At 3,000 m above sea level, the air in the Alps is low on oxygen
and in winter much colder than below in the valleys.
The view, however, easily makes up for those discomforts. If the
thought of enjoying a sunset in the Alps seems enticing, consider
spending the night in the mountains as there are a number of hotels
located high in the Alps.
The highest hotel, The Grawand in Schnalstal, Italy, has 45
rooms and is situated at 3,212 m above sea level.
"From this point you have a view of 3,000-m mountains as well as
the only 4,000-m mountain in the eastern Alps, the Piz Bernina,"
says hotel director, Arthur Gfrei.
Life at this altitude is more strenuous than in the valleys and
people with heart conditions or high blood pressure are advised not
to book into the hotel, says Gfrei.
Many guests have problems getting to sleep on the first night,
"others wake up during the night."
But after a few days sleeping patterns return to normal. "The
body quickly gets used to the altitude."
The Grawand Hotel is only open in winter. The second highest
hotel in the Alps is open all year round: Kulmhotel Gornergrat is
located at 3,100 m on the same-named mountain in Switzerland,
opposite the Matterhorn.
The hotel, built in 1907, casts a spell over visitors to this
day.
None of its 25 rooms have a number, but are named after mountain
peaks that can be seen from the room's window.
It's not unusual to see visitors taking a snapshot of the
Matterhorn at sunrise. Astronomers also come here to study the
skies.
The highest hotels in Austria are in Oetztal, or the valley of
the Oetz. "They include the Hotel Rimli right beside the ski run in
Hochgurgl-Obergurgl," says Birgit Gamsjaeger of the Austrian
tourist office in Berlin.
There is one disadvantage to the hotel: "Guests must be ready
for fast changes in the weather and bring snow chains for their
cars."
(Agencies via China Daily December 20, 2007)