Half a century as a resident in the Hall-Wattens region

They’re still around: regulars, those loyal souls who head to ‘their’ holiday destination every year and have both the same experiences and new ones there time and again. What grows stronger every year is the bond with hosts and friends. A portrait.

All roads lead to Rome – or to Thaur

A group of seven people of different ages are posing outside a gazebo decorated with flowers, in the evening or at dusk. Some of them are smiling at the camera.

Father Norbert Schlag has been staying at a guesthouse in Thaur since 1981. During his placement abroad, which he spent in Tyrol, there was no longer any room at the accommodation he had originally planned to stay in. As luck would have it, this is why he ended up in Thaur. Father Norbert liked it there so much that he returned every year. Even on his group trips to Rome, he always made a stopover to celebrate Mass with the group at the Romedikirchl. The host’s mother would often treat the whole tour group to a schnapps afterwards, ensuring they set off on the rest of their journey in high spirits. A close friendship developed; the hosts from Thaur are still in regular contact with Father Norbert and hope it will remain that way for a long time to come.

A car breakdown with some lovely long-term consequences

The Huisman family from the Netherlands also discovered the region by chance. In 1970, Marius Huisman – then aged eight – was on holiday in Italy with his parents, travelling by car and caravan. The car broke down, and his father, Mr Huisman, decided it would be better to have it repaired in German-speaking Austria.
On the spur of the moment, they stopped off at Schlosscamping Aschach, and that was the beginning of a great love affair. Marius has now been coming to Volders for a full 55 years; he soon managed to convince his wife Tineke of the charms of ‘his’ favourite spot in Tyrol. It was sweltering hot during a holiday in Italy, Marius recalls. “I know a good place where it’s more pleasant,” he said to his wife at the time, and the couple have been coming to Volders every year ever since. Whereas in the past it was usually a two- or three-day stopover on the way to or from Italy, the Huismans now usually spend three weeks at Schlosscamping. They’ve had three different site managers over the years, and have always had a good relationship with all of them. “The campsite in Volders is like a second home to us,” says Marius. “And we hope it stays that way for a long time to come.”