The most famous attraction of the Oetz Valley, with the exception of Ötzi, was popular long before he was discovered. It is Stuibenfall waterfall.
Stuibenfall – a popular name for waterfalls, from the word “to dust”. But the waterfall at Umhausen is the most famous with this name and the highest in Tyrol. However, the height in the waterfalls is not the main thing, but by this one everything is fine also with the appearance.
April, May and Juny in Germany are rich in various holidays and additional days off. Especially happy are Bavaria and Baden-Wurttemberg. They have still additional Pentecost school holidays.
Other German holidays
Feasts in Germany. December – January
Carnival vocabulary
Saint Martin Feast. Songs
DIY lanterns for Saint Martin feast. 4. “Drums” and “Houses”
What is Besen?
In addition to the routes described in this topic, do not forget about the Soleleitungsweg – the path that leads over the lake from the salt mine to Bad Ischl. In 2021, it was under repair (the condition in 2022 must be checked). The most picturesque part, with information stands, suspension bridge – from Hallstatt to Gosau Mühle.
As a well-prepared tourist, have you planned a few days for this region? Great, so you will have time to go to the waterfalls and walk around the lake. In this topic, waterfalls.
This topic is about the nearest mountains surrounding Innsbruck from the south. There are cable cars, an Olympic ski jump and the Archduke’s palace.
Voralberg is a very mountainous region, where even the highways mostly run in tunnels, and there are several toll sections with fees independent of a general Austrian vignette. The main attractions are mountains, entertainment – they are the same. There are many cable cars (I will not list everything), rope parks are relatively common, but other entertainment infrastructure is spreading slowly in this region. It is designed more for hiking and extreme sports (especially rock climbing).
Maps around:
West – Lake Constance
North – Allgau
What to do in Allgäu? Hiking, climbing montains, visiting palaces. In Allgäu there are such tourist monsters as Garmisch-Partenkirchen and Füssen, but no less interesting for hikers and natur lovers are Oberstdorf mountains and the Zugspitze Arena (around Reutte).
Maps around:
West – Swabian Alb, Lake Constance
North – Attractions around Munich
East – Oberbayern
South – from Bregenz to Innsbruck
Innsbruck enjoys an advantageous location at the crossroads of ravines and roads, where it was simply impossible not to grow big and prosperous. It can be pretty boring here when the weather is bad. But when the weather is nice, you can easily spend several days and not only see a small old town and Ambras Castle, but also hike in the mountains.
It is one of the few large cities in the immediate vicinity of mountain peaks and ski slopes. It is not surprising that the Olympic Games have been held here twice.
Looking at the photos in the first part, you may ask – where are these lakes, there is only a meadow and wooded mountains. Nevertheless, three decent-sized lakes are hidden in the forests, and in the neighboring valley towards Reutte there are two more large lakes, on which there are even pleasure boats. And there are many small mountain lakes and reservoirs, some of which are used to provide snow for trails, and in the summer they are very beautiful landscapes.
Mountain lakes were hidden under clouds, but in the forest ones we even managed to swim.
Gmunden is located on the edge of the Salzkammergut. A little further – and already the mountains come to an end, industrial zones begin, highways intersect around Wels. But in Gmunden you still enjoy the mountain scenery.
Gmunden is suitable as a base for exploring the region around Traunsee, Bad Ischl. It’s not near to Hallstatt for day trip, although it is still possible. But for a real exploration of the mountainous part of the Salzkammergut, it is better to find an accomodation closer.
The Zugspitze Arena is a ski region that embraces the Austrian slope of the Zugspitze and the surrounding mountains.
In winter, the region is extremely popular with the Germans, as it is nearby, and prices are lower. The owner of the apartment said that traffic jams after snowfalls in the season can be up to 7 hours. After all, there is only one road – Fernpass. And there are not even tricky side streets that only the locals know about. It stays also in the summer, although not so catastrophically, but from Friday to Sunday surely.
If you manage to book a hotel / apartment place here, you will find out that it is very pleasant to rest here also in the summer: there will be enough attractions for a week, and if you capture Garmisch, Füssen or cross Fernpass, then for two weeks.
The Liechtensteinklamm can be visited if you are staying somewhere in the Werfen area (in Bischofshofen, Altenmarkt in Pongau, St. Johann in Pongau).
Visiting from Salzburg is also possible. From Zell am See it is possible by distance, but it does not make a deep sense, since there are many attractions of its own (also a good gorge in Kaprun).
In 2017, there was a landslide in the gorge, after which it was closed for a long time for path repairs. Now the gorge is open again. The photographs, therefore, will partially not coincide – everything is clearly rebuilt there, although the gorge, of course, remained the same.
The high alpine road Grossglockner Strasse is the most famous of such roads. It is really beautiful, but this means also a large number of not only cars, but also motorcycles, and what is especially unpleasant, bicycles.
The northern slope has more serpentine turns and more moving units. There are many popular tourist villages from the north and everyone returns there for the night. A southern descent with fewer turns, but sometimes with a steeper incline.
After a crazy visit to the ice cave, we decided that we still have strength for the Hohenwerfen fortress. Moreover, one can climb into it by funicular, and not just on foot. The parking lot at the fortress is large and free.
Salzkammergut best places to visit and a little around it – on the map. The lakes mainly offer relaxing, water activities and hiking / biking tours, and many horse farms. There are not many additional entertainments except natur.
Next map to south – Dachstein, Pongau, Tennengau
Next map to west – Oberbayern, Niederbayern
Werfen has long attracted my attention with its castle and the Werfen ice cave Eisriesenwelt. On my first journey in Austria, I prefered an ice cave in Dachstein. But I always doubted – what if the cave in Werfen is more interesting? Now I can say that the choice was correct. Not because it is not interesting in Werfen, but because the visit is made with too much effort.
Hallstatt is not only picturesque place, but also an important place for those who interesting in history. In this post about Hallstatt museum und history, Salt Mines and Hallstatt observation deck.
Salt was mined here already in the 5th millennium BC. The wealth of the local population was based on salt, which traded with both the Baltic and the Mediterranean countries. An entire cultural era has been named for this small Hallstatt town.
For me, the charm of Hallstatt is a combination of antiquity, beauty and the feeling of isolation from the whole world that arises there: a lake, swans, houses on a cliff and steep mountains on all sides.
However you can feel that, only if you accomodate in the town or come in the unpopular season. The region is worth a stopover for a at least few days (better 1 week). One-day exursion might be only disappointment – too short and soooo many people.
The karst mountains of the Dachstein and the massif opposite, called the Dead Mountains, are dotted with numerous and longest cave systems. In fact, 240 caves and cave systems have been discovered in the area and new ones are found every year. But three Dachstein caves are open to the public: ice, very large and “roaring” cave.
If you want to see two caves in one day and walk along the plateau, then plan for this all day and arrive early. But it is better to do it within two days.
Dachstein is a region around a mount Dachstein. Dachstein Attractions include cable car system, rocky plateau Dachstein, observation point Five finger, three caves. All this are near Hallstatt, and that makes a region one of the best travel destinations in Austria.
We visit caves in the second post. In this post beautiful views of the lake and walk along the glacial plateau.
The two regions should not be confused – Salzkammergut and Salzburgerland. Despite the similar names, these two regions coincide with each other only a very small piece of Lake Fuschl.
The Salzkammergut is a historical area, the private property of the Habsburgs around Bad Ischl. As a tourist region, it unites Aussee, Wolfgangsee, Fuschlsee, Dachstein, Traunsee, Attersee, Bad Ischl, Mondsee, Attergau, Almtal.
Salzburgerland is an administrative unit, federal state, most of which lies south of Salzburg to the border with Tyrol along the Hohen Tauern mountains. There are several points of interest here: Hallein, Werfen, Lake Zeller, Krimml, most of the Grossglockner road.
Gosau Lake (Gosausee) is a deep glacial lake with blue water, which reflects the surrounding mountains: the Gosaukamm ridge and the Dachstein glacier. It is the most beautiful of the Salzkammergut Lakes.
You can get here while on holiday in Hallstatt, Bad Ischl, on Lake Wolfgang or Traun.
The film “Sound of music” has attracted many viewers almost 60 years with its sincerity, wonderful music and voices. But do not forget about the scenery that Salzburg and Salzkammergut served. The fairytale story lives in its own fairytale world. And it was not for nothing that the film had such a significant budget at that time.
This post is not about the plot of the film. Since you went to this page, then most likely you have already watched it. If not – just see it.
I will tell you about where the film was filmed. Tourist office and private guides in Salzburg offer a tour “The Sound of Music”, but you can arrange it yourself. It is not difficult. And it is better for you, because you are independent then and can see also other sights nearby.
Lake Constance (Bodensee) is one of the most favorite places of vacation. And this is its main drawback for everyone who wants to relax. For those who are not disturbed by the crowds of walking, skating, swimming and eating, there are a lot of advantages: clean water, equipped beaches and warm pools, water sports and entertainment, numerous asphalt roads for pedestrians and cyclists along the shore and between vineyards, delicious food, fresh trout from the lake, finally enough attractions if everything else gets bored.
All posts – #bodensee
Maps nearby:
North – Swabian Alb
East – Allgäu
South-East – From Bregenz to Innsbruck
West – Along the Rhine, South and High Black Forest
At the end of the overview of all the attractions of Lake Constance, let’s turn to its Austrian part, tell briefly about Bregenz and see what there is in the region for children.
