Austria - our perfect destination

Having scurried out of Slovenia to escape the persistent rain we arrived in Austria for just a bit more rain before the dark clouds cleared and we were blessed with beautiful weather, hot and sunny in the daytime and cool in the evenings (although when we were up in the mountainous ski resorts it was quite chilly during the night). We started our Austrian adventure in the south at Rosegg, a pretty little town on the river Drau, conveniently situated right on a cycle path which follows the course of the river and this begins the theme of our stay in this beautiful country - cycle paths! We stayed in the car park by the cemetery, the neighbours are quiet and most cemeteries have a water tap which is very convenient!

Our favourite spot in the mountains- so tranquil

The first impression of Austria is how impeccable it is everywhere, the beautiful chalet style houses, often of pine construction with colourful window boxes and manicured gardens. There is no litter anywhere but one thing astounded us about this rather pristine country, if you go in a bar or restaurant you may encounter a smoky atmosphere. Apparently the smoking ban was overturned by the Freedom party, against the stern advice of the medical profession and cancer charities, notably the leader of the party is a smoker himself! I have to say it was Weird and not very pleasant to go back to the days of sitting in a restaurant next to a smoker, it's like going back in time!

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And then there is the scenery, we fell in love with the breathtaking snow capped mountains, the lush valleys, the fairytale villages and the abundance of clearly way-marked tarmac cycle paths, we arrived in ebike heaven! As we progressed slowly north towards Strasbourg, we were blown away by the stunning beauty, having never been a skier, I now understand the draw of the exhilaration of skiing combined with what has to be the most amazing scenery in the world.  We found plenty of places to park for a night or two without any disturbance, being off season the ski lifts are closed but the car parks make great places to stay! Everywhere we went we were wowed by wonderful views, the hot weather melting the snow from the mountain tops, the meltwater rushing down the hillsides in torrents and falls. One place we stayed next to the river we had to get used to the constant roaring of the gushing water, it was like White noise!

Top of the mountain 5606ft above sea level

One day we cycled up a mountain alongside the ski lift, the road just went up and up past heaps of compacted snow, it was still warm enough for short sleeves, in fact right at the top where the air is thin the sun was really hot! At the summit was a lovely restaurant where we sat and enjoyed a coffee, taking in the superb views. Without our ebikes we would never have made it to so many places we visited. 
We stayed in Austria for over a fortnight and when we left we both felt really sad to be leaving such a wonderful country. One day we will return as we only explored a tiny bit of Austria and just maybe the weather might be as fantastic!

A lovely spot for a picnic lunch!