After an hour and 45 minutes car ride from Salzburg airport in Austria, and about ten minutes driving slowly up a winding, snow-blanketed road, you will come across Forsthofalm hotel – translated to 'hotel in the woods'. The charming establishment, a family owned venture, is a fairy tale vision created almost entirely of glass and wood, and couldn't be a more perfect getaway for anyone wanting a quiet break that is all about getting back to nature. Find out what happened when HELLO! paid a visit…
About Forsthofalm hotel
Made entirely from sustainable materials, the hotel feels warm and cosy, with that alpine aesthetic that most people love on their ski holidays. It also feels modern, clean cut and new – which might be partly the reason of the hotel's appeal to younger groups of friends, be they keen skiers or yogis, who come to the hotel to relax and end up come back year after year thanks to the establishment's fusion of healthy living, free exercise classes, and an incredible spa for relaxing.
It also has a fun, vibrant atmosphere in the evening time, all the cocktails you could drink, along with a resident DJ in the bar that is lit up with a vibrant lightshow. Since Leogang is a quiet ski town, fans of apres or nightlife might struggle to find somewhere to go and party, since the only bars and clubs are only open certain days, and still quite a while away from the secluded hotel. As such, Forsthofalm does a great job of bringing the party to you!
The skiing at Forsthofalm hotel
The hotel is fabulously ski in, ski out. Using the downstairs locker rooms to hold all of your equipment (that can be hired on their onsite ski rental store), you need only suit up, climb up the stairs and just like that, you are skiing. You can buy ski lift passes at reception and go straight up in the chair lifts around the area, or you can ski over a bridge by the hotel to the main ski resort in Leogang which takes around 15 minutes. Luckily, Forsthofalm also had an (extremely) handy shuttle that can pick you up from the resort once you've finished your session.
The food at Forsthofalm hotel
The food at the hotel is delightful – an eclectic range of locally sourced, healthy and thoughtful dishes for people whether you want a quick bite to eat before heading to the slopes, or settling in for a huge meal with all of the trimmings. Breakfast is especially fabulous, with everything from eggs made any which way to waffles on offer, along with cereals with every kind of toppings, fruit salad, pastries and a range of cheese and meat. Lunch consists of light bites with incredibly flavoursome and wide-ranging salads being a real highlight, while dinner is an event in itself.
The meal consists of a starter, soup, main course which ranged from beef to pork belly and salmon, then a dessert. As delightful as the dinner menu was, it does make dinner very much an event, which is usually very welcome – but if you fancy a quick pizza one night, you might not be in much luck!
Fitness and the spa
A huge draw to the hotel, for many, is their amazing fitness classes and the stunning, highly Instagrammable spa (just be careful while taking photos in the outdoor, heated rooftop pool over the ski slopes, for goodness sake)! With a steam room, multiple saunas, several rooms to relax and doze off, and all with sensational views for the snow covered outside, we loved visiting this fabulous part of the hotel. For fitness fans, there are yoga classes being held every day, some even taking place at sunrise so you can appreciate the light breaking over the gorgeous mountain, making for a magical class you won't forget in a hurry!
How much does it cost to stay?
Rooms at Forsthofalm start from €128 per person per night based on bed and breakfast. For more information, please visit www.forsthofalm.com.