European Adventures: Austria!
So welcome to my first blog post! I’m really not too sure how to do this blogging malarky – so I’m fingers crossed, hoping this is going to go well! Enjoy…
Road tripping is the ultimate expression of freedom; go where you want, do what you want & when you want to do it – as long as your mum says it’s okay!
Being the proud owner of a Volkswagen camper van & a lover of all things travel and adventure, when my girlfriend and I realised we could get a couple of weeks off work together, there was only one thing for it – pack up the campervan & head into Europe to #ExploreEverything in the alpine dreamland!
The mountains are a landscape that have always fascinated me – for a variety of reasons; the scenery, the lifestyle, the activity & the people. Over the last few years I have been lucky enough to kayak, ski, mountain bike & explore the mountains regions of Alps & Pyrenees, across France, Italy, Switzerland, Germany & Andorra… loving every minute of it!
Road tripping for people living in the UK is incredibly popular, with many people taking the ever reliable Dover-Calais ferry crossing or Channel Tunnel. Its an easy & accessible way of getting onto mainland Europe & from there the continent is your oyster really, go wherever you want, with your own vehicle, taking what you want & doing everything at your own pace – with no pressures of flights or travel companies or any other such limitations.
We planned to do the 1027 mile journey over two days, such we would arrive at our destination mid-afternoon & able to do something with the evening. We camped up at a little spot in Dossenheim-sur-Zinsel, which is located in the Alsace region of France, close to the German border.
Planning any trip is the most super exciting, stoke building way to get yourself psyched for a trip – yet its also the most laborious, boring, time consuming aspect of any trip!! No-one likes spending hours researching, comparing, booking, financing etc. life is too short to find time for all that. BUT, when done right, planning can make or break the trip, so its absolutely worth doing! Depending on how organised and rigid you wish to be with your agenda – some like to plan every minute of everyday, some like to take each day as it comes, some like to have no plan at all…
We’re more the ‘take each day as it comes’ kind of people! Of course you want to make the most of your time, especially when on relatively short time scales, however we felt that having a key bucket list of things we wanted to do out there was the best way to go about it. So we decided on a rough plan of where we wanted to visit & a rough idea of what we wanted to do whilst our there and off we went, first stop… Tyrol, Austria!
Kramsach was where we decided to base ourselves, at the Seeblick Toni Campsite on the shores of Lake Reintaler (Reintalersee). There’s loads of campsites to choose from in Tyrol, however our priority was location & price – we wanted to be able to get around easily & explore as much of the area as possible, whilst knowing we had a cheap enough & comfortable enough base to come back to. Seeblick Toni offered a central location & also the free Alpbachtal Seenland card, so free public transport to nearby town & cities, as well free gondola rides & also discount of many attractions.
The local tourist card was the only real reason for us opting to not wild camp – if you are looking to wild camp, you wont need to look very far! We came across hundreds of decent looking spots, but shhhhh, don’t tell everyone!!
I cant even begin to describe just how beautiful, atmospheric & enchanting Reintalersee is. Nestled right in the heart of the Tyrollean Alps, with lush green & granite rock surrounding the clear turquoise lake – you could literally spend hours there admiring it!
When we arrived late on the Saturday night, we just about got the camp set up, before we were greeted by a thunderstorm. Those of you lucky enough to have experienced thunderstorms in the mountains will know these are unbeleivably cool things – so atmospheric & a real spectacle to witness!
One word of warning, when it rains in Austria – it rains hard! The rains from the previous night carried on into first day, leaving lots of low cloud & low visibility. The typical Tyrollean summer deluge shows the inner beauty of Tyrol, low cloud hugging the trees provides more of an intimate, secluded feel in the valley, without the hordes of tourists. You’ve just got to sit back & be amazed by it!
We took this rainy opportunity to familiarise ourselves with Kramsach & Tyrol – however, being Monday, only one cafe/konditorei was actually open in the town! Nonetheless, hot chocolate & cake was order of the day – so we got out all the maps & guidebooks and started planning some adventures!
First adventure; the Brandenberger gorge! We took a drive up the gorge, hoping to catch a glimpse of the Brandenberger Alpen from either brandenburg itself or Pinegg – unfortunately we didn’t get that break in the clouds.
When the weather cleared up in the evening (its not all rain in Tyrol!!), we headed out for a wander around the nearby Reintalersee. A quick 7km walk was lovely, accompanied by the scent only fresh rainfall can provide.
On a warmer day, be sure to take the swimming shorts & factor 50 (if you’re a ginger like me!), the crystal clear waters are idyllic for swimming! To the Southern shore, was also a little makeshift rope swing lashed together – however don’t shoot me if it isn’t there anymore!
The next day provided a refreshingly clear day, with low 20 temperature, nice breeze, patchy cloud & plenty of sunshine – perfect hiking weather! Off to the Wiedersbergerhorn!
The Wiedersbegrerhorn is part of the ‘Ski Jewel Alpbachtal Wildschönau’. It is accessible from the foot of the mountain in Alpbach itself, or ‘cheat’ & get yourself a 1500m altitude head start by taking the gondola! We’re on holiday after all, why make life difficult!
The Widersbergerhornbahn is free of charge with the Alpbachtal Seenland card & operates from the Alpbacher Landesstrasse road – be careful to keep your eye on the road when driving, as its pretty impressive! The gondola runs every day from 9am-12noon, then 12.45pm-4.30pm.
This was a particularly special day for me, as the Wiedersbergerhornbahn (unbeknown to me) was the first gondola I ever caught on my first ski holiday to Alpbachtal in 2011! It looked completed different back then, covered in white fluffy stuff, as opposed to lush green with flowers in full summer bloom!
Theres plenty of hiking to go at when you get off the gondola, obviously the most popular is to the summit. Be sure to check out the other stuff going on up there too, with all the views & of course the all important bar! Its not a bad place to stop, grab a beer and admire the view from the patio after a long walk!
When it rains in Tyrol, it rains… but when its sunny, its glorious. When it does get hot, the ideal retreat is into a lake, with a stunning mountain backdrop – Lake Achen (Achensee) fits the bill perfectly! This was a lake which appealed massively due to the location, in the Karendel & Rofan mountain peaks, just North East of Innsbruck. Its also largest lake in Tyrol & it is fed directly of the nearby mountains, giving it a tuquoisy/granite colour – some might say freezing, but refreshing was the best word on a 32degree day!
Achensee summed up exactly what we wanted from Austria, beautiful lakes, beautiful scenery, just so stereotypically picture perfect alpine!
5euro parking available all day at the local football club, just a two minute walk to the beach. A little bar, with boat hire available was just a short walk around the lake.
As much as this was a holiday & sometimes we do all need that chill time, theres only so much downtime you can take – we needed an adventure, something to get the adrenaline & blood pumping… Area 47 waterpark anyone?!
Area 47 is over in the Ötztal Valley, which is pretty much a haven for all things adrenaline & thrill seeking – kayaking, mountain biking, skiing all goes down over here! Area 47 is super easy to find and get to, just straight up the A12 Autobahn, which is the main autobahn through Tyrol, running parallel to the main artery of the Tyrollean province – the River Inn.
We went for the evening session, thats 4pm till closing time at 7pm, where tickets are available for just 12euros. I wouldn’t know if this was any quieter than during the day or weekends in all honesty, but still, the queues were more for the bigger attractions, like the ‘Extreme Blobbing’, Wakeboarding & the ’Water ramp’. So much going on, with slides, climbing wall, slackline, pools, cafes etc.
Free parking, so even better – well worth a visit!
Prices, location, further details are available here; https://www.area47.at/en-water-area
Area 47 in Ötztal: You’ve got to be a snapback wearing, #AdidasTerrex #LifePoints instagram hastagging, wannabe pro-shredder to fit in here!
The Zillertal valley was another reason we wanted to check out Tyrol this summer – Liv had ski’d this area before & always said we should go sightseeing in this area during the summer – so, another one off the bucketlist! We opted to drive, so we could take our time driving through the valley, taking it all in & having the freedom to stop when and where we wanted. It is however worth checking out the ZillertalBahn – thus omitting the stress of driving & parking!
Zillertal is one of the many valleys in Tyrol; is it the widest valley south of the Inntal Autobahn & is also home to the Hintertux Glacier. Our journey started at Junction 39 of the Autobahn & took us all the way down to Mayrhofen.
Zillertal was our favourite valley, it was the most picturesque place, absolutely idyllic from start to finish. With plenty to see and do, its worth checking out the Zillertal arena – we took a quick ride on the Alpine Coaster, check our video!
The Zillertal alpine coaster: Not a bad way to explore the alpine scenery in Zillertal!
Zell am Ziller is a quiet town, with plenty of gelateria & Konditorei located by the river, awesome place to just chill out & take in the beauty of the surroundings.
In contrast, Mayrhofen is a bustling market town, with plenty of bars, shops, cafes & restaurants – easy to see why it is well known for being a raucus ski resort in the winter months! Famed for its 74% gradient the slope, the Hirakira & of course, Snowbombing festival – we will be back to check it out in the winter!
Both the Penkenbahn & Ahornbahn operate through the summer months, allowing those wishing to explore the heights to do so in the Zillertal valley.
Whilst parking is fairly easily available, these villages in Zilletal are far more friendly to the cyclist & hiker, with designated lanes allocated specifically for both – this is very typical of Austria in general.
When in Tyrol, its hard not to take a day out into Innsbruck & check out what the capital of the Alps has to offer.
Theres not an awful lot I can tell you about Innsbruck that you wouldn’t have already researched… we simply wandered & ate our way around! Its a bustling working city, with plenty going on. Check out the bars & cafes in the old town, head for a wander round the many surrounding parks & also check out the outdoor Marktplatz, with all the stalls selling local produce (both food and drink – alcoholic of course!). It is a very busy & touristy city of course, but still, we throughly enjoyed our day out & would recommend it to anyone in the area!
Much of our remaining time in Tyrol was forecast to be wet. What to do when it rains? – the same as you plan to do when its dry – just get out and get on with it!
Go prepared; prepared to get wet & prepared to deal with it – its far more fun than looking out the window! As much as we love the cosiness of the van, we didn’t drive all the way to Austria to simply chill out about the van, we can do that anywhere.
Earlier in the week, we spotted a little trail following the Brandenberger ache, so we decided (rather foolishly) that today would be a good day for it. Of course, this walk was listed in the Alpbachtal Seenland Guidebook, however, we rather enjoyed the feeling we had discovered something new!
Despite our enthusiasm, it was very wet on the trails – all the tributaries & subsidiaries of the Brandenberger were at full flow, so instead of nice gentle streams we had raging torrents hammering down the side of the gorge – many of which overflowed onto the walkway…
Even the tribs to Brandenburger were at high flows!
The guides show this as an idyllic, alpine turquoise river, with steep granite walls & trees following the path of the river – the gorge was still as beautiful as the guides, however, the river itself was just a choss of grey & white thundering its way through the gorge! On the day, we bumped into several kayakers getting after it on the juicy levels, hopefully the guys all made it down safe.
Approx 1 hour walk up, with photo time included – be sure to grab a hot chocolate or beer at the Tiefenbachklamm. We started from the road near Kramsach, so the Tiefenbachklamm was the halfway/turning point for us. The walk itself is obvious & railings present in areas of higher risk.
Our final day in Tyrol left us questioning where on earth the last day 8 days had gone – it definitely didn’t feel like we’d already had 8 days in this insane part of the world. But, upon reflection, looking at what we’d done & all the new places we’d explored, it was easy to see how quick it went!
We chose to spend our last day on top of a mountain, this time we headed for the Reitherkogelbahn, which takes off from Reith im Alpbachtal. From the top of this gondola, there are many hiking routes to take… or ‘wanderwegs’ as the Austrians put it! We opted for the panoramic walk, which takes you right around the mountain, enjoying the simply stunning panoramic views of the Austrian Tyrol, which we’d gotten so used to & were totally in love with.
This particular area was far quieter than the Wiedersbergerhorn, perhaps due to the fact it isn’t a famous peak to conquer, however the views are still as appealing and make for a worthwhile trip!
Of course, no matter how long you spend anywhere, theres always going to be something you dont have time to do – for us, we’d highly recommend checking out Sport Ossi in Kramsach, for a wide range of activities & guided trips
http://sport-ossi.at/sommersport.html
Safe to say I’d highly recommended for any adventure enthusiast! I’d definitely like to return, only this time for longer & with my mountain bike & whiter kayak in toe.
For the next leg of of the road trip, we headed over to the Canton of Ticino in Southern Switzerland – check it out! (Coming soon…)
Massive thanks for reading my first blog post, hope you enjoyed it! Please feel free to share & leave a comment – till next time!
#ExploreEverything
Useful websites;
https://alanrogers.com – for choosing a campsite
https://www.tyrol.com – for the interactive map of Tyrol
https://www.alpbachtal.at/en – for details on the local tourist card, Alpachtal Seenland card
Top Tips;
Be warned, driving to Innsbruck & around it is nothing short of a ballache! Busy roads every direction, parking at a premium – well worth checking out train options.
Suggest parking at the Park & Ride by the Medical Centre on Innrain. it is basically a bit of land available for all day parking & allotment for motorhomes to overnight in. But either pay for a train ticket, or walk the 40 minutes – we chose to walk & enjoy the scenery.
Majority of the Tyrollean lakes are warm enough to swim in, however be warned some are glacial fed, whilst they may be refreshing in peak summer time, i.e. August, when it is 32 ambient, other days they may be pretty darn cold! Some you also have to pay entry for, for more info; https://www.tyrol.com/things-to-do/nature-wellness/swimming/swimming-lakes-in-tirol
Be aware of the rapidly changing weather up on the mountains, it may be summer, but the weather changes quickly, with fast moving clouds and potential for little shelter from string winds – pack accordingly. It can be quite a narrow ridge line in places, with technical scrambles a possibility. Although views from the top make any struggle up absolutely worth it however! Summits are easily accesible, either follow the signs or just keep walking uphill!
Go prepared! We took a tarp to ensure we had outside living space, no matter the weather, would highly recommend this Robens Tarp at circa £40 + the telescopic poles. Its a great bit of kit, guaranteed to keep everything dry and being free standing, it allows stuff to be left under it whilst you’re out and about! http://www.robens.de/en/Products/tents/trail/tarp-3×3-m
For British people, on sunny days its pretty much a ritual that the BBQ has to come out – why would it be any different for brits abroad! Grilled bratwurst, from the local butchers is an absolute soft spot for us – BBQ’ing under the tyrollean sun, next to a lake, with an ice-cold beer was just perfect! You are 99% guaranteed to find a butchers selling decent BBQ’ing tackle in every town – don’t worry!
