I'm in love with Niederau

On reflection this has to be the best holiday i have ever been on, at the time it killed me and i didn't truly value it until the morning of departure when i checked out of Neiderau. Hansi our ski instructor had asked if we would return, at that time the answer was no, but now I am home it is a definite yes! I miss the food, the people, the snow, the skiing and instructor and the beautiful scenery. I wish i could have stayed for the rest of my life, the people of Neiderau are lucky to live in such a place.

Thanks to Hanis we learnt to ski, not well mind you, we were just slow to get our ski legs the intermediate beginners who caused carnage on the red and blue slopes.


The red ski school know how to entertain and provide value for money, the ski show was impressive, the instruction provided is excellent (Hansi is lovely and was great, I think there must be one or two other hansi's there too as a couple looked quite like him all of us are in love with Hansi must have been his legs on the awards night did it for us all), the race scary and fun, and the awards ceremony is a fantastic night, with entertainment provided by the instructors who look a lot different out of their jeep ski gear :D

Admin,

Can you please hide this post from Tony asap? There's no knowing how he will react :shock:.

Irishjay

Delighted that you had such a good time. However, as you are now well and truly hooked, prepare to embark on a lifelong obsession that will turn you into a complete bore in the eyes of your non-skiing friends :lol:

LOL all my friends and family are in shock, they cannot believe my new outlook and change of opinion. Normally I cannot wait to return home from holidays.

Lots are already discussing going on a ski holiday based on my reviews and feelings of it that have never been before.

Neiderau for me is simply beautiful, why has it taken me so long to find it!!! What a gem.

Why would you hide my comments from Tony?

Sorry IrishJay, the reference to Tony was to do with a bit of a running joke on the site between Tony and a number of other members. There are several people on the site who love Neiderau but Tony has a very different point of view, mainly related to the limited ski area. They have often locked horns on the issue in the past (generally in a spirit of good fun) :wink: . If you search the forum for Neiderau, you will find earlier discussions where the differing views are extensively aired :shock: .

Some of this is a matter of the level of skier you are but a lot has to do with personal preference :D .

ah well I am a first time skier, but it was the whole experience that left me loving Neiderau not just the slopes. Scenery I have to say was a big plus. I am sure for the experienced skier that is just there for thrills it might not be as good for me personally the whole experience was fantastic.
I honestly think if I would move to their if only my job was transferable, regrettably its not so I can only dream about a lottery win.

Really glad you enjoyed Niederau, Irishjay, you re obviously blessed with above average perception! I will let Hansi know that you changed your mind! (He and I have had the odd run down, over the years!)

There are a number of Brits that live in Niederau, either full time, or just for the winter. I used to organise my life working 8 months in the UK, and working 4 months in Niederau....it can be done.

I disagree with Wanderer ~ " Some of this is a matter of the level of skier you are".
Many of the world's greatest skiers have trained in Niederau. Franz Klammer, Fritz Strobl, Hermann Maier all trained in the race arena. I met Klammer, and my Manchester/Oberau mate met with Maier and Strobl.

I later helped out FS with some publishing, and Hermann Maier became a bit of a buddie with my mate, since they were both bricklayers!

Martin and Graham Bell have both raced here, staying with a friend. Two of the main three runs are FIS downhills. One of these is listed in the top ten runs in Austria.

You will always get individuals who want to mump. Far better to make your own mind up.I have skied all over the world, and never bad mouthed any area. All skiing is good skiing!

But where I mostly agree with with you IJ, is the beauty of the place. I would have put up a few of my paintings but photobucket isn't working for me just now. You can see a few on:
https://www.j2ski.com/ski-chat-forum/posts/list/24/13281.page

Think you are giving me too much credit, I certainly don't suffer from above average perception but I can definitely say that the scenery is stunning. I thought Ireland was the most beautiful countryside up until then.

Unfortunately there is no chance my job would be transferable and the job is too well paid for me to walk away from I wouldn't get it back again. There would be no chance of getting a job there that could match it. Would be different if I was closer to retirement age I suppose or had a ton of money in the bank I can only dream and do the lotto every week.
Are your pictures watercolours, bit of a painter myself (acrylic) but been years since I did anything, only do it now if someone asks me to do something, but the scenery in Neiderau really would make you want to take the brush out!

Even the architecture of the country is amazing, the fact that the animals share the same building as the people and the fact that each house has a cross or a shrine to jesus or some saint. I couldn't believe or understand this when I seen it. Us irish are religious but I don't know anyone that goes to that level. Even the graves are beautiful, I accidently walked into a wake on one of the first nights we were there as I was looking to see inside the chapel.

I don't know anything about famous skiers or the slopes, so couldn't comment on any of that but I do know that skiing is damn hard work and a great work out but at the time when I was doing it I only thought about how tough it all was. I swore every day there would be no chance I would come back. what a difference the bus journey home made I was so sad and forlorn at the thought of it.

All going well I hope to return next year, I worry though that I wont have as good of a time and it will be rose tinted glasses. I didn't expect to like this trip or enjoy it so much and now I am so keen and cant wait to go again I am afraid it will not be as good! This was the third year there for one of my friends and she has skied in a lot of places and says that this is the best.

What do you do that you work in Neiderau for 4 months? Don't tell me you teach people to ski!

Hansi I am sure wont remember us. I don't know how the ski instructors have the patience with beginners. We had Seth (I think) as well for half a day at the beginning he was a good laff too everything was supa!

Yes, I worked for what is now the red ski school. At that time, there was only one school for the whole valley. "Seth" is most likely to be Sepp. There are two, but yours was almost certainly Moarhof Sepp.

Re painting, I carry a 7x10 pad in my ski jacket, and draw on a daily basis, converting some of these to water colours. I use oils only for portrait work, and acrylics for some still life. All Alpine, Lake District and Scottish paintings are water colour.

Ireland. What a beautiful country. Before I took up full time skiing, I played in a Manchester folk group, and we would tour round Ireland, the Dingle pub being our favourite.

Also, so many of my regular Niederau ski friends come from Ireland. Many of them just buy a season pass, and manage to return for extra weeks. I shall be back again in a few weeks and will meet up with some of them. Pray for my liver....