Justine Gosling went to the Alps in Austria for a brilliant summer weekend away with the whole family Well ahead of my sister and I, my seven and nine-year-old niece and nephew burst through the hotel room door in a whirlwind of excited squeals as they explored our home for the next few days, with the loudest squeal saved for when they spotted the outdoor swimming pool. Within five minutes of arriving, all four of us were donning our costumes, white spa dressing gowns and reindeer embroidered slippers, posing for a matchy-matchy selfie in the room’s full length mirror. This chic ensemble ended up being the weekend’s uniform, setting an appropriately relaxed mood for the trip.
We would be spending a long weekend at Naturhotel Forsthofgut in the small town of Leogang in southern Austria, a 90-minute drive from Salzburg. The hotel promised a stress free, memorable stay. Everything to keep a family entertained for a few days is contained within the relatively small grounds, resting in a sunny, forested valley.
My first view of our serene surroundings from our room’s balcony told me we were somewhere special. The emerald green “recreational lake” hugged the wood clad, chalet-style hotel, which complements the dramatic, mountainous landscape. It all takes place below the bluest of skies and warm late-summer sun.
Later, we discovered the squeal-inducing outdoor pool was one of a pair of infinity pools, with a smaller children’s pool featuring a multi-level flume and indo.
