Hangar 7 in Salzburg – Cars, Planes and Smart Food

From the outside Hangar 7 looks like one of those modern, glass encased, out-of-town car showrooms, but step inside and you might imagine that you’ve walked into a rich boy’s toy cupboard. Here are shiny, brightly coloured Formula One cars, flame red motorbikes, a helicopter there, a restored vintage plane there. But these shiny toys are all life size for you to drool over.

The Hangar 7 Concept

The concept was started by Red Bull mega businessman, Dietrich Mateschitz with a few planes in a hangar on the edge of Innsbruck airfield but his collection outgrew the space and moved to the new Hangar 7 on the edge of Salzburg airfield.

There’s an art exhibition with easy sofas to one side of the Hangar, a computer driving game where the teenagers can gather waiting for their turn and at dusk the huge glass domed building glows as the coloured lights come on inside.

Art exhibition at Hangar 7

Those of you who love all this aeronautical stuff will instantly be drawn to the massive twin propeller Douglas DC-6B that once carried Yugoslavia’s Marshall Tito and now dominates Hangar 7.

There are less obvious curiosities too, such as the tiny BD-SJ Microjet that starred in the James Bond film Octopussy, with power that is out of proportion to its under 5m wingspan.

Then there’s the CH-7 Kompress helicopter that was made from a kit and runs on normal petrol – imagine dropping into your local garage to fill that up.

Cars and Planes at Hangar 7

There’s even a real life model of the Red Bull XZ010 Sebastien Vettel car that features on the virtual racing track of the Playstation Gran Tourismo racing computer game. The planes all get a regular outing as the Flying Bulls team of pilots show off their aeronautical skills at air shows around Europe.

If you have anyone in your family that is facinated by the world of aeronautics and Formula 1 racing Hangar 7 would be the place to bring them. I probably wouldn’t take very young children but great for school age kids and teenagers, especially if they get a go on the computer racing game.

Hangar 7 as Food Destination

Hangar 7 also has an alter ego as a top foodie destination. The Ikarus restaurant is a top gourmet experience featuring a different international guest chef each month. We chose to hang out in the Mayday Bar where the food is from the same kitchen and it’s an easy place to lounge around for a drink and an informal meal.

The clever concept here is Smart Food where nutritional science meets the culinary artform, resulting in a meal that’s oh so pretty and you can bask in a contented glow knowing it’s all super healthy and making you a better person inside and out.

Choose between 3 set menus with a couple of choices per course and a healthy drink thrown in; there’s Brainfood, Mood food and Beauty food. First big decision – which menu to choose? Not wanting to appear vain, and already being in a relaxed mood I went for the Brainfood menu, although next time I might choose to treat my wrinkled brow to the Beauty menu.

Smart Food at Maybar in Hangar 7

I started with pieces of smoked fish topped with salad leaves, followed by a ragu of calves cheek with a swirl of pasta and some foamy sauce on top and the most delicious desert of lomquats on a pistachio ice cream and some praline mousse, swashed down with a healthy fruit smoothie. The food is presented in tall glasses, looking pretty and interesting to be eaten with long forks and spoons.

The set menu was good value for such beautifully presented and crafted flavour combinations and you could easily share between two if you just wanted something light. There’s even a book (in German) you can buy about the Smart Food concept with recipes by Head Chef Roland Trettl – Smart Food: Intelligent Essen by Roland Trettl

Hangar 7 at night

By day Hangar 7 is family friendly but as night falls it becomes a sophisticated playground for grown ups. As the lights came on at dusk bringing a glow to the curved line of the hangar I thought it would be a great place for a date – not so romantic perhaps but quirky and original with plenty of things to talk about if the conversation lags.

If you’re looking for the a change from the Mozart and the Sound of Music and want to tap into the modern, stylish side of Salzburg, Hangar 7 is the place to come and hang out.

Hangar 7, Salzburg Airport, Wilhelm-Spazier-Str. 7A, 5020 Salzburg, Austria

Plan your visit to Austria

For more information about Holidays in Austria visit the Austrian Tourism Website

My thanks to the Austria National Tourism Office UK for sponsoring* our trip to Salzburg and Wolfgangsee

* More info on my policies page

This article is originally published at Heatheronhertravels.com

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