Austria. Where blockbusters have been made and my thinking provoked

A while ago I was there. This wonderful place in the middle of Austria. And now, thinking back, I realize that every place I visited for the first time in my adult life, took my breath away. In the beginning, everything is magical and surreal, mystical and capturing. It is only when you turn a place into your home that your mind gets used to it and loses the spark. It happened to me with Gran Canaria.

Tyrol, in Austria, is very obviously a touristy place, just like Gran Canaria. There are guest houses and hotels here on every corner. There are cars from Germany, Belgium, Europe in general, everywhere. And the people are very nice. And, as it often is, the most touristy places are also those with the most enchanting views and sights.

When I first moved to Gran Canaria, I was made happy every day. The mornings brought me elevated spirits and I walked outside as often as I could. It was beautiful. After a year there, though, I did not want to see the island at all, I vowed to myself to never live there again as I moved to Germany. My point? Some places are better left as vacation spots that will forever bring happiness to your mind. I like Gran Canaria but I am no more amazed by it. I like vacations here but I know the things that go on behind the pink glasses of tourist life.

With Austria, it is similar but somewhat different. You see, mountains amaze me. They make me feel like I am one with nature. But I would never want to live in a valley surrounded by peaks. At least not permanently. It is not my thing. I have grown to learn and accept that vacation locations are only that if you visit them for short periods of times and do not work much while staying.

I grew up in a flat land and mountains are like unicorns to me. Mythical, mystical, and better left untouched after admiration. I learn every day, more and more, how it turns out that I long for things that I grew up with. I eat jams out of the jar. I want to be close to nature and the sea. I want to live among the known things for me. Because they remind me of safety and home. But it does not stop me from appreciating the rest of the world before returning to where my heart is.

In a couple of months, I will be going back to Latvia, My hometown, where I was born in and grew up in. Right now I am in Gran Canaria again, though, and I enjoy it here. It is warm and sunny even though the island is no longer for vacations in my eyes. So I write. And today, I will tell you about a wonderful place in the mountains. The Kaunertal Glacier that has been a backdrop of at least two movies of which one is the Triple X first motion picture.

I like to put bits of me into my work. To let you know who I am. I like to talk without having a conversation. I like to show you with words. Two weeks ago I was in Austria. You can find my adventures there in here:

Climbing a mountain in Austria
The mountainous Switzerland

As you can see, both posts I wrote are about mountains and this one is going to be no different. I spent all of my days during this holiday close to the peaks of Austria. I took the majestic sights in and stored them in my memory. And, in one of these days, we went all the way up to an icy mountaintop that overlooked an amazing lake and valley. It was so serene and reminded me so much of the past. There were cows roaming freely, without enclosures. Some had bells around their necks and most ignored all traffic laws and just stood in the middle of the road when they pleased.

Here I was not the all-powerful human. I got to bow down to nature and appreciate it in the whole of its glory. The forests and waterfalls, the green and the animals. How the world has been here long before us and will stay in place after we are gone.

On my last day in Austria, I went up another mountain. But only a part of it and walking the gravel road that you see in the picture below. It is safe to say that the journey was much less excruciating and much more simple than hiking the other mountain before. Even though my legs still hurt from the first days. I was also in a horrid mood and was complaining all the way up just because there was an operational skiing lift going right the same way and I had not yet sat in one in Austria. Again, not proud of that whiny quality in me so I am trying to get rid of that ugly side of my being.

After I got up, jumped on some great trampolines and ate huge Apfelstrudel with Vanilla sauce, I took mountain carts down, the same way I had come up. The trail was five kilometers long and I drove like a mad woman. Let me tell you, these are so much more dangerous than anything else I have done. There is no security, no warning, and no safety ramps or signs. It reminded me of the early days of formula-1 when there were more deaths than finish lines crossed.

What happens is you get into a low tricycle with fat tires. They give you a helmet and tell you to slow down on the corners, drive on the inside of the road. You also sign an agreement that if you die or get injured is your own fault. And it is. But it is still a marker of how dangerous these things are if you love speed. And I adore it. I shot down that mountain like I was on fire. I did not slow down until I saw others driving down slowly in front of me. I went to overtake them and warn them about it with my little bicycle ring. They went on the inside, a grandma with her daughter's daughter. I went on the outside. Now, imagine a mountain and how roads are made on these. With a lot of sharp 360 degree turns. And there were plenty of the twists. So I had to break when I went past the pair driving slowly. I did that but swayed and one of my tires barely stayed on the road. Now, the fall down seemed not so horrible but there were a lot of trees and it would have been painful. Bones would break if I fell. That was not an option for me. Thankfully I have had experience with driving a car when it was slipping on ice which was similar to this situation. I regained control with my heart thumping.

I drove much slower after the incident but still with some speed. I also tried to break more evenly as my misfortune was a consequence of me pushing one break harder than the other. You know, with a dominant hand and all. I would 100% go for a second ride but I am not as ecstatic about it as I was before. I let Jonas pass me after the incident and ate his dust. Literally. If you drive behind somebody with a mountain cart on a gravel road, there is a lot of dust!

Surprisingly, there was no adrenaline involved. Maybe for a second but it went as fast as it came, in the heat of the moment. I am the kind of a person that hates adrenaline. It makes me tremble and I get really scared. I do not deal well with stressful situations. Because my mind was calm in this particular situation and I enjoyed the drive all the way down, I have to say that mountain carting is a ''must'' attraction in Austria. It was only 9 euro for a very long track. The day ticket was 24 euros if I am not mistaken, so that is not a bad option either.

So, after this ride, our journey took us to this wonderful Kaunertal Glacier that I mentioned before. You have to pay for using the road to it but if you go after 6 PM, there is no one to regulate you and you can take a drive over a stone dam and up, to the top of the mountains for free. That being said, all the attractions on top are also closed after 6 PM so going there after this time is only advised if you want to see it all while in a car. It worked for me and Jonas much better as my legs still felt like jelly from that morning and the days before.

Kaunertal is a real tourist place. You get a map and there are number signs all along the way, signalling the most interesting spots to stop at. From the first settler village to the last operational far. From a 150 m high waterfall to a smugglers paths. From the bottom to the top where there is a ski lift again, that you can take up to the 3000-meter peak. When it is operational, that is. There are quite a lot of things to see here. Hiking trails to take, and romantic spots to sit in.

I did not stop at any of these except on the very top, where there were buildings but no living souls as everything was closed and done for the day. The weather was gloomy and cold, there were occasional rain showers and the clouds were constantly grey. But it did not take away from the place. It is wonderful to look at. There are so many angles, ice slides, crystal lakes, and snow. You feel like you are going all over the world while being in the same spot. From the cows lazily munching on green grass to moss, to no greens at all. Everything there is, you can see here.

I was very impressed at the stone dam. I have no idea how it could hold such a huge amount of water being supported by millions of small rocks and pebbles. There were also a lot of waterfalls joining in the lake and I could not stop thinking that if the dam broke, everything below would be swallowed by waves and waves of force. The cows, the humans, and houses. If the wall just disappeared, we would be gone as well.

Kaunertal is a very nice place that I just wanted to see. I know it was the snow. There is something about Summer/early Autumn that just makes you want to see snow. It makes it so much more memorable when the weather is still sunny and warm but there are peaks covered in white. I had also never seen a Glacier and it is a sight to behold. The huge structure of ice looked like it hadn't ever moved but the lake below signalled otherwise and the countless waterfalls cemented the notion that it is always advancing.

Everything I saw was very clear. From all the mountaintops we passed to the fresh, crisp air. To the clouds that shrouded the top into the mystery that I had already seen before. On this day, everything was swallowed by fog but not enough to impair my vision. The pictures that came out are not even close to how beautiful it actually looks in real life, you simply must visit Tyrol. It is a popular destination for a reason. And yet, even though it is well-known, you never feel like there are too many people around you. It is quiet there. Like in the countryside.

For a walk, for healing, or physical therapy. Meditation even. There are different places out in the world for different people. If you love a party, this is not it. Even though I am sure you can go to Innsbruck for that. If you want to see bustling cities, this is not it. This amazing place for a peace of mind and serenity. For endless walks and clear vision. For those that want to love nature and our own Earth.

The best time to go to Austria is any time but people mostly visit there during Winter to ski, and during summer to hike. If you are going for food, though, Winter is the better option as the skiing resorts offer local food that is hard to find in Summer. Both Kaunertal Gletscher and mountain carting is something I highly recommend as the views and fun are amazing. The hiking trails are also very nice and challenging, and depending on your preferences you can find a trail that is perfect for you. In most cases, they go up, though, as mountains here are everywhere and dominate over flat land considerably.

On my thoughts between Austria and Switzerland, I would choose Austria. I spent more time here but I was also more impressed with it. The prices are average for a great quality. The accommodations are great and the people are extremely nice. The activities endless and affordable. I really can say no bad things here as the roads were all in order and the speed limits reasonable.

There are plenty of bike rentals and the local shop owners even offer to deliver an e-bike to your home, included in the rental fee. There are some nice cities and moderate shopping is possible, more for outdoor sports but enough for everyday attire. The gas prices are lower there than in Germany and that was a very positive surprise as we drove around a lot. The only thing that you should note is that food places close a little earlier and if you are active you will be as hungry as a wolf all the time!

The gallery

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The rulers of mountains. The mysterious fog. And the vibrant colours of way above sea level.

The darkness that lurks. The treacherous twists and turns. And the human touch that reaches even the highest of peaks.

A view through the trees. The ice-cold azure water on top of the world. And the tunnel into the future.

The gloomy mountain tops. The adventurous sights all around the car. And we are closed for business.

Approaching the masters of the land. A very typical sight. And the first snow of this coming winter.

What do yo thing about Nature The Glorious? Sliding down a mountain for thousands of years. And a waterfall so long you wonder if it is not a vertical river.

The twists and turns that the Glacier offers. Shooting by like a bullet. And that is how high you can get with a car.

From down under to the top and the majestic colour of grey.

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Have an amazing day. Today, tomorrow, and forever!
Linda