Imagine a breathtaking winter landscape high in the mountains. Imagine waking up, stepping out of the hut with a cup of hot chocolate, and seeing a snowy mountain scenery straight out of a picture book: as far as the eye can see, dazzling white snow, endless blue sky, a valley below, and a row of snow-covered peaks behind. This is Resterhöhe – a 1894 m high mountain in the Pinzgau grasslands, where you can experience the most beautiful winter vacation. What you are seeing here are the Kitzbühel Alps above Mittersill in the Upper Pinzgau. And if you’re wondering what I’m doing in the foreground with a ski helmet in my hand and in the strange combination of moon boots and a black bodysuit – no, I don’t ski in that outfit. This photo was taken during a shoot we did here for the ski brand Indigo. But one thing at a time!

It was actually already March, the ski season was ending, and I had fully switched my mind to summer. I had even opened the beach season in Portugal back in February and was sunbathing near Lisbon. And now we found ourselves in the middle of a winter fairy tale. It was a bit confusing to mix up the seasons like that, but on the other hand, also beautiful. My family really wanted to ski one more time – winter has shifted quite far back in recent years, and not even the mountains get snow before the end of January. So we decided to go skiing one more time and went on a short ski trip to the Austrian Alps.

WINTER PARADISE ALPS: SNOWMOBILES AND PURE ADRENALINE

From Munich to Kitzbühel to Resterhöhe, it’s not far – just over 100 km via the highway. But in terms of feeling, we arrived in a completely different world – so different from the snowless Munich we’re used to. First, we parked our car at the foot of the mountain, and then we were driven up a narrow and winding serpentine road by snowmobile. I sat behind the driver – it was scary, but also amazing at the same time: sometimes there were only forty centimeters between the snowmobile and the cliff, and we went really fast! Sometimes I was so scared that we would fall off the cliff that I closed my eyes. But on the other hand, it was so much fun – like a roller coaster, only full of snow and with an adrenaline kick!

The next morning started at 5 a.m.: getting up, doing hair and make-up, and heading out of the hotel for the Indigo Ski photoshoot. My outfit consisted only of a black bodysuit and moon boots – and I thought I would freeze before the camera was even set up. But surprisingly, it wasn’t cold outside at all; it was breathtakingly beautiful: the first rays of the sun were already hitting the peaks, the sun reached the terrace where we were shooting, and it was so beautiful that I completely forgot the cold while shooting! That’s what I love most about this job: during photoshoots, you often experience such special moments that you forget everything – except the beauty of the location and how unique these moments are.

Once we had taken all the photos, it was time to go back to the hotel for warmth – we hadn’t even had breakfast yet, we started so early. Most hotel guests were probably still asleep. And even though the work was technically done, I stayed outside for a while, admiring the breathtaking natural scenery – how the sun slowly rose and illuminated the snowy landscape ever brighter. Resterhöhe is definitely one of the most beautiful locations I’ve ever seen, even though I’ve traveled a lot.

RESTERHÖHE: ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL PLACES FOR A WINTER VACATION IN AUSTRIA

The 150-year-old Resterhöhe mountain inn is incredibly cozy, a true paradise for skiers and snowboarders or for those who just want to chill in the sun. Resterhöhe is typical of mountain hotels: lots of wood, ancient skis hanging on the walls – probably from the century before last – and a huge wild boar head with tusks. But what was unusual: the music. Instead of the 80s and 90s hits you hear in every ski hut (which I absolutely cannot stand), there was a chill mix of soul, reggae, and electro.

And the absolute highlight is the terrace with an incredibly beautiful view of the valley and the mountains – a perfect spot for breakfast with a view. To the side of the hut, there is a pool and a sauna in the shape of a wooden barrel – this time I didn’t take photos because there was simply so much to see that I couldn’t keep up with my camera.

After such an exciting winter vacation start at 6 a.m. outside, I was happy to finally have breakfast and then start working on the photos. That’s what I love most about my job: when everything is already shot, I sit somewhere cozy in the hotel and enjoy sorting and editing the images. That’s almost the best part of the whole blogger life: the shoots themselves can be quite exhausting because you’re on the move a lot and sometimes have to walk a long way to reach a special location. The photo sessions are also intense – you have to keep the whole concept in your head, stand well in front of the camera, possibly change outfits multiple times, and make-up and hair styling must not get ruined. But afterwards, sitting somewhere in the hotel by the fireplace with a cup of hot chocolate and editing photos – that’s just the best! Here I show you in a short video how I edit my photos.

And so our short winter vacation, which actually lasted only a weekend, went by quickly. But it felt much longer – the impressions were so intense and unforgettable! My daughter had been here a year ago without me and had enthusiastically told me about the beautiful hotel, the landscape, and the funny and creepy wild boar head. That’s why I was so curious, because she had raved so much. But when I arrived myself, I realized that there is something else that makes the Resterhöhe mountain inn so special – it’s the fantastic energy here. How else could I explain that I woke up on my own at half past five in the morning, just not to miss the fiery red sunrise? I only feel this way in Mykonos or Saint-Tropez – two places that are also totally energizing. And since last weekend, I have one more place in my energizer collection: Resterhöhe in the Kitzbühel Alps. I absolutely want to come back in a few months to experience the Tyrolean summer here – the green meadows must also be incredibly beautiful for hiking!

Are you more of a winter or summer fan? Which season is your favorite for a mountain vacation? Feel free to write it in the comments!

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