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Austria 2015 (#1)

Part 1: September 7th – 10th

By Watracz Is Traveling

I’ve always wanted to see the Alps in the fall. Brown, golden, and red hues dominating the landscape, so different from the standard green-ish tint of spring and summer. That’s why I’m going to Austria in September, for three weeks.

It’s supposed to be cold and rainy, so as I get my equipment ready, I visit the Decathlon sports store and get myself a sailor’s down jacket with a waterproof membrane. Add to that rainproof pants, and thick skiing gloves. We’ll see how well they work on a motorbike.

I’m also taking a GoPro, so if there’s something I don’t manage to catch in the photos, I’ll try to record a video, and edit it when I’m back. I have about 4,500 km to go. As usual, I overdo it with the packing, and I end up with more than 50 kg of luggage… The side cases supposedly have a load limit of 5 kg each, but I have 11 kilograms in the left case, and 12 in the right one. My rear-seat bag is 10.2 kg, the fuel tank bag has 6.2 kg, the tent, the mattress, and the top case has some food and a thermos of hot tea.

Below you can see the map of the whole trip. You can also view it on Google Maps.

Day 1: Ostrava, Brno, Krems an der Donau, Melk

September 7th, 2015

View day 1 route on Google Maps

I leave my warm garage before dawn. The wind is strong on the highway to Katowice, so I stop over and put on the rain suit. I turn towards Ostrava, and a while later enter Czechia. I pass through Olomouc, Brno, and early in the afternoon I reach Burg Kreuzenstein, near Leobendorf, several dozen kilometers north-west of Vienna.

Burg Kreuzenstein

The castle’s history goes back to the 12th c.; it was sacked by the Habsburgs in 1278. Movies filmed there include The Three Musketeers (1993) and The Season of the Witch with Nicolas Cage (2010). Unfortunately, the castle is closed today, and there’s no way to get in. I walk around it, and move on.

I follow the Danube west and reach the ruins of Dürnstein Castle.

Dürnstein Castle

The ruins sit on a hill with a great view of the Danube valley. It is said that King Richard Lionheart of England was imprisoned here while on his way back from the Third Crusade.

I then ride towards the city of Melk, where I stop for the night at Camping Melk, located right by the Danube. I quickly put up my tent to make sure the rain doesn’t get me, and I go to sleep.

Day 2: Melk, Linz, Altaussee

September 8th, 2015

View day 2 route on Google Maps

The Melk Benedictine monastery

I begin my day with a trip to the abbey sitting on the hill near the campsite. Taking in the entire complex would likely take the whole day. The tourist route is much shorter and only covers the top sights.

We pass through chambers stacked with showcases filled with exhibits, paintings and relics, then we walk out to a terrace where you can see all of the abbey’s surroundings.

We enter the library, a set of 12 chambers that collect more than 100,000 books and manuscripts. After that, we visit the church of Sts. Peter and Paul with enchanting frescoes on the ceiling.

To the east, the abbey owns a garden and a part with a pool hidden between the trees.

Having seen the abbey, I get back to the campsite, pack up and head further west. I get on the highway towards Linz and get carried off a bit — all the way to Salzburg… And I was supposed to turn south just a few dozen kilometers in. I quickly reroute and aim towards Hallstätter See, which neighbors the Altaussee salt mine.

The Altaussee salt mine

I get there just before 5 p.m. and, other than me, there are just two Britons interested in sightseeing, so we’re getting a tour in English. The guide’s English isn’t all that great and you need to guess at half of what she says, but it’s cool nevertheless. We’re handed white coats to wear, to keep us warm and keep us from getting dirty.

The mine’s tunnels and nooks were used by Hitler during World War Two as a place to hide works of art. Creations of artists like Michelangelo, Durer, Rubens, or Vermeer were held here. Years and years later, the mine was the set of George Clooney’s The Monument Men (2014).

We slide down the wooden troughs that I guess were used to transport salt between the mine’s different levels. On the way, we get a look at some multimedia shows, including a brilliant sound and light show over the lake.

Not far from the mine, there’s a (paid) route with some nice hairpins, leading to the small Lake Augstsee, at 1,643 m. a.s.l.

It begins to get dark just after 7 p.m., which means it’s time to look for a campsite. I launch the ACSI app and find some nearby. The best looking one is the Temel camping, south of the Altausseer See. I arrive, check in, take a hot shower, and jump in my sleeping bag.

Day 3: Krippenstein, Lammerklamm Gorge, Golling Waterfall

September 9th, 2015

View day 3 route on Google Maps

I wake up around 8 a.m. It’s chilly, cloudy, and rainy, so I’m in no rush to leave the tent. It gets warmer around 10. I get on the bike and set off south. Close to the village of Obertraun there’s the Dachstein Krippenstein cable car, going to the tops of the nearby mountain range. I buy a ticket and get in the tourist-packed car.

Dachstein ice cave

The cave is near the cable car station. As soon as there’s a big enough group, we start our guided tour; the guide takes us around the cave, showing the best spots, and telling us the local legends. The tour is about 50-minute long.

The 5 Fingers lookout

I get back into a cable car and ride even higher. After a short walk, I reach the 5 Fingers lookout platform. The first finger has a metal frame for people to take photos, the second one — a glass bottom you can look down through into the abyss underneath. The third finger is much shorter than the others, and is used for bungee jumping. The fourth one has a window in the floor, the fifth one — a telescope.

Afterwards, I go back towards the shelter, making a quick detour to Bergkapelle — a small chapel built in a clearing right by the trail, and Welterbespirale — a squarish, aluminium viewing platform.

I take a short break at the shelter, eat a sandwich, drink up the remainder of my warm tea, then I get in the cable car again, and ride down, to the parking lot where I left my motorbike.I ride around the Hallstätter See, then head west and get to the Lammerklamm Gorge.

Lammerklamm Gorge

The gorge is right by the main road. Walking the trail along its cliffs takes me about an hour. There are just a few people on the trail apart from me.

Further west, I ride into the town of Golling an der Salzach, which is close to the next item on my sightseeing itinerary.

Golling Waterfall

The waterfall is 75 meters tall and split into two parts. Two bridges have been built across it — you can take them to reach the upper section, but you get better views of the waterfall from the bottom.

It’s dark when I finish taking in the waterfall. On my way back, I find a campsite next to some restaurant. I meet a few bikers from Czechia, and we chat a while about our trips. They reminisce about the good old days, before they had wives and children, and could get out of the house more frequently. They warn me not to get married if I plan on traveling a lot ;)

Day 4: Eisriesenwelt Cave, Hohenwerfen Castle, Liechtensteinklamm Gorge

September 10th, 2015

View day 4 route on Google Maps

Just a quick breakfast and I’m on my way. I pass by Hohenwerfen Castle, which I’m going to stop by in the afternoon, and I turn north-west. A few rapid turns up the hill, and I’m at the next spot on my list.

Eisriesenwelt Cave

I get to the parking lot by the cave around 11 a.m. The path leads up a steep hill, all the way to the entrance to the cave at 1,641 m. a.s.l. If someone’s really lazy, they can take a cable car up.

You don’t need to wait long in front of the cave to get a group of visitors. It’s very popular. Our guide hands us special lamps we’re going to use to light our way and points out the safety aspects of the tour. I put on my jacket, because the temperature inside is below freezing.

Eisriesenwelt Cave is the world’s largest ice cave. Its system of chambers and grottos is spread over more than 40 kilometers. Each year, it’s visited by about 200,000 tourists.

The guide, in his red jacket, walks at the front of our 50-strong group; he stops every minute, lights a match, and talks about the cave. You can barely hear him at the end of the group, so I try to get ahead of some people to stand closer to him.

Going through the entire cave takes us about an hour. I take the cable car back down, to save some time.

Hohenwerfen Castle

This Medieval castle on a hill in the Salzach river valley is visible from far away. It was built in 1078 at the order of the bishop of Salzburg and served local rulers as a fortress and a residence.

I begin my tour in the courtyard, and make my way to the exhibition chambers, which show mostly swords and suits of armor.

There’s a bird show in the garden in the western part of the castle. The falconers let the birds out of their cages, then throw bits of meat in the air — the birds catch those mid-flight.

One of the meaty bits falls into a small pond surrounded by tourists; an eagle follows it underwater. It dives once or twice, and climbs ashore when it manages to find the meat. A second later, one of the falconers comes up and takes it.

After the show, I come back to the courtyard, where the entire group is given audio-guides, and allowed to go inside the castle. We visit the torture tower, the dungeon, the chapel and the bell tower, which has a great panorama of the area.

Afterwards, I ride further south, to the vicinity of the village of Alpendorf, south of the city of St Johann im Pongau.

Liechtensteinklamm Gorge

I get to the gorge at 6:15 p.m. It’s open for visitors only until 7, so I need to hurry. I buy a ticket, pass the gate, and enter the trail, which is empty except for me.

The gorge is 300 meters tall and about 4 kilometers long. It’s one of the longest and deepest gorges in the Alps. The visitor route is about a kilometer long (one way), and ends with a view of the 50-meter waterfall.

After leaving the gorge, I quickly find a campsite of the night. The prices are reasonable, so I put up my tent, take a hot shower, and start sorting my photos.