We had planned on doing a big hike on our way East but since we did not make much progress the first day we opted to hit the touristy Lake town of Hallstatt instead. In the Lake district there are a few towns I wanted to see on map picture below, but I guess if you only have time for one you hit Hallstatt
It was raining on the drive there, which actually was good because it would keep the crowds down. Parking is a nightmare with anyone arriving after 7am having to bus into the city center. We were able to snag a parking spot and walk. Most of the people that live at Halstatt have since moved as the infestation of crowds reaches a fever pitch in the middle of summer. A sad thing to see. I am sure you will recognize the spot from the pictures below
After Halstatt we drove a short stretch to the town of Bad Ischl. Walking along the river we found a outdoor food stall that served an interesting curry sausage dish paired nicely with local beer.
We walked into town and stopped at a pastry café for coffee and desert
Our destination for the night was the Refugium Lunz in the town of Lunz am See. I was able to book using Hyatt points. It markets itself as a weekend spa retreat for those looking to escape Vienna as it is less than a 2 hours drive. We were warmly welcomed with complimentary drinks and a bottle of wine. Amy drank half a glass and was out of commission. We settled in and rallied to drive to dinner down by the lake. We originally were going to eat at a convenient seafood place, but the hotel owner suggested we don’t and we stumbled upon another place, The Castle Tavern, that exceeded our expectations. Of course Amy thought everything was great cause she was still feeling the effects of the wine. She made me take a picture with her and both of our meals, which seemed odd.
We have been fostering dogs for the last few months and Amy has grown attached to the latest one. I woke up at 2am and looked over and saw the glow of her phone as she stalked our dog on the web cam set up back home in the kitchen.
The next morning we had an excellent breakfast at the hotel and drove about an hour for a canyon hike.
We would be hiking Ötschergräben Canyon basically following this trail
I had planned on hiking out and back for a total of about 12 miles but when we got to the trailhead we found out the park ran a train that would carry us back to the start.
Halfway through the canyon hike we came upon a hutte offering food and beer
The remainder of the hike was along the river on forest roads. Another beer at the finish and then waited for the train to take us back to the start
On the way back to the hotel we stopped at a small restaurant for an early dinner.
We took a walk around the town at sunset. Here is a memorial for local soldiers killed on the opposition side of the World Wars
I thought this sign was interesting even though in German, see if you can tell what type of building this is and how we got the word in the USA for it.
A phone booth converted to a library and a couple shots of our hotel and the view from it.
I never did get in the pool or sauna. Whenever I was down there it was occupied. But I did chill in the salon a bit with a bottle of Schnapps.
Until Tomorrow, Darren
