Day 25- Altenmarkt to Salzburg
After a grea night of sleep I was awake at 5.30 am again!! I can’t break the habit but the mornings are delightful particularly with the views of the magnificent mountains.
After breakfast of muesli, scrambled eggs and toast we were ready to go by 7.30 am.
Today’s ride was a ride was a 74 km decent from 900 metres to the flatter country of 400 metres.
The weather was almost perfect with no rain, high clouds in the morning clearing to a warm sunny day. Early on the temperature was about 12 degrees but on arrival at Salzburg it was in the mid twenties.
I was navigating the ride today and it was a fairly straightforward ride along trails and some riding on a road.
The first 20 odd kms was a lovely descent down the Fritzbach river valley which was more of a gorge. We made very good time along the road.
The first stop for coffee was at the 25 km mark at Werfen and we were so early we strip find an open cafe…. Finally we did and Steve and I enjoyed a lovely cappuccino.
It was then on further to the next stop point for lunch at Hallein which is on the Salzach River. The Salzach flows right through Salzburg and on to the Danube. Lunch was a toasted ham and cheese sandwich with some salad. We are finding the costs of eating more expensive now as we move further north east!
After lunch it was on to the Hellbrunn Palace which houses the lovely glass house used in the Sound of Music film where the song Sixteen Going On Seventeen was performed. The summer palace itself is very impressive but as there a lot of tourists we decided to move on to our final destination in Salzburg.
We arrived at the hotel Edlinger at about 1.30 pm which was rather early but fortunately we were able to check in.The hotel is named after an Austrian artist whose works are displayed all over the hotel. The photos will give you some idea of the artwork.
On today’s ride we saw many other bike tourists travelling in the opposite direction to us with panniers and packs on the bikes. Many were struggling with the smaller uphills and I really wondered how they would go on the steeper sections we had been through…. Fortunately for us it was downhill all the way!
Probably today was the best day of riding I have done on the trip. We had 2 categorised climbs totalling about 300 metres which were handled with some sort of ease. I am finding my climbing is now much stronger as the trip goes on! Thankfully!!!!
Arriving early at the hotel gives us a chance to enjoy the afternoon with the rush of getting sorted before dinner.
I am sitting here now doing my blog in a delightful outdoor veranda.
The pictures today are :
The route
An interesting bridge over the road in the valley
A Schloss on the hill
Some of the surrounding mountains
The Sound of Music glass house
The front entry to Hellbronn Summer Palace
The blue water of one of the tributaries of the Salzach
The Schloss at Salzburg not far from our accommodation
Our accommodation with the artwork along the hallway to our room
