Bavaria Day 4 - Austrian Lakes Region
One of the things that Charlie found while we were looking for things we wanted to do in the Salzburg area was a list of alpine lakes and lake towns that seemed like an absolute must-see. As we had checked into our hotel the receptionist was delighted to hear we were planning to check them out, so we knew we had made a good choice. Since the weather was slightly spottier than the previous day, and we had done some hiking, we decided on a couple of lake towns where we could walk around and take some good pictures, and have a nice leisurely day. We started at Lake Mondsee, home to a fantastically colorful Main Street, and the church from the Sound of Music movie. As we walked towards the church we were halted briefly by a funeral procession, complete with band and horse-drawn carriage/hearse. A whole huge crowd of people created the procession, and it was actually a really neat glimpse into some of the Austrian traditions, I thought.
As the procession passed we oohed and ahhed at the beautifully painted buildings in pastel colors, and their intricately painted shutters. We also went inside the "Sound of Music" church, another amazing building. I’ve always loved big old churches, for their architecture, their art, and their serene atmosphere. This one was no different, and inspired awe and appreciation. We also enjoyed the lakeside park, took some amazing pictures - the mountains run right down to the lake here, and learned about some ancient peoples from the region that lived in raised houses along the lakeshore and whose wooden pylons are still preserved in places under the water in the lakebed.
From that town, we drove through a mountain pass to the next town, St. Gilgen. St. Gilgen is known for its Christmas market, which of course it being May we didn’t get to see, but also for its old Bavarian town feel, with murals painted on the sides of buildings, and plenty of local crafts. Since it was lunchtime, we made our way to the lakeside and found a restaurant with tables overlooking the lake. The popular summer drink in Austria is the wine spritzer, and though it wasn’t quite summer yet based on the weather, the wine spritzers were just as delicious. We took our time eating, soaking in the atmosphere and really getting a chance to relax. It was hard to leave the lakeside, honestly, and I know why the Internet was so gung-ho about this area.
Eventually it was time to go though, and we headed back to our hotel for dinner. We ended up in one of the hotel restaurants, a beer cellar of sorts, and continued our delicious meal trend with some pork for Charlie and goulash for me - I forgot how close we were to Hungary, and its influences on the cuisine were apparent and welcome.
As the procession passed we oohed and ahhed at the beautifully painted buildings in pastel colors, and their intricately painted shutters. We also went inside the "Sound of Music" church, another amazing building. I’ve always loved big old churches, for their architecture, their art, and their serene atmosphere. This one was no different, and inspired awe and appreciation. We also enjoyed the lakeside park, took some amazing pictures - the mountains run right down to the lake here, and learned about some ancient peoples from the region that lived in raised houses along the lakeshore and whose wooden pylons are still preserved in places under the water in the lakebed.
From that town, we drove through a mountain pass to the next town, St. Gilgen. St. Gilgen is known for its Christmas market, which of course it being May we didn’t get to see, but also for its old Bavarian town feel, with murals painted on the sides of buildings, and plenty of local crafts. Since it was lunchtime, we made our way to the lakeside and found a restaurant with tables overlooking the lake. The popular summer drink in Austria is the wine spritzer, and though it wasn’t quite summer yet based on the weather, the wine spritzers were just as delicious. We took our time eating, soaking in the atmosphere and really getting a chance to relax. It was hard to leave the lakeside, honestly, and I know why the Internet was so gung-ho about this area.
Eventually it was time to go though, and we headed back to our hotel for dinner. We ended up in one of the hotel restaurants, a beer cellar of sorts, and continued our delicious meal trend with some pork for Charlie and goulash for me - I forgot how close we were to Hungary, and its influences on the cuisine were apparent and welcome.
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