Wrong direction
Wednesday, June 10, 2015
- Three Continents
The drive from Rosenheim to Salzburg the Sim and Chiemsee along with the mountain panorama in the background in the most beautiful weather was almost dreamlike. In Salzburg, of course, I had to visit the old town. The baroque buildings are really impressive. If you drive into the city, you can see directly the fortress Hohensalzburg. Of course I could not resist the urge to get up there by bike. The path does not lead up to the fortress but to a neighboring hill. From there, I was rewarded with a great view of the city and the fortress.
Fortress Hohensalzburg is one of the largest castles in Europe, with more than 7,000 m² of built-up area (including the bastions over 14,000 m²). It is Europe's largest castle complex from the 11th century and the largest fully preserved castle in Central Europe. At Mirabell Palace I tried to recover a bit from the ascent and enjoyed the atmosphere in the beautiful castle park. The Mirabell Palace was built around 1606 by Archbishop Wolf Dietrich von Reitenau outside the city walls at the time for the beloved or secret wife of the Archbishop, Salome Alt.
The next day, the next climbs followed. The ride through the Salzkammergut was anything but flat. First it went along the moon lake. From there it is a small jump to the Attersee and a short time later came the Traunsee. Unfortunately, the weather did not really play along. However, it was enough to take a few pictures of Lake Traunsee. This is the deepest lake in Austria with a depth of 191 m.
In Gmunden I could then follow the Traun river. The Traun was used in Roman times from the Traunfall to the mouth of the Danube with flat barges. Furthermore, the Traun was very important for salt and timber transport. Thanks to the wet weather I was able to use the bike path almost on my own.
In Wels, I finally found a solution to my shoulder pain that has been with me since the beginning of the journey. In the 2 bike shop I bought a new, adjustable stem. Now I can finally enjoy the world around me again. A short time later I arrived in Hörsching. There I was able to spend two very relaxing days with the parents of Nora. I traveled through Tajikistan with Nora and Roman in 2011. Thank you Ursula and Hans for the great time with you.
Near Linz, the Traun flows into the Danube. 4 years ago I drove this last time here. That there is a mass tourism Velo I did not know. But here on the Danube it has definitely developed into one. In Melk I visited the Benedictine Monastery Melk Abbey. The present (Baroque) building was built in the years 1702-1746. As a symbol of the Wachau, it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The drive to Krems on the Danube leads through many wine-growing regions and picturesque villages. Somehow, Peter was on my side that day and did not let rain fall from the sky. Again and again people ask me where I want to travel with so much luggage. When I call Africa, the answer is usually: "That's the wrong direction"! But when I explain that I want to visit some friends in Vienna, they are usually relieved.
At the end of the Wachau it started to rain again and some sections were then closed even because of floods. Pretty wet, I finally arrived in Vienna after 26 days. During this time I have been able to experience nine days without rain. After all! Now I am looking forward to a few relaxing days in Vienna.
