La Dolce Vita Experience in Austria

On the Southern side of the Alps in East Tyrol, with the Italian border close by, the five-star Grand Hotel Lienz gleams glamorously. Although, the hotel only opened last year, it has already established a returning clientele.

The fact that this hotel stands in a town, which reportedly features the most hours of sunshine Austria gets, surely helps, but the beautiful surroundings are not enough to keep a brand new hotel alive. “It certainly adds an extra challenge to launch a new enterprise during a financial crisis,” admits hotel manager Hugo Westreicher, adding that their “baby” is operated as a family hotel, owned by the Westreicher and Simonitsch families whose combined know-how in the hotel industry has been an enormous assistance. According to him, the wellness market will continue to grow and the health and medical sector will become more and more important. And that is exactly the segment the owners decided to focus on. “Our potential clients from all over the world are living longer and will require better medical care in an elegant surrounding with a hotel rather than hospital ambiance.” From this point of view, this boutique hotel has it all, and even more. The building itself was erected in 18 months with an eco-concept that includes wood-fired heated water, hydro-generated electricity and solar heat exchange pump. “Special insulation of the entire building allows us not to use any gas or oil as energy. In addition we sort all waste, glass, plastic, metal, cellulose and bio for recycling.” What we saw, entering the hotel, was the tip of the iceberg: a stylish hotel offering exclusive atmosphere, gourmet cuisine, top service, a medical center of the highest level and a spacious spa oasis. But we learned that behind the lovely scenes, a wisely planned, wellstructured idea stands, which should be a winning formula for success.

Mountain views

The 76 guestrooms, including four royal suites are individually decorated with bright, airy decors and feature peaceful views of the countryside. Further touches include generously sized baths and delicious snack plates. The hotel’s Forum Tauernblick meeting room offers 160 sq meters of flexible meeting space for seminars, incentives, and business events, with a capacity of 100 guests. In addition to the Forum Tauernblick, the self-contained meeting and events area features a foyer and panoramic terrace, perfect for staging lunch, dinner, or coffee breaks. Events are supported by the latest technology. The private spa and wellness center spans over 1,400 square meters, with an impressive selection of services to restore and pamper guests with the highest level of service. A great
variety of treatments include different special massages such as Tibetan Singing Bowl Ceremony; Lomi-Lomi- Nui and East Tyrol Mountain Honey Massage. For a maximum of wellbeing and health improvement, the hotel’s medical centre offers preventative medicine, medical check-ups, advice on special diets and effective wellness programs and targeted therapies, directed by heart specialist Univ. Prof. Dr. med. Peter Lechleitner. “Our strength is in our combination of the latest scientific medicine and complimentary medicine with the highest level of quality, tried and tested methods, scientific verifiability and excellent qualifications of our staff,” reveals the hotel manager.

Marriage of Alpine and Adriatic cuisine

All restaurants at Grand Hotel Lienz are small and cosy and each has its own pleasant atmosphere. A sleek fireside parlor and an elegant lounge offer the perfect atmosphere for every time of day and preference. “On a mild summer evening we serve dinner on our romantic terrace,” Westreicher says. “Here, your eyes are treated to a magical view across the picturesque town park, surrounded by stunning mountain scenery, and at your feet lies the Isel River, the last intact glacier river.” Chefs Christian Flaschberger and Thomas Ebner have developed a culinary mix of traditional dishes from the Dolomites to the Adriatic Sea, serving a culinary melting pot of all these regions’ colors, aromas, preparation methods and style. Market fresh and seasonal products give these dishes the highest quality, with a touch of modernity and class. The hotel’s wine cellar contains the perfect bottle to accompany every culinary delicacy. As soon as you enter the restaurants you will get an idea of the special wine experience awaiting you as a glass panel laid in the floor allows an impressive view into the fantastically stocked wine cellar. “The wine list at the Grand Hotel Lienz is as varied and international as our guests,” Westreicher continues. “We have more than 150 types of wine for you to choose from. Wine tasting sessions or wine seminars for both large and small groups can also be arranged.”

Activities

With clean air and a wonderful location right in the middle of the Lienz Dolomites, Lienz is an ideal holiday destination for a relaxing and luxury holiday. The large town square, surrounded by palm trees and colorful houses, the street cafes and small shops all add to the vibrant Mediterranean atmosphere - the proximity to Italy is very clear. It’s worth to visit the Liebburg town hall or St. Andra Parish Church and the shopping street. High above Lienz with super views across the Isel Valley you will find Bruck Castle, the former castle of the Gorizia counts, built in 1252. Today the castle houses the Museum of Lienz and it exhibits famous East Tyrolean artists such as Albin Egger. There’s also a Roman Museum to visit, that preserves the Roman settlements dating back to the first century under Emperor Claudius (41-54 AD), 4 km East from Lienz. Also in the region, there’s Upper Tauern National Park, the largest National Park in Austria with hundreds of peaks, glaciers, mountain lakes and numerous waterfalls. Living traditions also preserve East Tyrol’s rich culture, and the hotel keeps guests informed of the many nearby annual events, such as the Women's Ski World Cup in March, Street Theatre Festival OLALA in July, East Tyrol Fair in October or the Old- Town Festival in August. Whether in summer or winter, Lienz and the Dolomites combine to make an amazing holiday destination, and Grandhotel Lienz fulfills your every desire for a dream holiday.

FROM LIENZ IT'S UP, UP, UP
The Lienz cable-car takes you directly from the town to 2278 m. You can play golf or go horse-riding, mountain biking or simply for a long walk. During the winter, guests flock to the region for downhill and cross-country skiing, ice skating, and snowshoeing.