To live in the surroundings of the "capital of the Alps" offers us endless possibilities to enjoy skiing in one of the many ski resorts of Innsbruck Land and Tirol.
But winter in Tirol is much more than just Alpine Skiing and the Seefeld Region is one of the best places to experience a real winter in the Alps. A variety of winter experiences are available to the visitors coming to this fairytale place. From winter walking, snowshoeing, or cross-country skiing to playing a traditional form of curling called Eisstockschießen, in the five villages of the Seefeld region, you will enjoy some of the most rewarding experiences in the Alps.
On December 27th we went to our First Time "Eisstockschießen" in Seefeld.
Seefeld is an old farming village located between the Wetterstein mountains and the Karwendel, in the Innsbruck-Land District in the Austrian state of Tirol. The Wildsee, also called the Seefelder See ("Lake Seefeld"), gave the village its name.
Seefeld is the “postcard pretty” Austria that you have in your mind.
Eisstockschießen is a winter sport, somewhat similar to curling.
Eisstockschießen probably was born in Scandinavia in the 13th century. We can find depictions of a former version of this game in some paintings by the painter Pieter Brueghel the Elder in the 16th century.
The sport is mostly practiced in southern Germany, Austria, and Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol in Italy.
Eisstockschießen was a demonstration sport at the Winter Olympic Games on two occasions: Garmisch-Partenkirchen 1936 and Innsbruck 1964.
The Ice stocks used on the game have a gliding surface, to which a stick (ca 30 cm) is attached. Competitors slide the ice stocks over an ice surface, aiming to leave the sticks as close as possible to the "Daube" from the starting point. The Daube is placed at the end of the lane before the start of a turn. The aim is to get one of your own team's sticks closer to the Daube than your opponent. Only sticks that are within the target field are scored.
The introduction to Eisstockschießen in Seefeld costs: 14€ with the guest card, and takes place every Tuesday in the evening.
You don’t need any equipment to participate (you borrow the ice sticks on site) and after a short explanation of the guide you will be ready to enjoy this funny game.
20 people gathered in Seefeld at the Eisstockschießbahnen Kongresszentrum Seefeld for the afternoon sessions, so we were split into two groups of 10 and each in two teams of five. In our group, we were two couples from Australia, three members of a family from Switzerland, a French young man, and my wife Almudena and me. Everyone was very friendly throughout the game, and we found the ice stock sport to be an enjoyable experience.
It's easier than I thought and it's really fun. After a few attempts, you could throw the ice stick all the way. Eisstockschießen is really a sport that can be enjoyed by everybody at any age. And like any team sport, it allows you to meet people from all walks of life and socialize with them before, during, and after the game.
The two hours we spent went really fast. It was definitely a fun unique experience and we highly recommend you try it.
