Seefeld will celebrate the end of winter

At the world-famous Austrian ski resort of Seefeld on February 19 will be organized Maskentreiben 2012 festivities. Originally a small celebration created by local residents for the tourists evolved into a vivid entertainment show, enjoying great popularity among the guests of the resort.

Many tourists specially plan their vacations to visit Maskentreiben or come in Seefeld at least for one the day of the holiday. The main events are held in the pedestrian zone of the resort and start in the morning. On the street appear two groups of maskers, one dressed in old Tyrolese costumes and the other in sheep skins and masks. The total number of participants sometimes exceeds two hundred people. The essence of the event lies in the fact that "Tyroleans" must keep off the "demons" with the help of folk dances. Dancers change each other and such dance marathon continues until dusk. Spectators are under constant snowball fire, though many tourists with pleasure participate in the snow battle. Dancing stops after dusk, but fun continues. On the street are installed a lot of tents with local delicacies and hot mulled wine, on the open stages perform musicians and singers, and at midnight organized a great firework. The holiday lasts almost until morning, so on the next day the nearest ski slopes are usually deserted as all tourists are sleeping.

Seefeld is one of the most popular sports centers of Tyrol and is located on a flat plateau at an altitude of 1200 meters, surrounded by the Karwendel and mountains Wetterstein. It became worldwide popular in 1964 and 1976 when during the Winter Olympics in Innsbruck its tracks were used for ski competitions. Seefeld is an ideal place for those, who like combine cross-country and alpine skiing. An additional advantage is that the nearest airport in Innsbruck is only 24 km away from the resort.