Middle Easterners descend on this idyllic Alpine town to escape the scorching summer heat

When the temperatures on the Persian Gulf reach into the hundreds, there is one spot locals prefer to escape the heat - and it's not the beach.

The sparkling lake of Zell am See in Austria has become an increasingly popular tourist destination for those seeking to avoid the scorching weather in the Middle East.

In the summer, visitors from Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Iraq, and Oman all flock to this idyllic land of clear mountain lakes, towering icy peaks, and authentic schnitzel. Each year, nearly 70,000 tourists from the Gulf States visit the Austrian Alps, bringing an appreciated economic boost to the region.

Workers and residents of Zell am See happily welcome the yearly influx of Arabic travelers and are eager to share local customs and traditions - and learn a few themselves.

Dutch photographer Marieke van der Velden recently teamed up with journalist Saskia Adriaens to document a summer in this alpine wonderland touted as "the paradise" by travel agencies in the Middle East.

She has shared these stunning images from her series "Das Paradies" with us below, along with captions by Adriaens.