The Austrian Lake District - Salzkammergut 8SZ2502
We are on our way. After a delicious breakfast we began our trip to the Austrian lakes. We started to cycle at the Wallersee, continued along the Obertrumer and Mattsee, where László waited for us with a little snack. Then we continued further east, had a great lunch in the middle of nowhere and followed the Irrsee to the South. In Mondsee we stopped to visit the famous basilica St. Michael - remember "Sound of Music"? The last lake for today was the Fuschlsee, where we were happy to have a cold beer in the beer garden!
We started our day with sunshine at Lake Fuschl and took a quick photo at the Red Bull headquarters before riding through the small village of Fuschl am See. The air was fresh when we reached Sankt Gilgen at Lake Wolfgang.We took a photo of the house where Mozart’s mother was born. A half hour boat ride brought us to the beautiful village of Sankt Wolfgang. We grabbed a coffee at the Kaffeewerkstatt and walked through the streets full of souvenir shops. The famous Gothic altar in the church was very impressive, and the view of the lake from behind the church was just as beautiful. By the river, Marko prepared a tasty lunch for us. In the afternoon, we cycled along Lake Attersee with amazing views of the water. Paul really enjoyed the next part through a quiet forest with no cars. After a 6 km climb up a mountain pass, we arrived at the east side of Lake Traun. Sarah loved the fast downhill section here. In the evening, we reached the lovely town of Gmunden on the other side of the lake, where our hotel was waiting.
40 miles full of highlights and good weather - perfect ingredients for a great day! We visited the memorial of the former concentration camp Ebensee, had amazing pastries and chocolate at Café Zauner in Bad Ischl. Now we continued on beautiful cycle pathes to and around Lake Hallstatt - the scenery was absolutely stunning! From here on our daily climb started, until we reached our destination at about 3000 ft elevation!
Surrounded by the idyllic scenery of grazing cows, we woke up to a peaceful morning. After a delicious breakfast, we set off through the misty weather, passing Gosau on our way to the 80 m high Aubach Waterfall. Following a tasty snack, our journey continued in the rain through the Lammertal valley until we reached Bad Vigaun. After checking into our hotel and changing clothes, we enjoyed a tasty pizza in Hallein before heading to the salt mine. There, we learned fascinating stories about the history of salt mining in the Salzkammergut region. The ride on the old miners’ train and the fun wooden slides inside the mine were highlights that everyone truly enjoyed.
Today we were blessed with beautiful weather once again, perfect for the breathtaking views from the Eagle’s Nest. After breakfast, we went straight there and spent about two hours at the top. We enjoyed the magnificent panorama, took a walk to the summit cross, and on the summer terrace we learned a lot about the history of this beautiful place. The afternoon was also busy: we decided to visit the famous Eisriesenwelt, a gigantic ice cave. Breathtaking is the best word to describe the beauty of the enormous mass of ice!
On our last day of travel, we enjoyed beautiful sunshine as we followed the Salzach River from Hallein to Salzburg. In Hellbrunn Park, we visited one of the most famous film locations from The Sound of Music. Paul and Vickie were delighted to take a photo at the iconic gazebo, while Sarah especially admired the flowers in the garden. After a relaxing coffee break in the palace garden, we made one final stop at the idyllic Leopoldskron Pond. In the afternoon, we strolled together through the old town, where we tasted what must be Salzburg’s finest chocolate. Over dinner, we sadly had to say goodbye to our new friends, but we hope to see them again very soon.