A few things to do in Austria

I’ll go over one possible itenerary, one that I did myself, and you can see if there are any portions of it that may fit in with your own plans. If you’ve not considered Austria but are considering a European vacation then spend some time on the net checking it out. My wife and I were absolutely thrilled with our trip.

Our first few days were spent in Madarfen, in the Tyrolean Alps. For the nature lover, hiker it was a dream. First, driving up the valley was breathtaking. Mandarfen itself is just a little collection of hotels and restaurants and the top end of the Pitztal valley. There is a chair lift that leads right out of the village up to a crystal mountain lake about a thousand feet high. A walk around the lake takes only a half hour or so and is very relaxing. Great photo ops here. The next day we drove to the very end of the valley. Here you’ll find an underground train that takes you up inside a huge mountain called Wildspitze. From there it’s another chair lift up to the top of the ski resort. We were there in August and needed winter gear to climb through the few feet of snow!

Next stop, Zell Am See. This is another one of Austria’s gems. A beautiful lakeside village with great architecture, wonderful shopping and no shortage of stunning hotels. Again, for the hiker, there is an easy ride up the chair lift to the top of the Schmittenhhone ski complex. We took the lift up and waking down the trails. This took about three hours and was not as easy as it might sound. Take the lift back down if you’re not in shape.

Next stop, Hallstatt. Hallstatt is the most beautiful spot I ever had the pleasure of staying in. My wife and I have already promised ourselves that our tenth wedding anniversary will be spent there. The ancient town (roots going back some 2 500 years) features a bonehouse that houses over two thousand skulls, a very nice museum, beautiful mountain lake, nice restaurants and great hiking. This UNESCO world heritage site is a must stop on your Austrian vacation.

Off to Mauthausen for a day’s sombre reflection. This is one of the most intact of the surviving Nazi camps. It is said that close to two hundred thousand people were killed there. We visited on a cold rainy day making it feel that much more poignant. Walking through the gas chambers and disection tables really hits home. Words a difficult to come by when describing the feelings one gets at this place.  Well worth the visit if you feel the need to connect with history or if you are a photography enthusiast.

Our final stop was Salzburg. Magnificent. We went from viewing the worst of our history to walking through youngMozart’s family home, arguably one of the greatest artist ever. There is a lot to see and do in Salzburg but two things that should not be missed are a visit to the castle high above the city and a walk through the shopper’s paradise that is the downtown area.

You’ll never forget a trip to Austria, packed with memorable sights and sounds. Thank goodness for digital photography, imagine how many rolls I would have used!