February 20-27, 2026

including a side trip to Salzburg, Austria

There is always something magical about our ski trips to Europe.   The Alps—so majestic so amazing, the food so flavorful, the villages, the culture the vibe–  all so worth the long journey to get there. And so this year once again we were not disappointed.  The destination was Kitzbuhel, Austria, named the number one ski  resort worldwide  by skiresort.info.  35 Oc’rs signed up for the trip.   Most of us started our journey joyously from the Wal-Mart parking lot in Albany, excited, exuberant happy!!  Many newbie’s not knowing exactly what to expect and many of us well versed with Europe.   Some of our members met us in JFK and some other members met us in Munich airport for the bus ride to the resort.   Two members made it to the hotel on their own after savoring Vienna. 

The hotel was a beautiful local boutique a short walk to the gondola lift.  The lobby very elegant and yet cozy and welcoming!!   The staff very friendly! After settling in we gathered for a welcome drink and mountain info presentation, followed by an amazing dinner at hotel.  Many had worried about the ski rentals, but as always the case, there were two or three ski rental places very close by and somewhat reasonable in pricing. Next day was time for the slopes.  As always ski alliances form based on level of expertise.   Everyone found their way to the high peaks.   Snow on the bottom trails was somewhat of a challenge this year, but the higher trails had great conditions, coupled with beautiful mountain lodges and incredible views.

The village of Kitzbuhel offered much shopping and opportunity to walk around.  Our younger counterparts found some amazing night life to hang out at.  The beauty of Europe is that it offers breakfast and dinner so as we gather for breakfast  people have opportunities to socialize and compare plans for the day and find ski companions with the same abilities.   Dinner together also offers opportunities to socialize, share many laughs and recount the adventures of the day..  Many friendships are formed. All good things always come to an end, and as our week ended in Kitzbuhel we bid goodbye to five of our friends and the rest of us headed for our side trip to Salzburg, home of Mozart and the Sound of Music.

Just a couple hours away, Salzburg has an amazing old town with hundreds of shops, restaurants, cafes etc. and a big castle on top of the hill.   After our walking tour which was included in our trip, many of us found our own go to.    Mike and I did the Sound of Music Tour the next day while everyone scattered throughout  the day to enjoy the town, the shopping.  Our friends Rich and Trish Poggio signed up for a cooking show on how to make apple strudels’  which they so kindly shared with us.  We visited the castle on top of the hill, which is well preserved and so interesting.    At night many of us attended a Mozart concert at the Mirabell Palace which was built in 1606 as a pleasure palace for Prince-Archbishop Wolf  Dietrich Von Raitenau and his mistress Salome Alt.  Today it is a UNESCO World Heritage site.  And of course, after the concert many of us gathered for a last cheer  at a nearby refreshing place .

And so it ended, the next day the long journey home, but the memories remain, so many laughs, so many good times!   

Cathy McGuire, trip leader

Here are some photos from this trip. Click on the image for the full photo view