We try to end the travel blog each adventure with a “Top 10 List” of memories and moments carved into our souls for all time, and for May 2022, that would be the Salzkammergut region of Austria. Our first hiking trip filled with wonderful scenery and magical villages!
10. The Stiegl Biergarten overlooking Salzburg
9. Finding the maypole in each village
8. The hike to Hallstatt
7. Beer and Strudel at Lake Schwarzbier
6. Ringing the bell at St Wolfgang’s chapel
5. The Ravine walk
4. The beautiful city of Salzburg
Salzburg
3. View from the Katrina Summit
2. The ferry ride back from St Gilgen to St Wolfgang with beer, views and a German band
1. The St Wolfgang May Day festival complete with raising of the May pole, music, beer and a morning wakeup call by the village band.
Next hike, again along the lakes, but this time in Northern Italy, as we walk along mule routes enjoying pasta, wine, gelato and beauty of Lakes Como and Lugano, May 2023!
Below are the maps showing our mileage and elevation for our hikes through the lake’s region.
Today we made our final hike from Bad Goisern to Hallstatt, the beautiful iconic Austrian village on the shores of Lake Hallstatt.
We left town, trekking on lanes and then on a path next to the train tracks. We walked through villages and farms, and finally alongside the lake itself.
We walked about 8 miles, eventually boarding a small quick ferry across the lake to the village of Hallstatt.
Hallstatt is famous for its beauty and quaintness. Always on lists of the most beautiful villages in the world, Hallstatt is home to a salt mine, but mostly, it’s known for tourism.
We have been told that Hallstatt is a kind of Mecca for Chinese visitors because a complete replica of the village has been built in China. Also, Hallstatt is considered one of the most instagramable places in the world, and prior to COVID, was considered over touristed. Hallstatt definitely was the busiest village we visited by far.
We took the ferry back, and then boarded a train to Bad Goisern. Tomorrow, we have COVID tests early and then return for one night in Salzburg.
Wednesday was our less strenuous trek from the town of Bad Ischl to Bad Goisern. We had some plans that we needed to alter due to COVID testing difficulties with our Austrian guide, Helmut, who took our luggage to our next inn.
Departing Bad Ischl
At 10, we began the 8 mile walk along the Brine Pipeline trail to Bad Goisern. This trail follows the route that salt, which was extracted from sea water, traveled on its way to Salzburg from Hallstatt. We will cover more of the Brine Pipeline tomorrow when we hike to Hallstatt.
We decided to hold a competition to see who could find an assortment of landmarks or natural markers along the way. Some people took this competition very seriously, but that attitude along with their height advantage and marching order worked out for them. As they were the winner!
Whitey/Heidi the Circus pig befriended our winner
The hike took us on a level path of gravel, road, narrow paths and wide areas through forests. We stopped in the village of Lauffen, to visit the WC, a beautiful church and snack stop!
Pitstop strudel
The church, St Maria, is a famous pilgrimage church where several miracles have said to have occurred. The church dates to 1344 and houses an impressive gothic Madonna statue.
We continued on the pipeline route on the sunny and warm afternoon, finally taking us into the town of Bad Goisern. We are staying at the Moserwirt Inn, which was given a generous 3 star rating!
Bad Goisern may poleWorld Wars I & II memorials – Note Germany cross & eagle!
Tomorrow we will complete our final hike to Hallstatt. We have decided to return to Salzburg Friday morning, ensuring we have the necessary COVID tests to return home.
We are staying in Bad Ischl for two days and today was our only “rest day’. Bad Ischl, located on Traun River which flows from the Alps towards Wolfgansee, was consider “Vienna on the Lakes” as it was the summer residence of Emperor Franz Joseph I and Emperess Elizabeth. It is home to thermal baths that date back centuries.
We walked a couple of miles to the gondola that carried us to the Katrina cable lift just outside Bad Ischl. The Katrina Cable lifted us to 1400 meters peak to view all the valleys and the Alps. There were stunning views to the south that included the magnificent Lake Hallstatt, where we will hike to in two days, to the west, the majestic Lake Wolfgang and the mystical Lake Schwarzensee where we hiked yesterday. Perfect weather for a perfect view!
Alps strudel
Later that afternoon we ventured to the city center church. The Saint Nicholas parish church is dominated by a 72m high tower. Inside the ornate church were frescos, mosaics, the carved Way of the Cross and most notably the unique “Kaiser-Jubiläums-Orgel” organ.
We strolled through the city center gardens before dinner. Tomorrow, we hike The Brine Trail from Bad Ischl to our next village stop, in Bad Goisern.
On our second hike day, our local representative picked up our luggage and transported them to our next hotel while we headed out to visit Lake Schwarzensee on our way to Strobl. Part of the hiking tour company’s appeal is that we don’t have to tote all our gear with us: they take the luggage from inn to inn!
Departing St Wolfgang
The sun was beginning to show its face with this hike, and we were happy to see it! The early portion of the hike took us through large pine tree forests and up graveled paths. This portion of the hike was less demanding in the ascent compared to Sunday’s climb.
our marked path
Halfway through the hike, we were rewarded with a pit stop at Lake Schwarzensee. This serene Schwarzlake, like a Schwarzbier, translates to “black lake”. There is a fairly large cafe on the lake, so we stopped for a beer and the best apple strudel of the trip!
So Good Strudel
After a 20-minute stop, we were off again. Our guide had given us two options for the second portion on the hike: add an hour or two to the hike and go around the lake for an easier hike or take a shorter hike through a ravine overlooking the river. We were warned that the ravine hike was rather complicated and steep, but the 4 of us weren’t deterred.
This portion of the hike was indeed intense as we had a cable rope keeping us up the 1000 feet to the hillside. Between wet leaves, a very narrow pass, tree roots and then many steel grated steps, the 30 minute ravine trek was treacherous.
Ravine selfie
We eventually made it out of the forest and traveled into the village of Strobl, walking on paths that rung the Wolfgansee Lake.
After taking a few photos, Mary’s new prescription glasses fell out of her hand, bounced on her hiking boot, and landed in Lake Wolfgansee!! With the elevated walkway, they could not be reached.
Lake Wolfgansee
Arriving in Strobl
Once in Strobl, we took a local bus to the next town we are staying in, Bad Ischl, a very pretty larger and more city-like town. Our hotel is very modern, nothing like the last two authentic Austrian inns, but is located on the Traun River. Tomorrow is our “off day” so no hiking! Our legs will be happy for the rest!
Saturday morning, after waking up, at 7am the local town band marched through the streets of the village of St Wolfgang playing “wake-up” melodies in honor of May Day. We were up and getting ready for our fist hike from St Wolfgang to the neighboring village of St Gilgen. Our route was to hike to St Gilgen and take the ferry back to St Wolfgang.
Heading out of St Wolfgang
The hike today was called The Pilgrims’ Way Over The Falkenstien. This hike was only 8 miles, but we knew would be the steepest of our hikes. We left the hotel in a misty cool morning, and headed through the quiet and deserted village of St Wolfgang.
The first two miles were through the outskirts of the village, along the neighborhood lanes towards the mountain.
View over Lake Wolganzee
About 30 minutes in, the ascent began, which was pretty steep until we hit the tree line. The next 35 minutes turned into a much steeper, winding switchback grade up and up on gravel, wet leaves, crushed stone and rocks. The trek continued up into the clouds, at a level where we were shedding layers. Two hikers said it was worse than they expected, a third hiker said it was a brutal as he anticipated, while the 4th hiker is still trying to catch their breath.
At that the crescent, we stopped for a few minutes and had snacks in the shelter of a small hut. According to legend in the Salzkammergut area, Saint Wolfgang erected the first church at the shore of the Wolfgangsee nearby in 976. The legend continued that he threw an axe down the mountain to find the site and even persuaded the devil to contribute to the building by promising him the soul of the first living being ever to enter the church. However, Satan was disappointed as the first creature over the doorstep was a wolf.
St Wolgang chapel
We continued 10 minutes further until we came upon St Wolfgang chapel. We were met by a large Austrian family, who’s patriarch was celebrating his birthday. Each year for 50 years, he and his family have ascended the mountain to ring the famous St Wolfgang church bell for his birthday. We all rang the bell as well. By the way, the Austrian family was surprised that some Americans had taken to the trail.
At this point, we began a deep decent which was just as treacherous and challenging as the hike up. In the descent, we saw the beautiful Stations of the Cross made along the trail many years ago. At the base of the mountain, we saw freshly cut tree trunks which supplied the assorted villages with their May poles.
Ending of hike
We followed the local musicians into town, and listened to them while having a few beers. So onto tomorrow, as we hike to Lake Schwartzensee and Bad Ischl.
Today was a transition day. We left Salzburg by a private van and were driven to small town of St Wolfgang, which is located on Wolfgansee Lake.
The drive was quite remarkable as you could see the Alps coming into view as we arrived in St Wolfgang. As we entered the center of town, the road was blocked off as they were preparing to raise the May Pole!
We found our hotel, checked in and headed off into the small town as they were having their annual May festival which included bands and beer stands throughout the town.
We befriended “Michael”, who is the trombone player in a band that’s been together for over 40 years. He was very nice noting he went to the US 35 years ago for his honeymoon – to Idaho and that is his view of the United States!
Our travel pal with the bandSt Wolfgang
It was a sunny and warm day which allowed us to have lunch outside overlooking the May Pole construction. The townsman recreated a tradition that dates back centuries as they hoisted the large trunk of a tree into position. Men are only allowed to hoist the maypole up, and at the end, cannons are fired! It was a site to be seen by the probably the only Americans in town!
Having been exhausted by watching the townsmen efforts, we wandered back to the hotel and had a beer on the hotel patio overlooking Lake Wolfganzee.
We met Helmet, our travel advisor, at 5 o’clock, to walk through all the trails, the vouchers for connections, the hotels, and the many highlights will face as we hike the Alps. He noted that we are some of the first tourists as the spring season starts tomorrow.
Our room is lovely, it’s smaller than Salzburg but we have a spectacular view of the lake. The rain arrived as scheduled while we were having dinner at the hotel. Tomorrow, we begin our hike from St Wolfgang to St Gilgen, also known the” Pilgrim’s Way”.
Friday arrived and today our travel pals were due to meet up with us. After al fresco breakfast on a beautiful morning, and a walk to a store or two, we met up with them at our hotel.
We decided to have lunch at the same beautiful Stiegl Biergarten overlooking Salzburg and catch up. After a few samplings of beer, we walked to a marketplace filled with sausages, pretzel, flowers and locals. We then made our way to Stern Brau Biergarten near our hotel to sort out world events. Sorry to say, the world remains complicated, and we shirked our responsibilities by shopping at the Swarovski store!
We returned to the lovely hotel so that our friends could unpack and nap, while we made the last-minute decision to visit the Mirabell Gardens’ Winemakers Festival. The gardens were beautifully filled with tulips and spring flowers and many people.
Wine selfie
We had read about the Friday Wine Market, which only was offered for a few Fridays each year, and had to try a Riesling.
We returned to the hotel and HAD to try the Salzburg Happy Hour next to our hotel at Sporer, which is a 4th generation spirits establishment dating back to 1903. Bob went into the small boutique cave and returned with some more Riesling, which we enjoyed on the streets with the locals who looked the Americans with curiosity.
Wine selfie #2
All four of us had dinner at the authentic Gasthof Goldgasse which is a 700-year-old house, considered an insider’s choice of a cozy restaurant in an upscale inn. Romantic architecture throughout the restaurant revealed original timbers from the 15th century. We dined on filet of beef tenderloins, classic fried chicken in a pot and chateaubriand for two! Ending the dinner, we enjoyed the legendary Salzburg treat, Nockerine, a sweet fluffy treat served with homemade ice cream and berries.
We followed up dinner at our hotel bar with some conversation and adult beverages. Tomorrow, we sadly leave the beautiful UNESCO town of Salzburg, and we think, the sun, as we travel to the Salzkammergut region of Austria to begin our hike through the lakes of Austria. PROST!!!
We started the day over the Salzach River at one of the largest open air markets in Austria, the Schrannenmarkt. The market, full of flowers, produce and food stalls, dates back to 1906 and has over 150 stalls.
Full of locals with their market bags, it was an enjoyable morning among the asparagus, cheese and tree daisies (I need to get one of those)!
From the market, we walked back into the old town, towards the Cathedral and took the funicular up to the Hohensalzburg Fortress, which is a 5-minute ride up the large hill.
The views from the front of the Fortress show the city, while in the back, the snow covered Alps.
We hiked for a very long while, being lost I think, until we finally arrived at a similar spot to view the city and hear the noon church bells, as we had in 2009, when we first visited Salzburg.
Instead of the funicular down, we hiked down the hill and stopped at the Stieglkeller Biergarten for lunch overlooking Salzburg. Stiegl is one of the more famous Austrian beers and while several options in Salzburg, this Biergarten dates back to 1820. Sitting at table clothed picnic table, we enjoyed the rooftop scenery and beers!
Stiegl selfie
Next was our ho hum boat tour of the Salzach River. Not many details to share, kind of dull, but a nice sunny day!
We decided to try another Biergarten, this one at Augustiner Brau, we are sure named after a relative of ours! This is Austria’s largest beer tavern, which seats 1000, and Austria’s largest Biergarten at 1300! Inside, there are shelves with ceramic beer steins, which you grab one. Then take it to the cashier who rings up the size of beer you want, then to a guy who pours your beer from a huge tap straight from a wooden barrel!!! We sat in the tree covered garden overlooking the Alps.
Ok, we did 2 biergartens and there was a third within walking distance? It was on! A 5-minute walk took us the the Krimpelstatler Braugasthof, which was a smaller Biergarten dating back to 1548! Not much has changed in 500+ years, but the garden was the prettiest of them all!
We headed back to the hotel, had a coffee along the way, and enjoyed the warm sixty-degree sunshine at the hotel terrace bar.
Locals having Happy Hour in the street by our hotel!
We followed up with dinner at Zum Eulenspiegel, which is across the place from Mozart’s birthplace. We had eaten here in the plaza in 2009 when we visited but tonight proved too cool to dine outside. But the authentically antique restaurant was beautiful inside as well!
Hohensalzburg Fortress at dusk
After dinner, we sat at the quaint hotel bar toasting our best travel companions joining us tomorrow in Salzburg. Prost to them on safe travels!
After traveling via Frankfort and arriving in Salzburg, we were treated with a view of snow on the Alps from our plane. After showing our CDC vaccine cards with passports, we found a taxi for the quick 10-minute ride to the old town of Salzburg, Austria. The city of Salzburg dates back 696 AD, with a large medieval fortress and of course, the Sound of Music lore!
We visited Salzburg in 2009, for our first trip to Europe (my first trip), and fell in love with the charming Bavarian city. The Goldener Hirsch Hotel in the historic end of Salzburg is a stunning little inn full of Austrian atmosphere and thematic “deer” elements.
With no sleep, we decided to soldier through and walk down the historic lanes to view the city, our surroundings which included Biergartens and Mozart’s birthplace.
Mozart’s birthplace
We had an Austrian Happy Hour, which consisted of “mystery” flavored macarons and Riesling! While typing this entry at 6pm local time, church bells rang trough the city announcing the hour! Such a lovely sound!
Then to dinner at one of the restaurants at the hotel. We had the “required” Austrian specialties along with Austrian wine. The small restaurant really had the Austrian style on display!
Hotel bar set for the evening
Tomorrow, the sun must come out and we plan to take visit an age-old farmers market, take the Mozart city walk and possibly a quick river tour of Salzburg.
