OMG AUSTRIA (1 Viewer)

[jane]

According to my estimation, Austria is approximately 30% cake. The rest of it is Alp.

Delicious.

We went to Burgenland (or, as we called it, Batterburgenland, next to Baggachipland) for my friends' wedding, and then we went to fucking Innsbruck. I don't think I've been so upset leaving a city in about ten years, maybe more. Amazing. Perfect blend of Italian nonchalance and Teutonic efficiency, and the most dog- and child-friendly place I've ever seen. I mean, dogs and kids are not only tolerated everywhere, they are more than welcome. Restaurants bring toys for your wee ones (or, in some cases, miniature kids' tables to put next to the grown-up ones) and bowls of water for the pooch. Even though we are dogless and childless, the whole atmosphere that created made it all the nicer in general.

We didn't get bad (or even mediocre) service once, nor did anything but amazing food and drink pass our lips. I expected to like Austria, but I didn't expect to be so utterly blown away by it. And I guess it's hard to believe that 'relaxed' and 'efficient' can coexist, but they can and do. Fucking spotless, too.

The other night, we were walking home from dinner, and we passed a load of teens sculling cans in the park and we saw them -- wait for it -- throwing their empties into a rubbish bin. For serious. We also stayed in a five-star hotel for the price of a decent Irish B&B. We initially thought that it woudl be one of those places that assigned itself five-stars for perceived greatness and smugness, but it really was fucking amazing. It was luxury that was all about comfort and service, not showiness or ooh-look-who-designed-that-room. Beautiful furniture in a massive room, complete with bathrobes and slippers, and when we asked if they could help us find info on booking some train tickets, they said, "Oh, we'll send someone down to the train station to get them for you." And they did. Seriously. Couldn't have been better.

The most runner- and cyclist-friendly city I've ever been to as well. Brilliant.

The wedding was here:






Innsbruck. For real. This is an actual place:







We also met some scary dolls and a scary clown:

 

[Denny Oubidoux]

whats with all the cake talk? does austria rival france for the sheer volume of cakes and pastries that are available left right and centre and at all times and which must, it must be concluded, be eaten by somebody?

 

[jane]

whats with all the cake talk? does austria rival france for the sheer volume of cakes and pastries that are available left right and centre and at all times and which must, it must be concluded, be eaten by somebody?

Yes, and given that Vienna is the European home of the Coffeehouse, cake and chocolate are EVERYWHERE. OMG. Plus, in Western Austria, where there is a shared border with Italy, there's this amazing critical mass of the best qualities of Italian food/drink/life with the best of Germanic ones. Lots of yummy spud-based dishes and tons and tons of marzipan/chocolate/sweet cheese/YUMYUMCAKE.

I ate at least one different cake/dessert every day for eight days and still only scratched the surface of Austrian desserts.

 

[RSJ]

Sweet, i might be spending a weekend there in a few weeks. Nice one jane!

 

[Scientician 0.8]

There was something of a similar vibe in Heidelberg. I was asking my German friends what are the downsides, what are the things we don't see. It just seemed too perfect.

 

[jane]

If you mean Innsbruck, then I highly recommend this place:

http://www.europatyrol.com/en/index.php

Since you'll still be relatively off-season, you might be able to get an upgrade. We got a deluxe room for the price of a standard, and it was still cheaper than you'd think, and so, so worth the splurge. Like, the rooms actually look like they do on the internet, and there's no funny business with wide angle lenses and funny angles to make things look bigger and shinier. They really are that plush. Totally soundproof, too -- it's across from the train station, but you can't hear ANY outside noise. Plus: bathrobes and slippers! Yay!

There were a few other places we checked out, but one of them was closed for two weeks (between ski season and hillwalking season), including while we were there. I think they offered us a suite for the price of a standard, but we couldn't change our travel dates. But we were so comfy and so glad we stayed where we did. It was plush, but not so fancy that it didn't feel homey.

Oh, and we went to this bar (I'll have to look up the address) called Cafe Toscana, where we had the best homemade spinach gnocchi ever on the entire planet, or possibly in the universe.

If you mean Vienna, we stayed in the Arcotel Wimberger, in Neubau, which was quite nice, and definitely worth it if you're iffy about picking untested hotels (like 89 quid a night, too), but Vienna has some amazing gaffs, too. We were initially going to get an apartment for Vienna, but then we couldn't leave as early as we'd wanted to, and most of them have 3-night minimums.

When you are in Austria, eat as much pumpkin soup and wild garlic soup as you can possibly find. It's great. I was hoping to find a way to bring some back with me, like soaking a jumper in it and bringing it home for later, but I didn't really bring anything heavier than a cotton cardigan, so I'll just have to learn how to make it myself.

 

[jane]

There was something of a similar vibe in Heidelberg. I was asking my German friends what are the downsides, what are the things we don't see. It just seemed too perfect.

Yeah, we were walking around, going, "Where do Innsbruckers go on holiday, and how must it feel to be constantly disappointed by other places?"

I kept thinking that there must be things about it that are shitty -- and I'm sure there are -- or that would annoy me if I lived there, but then, it's rare that you can actually fall in love with a city, and I reckon it's something to relish when it happens. Sure, there's bound to be crap, but you either don't see it or you wilfully filter it out when you're on holiday, and smitten with the exellence of a place.

 

[RSJ]

I actually don't know yet where it'll be - some friends are on tour and will be in austria (three days three shows) so i plan on tagging along, never been over that part of europe. Excited

 

[potlatch]

I HEART Tyrol! I actually recognise that castle where you were. I've been to a wee little town called Obernberg a good few times, right near the Brenner Pass, 30 minutes from Innsbruck.

I love Austria in general (I wouldn't mind living in Vienna), but that whole area in Tyrol is amazing, and the landscape is just stunning.

What I love about the Tryol is they have so much respect for nature, and have managed some incredible balance (or something near it) between modernity and all its rubbish and preserving their landscape because you know they're all dead chuffed that they live there in the first place.

They love their cake, their Viennese coffees, schnitzel and potatoes, hill-walking. Once, when a chapel up the valley was nearly destroyed by a landslide, the town decided to have an impromptu beer festival and yodling contest.

And the folk art museum in Innsbruck is deadly. There's this amazing devil mask that's on all the postcards. I guess it's hard to get around Tyrol if you can't drive, though.

AAARRRGH, now I REALLLY want to go back there. Thanks, Jane.

 

[potlatch]

Yeah, we were walking around, going, "Where do Innsbruckers go on holiday, and how must it feel to be constantly disappointed by other places?"

I kept thinking that there must be things about it that are shitty -- and I'm sure there are -- or that would annoy me if I lived there, but then, it's rare that you can actually fall in love with a city, and I reckon it's something to relish when it happens. Sure, there's bound to be crap, but you either don't see it or you wilfully filter it out when you're on holiday, and smitten with the exellence of a place.

One thing would piss me off: the pollution. Because they mountains hold everything in. Oh, and German tourists.

What would keep me sane: cake and the amazing Bauhaus central train station and that YOU'RE IN THE FUCKING ALPS!

There's something weird about people there, too. When you walk into a shop, or cafe or bar or restaurant, everyone stares people when they walk in, then get back to not talking to their friends of spouse.

 

[RED(tape)MENACE]

Did you drink any Zipfer?

 

[potlatch]

Zipfer's mank. The other one they have is, uh, Kaiser Beer isn't it? That's sort of rubbish, too. Maybe you can get better bottled stuff.

I had one weissbier, locally brewed, called Edelweiss once. Like treacle. Lekker. And locally distilled Schnapps, which tasted like peppercorns. Weird.

 

[RED(tape)MENACE]

Zipfer's mank.

You're a crazy man.
Zipfer's about the finest beer in the world.

 

[potlatch]

No way, I had some beer from around Vienna called Wieselburger, and another called Ottakringer. They, my friend, are the finest beers known to humanity.

Let's split the difference and say we're both right: Austrian beers are the amazingest in the world.

 

[Space]

I'll be going to Landeck for ten days in June. Gonna fly Aer lingus to Zurich (150 euro incl taxes) then train to Landeck. The other option is Ryanair to Salzburg and train from there. Just need to check Are Lingus's sports equipment excess.

I can't wait, Alpine kayaking, Austria, deadly.

 

[RED(tape)MENACE]

No way, I had some beer from around Vienna called Wieselburger, and another called Ottakringer. They, my friend, are the finest beers known to humanity.

Let's split the difference and say we're both right: Austrian beers are the amazingest in the world.

No way, you get two.
Let's say Zipfer is as good as your two beers combined each of which alone is a super-fine beer.

 

[potlatch]

No way, man!

OK, you Zipfer, me Weiselburger.

I win.

 

[RED(tape)MENACE]

Everyone wins when they're drinking fine Austrian beer

 

[sarah]

If you mean Innsbruck, then I highly recommend this place:

http://www.europatyrol.com/en/index.php

Since you'll still be relatively off-season, you might be able to get an upgrade. We got a deluxe room for the price of a standard, and it was still cheaper than you'd think, and so, so worth the splurge. Like, the rooms actually look like they do on the internet, and there's no funny business with wide angle lenses and funny angles to make things look bigger and shinier. They really are that plush. Totally soundproof, too -- it's across from the train station, but you can't hear ANY outside noise. Plus: bathrobes and slippers! Yay!

There were a few other places we checked out, but one of them was closed for two weeks (between ski season and hillwalking season), including while we were there. I think they offered us a suite for the price of a standard, but we couldn't change our travel dates. But we were so comfy and so glad we stayed where we did. It was plush, but not so fancy that it didn't feel homey.

Oh, and we went to this bar (I'll have to look up the address) called Cafe Toscana, where we had the best homemade spinach gnocchi ever on the entire planet, or possibly in the universe.

If you mean Vienna, we stayed in the Arcotel Wimberger, in Neubau, which was quite nice, and definitely worth it if you're iffy about picking untested hotels (like 89 quid a night, too), but Vienna has some amazing gaffs, too. We were initially going to get an apartment for Vienna, but then we couldn't leave as early as we'd wanted to, and most of them have 3-night minimums.

When you are in Austria, eat as much pumpkin soup and wild garlic soup as you can possibly find. It's great. I was hoping to find a way to bring some back with me, like soaking a jumper in it and bringing it home for later, but I didn't really bring anything heavier than a cotton cardigan, so I'll just have to learn how to make it myself.

I was there in winter which is also deadly, they make these massive sculptures out of snow that are in innsbruck but also adjoining villages. You can also go night toboganning (sp?) which is brilliant for thems who can't ski and such like. basically a tractor drags a trailer full of tourists and tobogans up a hill to a skihuette, in this herberge they serve all sorts of local food and loads of hot and cold alcoholic drinks. it's open til about 4 or 5 in the morning, when you're pissed or sober depending on what you prefer you leave this hut and they show you to the slope, it's about 2 km down hill in the dark! exhillarating,
i landed in a ditch after the first corner but got the hang of it after a while. definitley will be going back again.

 

[Space]

Booked flights to Salzburg today for 100 euro. Only a month to go til I've 11 days in the Alps.