Enough of a cold thing

Well I certainly got what I asked for! Snow and mountains, and of course some cold to go with all that.  In case you haven't noticed (or heard for those of you not in Europe), we're in the middle of a cold snap here.  Of course this is the time that I choose to go into the mountains... perfect timing.

The train to Hallstatt was really nice, the scenery was great after the train turned south to go through the mountains.  Before that there hadn't been snow, and trains in and around Vienna were all delayed or cancelled for unknown reasons.  

The mountains around the Hallstatter See from the ferry.

 To get into town from the train you have to take a ferry across the lake, which is a great chance to admire the surroundings, but it was a also pretty cold ride even though the ferry is enclosed.  Hallstatt is a big tourist destination, especially among Asians traveling in Austria, so I think that German is nearly a foreign language there.  When I've been to Hallstatt before I've stayed at a B&B (or Privat Zimmer) in the valley, this time I did the same thing, but at a different B&B than before.  It was nice, but on my way through town to her house I passed the place I've stayed before and they were open (from what I saw online it seemed like they were closed).  The next time I go back I'll just turn up and find somewhere to stay instead of booking a place ahead of time.  For anyone reading this who's considering going to Hallstatt I would recommend the same- turn up and find a Privat Zimmer to rent, they're cheaper than a hotel, include breakfast, and they're quiet.  I've only ever stayed in Lahn, it's the town in the valley behind Hallstatt, it's quiet, beautiful and only a 5 minute walk from Hallstatt.

After getting settled in I decided to put my new winter boots to the test and go for a walk up the valley.  The last time I was here (it was summer) my parents and I hiked past this really impressive waterfall, and I wanted to see what it was like in the winter.  I didn't get all the way up to the falls because the sun was disappearing behind the mountains and it was getting colder, but I did hike to the base of another falls.

The river that the well packed path followed up the valley.

The frozen falls- actually I could hear water coming down, but it's all under the ice.

 To end my walk I came down into town to see which restaurants would be open for dinner later.  As it turns out most of them are closed this time of year, especially on Saturdays and Sundays, so I knew it was going to be slim pickings!

A picture of town from the Lahn docks, with the last rays of sun hitting the far mountains.

 I have to say the food during this whole trip to Hallstatt and Salzburg was expensive and unimpressive, so I won't waste much time talking about it.  The best parts were the Radler (half beer half sprite-like soda but not as sweet), and I had a really good Apple Strudel with vanilla sauce in Salzburg.  Other than that there's nothing to talk about.

The next morning was cloudy, but it looked like the sun would burn through at some point.  I spent some time wandering from one end of town to the other, taking tons of pictures, so it took most of the morning. I went up to the overlook and checked out the frozen waterfall that goes down into town, and I went to the church to see their tiny graveyard and Beinhaus.  Because Hallstatt is built between a cold deep lake and a high salt mountain there isn't really room for everyone who has died here to be buried in a normal graveyard, so they have a tradition of burying the people for 20 years or so until all thats left is bones.  Then they dig them up, paint their skulls with their name, date of birth and death, symbols to show their gender and sometimes how they died.  Then they're arranged in the Beinhaus where family friends and tourists can come visit them, it's really quite interesting to see (pictures coming soon on Smugmug).

The snow filled town square. 

A view of town from the other side.

 Anyway, it was rather cold, and even though my new winter boots stood up to the test my new winter jacket left something lacking.  It's good when its not too cold, or when I'm hiking (I'm sure it would be good for other winter sports too), but if I don't keep up a quick pace I get cold and then can't get warm again until I go inside and have some tea.

I like Hallstatt a lot, and it was just as beautiful covered in snow, but I was glad to be leaving on Sunday since everything is closed on Sundays and there would be nothing to do except be outside.  When I arrived in Salzburg I realized that it was colder there than in Hallstatt.  Hallstatt is protected from extreme weather by the mountains on all sides, so it was really quite nice compared to Salzburg.

I stayed at a new(er) hostel in Salzburg, and it was nice.  It could've used better heat, but for being on a busy street and full of students on holiday it was surprisingly quiet.  The downside was that it's quite a ways from the Alt Stadt (old city) where I wanted to go, so I had to use the busses to get around, and they don't run very often on the weekends.  I went out and wandered a bit of town on Sunday afternoon when I arrived and was surprised at how little snow was on the ground in Salzburg, considering that all the hills and mountains around the city were snow covered.

A view of the east side of the river.  My hostel was between the two large hills.

Looking up at the castle from the cathedral. (Don't ask about the gold ball- I have no idea).

 The next day was nearly sunny (there was a thin layer of clouds covering the sun all day), so I decided to go up and hike around on the hill that the castle is on.  There are lots of roads and trails on top of the hill, and there are some great views up there.  In some areas you can forget that you're in the middle of a city because all you can see is trees and sky, and you can't hear the traffic.  It was a nice, but cold walk, followed by a colder wander through the castle.

You'd never expect to find this in the middle of a city would you?

From one end of the hill looking across the Alt Stadt at the castle.

The mountains in the distance didn't really show up in pictures thanks to the fog/clouds, but they're huge and beautiful! 

Coming down from the castle looking out over the Alt Stadt.

On Tuesday morning I woke up to a boat load of snow that was dumped on Austria overnight.  All public transport (from city busses to international trains) were delayed, so it made coming back to Baden challenging.  I don't know if all of Austria got snow, but there was snow all the way from Salzburg back to Baden, and we have about 4 inches here.  Just when I'd gotten my fix of snow and cold it follows me home... go figure!

I'm off to Graz tomorrow, hoping that this weird sinus/ear/jaw/head pain that I have today clears up, and that its a bit warmer down there!