Austria reopens ski slopes, but not for long
Ski slopes in Austria cautiously reopened on Christmas Eve (December 24) for a brief period ahead of a third lockdown about to come into force.
The resort of Semmering is a favorite among skiers from the capital Vienna and enjoyed a decent trade on the first day of opening.
With hotels and tourist accommodation closed, the slopes were mostly covered with mask-clad day-trippers.
It’s far from a normal experience though, with restaurants and ski huts closed until 7th January.
Meaning visitors including Andre Hofer have to go without their traditional ski slope hot drinks.
“You cannot get a punch or a mulled wine. That is missing but when the group of the people is nice you have the same fun."
Many ski resorts became breeding grounds for the coronavirus during the first wave of infections.
Particle filtering masks must now be worn inside all ski lifts and social distancing is in strict enforcement.
There isn’t much time to enjoy the slopes though, with Austria re-entering lockdown on December 26.
