Day 1:
After the really bad afternoon in Bologna and a night spent on a bus, followed by a train, I arrived in the resort town of Zell am See - a beautiful lake nestled in the Alps. Despite not having slept in a bed in over 2 days, it was warm with clear skies, and I felt so happy to finally be embarking on the trip that I had planned! As soon as I started riding, I felt better. It took me a few days to shake off the 75€ loss in Bologna - I had budgeted my trip and that 75€ was basically 2 nights of lodging - but before long I was able to enjoy what I had traveled to enjoy.
At Zell am See, Austria - ready to go!
The weather was perfect. The scenery was stunning - green land, blue skies, cows and friendly people. There were some bike trails but I mostly stuck to roads on the first day. There was a big steep uphill which was tough with the extra weight of my gear holding me down. Even worse was that it was all attached to my back tire so if I tried to go up too steep a hill, sometimes my front tire would pop up in the air! I was working my way up 1,000 ft over about 2 miles when a group of cyclists passed me. I was a bit embarrassed and make a joke about it to which one responded, "yeah but you've got alot more equipment than us!" Alrighty then, I guess I can go a bit slower on the big hills!
What really got my attention were the motorcycles zooming full-speed on the windy mountain roads. Every few minutes another motorcycle would come buzzing by! There had to have been at least 50 on the road that day. This must be a typical Sunday afternoon activity in these parts, because at one point I saw a billboard with a picture of a motorcycle hugging a tight corner with the admonition, "Give Your Guardian Angel a Chance!" As long as they stayed clear of me, as they were much faster...
The other thing that got my attention was several ski lifts scattered around the valley. Over the 20 miles or so from Saalfelden to Bischofshofen I must have seen at least a dozen ski lifts. The mountains certainly looked ski-able, but unlike a large ski resort where they were all in one area, it looked like each lift had a couple of runs, and you could travel from one to the next, over several miles. Perhaps one day I'll return in winter and see how it's set up. I've been told that they are all connected. One of the ski runs even crossed over the road!
I took a slight detour to reach the Hohenwerfen Castle. Set high on a steel hilltop with a commanding view of the surrounding mountains and valley, I locked my bike at the base and took a cable car to the top. I got to take in the views (including the hill where the "Sound of Music" was filmed) and got to see a pair of falconers demonstrating their craft!
"Sound of Music" was filmed Falconry! Not a bad view...
somewhere in the background
After enjoying the castle, I headed south to my hotel as it started getting dark. I found it online for only $30 and it included breakfast! What I didn't realize was that it was up a very steep hill and, with my energy nearly gone, I'll admit I walked my bike up the last 100-200 feet or so.
It was now Sunday evening. I had not slept in a bed nor showered since Thursday night. My shower felt heavenly, and then I headed out for a meal. Unfortunately, in the resort town of Alpendorf, much was closed for the season, but I did find a hotel restaurant. I made conversation with the couple sitting next to me as a ate a hearty meal and allowed my muscles to relax. After a short walk back to the hotel, I got my first real sleep in 3 days.
Day 2
My body felt refreshed after finally getting a good night's sleep and my hotel's breakfast included full German-style buffet with müsli, meat, cheese, and fruit juices. I loaded up before my ride. The plan was to head up into a high valley to the town of Bad Hofgastein, take a train through a tunnel to the other side (the only way across), and ride down the other side.
I started on a bike trail along a river, through a small tunnel and then began my ascent through the valley nearly 2,000 feet elevation.
Prior to my trip, I had to decide between water bottles and a Camelbak for transporting water. I chose the water bottles because they took up less space, and because I read that tap water was common in town parks. I was surprised that many were decorated with a large scupture with water flowing from it. I also brought Gatorade powder with me to add to the water to make sure I got enough electrolytes.
They don't have just ordinary water fountains in Austria. They all look cool like this.
I rode through this valley and then started a steep ascent. By this point I still had more uphill to go...
I passed the tourist town of Badgastein where grand hotels hovering over a cliff was an impressive sight. A few miles later I came to the end of the road, where I had to wait for the hourly train to take me 8km (5mi) to the other side. Unfortunately for me, I missed the last train by about 10 minutes and had to wait 50 minutes for the next one. In that time I saw about 6 other cyclists and 2 motorcyclists, in addition to a few cars (which also must be put onto the train). We all boarded and 11 minutes later had emerged on the other side.
Badgastein Waiting for the train to take me under the mountain
Now, the fun part: Downhill! It was a steep downhill for the first several miles with lots of switchbacks (see picture), which I passed quickly and effortlessly while taking in the views. The next 40 miles was a gentle downhill along the Drava river valley. I passed farms, a castle, and several villages as I made my way to the city of Villach.
A real castle (top left) and views of my bike route through the Drava valley, including a traffic jam (bottom right)
My bike along a river trail
As darkness approached and I approached my destination, just a few miles out and my phone's battery died! Fortunately, I had looked earlier to see what route I needed to take, and though I did get slightly lost, asking a few folks for directions put me at my hotel only 10-15 minute late. From now on, I left my phone in airplane mode (which somehow is still able to track my location for my cycling app) while riding in order to conserve the battery.
I booked my hotel using credit card points, and one reason I chose it was that it had a spa which was included for guests and was open until "9:30pm". My muscles wanted nothing more than to soak in a hot tub, so when I arrived around 7:30pm, I asked about it. Their website must have had a typo, because the receptionist told me that the spa was open until "19:30pm" (i.e. 7:30pm), meaning that I just missed it. A little dejected, I cheered up when I found a restaurant across the road with a hearty bear and steak dinner.