11 - 17 February 2013

In 1972 a bear migrated from Slovenia and settled in the Ötscher area of central Austria. Against all odds, this bear managed to live alone in this area for almost 20 years until the movement to reintroduce bears to Austria gathered fuel and a female was released into the area. To everyones surprise, this old hermit still had a bit of go in him and fathered three cubs. The last signs of the Ötscher bear were found in 1994. He had become an Austrian legend and, in later years, a local energy drink was named after him. The drink was called “Ötschi” and the slogan was “No Ötschi – no energy!” The link with Maria Alm? Please bear with me it is a little tenuous! The founder of the more celebrated Red Bull energy drink, Dietrich Mateschitz, richest man in Austria, has a house in Maria Alm.