria for children to wear helmets,

but not adults. I would say you should.

I mean...

it's not a look everyone can pull off, but

better safe than sorry, right?

But first things first, I wouldn't dream, and indeed neither

should you, of venturing onto the mountain without a hearty breakfast.

You will need all the energy you can muster for a hard day on the slopes.

I've found somewhere a wee bit special.

Now, I have had some mighty impressive breakfasts in my time,

but nothing like this.

I am 2,700 metres up a snow-capped mountain, looking at that

view in this awesome metal-and-glass structure,

about to feast on this.

I reckon this is how James Bond breakfasts.

-AS SEAN CONNERY:

-Could you pass me the marmalade?

And the chef, Harald, has a licence to grill.

Oh, wow, thank you very much.

Mmm! Superb.

You know, the combination of having breakfast in here and that view...

This is better than any omelette you've ever tasted.

It costs 45 euros a head to book the pod for special occasions,

and I'm told it is a favourite place to pop the question.

While Joe is getting his breakfast, I'm out on the early run.

And with the help of my ski instructor,

I'm ready to give it a go.

-My name is Hans.

-Good for you.

-And...

-Good for me, yes.

-SHE LAUGHS

This is the beginning,

so we have the next two hours for our private lesson.

Amazing. OK, we are in business.

If you have bended knees, then you can move them left and right.

And then you can also...

Not like a bodycheck. Like this. Yeah?

Angie, then we try to turn to the other side.

I feel comforted when you call me Angie.

What if I just go really quickly around like this? Ooops! OK.

Yeah, yeah. Young girl always a little bit too quick.

A little too quick, OK.

Make it slowly, make it without nervous.

Now, isn't that better?

Now we are talking. This feels like it is going very quickly.

And then we can make our first run. Push a little bit.

'Well, I look the part,

'and thankfully it doesn't take me too long

'before I get the hang of it.'

-I see, oh, yes.

-Great. Angie!

Your first run. This is perfect.

-Is this good, Hans? Am I a natural?

-Stop, stop, stop.

Perfect, Angie.

-OK, so let's go to the lift.

-Yeah.

And we will see what is happening on the steeper parts.

That's the interesting bit, isn't it?

'And my instructor for today is Tomas.'

OK, Joe, so your left leg is at the front,

so please jump into the fall line.

I am a complete novice at this, OK. I've done maybe two lessons.

-OK.

-They didn't go very well.

-OK.

-OK?

'OK, I'm going to get the excuses in early, all right?'

All right, look at me first. Bend the knees, go down.

Twist the body and stop.

All right, Joe.

'So, bend the knees, twist the body and...'

Whoa! Whoa!

"..wipe out the instructor.'

-Perfect.

-Yeah, perfect, yeah.

JOE LAUGHS

You need definitely a little bit speed,

and then lean out to the left.

And then lean out to the right. Superb.

And then open the skis, in position,

and turn, lean out to the right.

And lean out to the left.

-Can we go over here a little bit?

-Angie, Angie, hello!

Are you getting a bit scared now?

SHE LAUGHS

That was lovely.

Seriously, I went a bit off piste - not quite to plan,

not quite controlled - but it looked the part, I think.

-Angie, you're a good girl.

-Thank you, Hans.

-Super.

Just risk it for a biscuit. Whoa! No, no, no. Ah!

-All right, so we try it again, OK?

-OK, here we go.

'Snowboarding is a lot like life.

'A wee bit of confidence, keep your head up,

'everything is going to be grand.'

Whoa! Oh!

You can cut to the other bit where it looks really good, right?

OK, Joe.

-Bend the knees.

-'You really can tell when you're getting better.

'I could tell when I wasn't knocking Tomas down as often.'

All right!

-Perfect, man.

-That felt good. Yes!

-Yes!

OK.

Rachel Garrett from Islandmagee recommended

hiring your equipment, and indeed getting your ski pass,

online before you get here, because it can often work out that wee

bit cheaper than getting it at the resort once you come here.

It is worth doing your homework.

A six-day lift pass costs around 225 euros

and covers the whole of the Gastein ski region.

If you want to know what you're letting yourself in for, go online.

Most resorts have webcams,

so you can see exactly what the slopes are like

before you leave home.

And I met up with Paul Kelly from Dublin,

who's here for a winter weekend.

Paul, you strike me as a man who is no stranger to the slopes.

-Have you been here before?

-Oh, yes, about ten times now.

-OK.

-So what makes you keep coming back?

-Well, it is excellent.

It's a great ski area, always good snow conditions.

And it is just such a beautiful place.

I mean, the bigger question, I guess,

what is it about skiing you love?

The freedom, the fresh air, nice activity.

You feel all the better for it.

You enjoy it and the evening entertainment after a good

-day out in the snow.

-The apres-ski?

-Absolutely.

-Yeah.

As well as skiing and snowboarding, the kids will love sledging,

and one of the slopes turns into a toboggan run at night-time.

The kids might also bend your ear to trek one of these cuties.

These South American alpacas are right at home here in the Alps,

and the kids can take them for 12 euros.

This little fella is Bacco. He's my little red-haired friend.

Come on, buddy. Oh, look at him, so soft.

So kids can basically bring him for a walk.

Come on, dude. Come on.

Look, he looks like my child. Come on.

And there's also tubing.

Very appropriately named because it made me look like a complete tube.

Oh, my granny could go faster than this.

And you can swap your skis for snow

shoes for a trek off the beaten track,

through the deepest waves of snow.

This is proper cross-country.

THEY LAUGH

See, it is funny because you think that you are just walking

along normally, so you could be doing it in shoes, but it's quite deep.

-Deep, yes. Yes.

-So you need...

The snowshoes are very helpful for this.

-In the water you can see this green, the green leaves?

-Yeah.

This is watercress.

'A snowshoe trek costs six euro per person,

and Hans, who is also the local park ranger,

can give you a guided tour of the local flora and fauna.

-Very good for vitamin C.

-Yes.

Oh!

-That wasn't very good, was it?

-It is good. Yeah, yeah.

So you can feel the snow.

-Perfect.

-Nice move. I've got smooth moves.

'If you prefer a holiday a bit closer to home,'

check out this week's short getaway.

I'm starting my short break in County Armagh's capital, Armagh city,

one of Ireland's oldest cities and a tourist favourite, with

historic sites such as the Primates Palace and the Armagh Gaol.

There's also the more modern Market Place Theatre and Arts Centre,

and a very well respected Armagh Planetarium.

This is Ireland's leading centre for astronomical education.

So you can find out all about astronauts, the planets,

satellites and all things astro.

But what Armagh is most famous for is its two cathedrals.

One of the cathedrals is St Patrick's Church of Ireland,

and the other is St Patrick's Catholic Cathedral.

This is where St Patrick built his first church in 445 AD.

Armagh's place in history was guaranteed

when St Patrick made it the capital of his church.

In fact, it's the only city in the world to have two cathedrals

named after the same patron saint.

There's a tourist trail around Armagh,

mapping outside's link to St Patrick.

Both cathedrals offer guided tours,

but I'm headed to Armagh's public library,

which has a very important link to the saint and to ancient Ireland.

This is pretty cool, it's a reproduction of the ninth

century Book Of Armagh, which chronicles the life of St Patrick.

It is not an original, which is probably just as well,

because I'm a little clumsy, but it's pretty special in its own right.

It is one of 400 copies made back in 1914.

The original manuscript is kept at Trinity College Dublin.

The book is an important testament of ancient Ireland,

also referring to the likes of Brian Boru,

perhaps the most famous Irish high king, who's buried here in Armagh.

But the Book Of Armagh isn't the most famous book

in this library's collection.

This is a first edition of Gulliver's Travels.

And the author, Jonathan Swift, used this particular copy to make

amendments.

Jonathan Swift spent a lot of time here in the city

and the surrounding countryside, where he had many friends,

and there are several references to the area in his writings.

And my next stop-off could well have been inspired

by the kingdom of Lilliput.

The children's story trail in Slieve Gullion Forest Park

is 40 minutes from Armagh city.

This is the entrance to the giant's lair,

a story trail based on local folklore

that takes kids through an enchanted forest.

There's nobody in there.

Look at this - a little fairy swing. It's very cute.

Children follow in the footsteps of a cheeky fairy named Flynn,

who warns you about the sleeping giant, Slieve Gullion.

From large teacups at the giant's table, to a ladybird house,

it's a really imaginative trail for the kids and makes for a fun day out.

This is my favourite piece - a local witch, Calliagh Berra,

who apparently turned Finn McCool into an old man.

And if you're looking for somewhere different to stay, Basil Sheils

is an old Irish-style inn, about 15 minutes away from Armagh city.

It's based in the small village of Tassagh.

Guests have the option of bed and breakfast or to go self-catering,

as one of the rooms includes a kitchenette.

A night here costs from £30 per person.

This week, we're taking a winter getaway in Austria.

We're visiting the ski region of the Gastein Valley in the Austrian Alps.

So far we've polished up our skills on the piste with snowboarding

and skiing lessons, met a few of the cutest locals...

Look! He looks like my child!

..and now, we're going to find out what else there is to do here

apart from ski.

If you've never skied - and, frankly, you think

you're too old or cowardly to risk life and limb

by starting now - then cross-country skiing might just be for you.

I love the speed.

Don't worry. He's a pro.

There's a much simpler -

and dare I say safer - version, and I'm going to give it a go.

So, Joe. Come in...in the ski...

Cross-country skis are different

to the downhill variety, and my instructor Hans is helping me.

Your heel lifts off the ski, so it is more like walking.

Now catch me. Catch me if you can. Let's go. Come on.

Make the steps a little bit longer.

Honestly, this is trickier than it looks.

It looks easy, but it is tricky.

Let's go a little bit faster.

Come on, Joe, come on!

You want to win the gold medal, OK? Come on!

I'd settle for bronze.

Gold, gold! We talk only about gold, OK?

We're going for gold today.

-Yes, yes, yes.

-And in no time, it looks like I'm a-cruisin'.

And you push a little bit with the sticks.

When we have so much speed, OK,

you bring the sticks in this position.

JOE LAUGHS

Man, next stop, Ski Sunday. Come on!

-Hans, thank you so much, man.

-I loved that.

-You're welcome.

I have never had skis on my feet before. I've never skied.

Yes, but look.

I mean, for the next Olympic Games, I mean, the gold medal is for you.

That says a lot about your Olympic team, to be fair,

than it does about my prowess,

but, do you know what? It's all about just

-getting your balance and your confidence and enjoying it...

-Yes.

And going at your own pace and getting a great instructor.

-That is important, key.

-Thank you.

Bad Hofgastein

sits low in the valley, and when we were here in March,

the village was snow-free, so easy to get to and get around.

The Gastein Valley is famous for its spas,

with thermal baths and hot springs

which historically have attracted visitors who came here in the summer

to take the waters.

You'll see lots of these gorgeous ornate fountains around the town.

They're drinking fountains but, bizarrely, it's hot water.

42 degrees Celsius thermal water and really good for you, too.

It tastes perfect.

Maybe a little metallic, but I'm not sure whether that's from his snout

or whether it's the thermal effects.

Bad Hofgastein is a good option if you have a non-skier in your group,

or want to give your legs a break with a day off the slopes.

Bernadette Morris McCann suggested

we take full advantage after a long day's skiing.

"Bad" means "spa" in German

and Bad Hofgastein has been a spa resort for centuries.

The town has attracted the great and the good,

including Bismarck, Schubert and Strauss, who came here

to indulge in the hot springs and thermal waters.

And there is a unique feature underneath the town that makes

this spa experience a bit different.

So I've now left our hotel spa

and I'm making my way through the tunnel which connects our hotel

and numerous other hotels in the town to a super-spa.

The beauty of this is you don't even have to get dressed.

It might look like an almighty public pool,

but this is a spa with thermal waters.

So I've ended up at the Alpentherme.

This is the big mamma of the spas in the area.

It has over eight pools, but I chose this one.

It is outdoors, surrounded by mountains on the one side

and ski slopes on the other.

It's the perfect way to unwind after a day of skiing.

The Alpentherme has every kind of spa facility you could imagine.

Indoor and outdoor pools, saunas, steam rooms, whirlpools,

hot tubs, water-massage loungers and even a nude sauna,

but I thought I'd leave that to the more adventurous.

For an even more hard-core spa experience,

there are the Gastein Healing Caves,

where a train brings you to a subterranean sauna.

The warm humid air and low levels of radon

is said to ease muscle complaints and help with skin disorders.

And now from the subterranean back to the top of the mountain.

There's an amazing feat of engineering that I'm told

gives the best view of the Austrian Alps.

Now, regular viewers, you will know I'm not a man

comfortable with heights,

but this is one of the highest suspension bridges in Europe.

It is 7,500 feet above sea level

and apparently can withstand winds over 120mph,

though I wouldn't recommend testing that theory.

It's a rather spectacular way to enjoy the scenery,

but you will notice I'm not hanging about...too long.

HE SHUDDERS

And if you tire of the slopes, one of our top recommendations is

a day trip to Salzburg, one of Europe's most scenic cities.

Many of you, including Catherine Morrison,

recommended an excursion here.

It's just over an hour's drive from Bad Hofgastein,

so it's easy to get to it

and it's a good way to entertain any non-skiers in your group.

Tour reps and local bus companies

organise regular trips from the ski resorts.

A day in Salzburg should start from the Salzburg fortress,

for the best views over the city and to get your bearings.

The city is famous for its baroque architecture

and its rich historical heritage.

The name Salzburg means "city of salt"

and refers to the salt mining in the nearby mountains.

They also successfully mined for gold and silver

in the local valleys, hence the city's riches.

This magnificent structure is one of central Europe's largest

preserved fortresses, and has been a residence for archbishops,

a military barracks, and a prison.

Now it's a tourist and arts centre that's open all year round.

It's a great place for a coffee with a view.

Salzburg has a well-preserved medieval and baroque old town,

which demonstrate the wealth of the former city-state.

The heyday of the principality was in the 17th century,

when Salzburg was one of the richest cities in Europe.

Salzburg is the birthplace of classical composer

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

He was born here in 1756 and lived here until he was 24.

Considered a child prodigy, he had written his first composition

by the age of seven, and by 16, had three operas performed in Milan.

Mozart wrote more than 600 musical works.

The best known include The Magic Flute, Don Giovanni

and The Marriage Of Figaro.

Mozart was only 35 when he died in Vienna,

at which point he was teaching other composers

and inspiring future greats like Beethoven and Haydn.

And for fans of Mozart, you can

visit the two houses where he lived in the city.

The house where he was born has preserved

the kitchen as it would have been when he lived there.

The rest of the house is more gallery-like,

with a collection of artworks

depicting the composer and his family.

There are also copies of his earlier compositions.

And you can see the violin that Mozart first began to play

at the age of three. Yes, three.

And the Mozart legacy in Salzburg may not be all you expect.

We've been told you can't leave Salzburg

without tasting these chocolate balls -

fondly known as Mozart balls.

They're marzipan, nougat and dipped in beautiful chocolate.

Delicious.

Salzburg was the location for the all-time classic

The Sound Of Music, which was filmed here in the 1960s.

And there's even a Sound Of Music tour around the city.

A typical tour costs 40 euros and lasts four hours.

The formal gardens by the City Hall

are one of the focal points of the tour.

These are the Mirabell Gardens, where Maria and the kids

sang Do-Re-Mi, and it's where you'll find

the Pegasus fountain, where Maria danced with the children.

It's a lovely place to come for a dander in the afternoon.

And forgive us, but when you've been

inspired by a few of your favourite things, strange things happen.

It's not every day you get to film in the garden

-where they did The Sound Of Music, right?

-Shall we?

-Hit it.

# Do, a deer, a female deer

# Re, a drop of golden sun

# Mi... #

Maybe we'll stop right there.

-Despite our inadequate performance...

-Hey!

..Salzburg is one of the most important cultural cities in Austria.

During the summer, it's known for the Salzburg Festival,

a series of opera, concert and theatre performances.

SOPRANO SINGS

At Christmas time, there are winter markets

and this is possibly when the city is at its most beautiful.

For our trip to Bad Hofgastein,

we stayed in Hotel Norica on the main square.

It's a four-star family-run hotel.

Independent hotels are still common in Austria

and they have a much more homely feel than large corporate chain hotels.

All the hotels in the town have a supply of thermal water

and the Norica has a particularly good spa,

but the best thing about this hotel

is that it connects to, and gives free entry into, the Alpentherme.

Hotel Salzburgerhof

is a good three-star option in the centre of town.

It's been recently modernised

and there is easy access to the ski bus stop.

If you're looking for a budget option to keep your holiday costs down,

then you could try a self-catering apartment.

The Alpina Apartments are well situated,

close to both the town centre and the Gastein lifts.

In the skiing season...

We booked our holiday package, including flights and hotels,

with Topflight.

If you'd like any more information, please visit our website -

-So our Austrian trip is over.

-How did you like it?

-I loved it.

You know what? All the stuff like skiing and that,

snowboarding, brilliant.

But I do think you've got to get down to Salzburg,

specially if you're here for like a week, maybe two weeks.

Break the trip up a bit, get yourself out of the mountains,

go down to a really fascinating, really interesting city.

Yeah, you know what?

I think most people think of skiing, snowboarding when you're here.

But there's so much more. Obviously outdoorsy stuff -

whether it's sleighing or snowshoeing or cross-country skiing...

thermal spas are lovely, as well. Nice way to wind down.

-I really enjoyed it.

-Me too. See you next time on Getaways.