Week 208-209: Celebrating Four Years in Austria
We made it to week 208!!—Four whole years here in Austria…It feels like we’ve blinked and somehow lived an entire lifetime during our time here. Before I get into the details of our big weekend adventure, I want to rewind to a few days before.
Monday
Hannah was back in Austria for a few days, so we grabbed the chance to go on some fall walks around Gmunden and bond with the Athletics girls one last time.
The trees have turned that warm, rusty shade, and the lake has this mist that rolls in just right. It’s been like living in a postcard. Honestly, I’ll miss this place so much. Thankfully we have hundreds of thousands of pictures to remember it by. I am excited to narrow them down to print and frame in our house
A rowboat at Langbathsee
Langbathsee trees
Fall colors at Langbathsee
Friday
After Hannah left, I had a family photoshoot with one of my teammates! We met up at the Almsee. A place with a jaw-dropping backdrop. The light, the colors—everything was perfect. I’ll post a full blog post on my photography site with my favorite shots soon, but just know there are some absolute gems.
Family photos at Almsee
Family photos at Almsee
Family photos at Almsee
Saturday
For our Austria-versary weekend, we decided to drive out to Ramsau am Dachstein in Schladming. It’s this quaint alpine village right at the base of the Dachstein range.
Our hotel in Ramsau am Dachstein
Views from the hotel
Cows nearby
Yellow larches
Stunning views along the 5-hut trail
We took on a stretch of the “5-Hut Trail.” It’s exactly what it sounds like–you pass by five mountain huts as you walk, each one beaming with Austrian charm and giving us ideas and inspiration for a future second home in the mountains someday.
Looking up at Dachstein
Golden larches + Dachstein
We didn’t do the full 5-hour loop, but instead hiked the prettiest section and stopped for dinner at one of the huts.
Dinner at Brand Alm
Austrian soups just hit differently; the Kaspressknodel soup was to die for. It’s like a big, cheesy dumpling floating in savory broth, making everything feel cozy and warm.
The five huts
Kaspressknodel soup
Infront of Dachstein
We relaxed at the hotel for a bit, but naturally, the snack cravings hit. So we threw on our headlamps and wandered down to the one little restaurant still open in the village. There’s something so fun about a late-night walk in the mountains—quiet, cool, and a bit creepy.
Sunday
After breakfast, we learned that our stay included a summer pass with a free mountain coaster ride. I’ve wanted to do this since moving here but never got around to it. So off we went, whizzing down the track with the mountain air whooshing past us—it was a blast!
The mountain coaster
From there, we drove to the Reiteralm, which is famous for its mirror lake that perfectly reflects the mountains. It’s almost surreal, like stepping into a painting. Since the toll was covered by our pass, we drove up, wandered around the lake for an hour, snapped some pictures, and reflected on our time here.
Reflections at Reiteralm
Eric at Reiteralm
Our final stop was Via Ferrata Peter on Stoderzinken.
This is the topo
After driving along the highest alpine road in Styria, we parked and hiked up to the Friedenskircherl—a little church perched on the cliff like it’s holding on for dear life…which is what we were doing in some spots along the Ferrata.
Veiws along Via Ferrata Peter
For most people, this was the endpoint. For us, this was where Eric and I began our via Ferrata adventure. We had an audience as we were getting strapped in.
The start of the ferrata
A paraglider
Via Ferrata Peter
Via Ferrata Peter
Via Ferrata Peter
Via Ferrata Peter
A solid two hours later, with arms sore and hearts happy, we made it to the top and enjoyed a snack looking out at the most majestic Austrian views.
Made it to the top
Touching the mountain cross
Taking in the views
The Dachstein glacier in the distance
Mountain layers
Clouds clinging to the mountain tops
The sun was setting fast, so we came off the mountain and headed back home.
Week 209 was spent getting paperwork in order and preparing for movers to pack up our house. So during the weekend, we thought we’d go up to the Feuerkogel one last time, but there was no parking! We tried Grunberg instead—the same story. So we shrugged it off, drove home, and walked the dogs down the Esplanade. Maybe that was exactly how it was supposed to be: us, the dogs, the lake, and this little town that’s been our home for the past four years.
Schloss Ort
The Schloss Ort bridge
Walking through Gmunden
Details at the Spiesberger
Charlie in Gmunden
Gmunden
Gmunden Esplanade
Gmunden
