Tuesday 14 March 2017

The lesser-known countryside of Austria


So it was April 2016 - my boyfriend and I decided we want to do a European city break somewhere at the end of May, somewhere neither of us had been and somewhere that was easy to get to from London. Being me, I wanted a bit of an unknown adventure to go alongside this. Sure city breaks are great, but these days aren’t we all looking for that ‘road less travelled’?
We decided Vienna was a good shout as any to visit. But why fly straight into a city airport and out again, when the journey getting there could bear so much more fruit and we can taste some of my desired adventure along the way.
Before setting off on...



...our chosen route



Day 1 & 2  Munich à Innsbruck
Flying into Munich late at night, the first mistake we made was falling into a taxi that would take us to our hotel. For a 20minute journey we paid a little over 80Euro. DO NOT TAKE AN AIRPORT TAXI. There is a train station at the airport that will take you straight to city centre for a fraction of this price. We stayed in a cheap-ish central hotel, just to lay our head for the night and were up the next day to get a 10am train from Munich train station. Munich itself? No idea! We decided we'd have to come back to see more than the street between the hotel and the station.

Be careful at the train station. The second (and last!) boo-boo we unknowingly made was buying our tickets from a machine that was entirely in German, not from the people at the kiosks. After pressing all buttons imaginable we had apparently managed to print two 'discount' tickets to take us to Innsbruck. Success? Not quite. The train guard noted our incorrect discounts and demanded way above the supposed price from our reluctant pockets. He wasn't to be argued with and we wanted to be on our way. Maybe we should have learnt more German before coming on this trip... never mind, a few more Euros lost...

Despite the evil train guard, we were excited to be well on our way to Austria. The train journey from Munich to Innsbruck was really quite enchanting, and definitely justifies its place on Lonely Planet's top 10 scenic rail journeys in Europe! Gazing out at the hills and greenery was enough to completely enthral us for the 3 hour journey, taking in the lakes, mountains and rolling hills - so much so that we were too busy staring out the window and entirely forgetting to take any photos. Enough of those to come later!


INNSBRUCK

After contentedly wandering around this sleepy town that was clearly in-between peak seasons we decided to take some lunch sitting outside one of the many inviting restaurants in the main square. This was a pleasant, but small, town to visit for the afternoon, allowing us to soak up the atmosphere and marvel at the surrounding mountains, as well as catch our first rays of summer sun for quite some time. The one day spent here felt enough though - it is clearly a town built for the busy ski season and rightly so. It is simply perfect for this! 


Before we left Innsbruck we set off to the Nordkette cable car from central Innsbruck for the panoramic views of the area. This is definitely a must-do. This attraction had a varying price range depending on how high you want to go, across 3 different prices. Make sure you go to the very top for the full experience and for the best view... and don't forget your sensible shoes as it was still very snowy, even at the end of May!



Cable Car half way up

The city of Innsbruck from above

Mountains behind Innsbruck (behind me)


Day 2 Driving from Innsbruck à  Wolfgangsee

After our near third mistake of not realising it was a national holiday and a kind Avis member of staff impatiently waiting for us to collect our car, we gratefully took our rental car out on the 171 road out towards Jenbach, the 169 towards Zell am Siller, where we turned to the 165/168 towards Mittersill. 

Out of the city..onto the A roads

Roadside view


We decided to make a our first pit stop at Zell am See (just off road 168). Not a bad place to take a break i'm sure you'd agree from the photo.. We wondered if it was going to get any better from here!?





By the time we got to Bischofshofen just off road 311, we were beginning to lose light, phone signal and had barely seen another car for the last two hours. We were not entirely sure how we were going to get to this place called St Wolfgang, that was meant to be our home for the next two nights. We decided to turn on our dodgy ol' sat nav and let the winding roads take us there…


Eventually, just as the sun was setting and after many a twist and turn through unmarked roads, a vast and almost unreal-looking lake appeared in between the mountains below us, with just a few glittering lights of the town lit up beside it. We knew we had found St Wolfgang, on Wolfgangsee. Maybe it was the long journey or the brief fear we were never going to find civilization again, but this place could not have looked more welcoming. Understated and unknown, I am reluctant to shout about this magical place too much as it is a truly unspoilt gem. So if you're reading this, don't spread the word toooo widely ;-)


 

SEEVILLA WOLFGANGSEE

If I was going to recommend any hotel, in any location. Seevilla Wolfgangsee would be almost top of my list. With our room and balcony overlooking this huge, pristine lake, the mountains in the background, the welcoming staff, the large bedrooms, and a breakfast to die for, this has to be your choice when visiting Wolfgangsee. Yes there are other hotels overlooking the lake, but they seemed slightly busier, more crowded, not as elegant and certainly not quite so unique.






Not a bad view to wake up to


Wolfgangsee itself? We could have stayed here for a week. This small quaint town feels a million miles from the fast pace of city life, a place that remains relatively untouched from tourists (save perhaps, from local Austrians on weekends away) and pulls you into a laid-back style of life while enjoying the incredible surroundings. You could definitely lose yourself completely here.

St Wolfgang town

Boating on the lake


Two nights, two satisfying breakfasts, one long walk, one incredibly slow but entertaining motor-boat ride later, we decided to take the Schafberg steam train the 1,783 metres to the top of Schafberg Mountain, before we left for Vienna. Sadly we had very limited time here, just enough to snap some photos and grab a welcome pint from the remote bar at the top (almost worth the ride up just to taste this refreshing beer!). I'd have loved to have gone for a long walk and take the time to soak up the views of the region of Salzkammergut - so if this is on your list of things to do, make sure you allow for plenty of time as it is well worth it.




Birds eye view of Wolfgangsee

DAY 4 – Wolfgangsee à Vienna (Via Hallstatt)
Before getting on the road to Vienna we took the 45 minute detour to visit Hallstatt. I’d heard it was beautiful and I was keen to get a glimpse.
I wont linger on this place – it could have been so pretty and so quaint. But no, it was extremely and suffocatingly busy, overcrowded, FULL of tourists and in comparison to the magical Wolfgangsee? Let’s just say we left very very quickly. Not before queuing to get out the car park of course. And this is during low season? Such a shame it has become a true tourist trap with no soul, no room to move and absolutely no cause for me to suggest visiting here yourself. 



Hallstatt - looking deceivingly serene from a distance


OUR ROUTE TO VIENNA –

Despite being a bit behind schedule in the day, we decided to take the slower and more scenic route through road 146 - Gesause National Park. Atmospheric and mountainous, this drive through the Austrian Alps was hugely memorable, the windy roads and light rain making for an exciting journey and we simply could not believe that we barely saw another car for going on two hours. Why was nobody else exploring these breathtaking roads?? I am aware of the popularity for hikers, mountaineers, skiiers and adventurers in the area, but if you are looking for a quick and hassle-free taste of this stunning national park then this driving route is a must-do.

We then slowly wound up the small roads heading north, passing Lunz am See and eventually joining the A1 to make a speedy entrance to Vienna. This had been a day of driving but entirely worth every turn. We were tired and exhausted from a day of travelling but excited to finally check into our chic hotel that we had booked for the next two nights. The bright lights of the city were awaiting us!

GRAND FERDINAND HOTEL

At the time of our visit, this hotel had only been running for a little over 6 months. Although some bits still to iron out (the breakfast staff were not the most welcoming, and there was no obvious route to the infinity pool except through the breakfast room - leading to my partner amusingly wandering round the staff areas in his dressing grown), this hotel was simply gorgeous. It had all the best bits of a boutique hotel - detailed decor, unique rooms, unusual furniture, but was large enough to help us feel anonymous as guests - just what we wanted for our romantic two days in Vienna. The infinity pool and rooftop bar were certainly an added bonus too!

Cocktails atop Grand Ferdinand with Vienna outstretched behind us


VIENNA

It's immediately obvious to see how this city is such a magnet for art lovers, musicians, historians, the discerning traveller, the shoppers, the cultured, the foodies, and everyone in between. The only downside being we were out past 1am on a Saturday night and could barely find anywhere open. Maybe we didn't research the clubs or the 'hip' spots enough -  but this did not stop us having a fabulous and eclectic 48 hours exploring the cultural heart of Austria.

My 6 top tips for this city would be:
1. Vienna State Opera (AMAZING, unforgettable experience)
2. Horse & Cart ride round the city - however if you are looking for a cheery or informative guide for this overpriced (but fun) experience then good luck to you! Pick these up anywhere from the main square for around 60 euro per head.
3. Schmetterlinghaus: The Imperial Butterfly House - a fun & unusual way to pass the time when it was raining.
4. Cafe Central - Famous cafe with desserts to die for, go here for the largest portion of Kaiserchmarmm you will ever find. You will not leave here hungry!
5. Restaurant Plachutta - Terrible service. Absolutely incredible Austrian food.
6. First Floor Cocktail Bar - We came here on the Saturday and loved it! Returned on the Sunday as it was one of the only places we could find open on a Sunday eve.





Mmmmm Kaiserchmarmm - traditional Austrian dessert

For any questions about our trip, where we stayed, what to do, what not to do, etc, or any comments you might have then please leave these in the comments box below :-)