EUROPE TRIP ‘19 - TRIP TO, FROM & AROUND SALZBURG
What do you get if you mix something Bling, Fragile, Classical, Natural, and a bit of speed?
Well, that would describe our next few days in Austria.
Bling- Swarovski Kristallwelten.
Included as one of the main attractions on our Innsbruck card was the Swarovski Kristeallwelten (Crystal World). Although this weren’t the primary reason for our Inssbruck card, it sure did made it worth the money. The crystal world is located a little bit outside of Innsbruck, and thus we decided to visit it on our way to our next Destination.
Going in with absolutely no expectation, because our personal experience shows that main attractions equal loads of tourist and an unnecessary build up hype. But what we got instead, was a pleasant surprise that proofed us wrong. We left Innsbruck early and went to Swarovski Kristallwelten first thing just as they opened.
At this point I have to add a disclamor, that I think it can get REALLY busy (by the sight of parkings available) and I would not like to be there when it is crowded.
Our first impression was something that felt as though it could come out of Teletubbies, with this big grassy waterfall at the entrance. I still can’t really explain what happens next, as every room or chamber has a different theme, with a different display of quirky, bright, and fun things. All 17 chambers each have a unique smell to them, and this was probably the most fascinating to me. My favorite chamber by far had to have been the toy train room. Outside, you are in an art disply peace that has been integrated into the garden perfectly.
As I am struggling to explain it even more, I will leave you with some pics and a short video.
The roads not taken.
When we did our trip planning, we were looking into driving some of Austria’s best mountain passes.
These included:
Nocckalm Road
Gerlos Alpine Road
Goldeck Panorama Road
Grossglocner Road
For days before we left we had a look on the website to see if the roads would be open for us to drive on, but if all roads were to be open, this would be one looooooong day of driving.
After we arrived in Austria, we discovered that Riedel (a very well known brand of wine glasses) is made in Austria. This was a game-changer for us, and meant we had a small change of plans. Instead of driving the 4 mountain passes, we would take a complete new and unplanned route pass Kufstein, to visit the Riedel factory.
Fragile – Riedel in Kufstein
Going via Kufstein suited T even better seeing as the mountain route would have taken us a minimum of 14 hours driving. With the mountain passes still high on our bucket list, it was a worthwhile sacrifice.
On our way to Kufstein, we saw massive amounts of cyclist and motorbikes. This all should have been some sort of sign, seeing as it was a Thursday morning. Only after arriving at a very closed, ghost town of a Riedel factory we learned that 30 May is a public holiday.
Although we were close to tears, we left for Salzburg and came across one of the best (if not THE best) drivers road we have ever been on. The 30+ Porsches we saw confirmed our feeling of the road. Seeing as the road was that good, we decided to go back the following day.
Once again this was a worth-while trip back on our track…
The experience in Riedel was amazing. It’s a family-owned business since 1756. Every piece of their collection is made by hand. Inside it’s extremely hot as the ovens and furnaces melt the glass at a temperature of 1200’C.
There was no way we could leave that store empty-handed. The rest of our trip was then accompanied by four champagne classes and eight all-purpose classes. All of them arrived safely back in Dubai.
Classical – Salzburg
As soon as we started approaching Salzburg, we started noticing all the classic and vintage cars around us. This was the Gaisberg Race taking place over the weekend. Sadly though we never got around to actually attending the race, since we were pressed for time.
Salzburg’s most classical side is a very obvious one. This is of course where Mozart was born and grew up. Mozart is EVERYWHERE to be seen… In chocolates, liqueurs (delicious chocolate liqueur might I add), where he was born, where he grew up, and in every curio shop in some form or shape.
“Sound of Music” would be the last bit of classic this city has to offer (that I know of). My grandparents showed me the movie as a child.
Although T and myself are not much of history boffs, and did not take a specific tour for any of the above topics, we did love the gardens, parks, buildings, and of course food of Salzburg.
After 11:00 in the morning Salzburg turns into what looks like an open ant nest. Everybody is out and about. At first, I was a bit annoyed with the two or three tourists in my photos at Mirabell Garden, but later that day I was thankful for those pictures.
Salzburg is an absolute beauty of a city. The narrow little streets, the worthwhile but exhausting walk up to the fort, and the panoramic view. I don’t really have a bad thing to say about Salzburg. Just best you try and get the most sights seen as early as possible while the city is still sleepy.
But as soon as the city does wake up, I would recommend you plonk yourself down somewhere, and just observe the people. People get dressed up, play music, paint, eat, ride bike and just enjoy spring in Salzburg.
Meteorological Pillar of the 19th Century
On our last morning out in the city, we came across a tower like object. With closer inspection it became clear that it was some sort of weather station.
The “Meteorological Pillar of the 19th Century” dates back to 1888. Each side would indicate and temperature, the barometric pressure, and the humidity of Salzburg.
Natural – Road to Graz
Bags packed, padkos (roadtrip snacks) topped up, and ready for a new part of Austria. At this point, it’s starting to become impossible to say what would be the most scenic part of Austria. Everyday holds something new, and breathtaking.
We were on our way to Graz for a quick night stop before we head for our last stop. The road to Graz was planned so we would drive past Wolfgangsee and through Hallstatt.
Although we did not stop in Hallstatt as planned, we did stop before and after to take in the fairytale-like landscapes and eat our lunch (picnic style). The giantlike pretzels we bought on my sister’s recommendation turned out to be once again one of our culinary highlights.
Hallstatt was a beautiful little town, but with so many day visitors, I would next time like to sleepover and experience it in a more tranquil way first thing in the morning.
Speed – Spielberg
Our last stop on the long and exciting trip was one of T’s big requests. Since I’ve known him, he has been a HUGE F1 Grand Prix fan. This then meant he could not resist passing by the Spielberg racetrack without going to have a look.
We were not expecting much to see, but to our delight there were some F2 cars practicing, which gave him something to look at, and me a chance to practice my panning photos.
Sadly, I did not take any photos in Graz (lesson learned), but it was a young lively bunch of people with loads of skateboarders.
After a long day on the road, we arrived in Graz totally exhausted. Not having the energy to do any more sightseeing, we went for a quick pizza and an early turn-in.
Our last stop for our trip will be in Vienna where we discover Europe can become hot, among other things.
Wandering off now…
T & Me
