Toby Jaramillo ‘26

I spent a spring semester abroad on the IES Vienna program.  My experiences in Austria were enhanced by a ski trip to historic Radstadt supported by an Intercultural Enrichment Stipend from Swarthmore. I was able to experience firsthand the lived reality of skiing as not only a beloved national pastime but a real marker of national difference, pride, and shared bonding. 

Austrian Identity and Post-War Reinvention

Austria’s rugged Alpine terrain has long shaped its cultural and national identity, and no tradition captures this more profoundly than skiing. Skiing in Austria transcends solely the recreational realm, it is a deeply embedded aspect of cultural life, social history, and national pride. 

Skiing found a place within the national reinvention that Austria undertook after WW1. If the interwar years were marked by national aimlessness, the postwar years were marked by reinvention. This was, and very much still is, a nation defined by the capital of Vienna in the East, and the rugged Alps, which make up 62% of the nation, in the west. These polarities have come to define Austria, and thus, the Alps and skiing, occupy a monumental cultural space. 

If you were to ask any Austrian to identify a quintessential Austrian song that pinpoints the Austrian experience, likely the vast majority would tell you that song is Schifoan by Wolfang Ambros. The song details the classic Austrian experience of a ski weekend trip to the mountains. 

An Alpine Treasure

Radstadt is a historic town in the state of Salzburg.  The mountains offered more than just breathtaking views and physical exhilaration, they provided a hands-on encounter with a central Austrian experience. Radstadt itself, with its snow-dusted streets and medieval town center, felt like something out of an Alpine fairytale. 

What struck me most was not just the joy of skiing, but the infrastructure that had been built up at this midsized ski area. Skiing wove itself seamlessly into the rhythms of the town.

Reflecting on Alpine Infrastructure

To someone who had only ever gone skiing a couple times on the US East Coast at ski resorts marked by their less than impressive slopes and less than affordable prices, the scale of the Alps and the costs in the town shocked me. This trip opened my eyes to the Austrian mindset that such a natural treasure is something to be cherished and not something to be reserved for the wealthy.

Another fascinating aspect of Austrian ski culture was the ski hut. These, often small, wooden huts dot the sides of the many mountains offering a warm meal and a magnificent view to passing skiers. It was amazing to see a spot like one of these huts with its one big room with long tables, a furnishing choice which forces you to sit with strangers, filled with chatting skiers. 

Reflecting on Where You Are

My time in the Alps brought forward for me values of natural wonders, community, and shared experiences. It spoke to the resilience of a small, mountainous country that found meaning in its landscape. 

My weekend in Radstadt offered a kind of cultural lesson that is hard to pick up from the bustling city of Vienna. It is easy to read about the Alps and their place within Austrian culture, and another to experience it.