Category Archives: Austria

Cycling along the Danube – the Aussie Cyclists

July 4, 2013 Rosemary Kneipp 5 Comments

Due to our change of plans because of bad weather near Linz a couple of weeks ago and our accommodation problems in Budapest, we have an extra two days after Wachau without any planned accommodation. The weather is looking much more promising and we’re planning to cycle around the S-bend or loop in the Danube between Passau and Linz.

We’ve narrowed down the possibilities to a couple of villages. I rule out the large hotel/camping complex in Schlogen and the first gasthaus in Wesenufer is closed no doubt as a result of the flooding. The next gasthof can only accommodate us for one night due to a seminar. So we cross the river to Niederranna where we come across Gasthof Dexler which advertises itself as a radler (cyclists) stop.

The young woman who seems to be looking after the restaurant as well says there’s a room vacant for 32 euro per person and I ask to see it. It’s spacious and has two armchairs and a low table. We later discover it has a terrace. We take it and ask if we can have lunch. As it’s already 2.30 pm, she says there is a small menu only. That’s fine by us.

As we walk out onto the terrace along the Danube, a man with an Aussie accent who’s with a group of 8 other cyclists asks me if I speak English. I say that I do. He explains that he has won his bet as the others were remarking on the absence of English speakers in this neck of the woods. “Not only do I speak English, but I’m also an Aussie”, I reply which is greeted with a round of surprised laughter.

River traffic from the restaurant terrace at Gasthof Draxler

I explain that Jean Michel is French and that we live in Paris and that I have been living in France for 37 years. It turns out they all belong to a cycling club near Geelong and are either retired or semi-retired. They’ve just spent two weeks cycling in the Cotswolds in England and have started their Danube trip at Passau that morning. They’re going to Vienna.

They’ve organised their trip with an agency that does the hotel bookings, transports their luggage from one stop to the next and plans their route. After lunch, they’re off to visit the Donaublick (lookout over the Danube) which, unfortunately, they don’t find.

Freewheelling from the Atlantic to the Black Sea

Next day, we learn that though they are all Aussies, one comes from the Netherlands, another from Greece and another from the UK. Jean Michel shows them our Eurovelo 6 book so they can see where we’ve been and where we’re going. We highly recommended the Wachau Heritage site we’ve just left.

Jean Michel on the scenic ferry down the loop

They are off to Linz via the S-bend and tell us about a ferry that their agency has recommended, that offers a very scenic ride through one part of the bend. We decide to include it on our way back.

Perfect weather for cycling around the S-bend

The weather is perfect – about 22 or 23°C with bright sun. So much better than the first time we were here. I think of the Aussie cyclists. That is the only problem with a pre-arranged trip – what do you do if it’s cold and rainy?

Art, Austria, Cycling, Restaurants, Sightseeing

Cycling along the Danube – Wachau in Austria, a World Heritage Site

July 3, 2013 Rosemary Kneipp 6 Comments

We nearly missed out on one of the highlights of our trip. If our home exchange in Budapest hadn’t fallen through, we would have passed over Washau altogether. It was Jean Michel’s fault, of course (he organised the itinerary and read the guide books!) but he he hadn’t realised it’s a Unesco World Heritage Site.

Melk and its famous abbey were on our list when we were in Aschach but in fact they were further than we thought – 125 K by bike – so after leaving Aschach early due to bad weather, I suggested we stop off at Melk on the way back from Budapest.

After consulting the Routard and checking the website, I phoned Weingasthof Donnauwirt at Weissenkirchen to see if they had a room for 2 nights. Bingo! As we neared our destination, we became more and more delighted. Quaint little villages, lovely scenery dotted with vineyards, panoramic views of the Danube. Exactly like the photos in our book and such a relief after the river banks around Budapest.

Our sunny terrace with a corner view of the Danube

Our room in the gastfhof is beautifullly decorated and has a table and chairs in one corner which is much better than the last one where I had to use the laptop sitting up in bed and we had to have dinner perched on one side making sure we didn’t get the sheets dirty, but best of all, it has its own terrace.

The village of Weissenkirchen from the ferry

Weissenkirchen is perfectly located. Just opposite the hotel is the ferry that takes you across the Danube. There are bike paths on either side which meant we could cycle along one bank and back along the other.

Since we arrived at the gasthof around 2 pm, we had time to book in, get changed, go across on the ferry and ride to Krems which is on the eastern tip of the Wachau.

The main entrance to Krems — Steiner Tor, the main entrance to Krems

The entrance to Krems is via the Steiner Tor, built in the late 15th century, the only one of the four town gates still standing. There are various other buildings of interest including two churches and a mediaeval quarter worth visiting.

On the way back, we visited Durnstein, one of the most popular villages in the area. By then we had completely fallen in love with the area.

On the banks of the Danube in the Wachau

Next day, we crossed on the ferry again and rode 26 kilometers west this time, to Melk. We were definitely on the right side of the river because the prettiest villages are across the other side.

At Melk, we rode up to the Baroque Benedictine abbey built in the early 18th century which overlooks the entire valley and left our bikes in a bike shelter that even had lockers to leave our paniers. The Austrians are very organised.

The entrance was expensive at 9.50 euro each and we weren’t that taken with all the religious exhibitions.

However, the library with its numerous mediaeval manuscripts, including 750 incunables (books printed before 1501) was very impressive, though not nearly as extravagant as the one in Wiblingen Abbey in Germany.

Modern painting on a side altar in Melk abbey church

The baroque church, whose renovation was completed about thirty years ago, is absolutely dripping with gold. There was even a lady polishing up the main altar to make it even brighter. There are also some unfortunate modern paintings on the side altars.

Wall paintings in the pavillion of Melk Abbey

We had a cold drink in the summer house with its beautiful frescoes and admired the view from the garden behind. The Benedictines certainly picked a wonderful spot.

The trip back along the other side of the Danube was not nearly as exciting. Most of it wound through vineyards and apricot and cherry orchards. We even bought some fruit from a sulky wayside vendor. While we were there, a man pulled up in his truck and got out, wearing ledenhosen! They were even better from the front but I couldn’t take a discreet photo.

In the evening we dined al fresco in the hotel restaurant. The meal was expensive and disappointing, except for the wine which was excellent, reinforcing our usual practice of eating in middle-of-the-range family-run restaurants that cater to the locals.

Accommodation, Austria, Cycling, Germany

Rain on the Danube in Austria

June 25, 2013 Rosemary Kneipp 7 Comments

When we leave Andelfingen after six wonderful days of cycling along the Danube, the weather forecast for our next stop – Aschach in Austria – is not promising. As we’ve never been to Munich, we decide to stop for a couple of hours on the way.

Marienplatz in Munich during the Stadtlaufmüncher marathon

Unfortunately, there is a big annual sports event on – 10,000 people running a marathon or semi-marathon – and the main square, Marienplatz, is chock-a-block which somewhat detracts from the historical ambiance. We see the main sights beneath an overcast sky, have a picnic lunch on a bench (it’s a fast day) and continue on our way.

After leaving the motorway at Passau at the juncture between Austria and Germany, which we visited on another occasion, we drive along the Danube, much wider and navigable here, seeing the aftermath of the recent floods. The river looks muddy and there is silt on the edge of the pavements and piles of debris everywhere. Nothing like the bucolic scenery we have left behind in Germany.

At the turnoff to Aschach, large production installations loom on the right and I begin to worry about what we’ll find. From the internet photos, our hotel, Gastof zür Sonne, seemed to be right on the water but, in fact, it is across the road. A not-very-friendly young man gives us a key card and sends us up to room 4 on the second floor.

Gasthaus Sonne in Aschach — Gasthof zür Sonne in Aschach

As we walk into the room, I see the wash basin is in an open area on the left ; the shower and toilet are behind a frosted glass door on the right. The room is small with dark furniture including an open wardrobe and a view of the Danube. I go into complaint mode and Jean Michel says I have to make up my mind whether we are staying or going. By then it is 6 pm and looking for another place to stay seems a bit daunting. I go down to the desk and ask if there is another room that doesn’t have a wash basin in the entrance. It seems they are all the same.

An iron door inside the Gasthaus Sonne — An iron door inside the Gasthof zür Sonne

We bring up our luggage and bits and pieces and I empty our small case into the wardrobe so we can change into our cycling clothes, pointing out all the negative aspects of the room as I go. Jean Michel understandably starts to get annoyed so I stop complaining. It is then that I realise that an automatic light comes on over the wash basin/entrance each time you go past which means that when I get up in the night, the whole room will be flooded with light.

Even Jean Michel sees the impossibility of that! We go back down and I put on my best smile to ask how to stop the light coming on automatically. The young man comes up reluctantly to have a look. However, he immediately understands the problem and says that unfortunately all the new rooms are like that but we can have the “old” room next door. Not only is the washbasin inside the bathroom this time; the open wardrobe is hidden behind the door, the room is much bigger and we have a sofa from which we can comfortably see the Danube.

An enormous cruise ship on the Danube at Aschach

This time my smile is not forced. “Perfect”, I say. “And look, the washbasin is not in the entrance”. The young man then explains that he thought I was objecting to the bathroom being on the left, not about the washbasin being in the entrance (he didn’t know the word in English). We rapidly change into our cycling clothes and get in an hour’s cycling before dinner.

Swans on the Danube at Aschach am der Donau

That, however, proves to be the last time we cycle for several days. It rains all night and next morning, it’s 12°. Change of programme.

Australia, Austria, Egypt, France, Italy, Prague, Saint Petersburg, Travel photos

Monday’s Travel Photos – Highlights of 2012

December 30, 2012 Rosemary Kneipp 7 Comments

I wanted to pick out the highlights of my Monday’s Travel Photos posts in 2012 but rather than choose my own favourites, always a difficult task, I asked Relationnel to tell me which of my Monday’s travel photos he preferred month by month. These, of course, are not the places I went to in 2012, but taken from various holidays over the last few years. Which is your favourite? Or is there a photo you remember from another post that you prefer?

Burano Island, Italy

The Dancing House, Prague

Orvieto Cathedral, Italy

The Sphinx and the Pyramid of Kheph, Egypt

Austria, Sightseeing, Travel photos

Monday’s Travel Photos – Vienna, Austria

August 26, 2012 Rosemary Kneipp 1 Comment

I have to confess that Vienna is not one of my favourite cities. I found it too clean and stark. But I still think it’s worth a visit. We went there in early June 2008 just when the World Football Cup was starting, without realising the date. The town hall was topped with a huge soccer ball and there were giant screens up everywhere. We had difficulty finding a good restaurant for our wedding anniversary and finally settled on an excellent Italian ristorante called Barbaro in Schauflergasse. We did enjoy having an aperitif at Zum Schwarzen Kameel with the rest of Vienna though.

rathaus — Vienna Rathaus (town hall) completed in 1883

viennese_opera — Vienna State Opera, completed in 1869

saint_stevens_cathedral — Saint Stephen’s Cathedral, 13th century, with its beautiful multi-coloured tiled roof reminiscent of Burgundy

saint_charles_church — Karlskirche (St Charles’ Church) completed in 1737

karlskirche — The very baroque interior of Karlskirche

karlsplatz_station — Karlsplatz Station with its typical Jugendstil architecture, 1899

austrian_parliament — The Austrian Parliament Building, completed in 1883

viennese_street — A typical Viennese street

hoffburg_palace — The Hoffburg Palace in the city centre, the Habsburgs’ winter residence, 13th to 19th centuries

schonbrunn_palace — Gloriette at Schönbrunn Palace, the Habsburgs’ rococco summer residence, completed in 1643 and home of the famous Empress Elizabeth alias Sisi

Austria, Travel photos

Sunday’s Travel Photos – Innsbruck, Austria

June 17, 2012 Rosemary Kneipp 5 Comments

My mother used to rave about Innsbruck so we decided to go there on our way back from Croatia last year. Our hotel was up on a hill and close enough to the centre to walk or cycle down. The magnificent view from our Gasthof balcony, the famous Golden Roof, the Palace chapel with its incredibly intricate bronze statues, the façades of the houses on our street, the main street with the Alps in the background and the river views were definitely worth the visit. It also turned out to be one of our favourite cycling experiences which I’ve described in another post.