Germany Calling! (and Austria)

[Robinhood]

Not quite as adventurous as last year's road trip round Scandinavia, but, having been diverted from a trip to Italy earlier in the year by family circumstances, this year's single jaunt abroad was to be a trip to Germany and Austria, combining new destinations with a few that we had resolved, over the years, to revisit.

 

Having booked return ferries Dover-Calais, we left behind the unedifying prospect of the forum once again attempting to eat itself, and set off South for Dover and "Le Continent" (or should that in this case be "Der Kontinent").

 

Actually, our first stop was to be the CC's Black Horse Farm site for an overnight stop before an early Ferry. We're far enough from The Channel for it to be more convenient to break the journey on one or the other side, though we have been known to do the Mosel from home in one day (arrival is a bit late to make that enjoyable, though). I considered using the Canterbury P+R, but finally plumped for the CC site (though with a quick re-consideration of Canterbury when it emerged that the only pitch available was a service one, at a £3 premium - but what the heck, it's a holiday!).

 

We arrived at Densole wondering whether we would get the stereotypical "little Hitler" warden. To my surprise, it was a close run thing, the hair and moustache were spot on............ but she booked us in pleasantly and quickly enough, with a choice of pitches; "ein hundert elf, oder ein hundert elf, ha ha".

 

So, off for the 8:25 ferry the next morning. I know a lot of people now swear by the tunnel, but (possibly compounded by the fact that the two times we've used the tunnel we've suffered significant delays, one of which was a contributing factor to me writing-off a 'van in Normandy) I still prefer the ferries. If I've driven for any length of time before reaching The Channel (from either side) it gives a good opportunity to take a break and stretch the legs; If I've stopped close to the Channel, then it gives a chance to get a coffee and croissant before a long drive either home or well on our way South. It's also (usually) cheaper - which helps.

 

Once we were off the ferry, the destination was the Mosel (though only for a brief interlude). We know we can make good time to the mid-upper reaches of the valley, where we can target a stellplatz for a convenient overnight (or longer if the weather and mood allows). Our preferred route is through Belgium (to the N of Brussels at the moment given traffic and motorway surface conditions) to Liege and South down the E42 to the Mosel at Piesport.

 

Now the Belgian motorways are generally as long and boring as a post on the difference between the Mosel and the Moselle by........ (but no, that would be mischievous, I'll leave you all to fill a name in there!). The run down from Verviers to the Mosel is excellent however. Little traffic and grand views (though I suspect that when the route is completed with the bridge over the Mosel, it may well take a lot of traffic which currently uses the Rhine motorways). We headed South past Spa-Francorchamps (keeping a weather eye in the mirrors for Nico Rosberg - well I didn't want a puncture this early in the trip!) and on to the Mosel.

 

The drop into Piesport is always impressive; the high-level first view of the Mosel is breathtaking - over the bridge and into the convenient Edeka to top up on local produce (aka beer and wine - credit card is fine as is our general experience with Edeka) and then the few kilometres to the stellplatz at Wintrich.

 

We've tried a few, and seen many others, of the stellplätze in this part of the Mosel, but this is by far our favourite. Wintrich itself has less in the village than many others round about, but the stellplatz is a model of what should tempt people from using campsites. Easy to use (the barrier system had changed since our last visit, though, so we were mildly confused); simply take a ticket at the entry barrier (15 minutes grace to exit) and pre-pay on exit for the days used. There are grass pitches and well-spaced hardstandings; right on the river-bank, and a short walk from the village. €8.50 per night including electric and wifi. Decent showers at €1, and water at €1 per 90litres (or in 10¢ increments).

 

Having arrived just after 17:00, we pitched (hardstanding) and headed up the hill to the local "winzer" (Matthiashof). Here you can get a bottle of the best spätlese Riesling, and a couple of schweinsteaks mitt bratkartoffeln for €25, so we did (and very nice it was too).

 

The following day (being fine and thus inviting a further stay) we did a 46 mile round bike ride upriver to Longuich and back(having done downriver on a previous visit). This is, of course, pretty flat, and passes many villages with their own stellplatze, and all on cycle tracks (unless you want to vary the bank on which you cycle, which may mean some road work). It really is excellent cycling country (the power on the e-bikes was turned off most of the time), lots of cafes for Kaffee-Kuchen or a beer, but (IMO) less good for serious walking (though ambling round a town/village is fine).

 

On return, off for a shower, and then (as we couldn't resist) back to Matthiashof for a different bottle of Riesling, two flammekuchen with side salad, all for €29.

 

With the weather looking fine, the next destination was set as Regensburg. A new city for us, with a good write-up; on the limit of a day's drive, but this was putting us in the area where we planned to start touring rather than travelling.

 

To be continued (as mood weather and Wifi allow ;-)).....

[lennyhb]

Robinhood - 2014-09-01 9:08 AM

 

We arrived at Densole wondering whether we would get the stereotypical "little Hitler" warden. To my surprise, it was a close run thing, the hair and moustache were spot on............ but she booked us in pleasantly and quickly enough, with a choice of pitches; "ein hundert elf, oder ein hundert elf, ha ha".

 

Pleased I'm hot the only one who finds them (lol)

 

So, off for the 8:25 ferry the next morning. I know a lot of people now swear by the tunnel, but (possibly compounded by the fact that the two times we've used the tunnel we've suffered significant delays, one of which was a contributing factor to me writing-off a 'van in Normandy) I still prefer the ferries. If I've driven for any length of time before reaching The Channel (from either side) it gives a good opportunity to take a break and stretch the legs; If I've stopped close to the Channel, then it gives a chance to get a coffee and croissant before a long drive either home or well on our way South. It's also (usually) cheaper - which helps.

 

Again, I'm not the only one done the tunnel 5 or 6 times been delayed 3 times and had a vehicle breakdown due to the pressure wave as you enter the tunnel (tripped a sensor result no idicators, central locking etc.). Rather use Ferry even if it cost more & relax.

 

We've tried a few, and seen many others, of the stellplätze in this part of the Mosel, but this is by far our favourite. Wintrich itself has less in the village than many others round about, but the stellplatz is a model of what should tempt people from using campsites. Easy to use (the barrier system had changed since our last visit, though, so we were mildly confused); simply take a ticket at the entry barrier (15 minutes grace to exit) and pre-pay on exit for the days used. There are grass pitches and well-spaced hardstandings; right on the river-bank, and a short walk from the village. €8.50 per night including electric and wifi. Decent showers at €1, and water at €1 per 90litres (or in 10¢ increments).

We are also Mosel fans, like the idear of being able to top up water without having to pay for the full 90Lt never seen that before. On one Stellplatz on the Mosel we had EHU (before we had solar) when we left guy came over swiped his card on the EHU and gave us money back for electricity we had not used.

 

Have a good trip, we are off on Friday until the end of September not sure where we are going but think we may end up in Provance, tend to follow the good weather.

 

 

 

[Robinhood]

The Rough Guide describes Regensburg as the only major German mediaeval city to remain intact. I've seen various cities claiming similar things, so I was a bit cynical, but it's a rather better starting point than describing it as like Barnsley on an off-day (and it is a World Heritage Site - Regensburg, that is, not Barnsley). We've been close to visiting before, but this time it was a definite target, and as the weather forecast looked less promising beyond the immediate future, we decided to head straight there from the Mosel, rather than make an intermediate stop.

 

TBH, it was always going to be on the limit for a decent day's travel on the Autobahn, on a Friday. In reality, it was a bit far. We don't have a monopoly on motorway hold-ups in the UK; my experience of Germany is that they can do them just as well, if not better. Long lengths of the Autobahn system are being upgraded, but though they are not the most pleasant parts to drive (being congested and with narrow lanes) they usually still allow decent (albeit speed-restricted) progress. No, though the Germans may be a technical master-race (vorsprung durch technik and all that), they really do need some better bridge engineers. Our very worst delays over the last few years have been caused by huge tailbacks from 300 metres or so of bridge being rebuilt. And boy, are they rebuilding those bridges; lots of them! So, we steadily dropped time whilst heading West over bridge after bridge, each with its own delay. At least the weather remained good.

 

We got a minor relief from the tedium as we sat in a queue for yet another set of bridge works. A Polizei "jam sandwich" (actually, they're more like cucumber sandwiches in Germany) had overtaken us in the queue, and then pulled over into the right hand lane judiciously between two HGVs, and was therefore (deliberately) difficult to see. A few seconds later, a BMW shot past up the hard shoulder, and there wasn't a split-second between that and the "lights and music" from the Polizei, as he sped off after it.

 

Several hundred metres later, on the hard shoulder the wallet was already out, being cleaned out by a Polizei fraulein, whilst the polizei car and driver had set off to deal with a minor shunt in the queue a further couple of hundred metres ahead.

 

Multi-tasking police, eh! Let's hope it doesn't catch on in the UK.

 

We were heading for the old municipal campsite (now an Azur site) on the edge of Regensburg, and without a reservation were now hoping there would still be space. Arriving at 17:30, there were a few pitches still available, (though it was full by 20:00) and we were given a list and asked to report back once pitched.

 

The pitches were (in the way that many heavily-used city campsites are) rather tired looking, and electric points were in some cases a long way from the pitches. We chose one (of few) that didn't require the second cable breaking out, and reported back to reception.

 

The pricing was in the highest of three seasons, and was the rather steep amount of €32.50 per night (incl electric, and credit card accepted). Though the facilities were again, slightly "tired" they were perfectly acceptable, and the main attraction of the site is that it is a couple of miles pleasant walk or cycle down the banks of the Danube to the city centre.

 

As the evening was fine and warm, we had a stroll to the centre, a very quick look round to orient ourselves for the morrow, and a cheap meal right opposite the Rathaus at what was probably the local equivalent of Wetherspoons. (Though you don't get the local youth sat outside Wetherspoons in lederhosen or dirndls, even in Barnsley!). At something under €25 for beers and meals, not bad value again.

 

We walked back to the campsite in gathering gloom, The banks of the Danube were populated by more youth, most of the young girls looking innocent in Dirndls. The current Mrs H was intrigued to know whether this mode of dress fooled their parents, or whether they new they were heading off to the river with their bongs, wine and beer (all in much evidence).

 

In all seriousness, the locals take their traditional dress to heart, and there is a procession of people at weekends dressed in the same; it's all quite touching!

 

We spent the next full day simply wandering round Regensburg, having again walked in along the Danube. Much interesting architecture, with contrasting churches (Ornate Catholic to austere Lutheran, and everything inbetween). lots of Italianate towers, and alleyways galore to explore for beer and kaffe-kuchen. Probably the most disappointing aspect was that the iconic steinbrucke was under reconstruction and covered with scaffolding. (Those bl**dy bridge engineers again!). In reality, it took away a few photo opportunities and little else - the rest of the city was interesting enough to compensate (and like many German towns/cities, very, very clean)

 

So at the end of the day, back to the 'van for a quiet meal in, and a sit down after a full day walking the streets. We came away from Regensburg with a very favourable impression.

 

The next planned destination was the Bayerische Wald Nationalpark, about 70 miles further East, towards the Czech border, and less-populated with campsites and stellplätze (and the weather forecast wasn't looking good :-( )

 

.....to be continued.

 

[Guest Had Enough]

Germany calling.

 

Haw Haw!

[Brock]

Nice one, Frank.

[Bojitoes]

Really interested in your blog as we intend to follow a similar route ourselves in 3 weeks time. Our final destination ( not solution) is Berchtesgaden - Are you going that far south? We also intend to go to Salzburg on the way and possibly Vienna- but might do that by public transport as I dont like driving when it gets too high!

Are you having any difficulties getting wifi or have all the stellplatz / sites got it?

Enjoy the rest of your trip

bob

[Robinhood]

Had Enough - 2014-09-01 9:06 PM

 

Germany calling.

 

Haw Haw!

 

Good Lord!

 

 

 

;-)

[Guest Had Enough]

Brock - 2014-09-01 9:11 PM

 

Nice one, Frank.

 

I borrowed Tracker's irrepressible sense of fun, his warped sense of humour and his inability to take life or himself too seriously!

 

I couldn't have done it without him.

[Robinhood]

Bojitoes - 2014-09-01 9:16 PM

 

Really interested in your blog as we intend to follow a similar route ourselves in 3 weeks time. Our final destination ( not solution) is Berchtesgaden - Are you going that far south? We also intend to go to Salzburg on the way and possibly Vienna- but might do that by public transport as I dont like driving when it gets too high!

Are you having any difficulties getting wifi or have all the stellplatz / sites got it?

Enjoy the rest of your trip

bob

 

Not Berchtesgaden this time, as we've done it a few times, and fairly recently. Camping Allweglehen is pretty good, and is probably in ACSi season now if you have the card. They will give you a Gastekart which covers free local transport.

 

Our next leg is probably into Austria.

 

Easy to get to Salzburg from Berchtesgaden, and Camping Nord Sam is good for the city (bus from outside). They often have an offer on in September.

 

Wifi is mixed, most sites have it, but some (Regensburg for example) charge. Current site out in the sticks has very good "free" wifi - details in my next post (as and when). Most tourist offices have free wifi (Regensburg did).

 

Vienna is a great place to visit, we stayed at the site at Klosterneubeurg some years ago. It is next to the suburban station, and a day ticket into Vienna can buy you a day's travel in the city Trams, buses, etc.) It is the last station in the central zone, so quite cost-effective.

 

No problems driving to any of these, unless you take an obscure route. ;-)

[Delfin Driver]

We are just back from a trip to Bavaria, Austria and the Italian Dolomites. Searching for better weather and watching the weather forecasts- mainly wrong - we ended up in Vienna after staying on a superb site in Bad Birnbach near Passau.We stayed in Tulln, also on the Danube, and with a good train service into Vienna. The site also runs a tour bus into the city which you can also use as a bus service without taking the tour. They run twice a week in high season and once the rest of the time.

Tulln is a pleasant town with good walking and cycling routes and also a good Garden Show - about 60 attractive plots on a permanent site with a good restaurant and cafe.

Vienna is a great city with a superb public transport system and plenty to see. We spent a day alone In Schonnbrun Palace and this was our second visit.

We found Austria, Germany and Italy all very reasonable for transport and eating out. A great holiday, not really where we intended to be, but the weather could have been better!

[Guest JudgeMental]

Delfin Driver - 2014-09-01 10:05 PM

 

We are just back from a trip to Bavaria, Austria and the Italian Dolomites. Searching for better weather and watching the weather forecasts- mainly wrong

 

We found Austria, Germany and Italy all very reasonable for transport and eating out. A great holiday, not really where we intended to be, but the weather could have been better!

 

 

Weather has been very mixed this year to say the least, surprised people choose a destination without considering it......

 

We'd started holiday on the Mosel and it rained...moved on to Alsace and it rained...moved to Lake Constance and it rained (getting the idea?) Fussen in Bavaria and it rained. Thought enough was enough and pushed on for lake Garda earlier then expected, guess what, and it rained. Was much better on Garda at least it was warm and you felt like you were on holiday.

 

10th year in Italy and have never seen weather like it.. We were there in August which was OK but in July they had 25 days of rain. Don't get me wrong we had a great time, due to health and 2 operations in July was lucky to get away at all. plenty of cycling although got drenched a few times.....but when used to wall to wall 30+ deg it was not the same. I felt sorry for family's in tents.

 

German road works a real pain, so much traffic, major delays all the way back through Austria via Stuttgart . My mate who came down in his hymer the same way vowed never again! What with toll charges coming in in Germany ( a yearly charge like Switzerland ) we will go back to using the Swiss route in the future. Driving all about timing, avoid weekends in holiday season and you have half a chance..Gothard tunnel delays likewise all about the timing.......

[lennyhb]

We are off on Friday until the end of the month, thinking of Provance again, we tend to follow the weather. Last year we were going to the Vosges raining so much & cold didn't even stop, ended up on Lac d' Annecy, 2 days in the 20's then the rain caught up moved on to Provence 30deg on the beach in the Camargue never saw a another drop of rain, in Avignon at end of September still 30 deg at 6:30pm. A few years ago heading for Baltic coast weather so bad turned right ened up in Solvenia.

[Guest JudgeMental]

Provenance makes sense.....Heading to Spain end of month. to us its not a holiday if weather no better then here. We like warm barmy summer day & especially evenings....

[Guest JudgeMental]

Had Enough - 2014-09-01 9:27 PM

 

Brock - 2014-09-01 9:11 PM

 

Nice one, Frank.

 

I borrowed Tracker's irrepressible sense of fun, his warped sense of humour and his inability to take life or himself too seriously!

 

I couldn't have done it without him.

 

That so worth repeating...Well funny Frank :-D

[Robinhood]

......and after a dearth of campsite wifi, a bit of catching up.

 

 

So, off to the Bayerische Wald Nationalpark, about 75 miles away, and, with a dearth of sites in the area, we had decided to return to the Nationalpark campsite at Klingenbrunn, one we visited 10 years ago, and vowed to return some day.

 

The first part of the journey was on the Autobahn, and I can honestly say that the rain was the worst I have driven in for many a long year. If it hadn't been for the Sunday ban on LKW (HGVs to you and me) on the autobahn, it would have been impossible. I was later told the the motorway up from Munich had 12 miles of standing traffic on it, unable to drive in the conditions!

 

This particular Nationalpark is very attractive, reminding me of the better parts of the Black Forest, though much less touristy. It runs up to the Czech border with 5000ft mountains, and covers quite a large area.

 

The campsite is almost at 3000ft, and tucked away in the forest between Klingenbrunn and Spiegelau. There is precious little now in Kingenbrunn, (there is a brewery though ;-) ) but Spiegelau, though small, has all the facilites you could need, and is about a mile's walk down a forest road from the campsite. It also has a glass factory, with a factory outlet, and you can buy all sorts of Spiegelau or Riedl branded glassware from the inexpensive to the extortionate. Good wineglasses of every shape and size can be had for a very attractive price.

 

The campsite itself is basic, but quiet with decent pitches, good facilities, and free wifi. There's also a small bar/buffet which does mainly pizzas to eat, but a couple of daily specials as well. We arrived just after midday, and were told to choose a pitch, and we would be hooked-up, and then to return and book-in in the evening. The rain having mainly lifted, we walked into Spiegelau and back. As the rain then returned, we wandered into the bar, and had a couple of beers and two daily specials for around €22, before repairing to the 'van for the rest of the evening.

 

Whilst the Nationalpark isn't touristy, it is well set up to deal with tourists. Since our last visit, (and in common with some other areas) the Gästekarte issued free by the campsite includes free travel on buses and trains throughout the park. Since there is a bit of a transport "hub" at Spiegelau, this could prove quite useful to motorhomers.

 

The following day we had a 10 mile circular walk on one of the many marked footpaths, though the low cloud obscured the views from wherever they should have been (and continually threatened us with a soaking that never really materialised). We returned to eat the evening meal in the 'van, and it was quite a cold and damp evening (heating on!).

 

The default weather app on my smartphone is Accuweather, a title it fails to fulfil in almost every respect. In the UK, though set to give me local conditions, it steadfastly fails to recognise and update where I am. For months it insisted, wherever I was, on giving me the forecast for Bury (yes, Bury for god's sake!). Since entering Germany, however, it had consistently updated to the correct location, and was always showing a good forecast for "tomorrow". I rapidly came to the conclusion that "tomorrow" was being used in the same context as manana!

 

As we'd come to walk and sightsee, we resolved that if, as Accuweather promised, the morrow brought clearer weather, we would catch the free bus for the access point to Grand Rachel (which has a signposted footpath up it/her) and do the return climb, otherwise we would move on further South and East into Austria, hoping for warmer and dryer weather.

 

In the event, the morning was misty and cold (though dry) and we decided move on. As I checked out, I said in my best German "It's nice here, but the weather is......." "Scheiss" the guy on reception interjected, before I could say "nicht sehr gut". I couldn't have put it better myself! (We had had a joke or too over the two days, so he wasn't being over-presumptuous).

 

The site cost €22.80 per night including (metered) electricity, and the wifi. It was paid for on Credit Card.

 

As the weather appeared to be "scheiss, uberall", we initially thought of heading to Vienna, and breaking into museum mode for a few days, but going back for a third time was a bit boring, so we headed instead for Krems (it reputedly having a site walkable from the town), with a drive down the Danube valley in the Wachau that was new territory for us.

 

Incidentally, Diesel in Germany was running at around €1.36 per litre, (cheaper than France or Belgium) but was supposed to be even cheaper in Austria, so I delayed filling up again.

 

No pictures with this instalment, due to the "dreich" weather.

 

So, in search of warmer and dryer weather, were we successful? (Well, we were with one of them.....)

 

.....to be continued

 

 

[Robinhood]

Having set off for Krems, surprise, surprise, we almost immediately ran into rain, which continued all the way. We paused at the Austrian border to buy the obligatory (for up to 3.5t) Vignette (€8.50 for 10 days Autobahn use)and coming off the motorway, we had a 30 mile or so drive down the North Bank of the Danube valley, and whilst it certainly wasn't yet in flood, it was very much in spate (and dirty brown, not Blue).

 

The ÖAMTC site at Krems was right on the edge of the Danube, next to the "Schiffstation". With the main road close to the other side, so during all but the night-time it was subject to some noise. The platzwart showed us to a small and rather wet pitch, and told us to book in later. Whilst still wet, it was certainly quite a bit warmer than our last stop.

 

Krems is described as one of the prettiest towns on that stretch of water, and, though I doubt we were seeing it at its best, I'm glad we didn't choose one of the others. It was perfectly all right in a bland sort of way, but just not particularly interesting.

 

We returned to book in and were asked to pay in advance, €24.60 per night, incl electric, so paid for one night with credit card. Facilities were fine, though as highlighted, the pitches were small (as was the site). If you were lucky enough to get a pitch on the river wall, you could watch the river traffic going by to your heart's content (and briefly jump their wifi connection, as there was none on the site).

 

We headed out just before five for a further wander round town, and to find somewhere for a meal and drink (not usually a problem in any Austrian town. As the shops started to close, the whole place turned into a Ghost Town! There was no-one about, and hardly anywhere to eat! It reminded me quite a bit of Crewe (I spent a week there one day!). We were reduced to eating in splendid isolation in a small grill we found, where the beer was good and the food adequate.

 

The woman I like to call the current Mrs H had the theory that much of the tourism is associated with the river cruise boats, so they cater for the midday kaffee-kuchen trade as the "cruisers" are allowed off-board for sightseeing, but in the evening, there is little demand for meals (as everyone is back onboard). She may be right. (Actually, of course, she is - it's a given ;-) )

 

In reality, though the site and town were nothing special, we did think that the stretch of river between Melk and Krems looked like it would provide interesting diversions in good weather, and on that stretch there was a well-located private stellplatz overlooking the river that would have attracted interest in better weather.

 

Probably the most exciting bit of the stay was watching the river traffic struggling to get upstream against the very strong current (and the family of ducks disappearing downstream at about 30 knots with puzzled expressions!).

 

Having not "connected" with the town or site, we resolved to move on whatever the weather, and looking through our information, came up with a target of Mariazell, on the Lower Austria/Styria border, and once more completely new ground for us.

 

........to be continued

 

 

[Robinhood]

We set off due South towards Mariazell in dry but grey weather, and within a few miles were back into the rain again. The first part of the journey was largely through industrial landscape, but we were soon climbing fairly rapidly, and whilst the road was easy, there were a good few hairpin bends on the way up to Annarotte and then higher, before beginning to dip towards Mariazell. The glimpses of the scenery we got between the weather indicated this would be a good drive for views on a better day.

 

Fuel in Austria was looking better priced than Germany (as expected) with a low of €1.28 per litre spotted. (Conversely, the price of a bottle of wine rose quite a bit in Austria, over German prices - though the quality of the mid-range offerings is quite good).

 

Mariazell is a small pilgrimage town (with a large basilica), and not somewhere I would usually target, but the campsite we were going to look at was a few kilometres out, straddling the Lower Austria/Styria border at The Erlaufsee. By this time, the weather was mainly dry, but the clouds were still well down.

 

We arrived at the site, which had a less than impressive entrance, and on first viewing looked rather scrubby. The office was closed, with a note to pitch and book in between 06:30 and 09:00! (the next morning). So we drove further onto the site, and the facilities block looked immaculate from the outside. So, we revised our impression, decided the weather was the main factor in the initial view - went and had a look in the facilities, which reflected the outside, and decided to stay. Electric boxes were open, but obviously metered, so after pitching I hooked up and took an initial reading. We then walked through a side gate directly to the rather pleasant, and very quiet, lake.

 

This is obviously quite a tourist attraction (but not over-commercialised) and I suspect at times quite busy. There is swimming, boating and diving (as in aqualung) in the very clear lake, which is teaming with fish. There is one café, and one Gasthof, and that is all. There is however, an ancient steam tramway that runs at weekends and holidays from the main railway terminus some kilometres away. I would have loved to have seen it, but the sign at the lakeside station (photo below) rather summed up some of the holiday so far!

 

Having arrived at lunchtime, we decided to do the 14km circular walk to Mariazell and back. It was a pleasant stroll, and the rain held off for most of it. Mariazell itelf was largely ok, (as in standard, fairly attractive, Austrian village/town) but the basilica and immediate surroundings were like a mini Lourdes (I've been there twice, but only on the way to climbing holidays in the Pyrenees, honest!), complete with stalls selling with plastic Virgin Marys full of "holy water" etc.; a complete turn off for me.

 

We did get free wifi in the centre, however, and the kaffee-kuchen were up to scratch.

 

A meal in the 'van in the evening as we were pretty isolated, and neither of the lakeside facilities were open late.

 

Accuweather (spit!) said the next day (Thursday) would be the best for a few days, so we were resigned to moving on ;-). It did, surprisingly, look better at 08:00, and so I booked in for an extra night with a very jolly Austrian (who presumably had another job to go to at 09:00). He already had an electricity meter reading, and confirmed that the price would be €14.60 per night plus electricity (which added €3 per night). Showers were additionally 50¢ each, and I couldn't last the course, even with very hot water.

 

This was the best day since leaving Regensburg. A few clouds, and quite hazy, but with sun and warmth. We had a pleasant walk to a local village to pick up some provisions, and then, after lunch at the van, an even more pleasant walk around the lake, and, for the first time this holiday, an evening meal sat outside the 'van.

 

We'd resolved to move on the morrow, though with good weather this area has real potential - decent walking, and some good bike rides, and a couple of lifts to the higher hills in service. On a campsite with a reasonable amount of space, however, whilst we were out strolling, someone pulled a van up about 4 feet away (by van, I mean plumbers van, not motorcaravan) on our door side, moved the bikes out of the back, the luggage into the cab, and presumably the dad and lad were sleeping in the back. They could easily have given us another 6 feet at least with no detriment to anyone. None of it concerns me except the spacing, oh, and of course the old sliding-door syndrome ;-).

 

Hey Ho, so Mauterndorf (again, new territory for us) targeted for tomorrow (though if the weather is nice, it could be Oberwölz, where we've been twice, is glorious, but it always tips it down the day after we arrive ;-)).

 

....to be continued

 

 

 

 

[Robinhood]

...so, we set off South again in grey and slightly damp weather. Up and over the Aflenzer Seeberg in reasonable scenery to Kapfenberg, where we reprovisioned in a Spar (Credit Card no problem) as the sun broke through (spreading in from the East).

 

Of course, we were going West, and using the S6 "Schnellstrasse", which is one of those little things the Austrians throw at you to catch you out. Even though its not a motorway, you need a Vignette (or Go Box if applicable) to use it, and it isn't at all difficult to get caught out if you're not expecting it. (There are others sprinkled about the country, so beware)

 

We were running somewhat ahead of the weather, and there was lowish cloud ahead. It did seem, however, that the blue sky was following us, and it was certainly warm, so we decided to divert to Camping Schloss Rothenfels at Oberwölz, in the clear expectation that this would screw up tomorrows weather ;-).

 

If anybody uses Archies Europe POIs, then this campsite is described as Naturist. I can assure you it isn't........ Well, it is and it isn't. The main part of the site is for perfectly normal clothed people (and those that aren't normal of course). There is a totally separate, non-visible FKK area for perfectly normal unclothed people (and possibly some that aren't normal).

 

I can't speak for the FKK area, but the main campsite is everything we like in a site. It is informal (simply drive up, select a pitch and hook-up, and book in the following morning at the Schloss); it stands somewhat above Oberwölz, under the Schloss on a steep hillside with grassy, tree-shaded terraces; the views over the small and attractive town (which has all the basic facilities and is a short walk downhill) are fine, with the valley and hills running off into the distance. There are picnic tables liberally sprinkled around the terraces, making it easy to "liberate" one for al-fresco drinking and dining. Facilities are simple but comprehensive, with a good shower and toilet block. Whenever we've been here it has been quiet (with a few seasonal caravans on site - generally unoccupied - and maybe one or two touring units, all well spread out).

 

Cost is €20 per night inclusive, but they do ask you to volunteer another €1.50 if you're being hard on the electric (cooking or heating). The Schloss could almost be something from a Hammer horror film - the campsite side is a steep slope, but the other side is built directly on top of a cliff with a very steep drop - it gives an impressive view approaching up the valley on the road. The first time we were here, many years ago, you booked in in the castle, in a room that looked out of the steep side, and with the owners themselves. The view out of the window was stunning, and the kids both got sweets (and we got a card every Christmas for several years, but that's not the only Austrian or German site that's done that). Unfortunately, nowadays, booking in is in a "chalet" in the grounds, so no more internal viewing of the Schloss.

 

After pitching, We had a stroll around the town and up a valley above, and then went for a meal in a local Gasthof. Much like Germany, for an uncomplicated and hearty main course, and possibly a side-salad, with a beer each we only pay somewhere in the region of €25-28 (and local Gasthofs are unlikely to take cards). You can usually choose from Pork, Pork, Pork or Pork (only joking - but the Austrians and Germans are very fond of it, and you never see any pig farms).

 

We booked in the next morning - the warden being (as he described it) "ersatz". His wife normally does the job, and though we are pretty sure there is Wifi here (there is a signal, and we think we used it last time) he didn't have the key. As the morning was dry, and warm, but somewhat cloudy, we decided to book for two nights, and he searched a Wanderkarte (footpath map) out to lend us, and we had an enjoyable and strenuous 11.5 mile walk.

 

Invariably, when you walk on German/Austrian hills an mountains you will find somewhere to get a beer (and food if need be), and we did. At €2.60 for half a litre, it was slightly cheaper than par, but representative of the value in Germany/Austria.

 

We ate at the 'van in the evening, using the liberated table, and enjoying our al fresco meal.

 

Next morning was sunny with broken cloud, so we decided to stay another day, and do some cycling. First, being half-way through the holiday, chores such as washing and cleaning needed to be done, and by the time we'd finished, there were some rather ominous dark clouds.

 

But, in for a penny........off up the valley we set, initially on cycle tracks but then on the (quiet) main road. There are lots of circular routes signposted - many for mountain bikes, but the ones we saw were passable with an ordinary bike, as long as you didn't mind climbing. We were finally turned back by a massive thunderstorm, and managed about 22 miles in all, which doesn't sound over-much, but with over 2,500 ft of ascent................

 

Returned to eat at the 'van again, after washing the bikes down, and with the picnic table under the awning this time.

 

It really is a pleasant area, with good walking and cycling (though some of the hills can be challenging). As we paid for our extra night, one of the few other people on the site was booking out. He said "this is our first time here, but it won't be our last!". I doubt it will be our last either.

 

So, tomorrow further West, we know not where, but the weather will (partially) determine.

 

 

......to be continued

 

 

 

 

[Robinhood]

A bit reluctant to leave Oberwölz, we nonetheless set off the following morning, provisioning ourselves at The ADEG in the village on the way out (no credit cards) and heading West up the valley. Whilst we started in reasonable sunshine, it soon started to cloud over, and by the time we reached Tamsweg, it was pretty well overcast. We diverted slightly through Mauterndorf (for future reference - OK, but a bit "busy") and then turned South towards Spital an der Drau.

 

There is a choice here of using the autobahn and paying the additional toll for the Katschberg Tunnel (not included in the vignette price) or going over the Katschberg Pass (which we have done probably a couple of times before). As there was a bit of blue sky showing towards the South, we decided on the latter, in the hope of some views. I think familiarity must have bred contempt, as I had forgotten it is an "interesting" drive in a motorcaravan. Large sections of 1 in 7 with bends (though not hairpin) meant quite a bit of second gear work - and then much the same down the other side!

 

From the top of the pass, the weather steadily improved; the autobahn down the valley to Spital was a triumph of engineering, platformed and bridged along the valley side, and being high up had tremendous views. At Spital, we were planning on heading West towards Lienz, and looking for somewhere to stop before we got there. A choice of the Möll or Drau valleys presented itself, both with campsites along them, but as the former had much of its length marked as a green (scenic) road in the Michelin Atlas, we chose that.

 

We had a quick look at the campsite at Sachsenburg, which looked quite attractive, but was a little enclosed and close to the industrial lower valley, so we moved on and found quite a little gem at Obervellach. Part of an activity (rafting, canoeing, etc.) and sports area, the camping was informal in a flat meadow next to the river, and well away from the road slightly below Obervellach. It was in full sun when we arrived at lunchtime (and very hot) and looked just the sort of place we like.

 

We reported to the office, which adjoined a small bar and restaurant, and were told to find a pitch (acres of space and only 6 or 7 people pitched), hook up and come back to book in any time before 10 pm! So we picked a riverside spot well away from the bar, and set ourselves up. Facilities were pretty good, and there was free Wifi, but only in the environs of the bar (where they were quite happy for you to sit, with or without a drink).

 

Obervellach itself was fairly attractive, with all the things you could need, except (once again surprisingly for Austria) a very limited scope for evening eating. There were Gasthofs around, but most seemed to have either "gone under" or had declared an early end of season. (The receptionist at the campsite confirmed that the year had seen very mixed weather, with few settled periods of sun).

 

It appeared that, though a little out of town, the campsite bar and restaurant was the town's favoured watering and eating place, and it turned out to be no bad thing, with pleasant, good value food, and decent surroundings (again, just over the €25 for two beers and mains). A walk down-river and back up the other side completed the evening.

 

Next day was sunny from the off, with thunder forecast for about 4pm, so an out and return bike ride was in order. Routes were limited, but a long-distance bike route to Heiligenblut (at the bottom of the Grossglockner) ran up the valley, and was "off road" all the way. What that means is that most of it was on restricted forest roads, with virtually no traffic, and the small remainder on cycle tracks alongside the road; all hard surfaced. So 20 miles out (steady but not challenging climb all the way), 20 miles back, and a beer at the turning point - very enjoyable, and back before the rain!

 

Dinner at the 'van, warm enough to eat under the awning, and a resolve to move on the next day. The area has a few other things to do locally (including a couple of "schlucht" (or platformed gorge) walks, but though we liked the site, we thought we could do better with overall location before the weather went "off" as forecast. (though we would miss the spectacle of the trains on the Tauern line traversing the series of viaducts many hundreds of feet above the campsite up the steep valley side!)

 

Cost was €21.80 per night including electric (though knowingly, I was only charged for the shortest 'van, it should have been very slightly more - the old charm and schoolboy German still work!).

 

So, we set off for Matrei in Osttirol, and the Virgental, a quieter area in the midst of the Hohe Tauern Mountains, again, a new valley for us.

 

To be continued............

[Robinhood]

A 50 mile journey would take us to Matrei in Osttirol, the gateway for the Virgental, a blind valley in the midst of the Hohe Tauern, and some of the highest mountains in Austria.

 

We retraced some of the direction of our previous day's cycling, towards Winklern, and then up over the Iselsberg Pass. The weather became more cloudy as we progressed, but after crossing the pass, on the descent we were greeted to stunning views of the Lienzer Dolomites poking out through cloud and mist. The weather continued to clear as we continued to Matrei, and past the campsite on the edge of town, which looked OK, but we were looking for somewhere a little quieter.

 

Research back in the UK had indicated there were three campsites in the valley, all of them small and pretty informal. We had resolved to check out each village, and the associated site, in turn as we ascended the valley, and take the first we liked the look of. The weather was now bright and sunny so we set off in search.

 

Well, we didn't get far up the valley! The first site, a little beyond and below the village of Virgen, was an absolute gem. Owned by the adjoining Gästehaus, it has around 16 grassed pitches, beautifully laid out and tended, with views to die for. Most of the pitches are far from level (in fact we got level with only two ramps, but more than half the pitches would be more of a challenge). The facilities are a short walk up the hill in the basement of the Gastehaus, and are excellent, though with one WC and one shower for each sex, would be stretched if the site were full. There is free wifi, but you may have to sit outside the Gästehaus to use it if you don't have an antenna.

 

There was absolutely no-one on the site when we arrived, and only a single German caravan pitched up after us. (A German VW camper joined us on the second night). The site cost €22 per night, including electric, but showers were 50¢ extra. Again, I couldn't stay the course for this, and, more to the point, the shower consisted of a changing room with a proper cubicle in it, so you could have a shower and get dressed in the dry - how often does that happen?!

 

A small path connects the bottom of the site to the local footpath network, and we worked our way down the valley next to the river, and then steeply up into the village of Virgen. This has a supermarket, baker, etc, and a number of Gasthofs for eating and drinking (and free wifi at the info centre). We returned to the 'van, and sat taking in the scenery before having a meal with the same backdrop, and a further short walk up and down the river.

 

The next day dawned cloudy, clearing slowly from the upper valley, so we decided to stay. We went up to the Gästehaus to tell them and get some more shower tokens, and came away with a couple of breakfast pastries, pressed on us by the matriarch from the tray for the house guests - I bet they'd go on the bill! With showers and thunder forecast for later, we set off early to walk up to Hinterbichl, at the head of the valley, the end of the road being less than a mile further. Many of the high routes start from here, with the option of being ferried up to the mountain huts by taxi! (actually 4WD VW minibuses). We picked a route from the various tracks, and had a beautiful 15 mile round walk in stunning scenery, and generally very good weather.

 

We were able to check out the other two sites in the valley. The first, at Prägraten, didn't look, from a distance at least, anything out of the ordinary - though it would have had decent views. The second was at Hinterbichl itself, and though with less impressive views directly from the site, Hinterbichl is a very good jumping off point for a huge variety of walking in the higher mountains. The site looked simple, and flat, and we would probably consider using it on a future visit. There is little in Hinterbichl, but there is a good Gasthof, and their beer is all right (at least after a long hard climb ;-) )

 

Incidentally, the footpath went along the site boundary, and as we returned a Finnish motorcaravanner with a Hobby Van was pitching (escaping foul weather in Italy) so we had a conversation about Finland, Austria, and all points inbetween.

 

The highlight of the day, however, was passing a field of Llamas, and when we stopped to look, only one of them was interested. It struggled up to the top of the field where we were, and without a care in the world, shoved it's head through the fence and tried to get at us. Can't have been much more than a few day's old - it was tiny, and it's legs were still completely out of control. I have little doubt that it was being hand-reared (bottle-fed), and it was so cute!!. We beat a rapid retreat feeling very guilty, as it obviously expected to be fed.

 

We returned to the 'van in rain, which quickly dried up, and we walked into Virgen (on the road - it's a bit easier) for a meal. Gasthof Neuwirt had a fairly typical "Schnitzel" menu, but this was augmented by daily specials, and two mains and a beer were €30 (a slight increase caused by the current Mrs H having a large, local trout). The food was good, and the fact that it was downhill to the campsite afterwards was greatly appreciated.

 

As forecast, the following morning was cold, dull, and fresh snow decorated the mountains to fairly low-down, so we resolved to move on again (having some mileage to do to prepare for our journey home).

 

When we'd arrived, the lady owner couldn't find the Schlussl for the electric cabinets. Luckily, I'd spotted it in one of the locks as we checked the pitches. She asked us to use it and drop it back when we'd finished. I knew, I shouldn't have locked our cabinet, as predictably, when we checked out, she couldn't find it again (and this time it wasn't in one of the locks, nor could she find any of the spares). After an abortive game of hunt the Schlussl, I went and accosted the German caravan owner, who rather shamefacedly produced it (First Poland, then the Schlussl!). When I tried to hand it in as we left, he demanded it back - so, if you ever use this site, hang on to your Schlussl!.

 

......to be continued

[Guest pelmetman]

Nice pic's Robin B-).....................reminds me of the bits of Scotland I saw when the rain stopped or the mist lifted :D...................do they have midges? :-S..............

 

 

[Robinhood]

The forecast for both the short and medium term in the immediate area was now looking rather grim. Partly because of reluctance to leave the Alps, and partly because of our previous experience of traffic delays in transiting the bits of Germany immediately joining Austria, we decided to head only 100 miles or so to Oberammergau, just North of the border, for a single night.

 

We've stayed here a couple of times before, both in poor weather. The campsite has friendly staff, good, gravel hardstandings, decent facilities, and (chargeable - €1 per metered hour) wifi. Electric is metered, and this time the overall cost was €24.67 for a night.

 

The 10-day Austrian vignette had run out the day before, and as the Satnav was taking me through (obviously) the Felbertauern tunnel, and then via Kufstein, using the Austrian motorway for only two junctions, we decided we'd go through Kufstein itself, and avoid buying another vignette. The drive up to the tunnel was "interesting" as they seem to have had a major landslip, and there is a massive road engineering project in place on the Southern end, bypassed by a temporary, rather twisting, hilly, and at times single-track road. The views both sides were good, and the tunnel cost €10.

 

We successfully negotiated Austria without using the motorways, joined the German network at the first junction over the border, and immediately ran into a succession of traffic jams (more bridge repairs, one exacerbated by a broken down car in the roadworks - the Germans don't seem to provide the free recovery service which is common on UK motorway contraflows).

 

Our relief at leaving the autobahn network and joining the Bundestrasse heading for Oberammergau was short lived, as there was a major diversion for a road closure. We were beginning to be glad that we hadn't set a more distant target for the night. (The Germans are very fond of the "Umleitung". I once was diverted at Konigstein due to a road closure to fix flood damage. Though I didn't know it, I was 300 metres from the campsite at the start of the diversion, and it was 21km long!! It was possible to bypass it (illegally) to access the campsite by traversing a track on the banks of the Elbe, and I tipped off a couple of Motorhomes puzzling about access the next day). We arrived at Oberammergau fairly late in the afternoon.

 

Oberammergau itself is pretty, if a bit "twee" (the painted murals on the houses being the main draw, except when the passion play is on - but you might have to wait 10 years for that!) , and is very busy during the daytime (coach parties etc.), but the campsite is within easy walking distance of the centre, which is much quieter by late afternoon, and has a decent choice of eating and drinking houses. So, we had a leisurely stroll and a meal, and returned to the 'van to check the weather forecast.

 

We quite fancied returning to Oberstdorf, further West in the German Alps, but, to coin a previous phrase, the weather was still "scheiss uberall", so we considered the alternatives, and decided to return to the Mosel for three nights (rather than our planned single overnight stop in transit back to the ferry). The weather forecast there was also slightly mixed, but it promised to be both warmer and dryer than the Alps, and a longer midway break would help ease the journey home.

 

A 300 mile or so journey meant that we would be arriving later than ideal for a stellplatz, and we decided to target the area we were most familiar with in order to be able to try a few known ones for one night only. This meant the area around Wintrich again, but, as the local Wine Festival was on, it was unlikely that we would be successful in getting a pitch there (despite the fact that it is a big one). So, once we hit the Mosel, we drove through Brauneburg (we might just have got a place there), past Wintrich (as full as a frog, and everything kicking off - I doubt you would have found space to put a Dinky motorhome anywhere, even on all the roadside verges!). Minnheim, further on on the other side of the river, was full, as was Piesport (it nearly always is).

 

We finally arrived a Trittenheim. The Stellplatz here is on the river bank, very close to the town centre. All the pitches are marked, and the main area is a block-paved "car park" (and was full). The far end, however (still marked) is on grass, and with judicious choice of place, still in reach of the electric points. There were a few spaces available, and in the end we spent the evening with a space either side of us (and IMO better than on the block paving).

 

....and, further to (and learning from) the umleitung story above - as we got reasonably close to Trittenheim there was a road closure and an umleitung down some god-forgotten narrow road. Having cycled through a couple of weeks before, we knew that the main street was being "refurbished", so I ignored the "no vehicles" signs, negotiated the barrier chicanes, and got straight through the town centre (...what signs. "Ich verstehe nicht!" ;-) ).

 

Cost was €6.50, with €3 for electricity. Grey and black water disposal free, and water 50¢ per 100 litres. The platzwart lives opposite, and it being after 5pm, as we set off to find the house, the lady set off in our direction to collect the fees, and advised us that the baker called in the morning (which he did, even though it was Sunday). Despite it's position close to town, the evening was very quiet.

 

Trittenheim is another reasonably attractive small town, and seems to have a very good selection of eating and drinking places. We might have stayed, (and would happily use the stellplatz again) but wanted to explore parts of the river (on bikes) that we hadn't done before. So the target for the morrow was to be off early, and look for a good stellplatz somewhat further downstream (for our last two nights).

 

And since there are no photos of Oberammergau or Trittenheim, I've slipped another of Virgen in!

 

......to be continued

 

[Robinhood]

Our target location was somewhere between Zell and Cochem, allowing us to cycle part of the river we haven't done before (On our first short stay with the kids on the Mosel some years ago, we stayed on the campsite at Zell, and cycled a good distance upstream, but not the other way).

 

We quite liked Zell, and, without any great confidence we would get a space, were off to look at the stellplatz on the riverbank just next to the campsite. It is excellently placed for access to Zell itself (being close to the footbridge) but only has about 20 spaces, directly facing the river.

 

When we were last there, there was also another stellpatz flagged somewhat further out of Zell, next to the road bridge, and basically a patch of scrubland. As we approached from that direction, it was heavily populated with 'vans, and no longer scrubland, having been well "fettled"; A number of terraced pitches had been made, and significant investment in very good service points, and coin slot electrics. The position, however, still isn't particularly attractive.

 

Given the population here (at 10am) we were resigned to not finding a space on the other stellplatz, but went to look anyway. To our surprise, there were a good few places free, and we drove straight onto one. The reason for the discrepancy can probably be explained by the fact that there is no electricity here, and the services (grey and black water disposal free, water €1 for 90 litres) are some distance away at the campsite, with a narrow road with little parking or passing space. (far enough away that emptying the toilet cassette, for instance, meant "the bike ride of shame" rather than "the walk of shame" :-) ).

 

I was almost full of water, and the batteries were fully charged, so none of this was a bar to staying two nights. The platzwart comes round early evening, and the cost is €6 per night (as it is at the other stellplatz). One thing we found is that Zell has a system of free public Wifi hotspots, and we had little difficulty using a tablet and laptop from the 'van (though the signal was too weak for our smartphones).

 

Despite the weather forecast being optimistic, though warm it was quite misty, and having had a wander around Zell for the rest of the morning, we did a 6 mile high-level round walk in the afternoon, and then ate out (outside - so it was quite warm) at a wine growers just down from the stellplatz. We repaired to the 'van, and the location was again, admirably quiet (with the odd barge chugging past overnight).

 

Next day dawned misty, but we had set our sights on a cycle and back to Cochem. Using different banks out and back, this was about 48 miles, accomplished in improving weather without using assistance on the e-bikes, except for a couple of steep ramps on and off the cycleway. A grand day out; Cochem however, though scenic, being somewhat too "manic" for our tastes.

 

Off for our last evening to a Weinstube on the other bank, where we shared a bottle of excellent Riesling Hochgewächs, and a couple of simple meals; In fact the wine was so nice that, having asked "wieviel zu mitnehmen?", I walked out with three bottles at €6 each (I don't think they'll be around for long!).

 

...and the following morning it was time to head home. With a tea-time ferry booked, we set out at 8am, and had one of the better journeys home that we've had.

 

Once again, North from the Mosel to Verviers along the E42 - I can't trumpet this road enough - hardly any traffic on it on the Tuesday morning. The satnav was suggesting heading via Charleroi Mons and Lille this time (rather than Brussels), so we decided to let it have its way. It wasn't a bad choice; much of the previously poor road surface has been replaced; there were quite a few roadworks, but no real hold-ups (what do the Belgians know that the Germans don't?), and the traffic was remarkably light (even of HGVs). We made very good time to the coast.

 

In the past, with the kids we have been in the habit of overnighting in the Calais area, and catching an early boat the following day. Quite a few times we've thought to ourselves "we could have been home tonight". So now, we book a teatime crossing. This generally leaves us a couple of hours slack to visit a supermarket near Calais and top up on diesel and wine (not necessarily in that order of importance), whilst having some contingency time for delays. In addition, arrival in the UK is aligned with the Dartford crossing becoming quieter. It is about 500 miles in a day, but we find it works well (given there is no real deadline on arriving home).

 

Dartford was indeed (very) quiet, as was the M25, M11 and A1, and we were home well before 10pm. Probably the best journey back we've had, apart from one hairy moment 8-). We came back on the Spirit of Britain, and were loaded towards the last. As I approached the loading ramp, I had a premonition that we were going to be sent up the side ramp on the boat - sure enough out of all the big vehicles loaded with us, I was the one singled out - not a very pleasant experience with not a lot of clearance, and concerns about grounding - I'm not sure why me - perhaps the loading controller has been reading this thread. Anyway, the approach angle on the downward ramp was no worse than the upward, so we didn't ground on the way off (I was determined to park up and let them sort it if I did!

 

....final summary to follow.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[AliB]

Thanks for the report Herr Hood. The Bayerische Wald Nationalpark sound particularly interesting and is an area I have not explored. Maybe next year.