Austria
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Travel Tips
Austrian firewater 'Stroh' is available in three strengths; 60% (Stroh 60) and 80% (Stroh 80). Having purchased half bottle and a quarter of the latter as gifts for brave family members, we were horrified to have them confiscated at Security at Salzburg Airport. Apparently, they are too highly inflammable to have anywhere on the 'plane (including in the hold). The thousands of gallons of aviation fuel are not inflammable enough? Had we known beforehand from notices at the Airport or in shops, we would have bought the 'wimps' version Stroh 60, which is OK to carry! Over ten pounds down the drain, and the embarrassment of the event!
Irena, UK (July 02)
For the public transport, especially the "zone 100" (all Vienna), the best choice is to buy an "8-day-ticket". it consists of 8 strips, you can choose days freely. The strips are valid on all buses, subways and trams and you can also share them. One day two persons, two strips. One strip costs you a bit less than 2 normal tickets.
Matto (Jan 01)
Moving About
One point in regards to savings: to take a boat trip on the Wachau (Danube) from Vienna and you hold a Vorteilscard, DO NOT take the packaged train-boat-train ticket, as a Vorteilscard discount does not apply. Buy a ticket to Melk, getting discount, and a ticket from Krems back to Vienna (also discount), then at Melk buy the boat ticket. Show your train ticket and you get a discount on the boat ticket.
Dewi & Eufron Williams, Canada (July 02)
Gems, Highlights & Attractions
I am writing about my visit in October to the Salzburger region of Austria, based around Eben im Pongau near Bischofshofen. In the company of some friends, I did some spectacularly beautiful walks in this region.The walk is one of the best I have ever done and goes from near Großahl and again over a sort of saddle, then dropping down to the highest lake in the Eastern Alps, the Tappenkarsee, and eventually to another lake the Jaigarsee. Even in October there is much to see, with eagles and kestrels and choughs overhead, and many kinds of plants still in flower, including several kinds of Gentian and Bellflower. The walk starts up a forested hillslope, crossing streams and up onto a sort of Dwarf Juniper/Dwarf Azalea heathland (which can look very colourful with the pink flowers of the azalea in late summer). Then you climb up to moorland going over the saddle at about 2000 metres from where there are great views of other mountains, including the high Kitzsteinhorn, before dropping down to the spectacularly beautiful Tappenkarsee lake. You can see the very clear water for some distance down to the depths, as you walk along the edge of the lake. At the far end, you drop down on a steep winding path through forest and eventually reach the second, lower lake, the Jaigarsee, with the mountains making a breathtaking backdrop. Itâ??s a fairly strenous walk, and you need to take food and water and certainly walking boots, and warm clothing if youâ??re doing it in the autumn.
Simon Thomas, UK (Nov 05)
Linz: At the â??Pflasterspektakelâ?? festival, street artists from all around the world come together in Linz for three days. They perform acrobatics, clownery, music, etc. in the streets of the inner city. In our opinion this is the most attractive festival in Linz, which always conjures up masses of people. It usually takes place from Thursday to Saturday in the third week of July.
Christine Atteneder & Martin Hölzl, Austria (Sep 05)
The Kaprun High-Mountain Reservoirs (two) make a superb trip which can be combined with the Sigmund-Thun-Klamm (a gorge close to Kaprun). The dam visit by bus, lift and bus again is the major part of a day, and with a walk along the gorge you can have an excellent day out. With summer weather you can walk at the level of the higher dam/reservoir, but that may not be possible with snow on the ground. This trip was certainly one of the highlights of our visit.
Ken Toyne, UK (Jul 05)
The MuseumsQuartier has opened in September. The Leopold Museum and the Museum Moderner Kunst, which have moved to new buildings, are architectural gems and pieces of art themselves and are worth a visit.
For somebody, who is able to understand German, the 'Bellaria Cinema' is a real adventure. It is located on the Museumsstrasse, right behind the Volkstheater. It features German movies from the 1930s and 1940s only. The average age of the audience might be around 75 years: They all watch the movies of their youth. It is a remarkable atmosphere.
Helke Knuetter,Germany (Feb 02)
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