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Table of Contents - Austria[click the links below to see photographs of these places] |
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Page 1 - Salzburg Our journey begins at Munchen (Munich), where we landed. We toured Germany for a short while, in the Black Forest area (see course: South Germany & The Black Forest), and from there we proceeded on to Austria, and then - back to Munchen. We started our journey through Austria with a tour of the city of Salzburg (through highway A8 (E52), eastward all the way to the city). Page 2 - Salzburg: Mirabell Gardens We toured Salzburg for only two days and a half, but you can probably tour it for over a week. In the city itself, you can obviously find practically everything: stores, supermarkets and restaurants. In the outskirts of the city, you'll find cheaper giant-stores than inside the city. We found an enormous shoes department store right before the entrance to the city, and we came out with a "loot" containing many shoes. Inside the city itself, we visited the Mirabell Garten (Gardens), which are nice, and worth a short visit (they're no match for the Flower Island in Germany, but they're still nice). Rumor has it that scenes from the musical "The Sounds of Music" were filmed there. Page 3 - Salzburg: Winkler Cafe From the gardens, we went all the way up to the famous Winkler Cafe. It is located on an elavated area in the middle of Salzburg, as well as the Slazburg Castle (Hohensalzburg). You can reach this coffee shop, only by elevator (you are charged for the use of the elevator). The coffee shop has an excellent observation spot from which you can have a beautiful lookout of the whole city. It is worthwhile going up, even if you don't plan to sit in the cafe itself, plus you can reach Salzburg Castle (Hohensalzburg) from it. It's best to park your car at the parking lot right under the Winkler Cafe, take the elevator, sit at the cafe for a drink, and then go on to the castle. The cafe is usually very busy, so you may have to wait a while. It is recommenced to order a Zacher Tart, or a Black Forest cake - simply eat and absorb the atmosphere: beautiful music playing in the background, and the amazing view of Salzburg at your feet. Page 4 - Salzburg: The Castle You can walk from Winkler Cafe to the Salzburg Castle (Hohensalzburg). The walk is through a large open area high above the city of Salzburg. You can either look at the castle from afar, or you can take a two-to-four hour journey by foot through it, if you want to see every thing. The path to the castle passes through a nice forest, with benches, on which you can sit every now and then, and watch the view. There a few booths in the castle area, with a variety of displays, all connected to the castle. If you don't have the energy to walk back down by foot (the castle is on the top of the mountain), you can take a trolley car, which will make your way a lot shorter, by taking you over halfway (almost three quarters of the way) back. Page 5 - Salzburg: The old city As you'll exit the trolley car, you'll see that you are in the old city. Stroll a while between the buildings to absorb the atmosphere. On Sundays, there is an amiable theme park which you can visit. We encountered there a curious looking street band. Page 6 - Salzburg:The ancient city For the chocolate fans among you: as soon as you reach the old city from the mountain, you'll see (to your left) a few shops, in which you'll find many kinds of Mozart chocolates, in every shape and size, priced for tourists of-course, but still, worth a peek, and maybe even a bit of shopping... That is, more or less, what we got around to seeing in Salzburg. Also, note the shop selling decorated eggs below. Page 7 - The Lamprechshohle cave From Salzburg, we drove to the Lamprechshohle cave - an excellent solution for a rainy day (head for Lofer, and from it, head south on road 311. The cave is near Oberweisshack). It is a nice cave (not all too impressive though). If you intend to enter it (admission fees charged of-course), keep in mind that it is very cold inside, and equip yourself accordingly (coats, wool hats). The tour lasts between half an hour and an hour. We made this detour from our usual journey because it was raining. Page 8 - Kerzenwelt (candle museum) After the cave, we proceeded to a unique and interesting attraction: A candle museum / factory, called Kerzenwelt. It is in the German enclave, and there is a lot of directions and advertisements regarding its specific location. It is a two-story building, of which the first floor is a titanic store which sells beautiful hand carved candles, each designed separately. At the entrance, you'll see a short filmstrip, which explains to you the exact procedure of designing and making the candles. Besides candles in every possible shape and size, you'll also find wax food, wax fruits and vegetables, wax eggs, and candlesticks in a variety of shapes and colors. Page 9 - Kerzenwelt (candle museum) On the second floor, you'll be able to see a display of wax images from fairy tales. The second floor is less fascinating than the first, but if you're there - it's worth a peek. Admission is free of charge (since, after all, it is a store). Prices aren't very cheap, but the candles are so unique, that surely you'll find some original and pretty souvenirs. Should you buy something, have the clerks wrap it for you meticulously in a closed box, padded with foamed plastic. Near the store there is a large (free) parking lot for your car. It's worth a visit, and is highly recommended. Page 10 - Hellbrunn Palace After that we returned to the Salzburg area. We drove to the Hellbrunn Palace - an interesting attraction. Directions are excellent, and you'll find it easily (it is in the outskirts of Salzburg). Page 11 - Hellbrunn Palace At Hellbrunn, the last guided tour is at 17:30. The guided tour is about an hour long (there are tours in English, also). Everything in the palace is based on water games: fountains, music operated by water pressure, a tiny theater with tiny dolls operated by water pressure, small pools, and in short, everything is very wet! Be careful, especially if you come in the summer and with a large group of people - the guides love to squirt water on the poor tourists. Page 12 - Hellbrunn Palace The whole garden is, in fact, booby-trapped, so that wherever you put your foot down, a gentle stream of water will wet you. Page 13 - Hellbrunn Palace It can be quite amusing, or quite irritating - it's all up to you. In any case, it is recommended to leave dry clothes in the car, just in case. Right as you enter, you'll be lead to a humongous rectangle table made of stone, with stone seats around it - don't be tempted to sit on those seats, because they are all booby-trapped... Above is the water operated puppet show. Page 14 - Hellbrunn Palace You can also visit the inside of the Hellbrunn palace. Outside of the organized tour, you'll find a beautiful park, with little pools in it, large lawns, and many flowers, where you can visit even after 17:30. Recommended. Admission fees are charged. Page 15 - Lofer We headed toward the town of Lofer, where we spent the night. It is a small, sweet town, with many small and special stores in it. It's not touristic at all, and if you're not in the area, don't change your course to enter it. To get to it: take highway A1, unto highway A8, get off of the A8 highway at interchange 115, southward to road 21 (which is already in Germany), and continue south until road 312, and further south to Lofer. Page 16 - The lake district On another occasion, we traveled to the lake district: devote to it at least one day of your time - it is a remarkable district, and definitely one of the most impressive regions in our entire trip. It is a big district, filled with little lakes. Next to each lake, there is usually a nice town, with little, cheap stores, restaurants and cafes. There is no point in entering all towns, and you can choose which to enter based on the amount of time you have. Page 17 - The lake district: Mondsee lake We started at the Mondsee lake, where we watched the view and fed the ducks. It has a nice and cozy promenade next to it. Page 18 - The lake district: Mondsee lake From Sazburg, take highway A1 (E60), head east to the junction with road 154, and head south all the way to the Mondsee lake. Great ducks, by the way. Page 19 - The lake district: St. Gilgen From there, we proceeded to the town of St. Gilgen - a sweet town on the bank of the Wolfgang lake (through road 154 southward). Page 20 - The lake district: St. Gilgen From it, we drove to the town of Strobl - another nice town on the same lake (Wolfgang). Page 21 - The lake district: St. Gilgen To get to Stobl you should drive southeast on road 158, along the Wolfgang lake all the way to the town. We fed some swans at Strobl. Page 22 - The lake district: Hallstatt From Strobl, we drove to the most beautiful town, which we categorize as a highly recommended "must-visit" (don't miss) site: The town is called Hallstatt, and it neighbors the lake of Hallstattsee (from Strobl, drive east on road 158 until Bad-Aussee). We were told that Hallstatt has been declared by the UN as an international reserve (or something), and it draws tourists from everywhere. You cannot enter the village with your car, so you must park it right outside, in a parking lot that highly overcharges. Do not be mistaken - the visit to this lovable site is definitely worth the price of the parking. Page 23 - The lake district: Hallstatt The village of Hallstatt is preserved and nurtured: its ancient and colorful buildings, the narrow stone-paved streets, the Geranium window boxes scattered everywhere, and of-course, the incredible breathtaking view of the lake surrounded by green mountains. Since the village is so toured, you'll be able to find many restaurants and cafes in it. It is recommended to sit in one that overlooks the lake, and by that absorb the scenery as you eat. Put aside about an hour for it. Page 24 - The lake district: Grundlsee More in the lakes area: there are ice caves, to which you'll find directions (it's not a walking distance). It closes at about 17:00, and we missed the last tour... From there, we drove to the lake of Grundlsee, to take a look at the view. From Hallstatt, south to Bad-Aussee, and east on a small road to the lake. Page 25 - The lake district: Gossl lake From Grundlsee, we drove to Gossl lake (continue from Grundlsee till the end of the road - it is a dead end). The previous lakes that we mentioned require very little walking, but Gassl lake does. It is located at the end of a small town, to which entrance by car is denied. Being the good kids that we are, we parked as directed (in a free-of-charge parking lot) and proceeded by foot. Later, we saw other people who entered with their cars, despite the signs that scream "No Entrance". It's up to you. On the way we saw an interesting cliff and some picturesque village houses. Page 26 - The lake district: Gossl lake Anyhow, the path is so beautiful, it's a shame to miss. It is about half an hour walk in each direction, walking in the town, between the houses and the farms - a magical scenery of an old, yet nurtured village: flowers, trees, farm animals - just like in a prearranged display, and if you lift your eyes a little: special mountains, grooved in black and white, like giant zebras. Further down, the path goes through an enormous forest, with a marked easy-to-walk path. After you cross the forest, you finally get to lake Gossl. It is a relatively very small lake, but beautiful nevertheless. Page 27 - The lake district: Gossl lake The place (Gossl lake) is almost free of people. The quiet and magical view are hypnotizing. Nearby, you'll find one small cafe, in a white building. It is recommended to go in and order a cup of hot chocolate with marshmallow and cream, or coffee, and taste one of their cakes. After a cold walk - it is stimulating and refreshing. The cafe is also old looking, and it is interesting to sit in it, if only to absorb the atmosphere: everything on its interior is made of full wood, the unique serving dishes, and the local music playing in the background. From the window, you'll see a view of the lake. The cakes are excellent, of-course. Here ends our journey to the lake district of Austria. From this district we traveled to the Tirol District, which is the most beautiful district in Austria, and its scenery contains the snow-topped Alps - a great experience for all scenery lovers. Do not miss. Page 28 - Tirol: Grossglockner In the Tirol district, the mountain paths are tortuous and beautiful, and there is, of-course, the big city of Innsbruck. We commenced our trip to the Tirol district at the national park of Hohe Tauern, a park that occupies an enormous area, and has many mountain paths through it. Entering the park is free of charge, but the use of the mountain paths (which are necessary in order to pass through the park...) is charged, and costs not a small amount of money. The famous mountain path of Grossglockner is a "must-visit" experience recommended to all scenery lovers. Page 29 - Tirol: Grossglockner - Wildpark To get to the Grossglockner pass drive south from Lofer on road 311, until Zell-am-see, and from there - southeast until road 311, until the south turn to road 107. We were not terribly immersed with Zell-am-see, so we passed it by. From there, you'll find directions. Just before the entrance to Grossglockner, you'll pass near an animal park called Wildpark, containing typical local wildlife live. Admission fees are charged. An hour to an hour and a half should definitely suffice. Worth a visit. Page 30 - Tirol: Grossglockner - Wildpark If you continue up the road, you'll see toll booths that guard the entrance to the Grossglockner. You can buy a one-way, or a two-way ticket. Think about it and plan in advance, because if you intend on doing a roundtrip, it's worthwhile to buy the two-way ticket. We came back through a different mountain path, to diversify our drive, so we bought a one-way ticket. The road itself is tortous and long, and you must drive with great caution. The drive can take up to five hours, so drive patiently, stop at the observing points, and don't take your eys off the road as you drive! The roads are narrow and two-way. The view is, of-course, breathtaking. On the roadside, there are caravan parks, in which you can throw a picnic, or eat at restaurants or cafes. The mountain area is very cold, and you should equip yourself accordingly. The more you climb up the mountain - the colder it gets. Page 31 - Tirol: Grossglockner A little after the Grossglockner mountain pass (the peak of the mountain), you'll see directions to a place called Franz josef Hohe. It is an observation point, along with stores, restaurants, and of-course, a beautiful view. It is recommended to stop, eat and rest a little. In the top floor of the tower, you'll find a small restaurant overlooking a giant iceberg. The food is quite boring and is centered mainly around french fries, but the view definitely makes sitting there worthwhile. If you are brave enough, you can climb down to a large iceberg called Pasterze. The descent is by cable car, and the walk there is a walk in the icy snow, and so you must equip yourself accordingly (coats, gloves, wool hats, etc...). If you do not have the proper clothing, we recommend you not to do this. Page 32 - Tirol: Grossglockner This part is already past the middle of the road, and from there on, you will begin to descend with your car, until you reach the other side of the mountain ridge. There, you'll pass through a gate, which signifies the end of this mountain path. Page 33 - Tirol: Badgastein If you want to diversify your trip, you can go back through a different mountain path called Badgastein (from road 107 to road 106, east to road 105, and north toward the train station). This road passes through the mountains using a train, which loads itself with cars (like a ferry), and so you'll get to the other side by train. Some of the path is covered (tunnels), so you can't see anything in those parts, but the rest is open. The road is much shorter than the previous mountain path. Sometimes, you can wait for the train for almost half an hour, but once you have seen its course (carved in the mountain) and its speed, you'll see that it shortens the time it takes to cross the mountain ridge. The train ride is approximately 8.5 Kilometers long. From there on, you have to continue by car on road 167 north, until road 311, and from there: either west for Zell-am-see, or east to Salzburg. The whole tour to the Grossglockner and back takes up an entire day - morning to evening (Wildpark, Grossglockner, Franz josef Hohe observation point, and the way back through the Badgastein path). It is a beautiful route, and it's highly recommended. Page 34 - Tirol: Kitzbuhel Next, we drove to the town of Kitzbuhel, still in the Tirol district. From Lofer, on road 312, to road 342, heading southwest. The town, as most towns in this area, is used in the winter as a base camp for skiers, and in the summer - for walkers or trekkers. At the end of the town, you'll find cable cars that will take you (for a fee) to certain points on the mountain, from which you can begin your walks. Page 35 - Tirol: Kitzbuhel The Kitzbuhel cable car is called Kitzboheler Horn. You can decide right there if (and where) you wish to get off the cable car, or if you'd prefer to take the cable car on your way down as well (you can also walk down from one station to a lower one, and take the cable car from it all the way down). The paths are paved and well marked, and the walk is pleasant, even though it is pretty cold up there, and the air is thin. Page 36 - Tirol: Kitzbuhel If you are coming to Kitzbuhel in the spring, you'll find the Alpine flower garden at one of the cable-car stops, with many kinds of flowers. Even if you're not, it is interesting enough to stand there and look at the magical view: the mountains right in front of you, and the towns scattered beneath you. Page 37 - Tirol: Krimmler Wasserfalle From Kitzbuhel we drove to the Krimmler Wasserfalle waterfalls (from Kitzbuhel, head south on road 161, up to road 168, and from it to road 108, from which you should turn to road 166, and head west to the waterfalls). These are great waterfalls to which you can reach through a path that climbs up the mountain. You don't have to reach the end of it, since it is quite a long walk. We walked for about two hours and we had reached about the middle or three quarters of the path's full length. Page 38 - Tirol: Krimmler Wasserfalle The way to the Krimmler Wasserfalle is teeming with pretty lookouts from which you can see the waterfalls. Admission fees are charged. The path goes through the forest that is teeming with ferns and giant trees. The road is pretty steep, and therefore quite hard, but it is worth the effort. Recommended. Page 39 - Tirol: Innsbruck Next, we traveled to the big city of Innsbruck. To get there, continue on road 166, heading west, until road 169, on which you should drive north, and on to highway A12 (E60), heading southwest. A nice place to stay in the area, is in the outskirts of Innsbruck - a small pension called Alpina. The access to it is somewhat problematic (very steep road), but it is a amiable boarding house. Its rooms have a lovely view, the price isn't high, and it's close to the city. Page 40 - Tirol: Innsbruck In Innsbruck, we visited the famous food market, where you'll find many stands with cheese, wine, fruit, and even animals (livestock) for sale. It is a nice town with a unique atmosphere, and lots of stuff to do. Page 41 - Tirol: Innsbruck - Alpenzoo In Innsbruck, we headed toward the Alpenzoo zoo, which is in the suburbs of the city. Page 42 - Tirol: Innsbruck - Alpenzoo The Alpenzoo is a lovable zoo, with animals that populate the Alpine regions. Admission is charged. We recommend visiting this zoo, we enjoyed it. Page 43 - Tirol: Piburgersee lake From Innsbruck, we drove to the Piburgersee lake (southwest of Innsbruck) - you can stroll around it, and watch the magical view. Page 44 - Tirol: Stuibenfall waterfalls From Piburgersee, we drove to the Stuibenfall waterfalls (still southwest of Innsbruck). The way to the waterfalls is a long walk, but you can see them from afar, even in the early stages of your walk. Along the drive to the waterfalls we encountered a gigantic stuffed mouse among other things. Page 45 - Tirol: Stuibenfall waterfalls The path of the Stuibenfall waterfalls is well marked, and you can decide for yourselves to what height you want to climb - it is a pretty steep path. The site is free of charge. The path is beautiful, and it goes through the forest, the waterfalls are impressive and the view is fantastic. Page 46 - Tirol: Swarovski Kristallwelten After the Stuibenfall waterfalls, we drove to the crystal museum / factory of the famous Swarovski. The place is called Swarovski Kristallwelten. Head northeast from Innsbruck on the A12 highway, or alternatively, road 171. It is right outside of Innsbruck (near Wattens). It is a unique attraction, and definitely worth a visit. The place is filled with tourists from all over the world, who come to see the impressive crystals display. You'll find free and convenient parking, but the entrance to the display itself costs money, and you almost always have to wait in line. Inside, you can stroll between the displays, all of which are based on crystals: a room whose walls are covered with shining crystals, a large horse decorated with crystals, etc... At the end of the tour, you'll directly enter a large room which is the factory's store. The room is a display for itself: small crystal animals, vases, statues, and of-course jewelry. Dozens of salesmen and saleswomen will be happy to assist you in choosing a souvenir from the place, though the queues at the cash registers are enormous... Almost everyone come out of there with at least something symbolic... You can find jewelry (such as necklaces, or earrings) for very reasonable prices, and of-course that if you want to spend a little more - the selection is almost infinite. Recommended. It will take about an hour to two of your time. Page 47 - Tirol: Brenner pass From the Swarovski Kristallwelten we drove to the Brenner pass, which is another mountain path, which eventually leads to Italy. From Innsbruck, take the A13 (E45) highway, southward all the way to the pass. The road is nice and interesting, but is costs, and once you're on it there's no turning back... We took the road just for the drive, and we came back using a different (and cheaper) road: road 182, north to Innsbruck. If you're not planning on going to Italy, there's no point in driving there. From the road back you can see the famous Europe Bridge, an enormous and impressive bridge. Page 48 - Seefeld From Innsbruck, on our way back to Munich, we drove to the town of Seefeld, which lies near a beautiful lake. Head westward from Innsbruck on road A12, until the turn north to road 177, and from there proceed as directed. Page 49 - Seefeld Seefeld ia a nice town, but it is no different then any other town we had visited. At the entrance to it, you can stop at the sweet boardwalk, on the bank of the lake. Page 50 - The road to Garmisch-Partenkirchen From Seefeld, we returned to the city of Garmisch-Partenkirchen (which we visited on our Germany trip), from which we could easily return to Munchen. From Seefeld, drive north on road 177, until road 2, which reached the city. Page 51 - Garmisch-Partenkirchen In Garmisch-Partenkirchen, you can do your final (or not final) shopping... We walked the main pedestrian-only street, between the small shops: from special delis for cheese and chocolate, to handmade wooden work, dolls, and other miniatures. Page 52 - Garmisch-Partenkirchen An unusual store on this street in Garmisch-Partenkirchen is the one that sells only statues of fairies, dragons, and witches. The items are expensive, but it is interesting to enter and see the impressive collection. More on the street: inexpensive souvenir stores. From there, we drove directly to Munchen, through highway A95, and this is where our trip ended. | |
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