I once read that Tiroleans are said to be a cunning, lederhosen-wearing mountain people who yodel. Well, honestly speaking, I wouldn’t describe us as ‘cunning’; I’d rather say we are kind of pig-headed, maybe. Don’t worry, the Tiroleans are still very friendly and welcoming people. If you befriend a few locals and head into the mountains with them, you can be sure to enjoy wonderful scenery, good company and plenty of laughs.

It is really mean. The sun is shining, the days are growing longer and the open-air season has begun. Spring has sprung, but not everyone feels energetic. For some, it is a season of leaden limbs and fits of yawning. While the world is waking up, they want to go to sleep. Observing the total renewal of nature after a long and cold winter is unbelievably beautiful, but it can make you behave like a sleepy fly—and not after a night out drinking. Somehow, you feel sleepier than during wintertime and that terrible feeling of fatigue and weakness coming between you and the world can feel uncomfortable, frustrating, and debilitating.

Or perhaps not, because falling in love isn’t really about choosing the type you prefer, but rather more about the chemistry between two people.

Outside the wind whistles and the rain pours, but inside the warm farmhouse kitchen it's nice and cosy. The scent of freshly baked cookies fills the air and reminds me of my childhood, when we would pinch the odd biscuit straight from the tray as soon as they came out of the oven. With Christmas just around the corner, I am looking forward to making my own cookies once again this year. Farmer and baking expert Karoline Schapfl kindly invited me into her kitchen in Lans to share some of her top tips.

“There must be quite a few things that a hot bath won't cure, but I don't know many of them.” said Sylvia Plath, one of the most renowned and influential poets, novelists, and short story writers of the 20th century.

Upon the end of his life, Emperor Maximilian I (1459 – 1519) was obsessed with death. He envisioned a grand tomb, fit for an Emperor, surrounded by life-size statues of his ancestors, real and mythical, lining his grave in a mock funeral procession. As work on the ornate black marble tomb progressed, it became apparent that it would not fit into the castle chapel in Wiener Neustadt where Maximilian wished to be buried.

Slowly I step into the hall of a historic farmhouse. It feels like stepping back into the rural life of yesteryear, and it sure was hard living there. Everything here is kind of distressing and grinding – I wonder if it is the old timber or the smell? At the same time, I am kind of fascinated by this authentic simplicity, this reduction to the essentials.

No matter whether you are a Tirolean native living somewhere else in the world or simply a lover of all things Tirolean who can't wait to get back to the Heart of the Alps, we have put together a list of 15 telltale signs that you are missing Tirol.

Tirol is home to countless tales, myths and legends about miraculous meetings and extraordinary events. Passed on from one generation to the next, they have become part of regional folklore. Whether or not they are true depends very much on who you speak to. However, in some cases there is evidence indicating that the events recalled by parents and grandparents today may really have taken place many centuries ago. Scroll down to read a few of my personal favourites.