EURO TOUR 2023 - Stage 14 - Hohe Tauern National Park (Austria)

Stage 14 - Hohe Tauern National Park - Austria - 16th October to….

So I left Salzburg in glorious sunshine, but the temperature had dropped, this was autumn now! Google Maps said nearly two hours to my destination, but almost immediately I was driving through Alpine landscapes, and immediately realised there was an awful lot to discover in Austria (combined with the Bavarian Alps), I flagged a future trip but much more dedicated to just this area…(country!).

Several tunnels later (I was heading due south towards Slovenia) but eventually took a diversion, as the plan was to scale and experience the Grosglocken Pass….the highest paved road pass in Austria, at 2504m. However at the toll gates (yes!) they were closed, unless you had snow chains! There had been heavy snow higher up, as witnessed by the live feed in the Information Centre…so about turn I went! Shame, the views are supposed to be brilliant from the tops. 🤷‍♂️

I was going to Mittersill anyway, and the advice at the IC was to head that way too….it seemed a thriving large village / small town….but the nearest camping was 12km away, down the valley at a very small place called Wald just down from Krimml.

The campsite looked closed, but a mobile home pulled up, with a nice German couple….who confirmed it was open, and although it was defo much colder the sun was shining and made a difference, in the sun!  (For ref: €17, and a Euro back on the lukewarm shower!).

I went out on the bike, with some guidance from the lady at the reception. Which included a track off the valley through, yes a deep forest….the aim was to view the alpine skyline, above the forest. But I gave up! It went on and on, and at one point was 25%….and the temperature was 0C, so I returned to the valley, and followed the cycle trail signs to the Krimml Waterfalls, the highest in Austria.

However, they wouldn’t let me in, with a bike! And it was €8 - I saw the last part of the fall from the other bank, and from a distance….and yes, for a waterfall it looked impressive.

It was all downhill from there, literally, 500m back to camp! By which time the sun was going down, as was the temperature! Even the friggin shower was cold, but the welcome from my German neighbours was warm…they invited me to join them for a beer! Probably in their 70s, the following morning they were cycling up the old road above the valley, dumping their bikes then hiking to a nearby lofty peak. They told me they’d done the same in Slovenia, up Triglav the highest mountain, including a necessary refuge sleepover….well impressed!

I struggled but eventually found a very local restaurant in a nearby village run by an elderly couple, with no English…and some interesting German music on the radio! I chose another local dish, and yes more dumplings and sauerkraut with pork again, I think….and applestrudel again!

Returning to my pitch, I stayed in the car a while because it really was cold! While I completed my social media etc gubbins….and fvck it was cold, a seriously clear star lit sky was a bonus, but it ended there…my night was very restless, it was soooo cold! 

There was frost everywhere, of course, the following morning….and I had no hesitation in deciding not to do a second night! Although once I got sorted in all my gear, and the sun started to shine, breakie was quite nice….it was very clear again….but cold. I had a lovely chat with Becky….then set off towards Innsbruck via the old road that climbed over 700m above the valley. 

I decidedly had an end of trip head on, I wasn’t as enthused about finding cycle routes nor hiking….but happy to car trip and site see….bloody tourist. As stated before I would really like to return and spend much more time in this region!

Becky said I must visit Innsbruck….but that’s a city, and I don’t get enthused by them….unless they are special…🤷‍♂️

EURO TOUR 2023 - Stage 13 - Salzburg (Austria)

 

Stage 13 - Salzburg - Austria - 15th to 16th October 

Finally leaving Vienna and John, on the Sunday morning. Although I waited until nearly 11am, John was still with the fairies (these working people)…so I quietly (as possible) made my move, west, affectively heading home….well in the right kind of direction.

Vienna is located in the relative flatlands of eastern Austria…so according to Google Maps, it was 4.5 hours to my next destination, the Hohe Tauern National Park.

However, for the first time, I drove through some intensive rain…and after a quality restaurant pit stop (McDonalds 😜)….I checked the forecast, which was rain all day….and being only 20km from Salzburg, I decided a city stop on this occasion was justified….and Salzburg is supposed to be the nicest Austrian City?

So Salzburg it was…but I’m not sure you can compare it with Vienna, they are very different. For one Vienna is a much larger city…and as nice Salzburg was, I’d easily rate my “tourist walk” that I did around Vienna well above Salzburg.

In Salzburg’s defence, it was grey and rainy…still nice , with the river Salzach and the old town, with medieval and baroque buildings, and of course 🤷‍♂️, it is where some geezer called Mozart was born!

My walk lasted over four hours, but 90 mins of it I was in O’Malleys Irish Bar….it was in the historic old town!

A basic but adequate hotel for the night (for ref: €53), Hotel Flair! My room had no kettle, so for breakie, I put a plastic bag around the smoke detector, and used my camping gas cooker to make a couple of cuppas! And fortunately there was no need for a hotel evacuation due to the fire alarms going off, but just as I walked outside, a fire engine pulled up with the guys in full breathing equipment. I thought shit, but then realised their focus was on next door, I think?

Anyhow, I quietly and quickly loaded my car, and swiftly exited Salzburg, and finally headed into those big mountains, on what was a contrasting morning…blue sky and sunshine!

EURO TOUR 2023 - Stage 12 - Vienna (Austria)

Stage 12 - Vienna - Austria - 12th to 15th October 

Quite interesting driving the rural roads north towards Vienna, from Lake Balaton, until I reached the freeway…very arable, crops galore to the horizon, a real food basket! Interesting…

That serenity was broken though on the motorway at rush hour, especially the closer I got to the city centre….very difficult negotiating what Google Maps was instructing, as the GPS was lost in the multiple tunnels…but somehow I went straight to John’s without a hitch! And there was John welcoming me on the roadside (I did invoke “Live Location” on WhatsApp!).

I hadn’t seen John in over 4 years, who used to live in Sheffield but now firmly ensconced in central Vienna. And you can’t blame him!

I spent 4 days with him, and although that’s a short time to gain a full understanding of anywhere, I was suitably impressed to how his lifestyle has been improved (oh, except a decent pint, unless you count Guinness!). The city centre is fairly compact, we went into the centre every night for food and liquid refreshment, but I also spent a chunk of a day walking around all the historical areas, which were very impressive (coming from me, that says a lot!).

Included the City Hall, Parliament, Theatres, Museums, Churches and the Cathedral, see photos.

And then there is the weather! Mid October and it’s sunny and in the low 20s, and invariably dry (rain shadow from the Alps to the west)….and John stated this is normal!

I did a spin on the island where the Danube was dammed, so on one side is an affective lake, and the redirected flowing Danube on the other side. Created relatively recently, in the 80s, to alleviate any flooding?

However on the Saturday, John lent me a road bike, and we did 100k plus / 4 hours riding, with three significant climbs and a few “blips”…first road ride for me for months, and certainly not that long…I survived just, but with some lower back pain. I thought Vienna was at the flat end of Austria!!

It made the evening pasta and Guinness taste that much better of course! Aided by a tremendous atmosphere in an Irish pub watching the Ireland vs NZ rugby quarter final…packed to the rafters….but most went home unhappy, but a classic frenetic top level game of that rugger! 

All in all, 4 great days, it flew by, and the combo of John’s company and the city itself, I really enjoyed it….and…I had a bed! Lol.😂

But John was flying to Zurich on business on the Sunday, so head west young man? Vienna being the furthest point east on my trip (or was Hungary?)….so affectively heading back now, and getting back on the original itinerary to the Austrian Alps but it was pouring down as I approached Salzburg, with two hours more driving to go….what do I do? 🤷‍♂️😊

EURO TOUR 2023 - Stage 11 - Lake Balaton - (Hungary)

Stage 11 - Lake Balaton - Hungary - 11th to 12th October 

I awoke at Kranjska to blazing sun with not a cloud in the sky, it was so tempting to stay, the Alpine skyline was at its best, but I’d already decided to leave and head to Lake Balaton. 4.5 hours drive, but soon I was leaving those Alpine vistas behind, although on the approach there was some variation and more appealing landscapes, but mainly in Slovenia.

Arriving on the shores of the Lake, I stopped to conduct some local research; which part of the lake is nicest and where are the campsites? Whilst doing so, I noticed a pair of Bearded Reedlings feeding quite confidently, despite my presence, on the mudflats. See photos, very nice, first time I think, I’ve seen them.

It turned out I had another hour to drive towards the eastern end of the lake, but even still struggled to find a place to pitch my tent. The sites were closed, out of season, but they were more like holiday camps anyway. For a short time I struggled, also, I wasn’t impressed with the general environment. However on checking AirBnB I found a hotel in one of the recommended villages, Tihany. Sited on a historically protected peninsula. The hotel was nice, all oldie worldly and thatched roofs, and next to a nature reserve. 

(For ref: £51 plus €6 for parking!)

In the evening after photographing a Syrian Woodpecker, I went in search of an eaterie. In the dark, the village looked nice, and planned to revisit the following morning. I requested an Hungarian dish, and was presented with beef cheek, in red wine sauce and potato dumplings! Very nice!

With no expectation on a planned bike circuit, after my first impressions yesterday, I was really pleasantly surprised. I did visit the village first, which was nice, with elevated views over the lake, and prime position given to the Benedictine Abbey. The lakeside dedicated path was a little monotonous, but once I climbed up into the hinterland it was very nice, with pleasant villages, quiet lanes, vineyards, forest trails and deer! A real mix.

Within an hour of arriving back at the hotel, I was heading almost due north, as planned, to visit a pal in Vienna….noticing how rural that part of Hungary is, through miles and miles of arable land.

But in less than three hours all that was forgotten, as I negotiated the crazy freeways at rush hour heading into Vienna.

EURO TOUR 2023 - Stage 10 - Kranjska Gora (Slovenia)

Stage 10 - Kransjka Gora - Slovenia - 9th Oct to 11th

So, when I returned from the bar on the last night in Bovic, I conducted some quick research (in my tent!) on Lake Balaton in Hungary, and it didn’t sound very enticing. Their mountains (only on part of the north side) are rather flat, and simply I wasn’t attracted, it wasn’t selling itself whatsoever 🤷‍♂️

And I had to kill 4 nights before visiting my pal in Vienna next Friday. I didn’t fancy 4 nights there!

Also at the back of my mind, although I had driven through the place twice, returning to Lake Bled and on the way to Bovic….I suspected I had missed an opportunity in Kranjska Gora, on the opposite side of the Vrsic Pass. Again, some quick research and it did seem to confirm that I had.

So off I set off over the pass…and this time, it was a contrast to last (sunny) Saturday….pretty quiet,certainly not a repeat of the masses of cars.

I popped into the tourist information at Kranjska, for some biking and hiking info, but decided on the campsite just 4km down the road, at Camp Spik. And what a great choice, a very lovely welcome 😘 and a view to die for, looking towards the dramatic profile of part of the Julian Alps, and a very quiet site too (in fact the lady on reception stated that last Saturday was a bit freaky with the number of people (mainly locals) that rolled out in the October sunshine, and, she was also familiar with Lake Balaton, and agreed with the conclusion of my research!). 

(For ref: 20 euros per night)

Through the info received, and the lady on reception, I planned a cycle route…to Italy and back! Seriously!! All along the valley (Sava) is an old railway line, mainly with tarmac, but also planned some detours, generally climbing out of the valley to experience these points of interest: Lake Jasna (together with the Ibex statue); Zelenci nature reserve; Tarvisio (Italy) and Lake Fusine and a World Championship Ski centre at Planica, and an elevated valley well up and beyond.

The diversions off the valley trail have that mountain backdrop experience, although it would’ve been quite bland…with some significant climbs, the views were very nice, especially with the lakes in the foreground.

I drove into (was going to cycle) Kranjska for an evening meal (Gnocchi with a Gorgonzola sauce, plus a local desert: sweet cheese dumplings with cream….was quite nice!).

The next day I decided on a hiking day, and using Komoot, started from the top of the  Vrsic Pass, sort of ticked the boxes, although a little too much climbing through thick forest (I put my music on to make some noise, in case of those pesky bears! Then worrying they may be attracted by a bit of dance chillout! 😂 Suffice to say, I got chatting to a local girl at the finish, who reassured me that there aren’t any bears in that region, 😂 something about Wolves, but not sure where she meant! 😳). 

 Eventually, and with a lot of climbing, I got the views I wanted, surrounded by an amazing vista, although I stayed below the buttress level….I wasn’t confident on the routes to the tops, as quite a few folk at the pass top had climbing gear with them. 🤷‍♂️

The same girl, above, had just done a hiking route to a peak top, and she explained the route, so my plan was to perhaps return, if I stay in Slovenia for two more days?

For a very rare occasion I improvised with a branch to make a walking stick. And recognised both with the steep ascents and descents how it definitely helped both ways….I’d also noticed how most hikers of all ages and standards use sticks….so on my return to Kranjska I popped into a shop, and apparently I need the variable length (longer for downhill) telescopic set. Unfortunately they had none in stock! Watch this space…

From there I drove east down the valley, to check out the Pericnik Waterfall, which was quite impressive….see photos.

As the afternoon progressed though, from contemplating staying here for 4 nights, I started thinking I’d like to move on….possibly to Hungary, I’ll sleep on it! 😊