Adventure Camp in Austria

Programme overview

The programme features multi-activity programmes for 10-17 year olds that enjoy exploring the great outdoors.

Included are a broad range of sports and based activities such as: 

Mountain Sports and Activities

rock-climbing
hiking
mountain-biking (trails start at the door of our camp base)
a high-ropes course
nature trails
orienteering
outdoors survival skills
archery
yoga

Lake Sports and Activities

Kayaking
Paddle boarding
Lake Swimming
Sailing
Windsurfing

In the mornings, for about 3 hours every week-day, campers follow an organized programme with various challenging activities. The activity choice is based on the age and skill level of individual campers who have to perform different skills tests such as swimming, climbing and biking in order to assign them to a group with similar skills level.

The camp is situated in the pretty village of Piesendorf, 10 minutes from Zell am See. Located in a mountain valley with 360 degree spectacular views that include the permanent snows of the Kitzsteinhorn, a real glacier!

The Campers stay in a small family-run hotel that is exclusive to this programme during the camp season. With a maximum capacity to accommodate 80 campers, the chalet has a family feel which facilitates the bonding between campers and staff. It also includes several classrooms and outdoor facilities. 

Highlights of our camp in Austria include a hike up the mountain to stay overnight in a traditional Mountain Hut, a day trip to Salzburg, visits to museums and sites of natural beauty such as the Krimml Waterfalls.

Safety Matters - Qualified Staff

Our trained counselors work as a team under the leadership of an experienced Camp Coordinator who ensures a vital emphasis on safety, high quality equipment and appropriate clothing and equipment for the campers. 

The team is assisted by fully qualified local specialist staff with first-hand knowledge of the terrain when taking part in specialist activities/sports.

Accommodation

The dormitory is a spectacular, one of a kind, family-run hotel with numerous on-site facilities including indoor, beach volleyball courts, multiple indoor and outdoor climbing sites, Sports halls,a swimming pool, theater and much, much more. With the lakeshore mere minutes away.

The recently renovated dormitory is situated on the south side of Zell Am See just minutes from the shore of the lake. Superb views of the Kitzstein Glacier and the Hohe Tauern park can be seen from the rooms and the common areas.

The purpose built hotel and complex is a paradise designed for youth with a multitude of sports and activity facilities on site as well as 4 dining halls, a pizzeria and a BBQ restaurant.

The rooms are fresh, modern and comfortable 4 bedded rooms all with showers and toilets. All of our hallways, wings and lounges are dedicated to our camp only. Bedroom sharing is assigned according to age and gender.

Meals

In one of our dedicated dining rooms (either the “Mill”, The “Knights Hall”, the “Hippie Hall” or the “Hearts’ Hall”) the experienced chef’s team will provide an enticing variety of meals that include local cuisine as well as many favorite international dishes. Once a week the chef’s prepare a special BBQ meal for the camp as well. Vegetarian options are available at all meals. Other diets can be accommodated upon request.

Facilities

In the immediate vicinity of world-famous places such as Kitzbühel, Saalbach-Hinterglemm and the city of Salzburg (90km) Zell Am See offers wonderful opportunities for many types of outdoor activities. The lake can be reached in a couple of minutes and offers the ideal location for the practice of water sports such as kayaking, SUP and windsurfing.

Our Camps in Zell Am See site includes:

Activity areas

Resident chefs

Classrooms

Dining rooms

Beach volleyball courts 

Trampolines

Basketball courts

2 Sports halls

Bouldering halls

Climbing walls

Dance & yoga studio

Outdoor Pool

Waterslides

High ropes course

Campfire area

Bowling lanes

Billards

Table tennis

Nearby activities/facilities include:

Hiking trails

Mountain-biking trails

Stand Up Paddleboard

Kayaking

Mini Golf

Restaurants and cafes

Shops

Lake swimming

Waterfalls

Mountain Huts

Windsurfing

Camp Organisation

In the site campers are assigned to groups according to age and/or skill levels. The morning period of 3 hours is devoted to the campers specialty programme.

During the afternoons campers from all programmes join an array of exciting activities. Certain afternoons the children can “sign-up” for an activity of their choice while other days, age group and all-camp activities are organized. The evening programmes offer a variety of fun and challenging events that help build team spirit.

Campers visit the town in small groups and get to taste local specialities, visit traditional shops and sightsee the picturesque town streets.

Evening Activities

Evenings are filled with exciting imaginative games, spectacular events and relaxing activities. These include:

Lip Synch Battle - Campers are divided into different groups to prepare a small performance based on one of the most popular songs! A lot of costumes and more importantly laughter, are guaranteed. We even have disco lights to create a more spectacular environment.

Campfire - After dinner, we sing songs, tell stories, and roast marshmallows in front of the fire, whilst watching the sun set behind the beautiful mountains that surround the village.

Fun Friday – A very special activity takes place on Friday, called the Clash of Camps. Campers are divided into 4 teams - Water, Fire, Air and Earth. Every team has to prepare their own skit and complete different tasks working together to surpass the challenges they face along the way.

Carnival Night - This night starts with a delicious BBQ and Italian Gelato and then moves on to lots of carnival type games and music.

Movie Night – Usually happens on the evening of day trips after a long day. After dinner, the campers settle down to watch a movie and enjoy some homemade popcorn.

The Battle for Piesendorf – This game involves running, strategy and intense team work. It is a good bonding activity between campers of different ages.

Stock Market Evening – A very special activity for the whole camp is our famous Stock Market Event. This game turns our campers into professional buyers and sellers that visit each other’s stands (representing their own company creations) and try to predict what is going to happen in the future. Tension, emotions and communication make for a loud and expressive evening that campers deeply enjoy.

International Night – A night to learn about and represent countries other than your own. All of our campers are divided into different groups that represent countries around the world. Each group has to create and act on a special performance which can include singing, dancing, sharing fun facts, games, etc. Some of the campers are charged with preparing samples of national dishes from different countries for all campers and staff to try before dinner.

Friday Finale - The evening starts with everyone dressed up for a special dinner. After dinner campers take turns in the PhotoBooth for their souvenir camp photo, and then go dancing at the disco party dance floor. At the end it is time for goodbyes, last hugs, and getting to bed early as some campers have to leave very early in the morning.

Evening activities are often run independently for each separate age group but sometimes are organized as all-camp events where the entire camp comes together for some of the spectacular and much-anticipated programme all-time favorites.

Excursions

On all excursions we ensure free time for cultural visits, shopping and walking around in small groups. On visits to places of interest admission fees are included.

Highlight of excursions that take place over the two weeks are:

After breakfast, campers pack their lunch and get on a bus for a day out. First stop is the Schloss Hellabrunn - a castle and a park, with magical hidden fountains which start working at the most unexpected moments, showering some of the campers trying to escape provoking a lot of squeaks and giggles. Later, campers visit the town center and have some free time for shopping and sightseeing.

This place is a very impressive natural wonder. Campers enjoy a hike to the top of the waterfalls. Dropping a total of 380 meters in three stages, all campers say it is worth the hike uphill!

Campers walk the wooden platform paths inside the gorge, and the more adventurous ones then dare a quick dip in the cold icy waters of the river below.