Austria ... Mini adventure 2009

Driving to Austria from Scotland by mini ...  a great holiday and a mini adventure in every sense of the phrase.

Our destination was Inner Alpbach in the Tyrol. It was a bit of shock to arrive - in early July - to find our first twelve hours giving hot sunshine and then snow !  But fortunately this was short-lived and that morning was the only poor weather experience we had, and I'm getting ahead of myself.

The journey had begun with the Scotland to Zeebrugge ferry and having landed at 9.00am we zoomed off through Holland and Belgium into Germany.  We hadn't booked anything so stumbling upon the lovely town at Wurzburg at the end of a long hard day was the ideal start. With a lovely old bridge, beautiful spires, the river Main and sleek trams this old university town is a great spot to relax.

From Wurzburg it was on through Garmisch and into Austria by Bavaria. Wurzburg is in northern Bavaria and the contrast with the south of this huge area is quite marked.  By the time we emerged into Alpabach were were in the Alps, and the snaking drive up the valley was a good full stop to the day's driving.

Our first morning in Alpbach was bizarre. The temperature had plummeted overnight to 6 degrees and it had snowed. Thankfully the day improved rapidly and afternoon brought clear blue skies and soaring temperatures, this was much more like it. An early morning walk on quiet zig-zagging mountain roads became a favourite and acted as the perfect pre-breakfast exercise.

There are heaps of great drives near to Alpbach. The one that I would say is a 'must not miss' experience is the Grossglockner.  It is a private road in that you have to pay a fee, but I wouldn't hesitate to pay the small cost.  Firstly the scenery is breathtaking, classic Alpine mountain views, second the wildlife is great too and finally the road is stunning.  It is a wide road, easy to drive but with enough hair-pin bends to make for a real experience.  If you do go I'd suggest you visit the lovely Natural History museum where you gain a real insight into the animals and  plants that surround you.  As well as a superb inside museum experience there is a marked flora walk outside the museum.  

     From here we headed up to the top of the Grossglockner where the views are if anything even better. The Swarovski Visitor Centre isn't far from here and I'm glad to popped in.  You can see the huge glacier (although as the displays make clear nowhere near as big as it once was) and it was near here that we spotted our first Marmots. It's a great day out and if like us you call into St Johann   If you are thinking about visiting the Grossglockner than here is the link to the website (in English) http://www.grossglockner.at/en/

It wouldn't be Austria if there wasn't a reference to cable cars.  And the cable cars make for good high level walking, no matter how late in the day you elect to start. Kitzbuhel is one of the great ski centres in Europe and was arguably one of the first. It's a lovely place to visit in the summer and the pastel shades of the buildings give it a really calming influence.

North of Alpbach, to the north of the River Inn is another great drive and one that you can easily combine a walk with. 

Inner Alpbach is a classic Tyrolean village. In the winter it is a ski centre but a fairly small one with not too many big hotels. In the summer it is transformed into a walker's paradise and the many tracks and trails make for great days out.  Butterflies, bees and a range of upland birds make for a good wildlife experience.