The tiny Alpine town dedicated to winter sports with the most snow in the country
WHEN there’s no snow anywhere else, there’s still a bit of powder in Obertauern.
This tiny Alpine town has more snow than anywhere else in Austria, and its season lasts from November until May.
So it’s no wonder when The Beatles were looking for a snow-sure location to film scenes for their 1965 movie Help! they opted for the once-unknown village 56 miles from Salzburg.
Body doubles were hired to perform the band’s action shots on skis — and Paul McCartney’s stand-in still lives here today.
This year marks the 60th year since the filming took place — transforming a previously quiet mountain village into the centre of pop culture for a few unforgettable days.
The global attention sparked by the Fab Four’s visit marked a turning point for Obertauern.
Beatles fans still make pilgrimages to the village, and scattered throughout the village are three monuments to commemorate the band.
And if, like The Beatles, you aren’t much of a skier, you can still catch a gondola to the peaks to enjoy the restaurants, with deckchairs overlooking the mountains.
But, of course, Obertauern is all about the snow, which reaches a maximum depth of 8½ft.
In the evenings, I’d watch snowfall from the cosy window seat in my room at Kesselspitze Chalet & Hotel, on the edge of town.
It fell so heavily I couldn’t see beyond it — not lights in the windows of nearby buildings, nor the mountains behind. It was everything a winter wonderland should be.
I hadn’t skied for a while, so I booked beginners lessons, and it is true what they say about teachers — the good ones make a massive difference. Mine made it look a doddle.
I may have stuck to safety on the nursery slopes while I practised my turns, but my classmates got the hang of it in no time.
Leg massage
It meant they could graduate to tougher challenges on the blue, red and black routes, including the Gamsleiten 2 — a scary 45- degree ski-run.
Back in town, the Eurobeat was booming in the apres-ski bars.
Still in full gear with skis parked against railings, people downed beers, wine and cocktails while they stomped to the beat.
A pint of beer costs an average of €6 while a glass of good Austrian wine is around €4.30.
If you’re not partying or skiing, there are shops to browse, plus restaurants and cafes to enjoy.
A highlight of the trip for me, however, was the hotel and its facilities.
The 4*+ Kesselspitze is one of three in the town owned by Croatia-based Valamar.
It is everything I expected from an Alpine hotel: Lots of wood, stone and rich colours, with a real fire in the bar, while the decor in my room was luxurious yet homely.
The food, a combination of help-yourself buffet and a la carte, was amazing, and there was so much of it that I always felt well-fuelled before and after hitting the slopes.
I loved the hotel’s Balance Spa. Tired and aching, I recuperated in the sauna, steam room and Finnish sauna (much hotter) and booked in for a leg massage to soothe my throbbing calves.
There’s something spectacular about relaxing in an outdoor Jacuzzi while it is snowing — the heat of the bubbles clashing with the cold, and the mountains right in front of you.
It is the perfect way to soak away any aches and pains, ready for another day on the slopes.
GO: OBERTAUERN, AUSTRIA
GETTING THERE: British Airways flies from London Gatwick to Salzburg from £59 each way. See britishairways.com.
STAYING THERE: Double rooms at Kesselspitze Hotel & Chalet cost from £303 per night.
MORE INFO: Ski rental costs from €30 per day, and day ski passes cost from €65 per adult and €32.50 per child.