Is there really a place called Maria Alm? Yes! Even if it does sound a bit like you’ve discovered an isolated place with an impressive name, a pilgrimage church and an idyllic mountain and meadow panorama. And in Maria Alm there is also a Josef, although his surname is Sepp. He’s the one who’s in charge of all the excitement round here with his eponymous hotel for “children over 21”, as he calls his guests.

If any a family were to have hotel management in their blood, it would be the Eders from Maria Alm, south of Salzburg. We are greeted in their modern hotels by a relaxed atmosphere and a distinctively chilled vibe, which makes the Eder establishments the perfect holiday accommodation – all the ski, none of the chi-chi …