In Forstau

Herbst in Forstau © Tourismusverband Forstau
Autumn in Forstau © Tourismusverband Forstau

Forstau is a lovely small village in the province of Salzburg. It is located close to the nearby towns of Schladming and Radstadt. 500 inhabitants, many mountain farms, woods, and mountain pastures, a charming skiing region, one small grocery store, a few typically Austrian restaurants, a catholic church and chapels make Forstau to what it is, a pastoral Austrian village far away from stress and hectic.

It’s a perfect vacation spot for families with kids, for the romantic ones and for stressed metropolitan people. But despite the apparent calm, Forstau still has much going for it.

Herbst in Forstau © Tourismusverband Forstau
Beginning autumn in Forstau © Tourismusverband Forstau
Leonhardskirche in Forstau © Tourismusverband Forstau
Leonhards church in Forstau © Tourismusverband Forstau
Forstauer Bäuerinnen, darunter Barbara Rettensteiner, in Festtagstracht © Tourismusverband Forstau
Forstauer farmers, including Barbara Rettensteiner, in traditional attire © Tourismusverband Forstau

Events

If you like spending some time socializing with the locals you should not miss these events.

Summer Night Festival “Cut down the maypole”

Like in many other Austrian villages the locals put up the maypole on the 1st of May. The “cutting down event” is every year around the 25th of July.

Day of the brass orchestra

The traditional music orchestra of Forstau wakes us up once a year (towards end of July / beginning of August). From 6.30 a.m. they are playing music, sitting on a tractor trailer, driving through Forstau. Then there is a cozy get-together at the Forstauerwirt.

Whine Festival

Around the 25th of August the Whine Festival takes place in Forstau. It starts with music of local brass bands, followed by popular Austrian music, known as “Schlager”. The stuff serves pickled roast pork, organic potato chips, hot dogs, trout filets and whine from the province Burgenland. The festival is a two-day event (Friday and Saturday).

Harvest Thanksgiving

If you like the local cuisine you will love the harvest thanksgiving at the beginning of October. It’s a catholic festival and starts with a mass in the church in Forstau. Afterwards farmers open a rich buffet with their homemade products.

Woodland Christmas

At the 27th of December Christmas takes place in the Woods of Forstau. Flares are distributed in the village center, equipped with that the people walk through the woods along the “Bachweg”. The creek next to the path shines in beautiful colored lights and leads the way to the crib, the campfires and the tea stalls.

New Year’s Eve

With fireworks, the “Neujahrswalzer” and mulled whine we celebrate the beginning of a New Year in the center of Forstau. Afterwards the party goes on at the “GKW’s” pub.

For further information please visit the calendar on the website of Forstau tourism.

Sommerkonzert mit dem Jugendblasorchester © TMK Forstau
Summer concert with the youth brass orchestra © TMK Forstau
Lagerfeuer bei der Waldweihnacht in Forstau © Tourismusverband Forstau
Campfire at “Christmas in the forest” © Tourismusverband Forstau
Fackelwanderung zur Waldweihnacht in Forstau © Tourismusverband Forstau
Torchlight hike to “Christmas in the forest” © Tourismusverband Forstau
Messe zum Erntedankfest in der Leohnhardskirche Forstau © Tourismusverband Forstau
Mass for Thanksgiving in the Leonhards church Forstau © Tourismusverband Forstau

Eat, drink and celebrate life!

Enjoy your stay and the excellent food the region has to offer. Homemade food from local farmers is served at the alpine chalets in summer. Cheese from Markus and Lia at the “Fallhausalm“, smoked beef-ham and bacon from Hermann and Michaela at the “Vögeialm“, wild-berry yoghurt at the “Oberhütte“, Kasspressknödelsuppe (Austrian soup with cheese-dumplings) at the “Trinkeralm“, trouts of a local fish farm at the “Forstauer Wirt“. And after such a hearty meal, don’t miss a jigger of a real Austrian schnaps.

In winter the chalets in Forstau Winkl are closed but now you can enjoy other culinary offerings. How about a sleigh ride to the “Winklhütte” or a long walk to the restaurant “Draxler“? You can expect traditional Austrian cuisine and a comfy atmosphere. For those who like Après-ski “GKW’s Café Pub” at the Forstauer Wirt or the “Skistüberl” at the Restaurant “Unterreith” are the best places to be.