Have been on a three day jaunt with my train-ing ticket!
The map below gives an approximate idea of the line I travelled on. The main Vienna - Salzburg line is to the north and the main Enns Vally line which connects Graz to Innsbruck is to the south. The
Salzkammergut line runs through a gap in the the mountains to connect these two main arteries.
The normal end-to-end journey time for the
Salzkammergut line is about two and a half hours. Sometimes the route is interrupted by falling trees, floods, or mudslides. It is not uncommon to have to travel over certain sections by bus.
There is a train station on the lakeside at Hallstatt some 10 kms south of Bad Goisern. Passengers alighting there have to board a ferry to reach the town of the same name on the opposite shore. The place is famous for its salt mine (open to visitors) and for its picturesque setting. It can feel a little claustrophobic with its narrow streets and its many selfie-sticked-tourists. I decided to give it a miss.
Here are pictures of some of the places and things I saw on my journey along the
Salzkammergut line.
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| Station for Tauplitz and Grimming Mountain |
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| A Retired Locomotive in Bad Ischl |
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| Station for Pürgg |
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| Railway Bridge near Pürgg |
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| My Path (1) near Tauplitz |
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| My Path (2) the road to Steinbach* |
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| My Path (3) the road to Steinbach* |
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I couldn't locate the bridge blown up by
Clint Eastwood and Richard Burton
in the film Where Eagles Dare
- so for now I'm making do with this one |
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| Weissenbach Gorge - an eagle's view from my substitute bridge! |
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| The White Church at Pürgg |
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| The view from the train - near Bad Goisern |
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| The Guardian of an ancient Salt Mine |
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| A Salzkammergut CityJet |
Train Rides and Long Walks - the perfect combination for autumn days!
*Steinbach is a village on the eastern shore of Lake Attersee. Gustav Mahler is numbered amongst its famous visitors. I didn't walk as far as Steinbach due to pressure of time. It's an attractive path with fine views and I know a decent pub on the shore. Perhaps Steinbach is something for next year!
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| The Lower Steinbach Trail starts here! |
That looks a perfect little holiday to me Gwil.
ReplyDeleteIt's the best time. After the peak tourist season and before the ski season. November is the quietest month on the trains, so they have these special tickets for us oldies. It all works out at €2 per day!
DeleteI got there in the end. Your map on the ticket was a little difficult for me to work out. I ended up with an old Thomas Cook Rail Timetable and the map of Austria on my knees. Interesting. I can see that the line is in the gap with some outstanding views. Reminds me of some of the scenery travelling from Zurich to Chur once.
ReplyDeleteI apologize for my map. I was in a hurry and I thought it's better than nothing.
DeleteIt's good that you have a large collection of maps!