Great holiday! - Graham Knight. Date of travel: Jul 2006
We stayed at Aarone appartments, at Bockstein near Bad Gastein, in July as part of a walking holiday in Austria. We know the area well from skiing, but had never been in summer. It was excellent! The weather was ideal, and the Gastein Valley is a really beautiful place, with plenty to do in the area. The apartments are well-appointed, clean and very good value. Bockstein is quiet and peaceful, but very accessible to a much wider region (Venice in a few hours by train from the local station!). We know that the skiing in the Gastein valley is very good and the fact that the skibus stops only 100m away from the apartments means it's easy to get to any of the Gastein resorts, and with a vehicle, many more resorts are within a short drive. The possibilities are endless! The area is not a nightlife 'hotspot' like Kitzbuhel or Zell am See, but for families or those that like a little more peace, it would be hard to beat. Having said that, the area is starting to attract significant investment, and will become more popular as time goes on. At the moment though, it's a beautiful, peaceful, typically Austrian village which we'll definately be visiting again, and more than likely to stay at Aarone. Oh, and they're happy for guests to take their dogs (providing they're well-behaved and house-trained, of course).

Ski the dream - xtrememountain_mann. Date of travel: Mar 2006
A collection of wonderful apartments set in the superb Gastein Valley and only one-hour from Salzburg Airport. High altitude ensures top quality snow as well as a mix of apres pursuit for those serious about relaxation. Bad Gastein and neighbouring villages with their natural spas provide excellent supplements for those in pursuit of modern ski holidays. With British hands on approach from the owners the stay is guaranteed to be one of the best ski holidays you could ever have. www.rhalda.eu has more info.