Family activity holidays in Europe that won’t cost an arm and a leg

Austria is an often-forgotten holiday destination during the summer months, but its spectacular scenery and long hot summer days offer the type of adventure holiday many people would only associate with New Zealand – and at a fraction of the cost. Part-British-owned St Martin Chalets, only an hour’s drive from Salzburg Airport, offers exactly that. It is Austria’s first self-sufficient activity holiday resort – generating its own power on site and collecting a combination of natural spring and rainwater. Built and managed by an Austrian-British couple, it offers families the ultimate in summer adventure and activity holidays. Contrary to popular perception, Austria enjoys a very warm climate in the summer months and the Lungau region is no exception. Situated only an hour north of Italy, Lungau enjoys more sunny days than any other part of Austria, with summer temperatures averaging a balmy 24°C in the middle of the day. Unlike more humid resorts, however, St Michael’s altitude means its evenings are cool, so there is no call for noisy air conditioning units or fans. The warm summer climate combines with Austria’s spectacular mountain scenery to make Lungau one big, natural adventure playground. Daily activities include guided horse riding, canyoning, rafting, farm visits with animal feeding, mountain biking (with the option of revolutionary, battery-powered e-bikes for any family members who may not otherwise keep up), fishing, golf, hiking and even tandem paragliding. All of these activities can be organized on your behalf by the staff at St Martin Chalets, who will present you with a suggested (although not at all obligatory) itinerary upon arrival. The St Martin Chalets resort itself features 10 luxury timber chalets, which each accommodate between 6 and 14 guests. The chalets are set around a natural swimming pond and sunbathing area and are a stone’s throw from the resort’s central buildings, which contain the main reception area, wine tasting cellar, cinema room and sauna. As well as these on-site facilities, the resort has a partnership agreement with one of the main hotels in St Michael, which entitles guests to make use of the hotel swimming pool, restaurant, games, activities and childcare facilities. For those looking to be a little more self-sufficient, the generously appointed chalets offer all the self-catering facilities the heart could desire, as well as a range of games, DVDs and consoles to keep the little ones amused in the evenings. As well as the area’s endless hiking and biking trails, Lungau is home to a spectacular championship golf course, a tree top assault course, numerous watersports activities and a large outdoor swimming pool and waterslide complex. For those with children who’d enjoy a more structured activity programme, St Martin Chalets regularly teams up with local sports and activity business, Smarty Sports, which runs all-day children’s activity camps. Unlike many parts of Austria, most people here speak excellent English. This may be because there is a small ex-pat community here but, whatever the reason, the resort regularly takes repeat bookings from English-speaking customers who keep coming back for more. It is also surprisingly good value. Lungau is still relatively unknown and so prices for activities, restaurants, bars and supermarkets are all relatively low. St Martin Chalets is set in the very heart of Austria’s Southern Alps and is only an hour’s drive from both Salzburg Airport to the north and Klagenfurt Airport to the south (summer flights to both are great value). 6-bed chalets cost €180 per night from July to September, while 10-bed chalets cost from €210 per night.

St Martins Chalets offer self catering ski chalets in Austria. These luxury wooden eco chalets are ideal for both