TRAIN RIDE HOHE TAUREN VALLEY AUSTRIA - Phil & Jill

Having the hotel outside the busy, modern Salzburg station was a bonus to being able to easily get the train up the valley. The hotel was also co-operative about keeping Phil's case and my backpack in their storage room until we come back through Salzburg on Friday on the way to St Gilgen. Phil just put what he needed in his pannier and I hafd my small case. It makes it so much easier when you have minimum luggage. I thought I was light to start with but by now I know how much I really need and I could throw out more!!! Next time no extras!!!

33 euros for the two of us one way for a 4 hour train ride saw us on a very modern Cityrail train at 9.21am. It is always astounding to us the quality, cleanliness and friendliness of the conductors on European trains. Australia has a a lot to learn. After leaving the suburbs of Salzburg which seemed quite wide spread, we immediately went into the pastures of the fields. Lots of wildflowers and a backdrop of mountains some with residual snow pockets. We were exhilerated. It was beautiful. We stopped at many small villages with their typical wooden Austrian houses bedecked with colourful petunias on their decks. We were for the most part running beside the fast flowing Salzachbriver. The train started to climb and the valley narrowed. Sometimes we would go through tunnels and the brightness of the sunlight hit your eyes. A lot of cut timber logs were to be seen along the way as well as sawn timber plants. One plant had a mountain of saw dust.

A cycle path could often be seen and there many cyclists using this route. Phil had read excellent reviews of this bije path had he been well that was plan to train up and bike down. Not to be this trip but he did say it wonderful to just be doing it. You didn't know which way to look as there was something of interest all the way. We saw archery targets, paragliders landing, rafting and cyclists everywhere as well as outstanding scenery.

This train terminated at Zell am See. Named as the town was situated on a lake lots of yachts. It was very pretty.
We had a half an hour wait for the next little mountain train. There were a number of others catching this train too.

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The terrain was now mountaineous and you could hear the little train starting to grunt. The stations were getting smaller with only a shelter shed as the office. A number of locals used these stations of unpronouncable names. We were caught shy when we came to our stop as there were four listed Neukirchens and we were smug and thought we would be ok because our station was the bahnhof and in our eyes it was the main one. Suddenly the conductor was saying 'you must step down now' and hurredly took my case and helped me off. Phil said, Is this the Bahnhof' not seeing any building at all. The response was 'Ya' as he hurriedly waved his baton to the driver to take off. So there goes the train and here we are standing on just a platform, nothing else. Stunned we were suddenly gobsmacked at the stunning, awesome view of the surroundings. I will never forget it. It really is indescribable and looked perfection in the sunny blue skies overhead.

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We headed to the ski village 500m away where we were to stay at the Gasthaus Unterbrunn. First of all Phil noted the sign showing the range of moutain peaks here for skiing. Boy was he excited.

We thought it might be difficult to find the accommodation as we couldn't see any street signs but a young girl called Milla walked with us after we enquired where it was, as she worked there. It was a charming old ski lodge with a fireplace and brown.leather chairs in the lounge room. It would be very cosy in the winter. Our room 109 was on the first floor with a balcony with a magnificent view.

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We settled in and later in the afternoon when the hot sun had abated we went for a drink and a walk up the long street. The road was under construction and we believe it would take lots of maintenance as Milla said the village was covered in snow to at least 1m depth in winter.

What a gem of a place. We had our salad dinner at a table on the balcony sitting in short sleeves til 8.30pm in the balmy evening. We rolled into bed feeling so happy to be here.