Hotel Krone

The Montafon of the Austrian Alps might be described as having Matterhorns in a minor chord. For minor in comparison are the crowds of tourists and the prices charged - only the mountains and scenery sound the high notes.  To enjoy this special area, arrange a fine stay at the Hotel Krone.

For centuries the farmers of the Montafon have battled the heavy winter snows that blanket this westernmost corner of Austria. Following a tradition from pagan times, farmers gather on a February Sunday night around mountainside bonfires called Funkenbrennen- burning the winter witch in effigy. The earlier the spring melt, the sooner cattle could be herded up to the lush, high mountain pastures.

The persistence of local traditions sets the Montafon apart from many other Alpine resorts, where traditions have given way to the embrace of tourism. The Montafon is a place to enjoy a traditional Austrian hiking or ski vacation - relaxation and plenty of local food.

The Hotel Krone has welcomed guests year round for 180 years. The rooms strike a tasteful balance between tradition and modern, all equipped with bath/shower, toilet, TV/radio, telephone, mini fridge and safe. Some overlook the rushing stream and pleasant, tree-covered promenade.

Dining Tip:  The old-fashioned, wood-paneled Montafoner Room of the Hotel Krone serves Kasspatzle and other regional Austrian dishes, such as barley soup. In fine weather sit outside in the garden under the chestnut trees.

Excursion Tip:  Drive the Silvretta Road (Silvretta-Hochalpenstrasse) built in 1953, this two lane road (open summers only) offers a number of fine lookout points from which the peaks and glaciers of the Silvretta appear breathtakingly close. The road climbs through many sharp bends to a high point, the Bielerhöhe (2,032m/6,667ft) - the watershed between the Rhine and the Danube - and the Silvretta reservoir.  One of the  most beautiful sites in the Alps, you can hike along the shore, enjoy a snack at the Silvrettahaus, and take a boat trip on this, Europe's highest lake.

Reading Tip:  A Moveable Feast -  Read how Papa "discovered" Schruns and the Austrian Alps, and fell in love with skiing - all over 80 years ago.

book : A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway - "All you have to do is write one true sentence. Write the truest sentence you know." The penetrating words of this famous visitor.  

music: Great Recordings Of The Century - Elisabeth Schwarzkopf Sings Operetta - The glorious voice of a once long time resident of Schruns.   

book : Elisabeth Schwarzkopf - Among opera divas, perhaps no star shines as bright as that of Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, arguably the finest Mozart and Strauss soprano in the past 50 years.