Platte Area at Bichl

An almost magical aura

The road to happiness is short and requires no special effort. Platte Area probably has an almost magical aura for everyone. It is definitely a perfect place to unwind and restore energy. Idyllically situated on a small hill, Platte Area consists of a formation of smoothly cut rocks made of gneiss and mica, an erratic boulder from the Ice Age, coniferous trees and a natural Alpine meadow covered with fragrant thyme, hogweed, ribwort, houseleek and lady's mantle - only mowed by sheep. A salt lick is waiting for them under the spruce tree, a red bench with fabulous views of Narrenkogel, Tauferberg and the Köfels rockslide area invites you to relax.

About Hansjörg Holzknecht

Year of birth: 1968
Marital status: married, 3 children
Activity/Volunteer: Host at the snack station Bichl, chairman of the family association Niederthai

About favorite place

Starting point: Sennhof car park/Niederthai Information
Walking time, both ways: 1 hour
Difficulty level: easy
Difference in altitude: approx. 100 m

Platte Area works miracles

"I felt very comfortable there when I was young," says Hansjörg Holzknecht from Gasthof Bichl, "and anyone who is inspired by this place of strength will just feel the same." Even with the little ones who are still not aware of Platte Area's magic, it almost works miracles: "Our son Florian was a sickly child in the first two years of life," recalls the family man. "Neither he nor we as parents could sleep by night. So I wrapped him in blankets and pushed his pram the short way up to the Platte Area. Afterwards Florian slept soundly there. Me too, by the way! Until the birds woke us up."

High level of energy

Hansjörg shares his favorite place with Ötztal's pop singer Gilbert, who also spends a lot of time in the Platte Area. Truly inspired by the wide open view of the valley and the rustling waters of Ötztaler Ache, which - depending on the season - comes upwards as barely audible background music or with a powerful sound, fine-tuned just like using the control buttons of a mixing console.

A celebrated artist who can totally relax and regain strength for his performances here, light years away from the show stage and the spotlights. "This place has two effects," says Hansjörg. "It helps to refuel when you feel completely empty, but also to come down when you're over the top. It helps to find the balance again and to become more settled."

An energetic expert once measured Platte Area with a biometer, he continues: "The value is given in Bovis units. The normal value is about 6,500 BE but Platte Area showed more than 30,000 BE!"

Finding inner balance

As you get closer, silhouettes with flowing movements emerge against the sky. The picture of these flexible figures fits perfectly into the natural surroundings. "I felt that Platte Area was an energetic place," explains Harald Noderer, head of the Tai Chi & Qigong School Krems. "Our seminar 'Between Heaven & Earth" is about the exchange of energy between man, nature, heaven and earth - by using the width of Platte Area as a gate towards limitlessness."

The protective rock formation at the edge of the forest is said to have been a resting place for shepherds at the times of Ötzi - the Iceman. If you close your eyes you can hear the rocks. Telling stories of generations of people. Who felt comfortable here at Platte Area, as yesterday so today.