September 11, 1999 to September 13, 1999
Hallstatt
After about a 60 km ride we arrived in Hallstatt for a three night stand. Our ride began with a pretty tour down the west shore of the Mondsee, followed by a gentle traverse across the neck to the next lake to the east, the Attersee. Another few km brought us to Bad Ischl, where we enjoyed fruit and pastries by a small stream.
After a frustrating spell in which we got lost on our way out of Bad Ischl we biked the remaining 20 km to Hallstatt.
Hallstatt is an amazingly scenic town, justifiably famous as one of the most photogenic villages in Austria. We enjoyed a wonderful three day visit here. Highlights included:
- A terrific dinner at Gasthaus Zauber accompanied by a great bottle of Austrian Riesling; the best meal of the trip so far.
- A cable car ride up to the High Dachsteins for a fine but very rugged hike - to Weissburghaus, where we had sausages and drinks, and nearly up to the base of the Hallstatt glacier.
- A canoe ride;
- The best pizza of the trip;
- A nice stay at the Grune Anger guesthouse, spoiled only by my cracking my head on the low ceiling;
- A tour of the Hallstatt salt mine, the oldest in the world and still operating. Our visit was noteworthy for the humorous protective clothing we had to wear; the train ride out of the mine; the wooden slides; and the eerie, highly reflective evaporation ponds.
- A tour of the ice cave, highlighted by the accompaniment of about 40 chattering schoolchildren on tour from the Vienna International School;
- A walk along the foot trail which parallels the lake to Winkelman and back;
- Breathtakingly wonderful weather for the whole time.
| Heart | 0 | Comment | 0 | Link |
Today's ride: 80 km (50 miles)
Total: 1,017 km (632 miles)
| Rate this entry's writing | Heart | 0 |
| Comment on this entry | Comment | 0 |