The 'Happy Holidays Euro Tour' of 2019!
First off, MERRY CHRISTMAS!!! We hope that you all are having a wonderful holiday season filled with fun and adventures of your own! Personally, I can't believe it's been a month since we left Croatia but my-oh-my what a month it's been!
I'm currently writing this from Italy, where we are spending the actual holidays. However, we kicked off the holiday season waaaay back at the end of November in Austria! Our good bud Matty flew in from Victoria, BC to hang out with us for three crazy weeks of Christmas Markets, hiking, dunkle, cold, snow, Glühwein, hüttes, and mountains across three different countries! ...And we had an absolute BLAST!!
In the spirit of the holidays, here's a bit of a breakdown of where we went and what we did. It was a heck of a tour - so my apologies in advance if this post is a bit on the long side. Simply put, we covered a lot of ground!
But if you're looking for a bit of a time-out from your day to explore Austria, Slovakia and Germany fully aglow for the holidays, I hope this post satisfies! It sure did for us - AUSTRIA WE LOVE YOU!!
Stop #1: Vienna, Austria
I'm not sure if you know, but we love Vienna! It is genuinely our favourite city in the EU! The dogs were the authors for our last post about this magical city when we stayed for the month of July. However, this time I'm going to fill in some of the gaps for why I enjoy this city so much. For this leg of Vienna we stayed for only a week, but I think that we made the most of it!
[Author's Note: We'll be back in Vienna for 2 weeks at the end of January. If you think there is something we should check out while we're there, please let us know!!!]
Christmas Markets: Starting at the end of November the city glows under a blanket of Christmas lights that are strung throughout the city! They are all easy to walk to if you're staying within the city centre and each one has it's own flair, music, and delicious hot punsch! Here is a quick look that I hope conveys the atmosphere, history, and fun of how Vienna brings Christmas to life!!
Live Music: It's no surprise that Vienna is THE place for music lovers. We were fortunate enough to attend a live string quartet performance in the stunning St. Peterskirche in the centre of town. Between the candle light, acoustics, gigantic frescoes, and musicians we were perched on the edge of our pew listening to every note! The experience was absolutely magical! We were also fortunate enough to catch some local pop musicians at the stage at the Museum's Quarter, and Devin Townsend at Simm City (a bit of an eclectic grouping....I know.)
Food & Drink: Being Matty's first time in Europe, we did this A LOT. And, as you should! Exploring a new country through its food and drink is never boring and makes learning fun! Some of the top spots included the Göesser Bierklinik (home of the ultimate Dunkle!), Mel's Craft Beer's & Diner, (best value for money in Vienna!) and the wonderful Ammutsøn Craft Beer Dive (which had delicious small batch craft brew)! But I think one of the favourites of Vienna (other than the Dunkle) was the plethora of traditional Würstelstands. Not only are the giant pretzels hot and fresh, but you can also get a giant Käsekrainer served inside a hollowed bread-roll filled with melted cheese! Yummmmmm!!!
Stop #2: Bratislava, Slovakia
Okay, so technically we only did a day trip to Bratislava but it was so jam packed with fun that it felt like it could have been longer! We were there on the first Saturday of the Christmas Market celebrations kicking off in the city, and it did not disappoint!
The Christmas markets here were VERY different from Austria. The crowds were larger, and we felt like the only non-locals. The market in Bratislava has a very large food focus with Lokša, Cigánska Pečienka , Potato Pancakes, and Hot Mead filling the air with their delicious scents! And, boy of boy, does Bratislava put on a show with their lights! Here's a quick look at what it's like... I don't think any of us wanted the day to end.
Stop #3: Filzmoos & Salzburgerland, Austria
Nested in the Salzburg Alps, there is a beautiful traditional Austrian ski village that is filled with charm - Filzmoos! It's the perfect spot of rent a cabin and enjoy the peace and solitude of nature. And I fully believe that we won on the cabin selection.
This massive wood house we rented is located in a sunny, quiet location at 1050m elevation and has a beautiful view to the Dachstein Massif. Not only did this spot prove to provide some of the best rest and relaxation of the trip, it was also a great location for some epic day trips!
Salzburg: This amazing Christmas market dates all the way back to 1491, making it the oldest market in Austria. Exploring the magical market in Mozart's city is honestly like walking into a fairy-tale! Truth be told, we had no idea of this before we ventured into the city on that cold December day. However, it captivated us so much that we spent our entire time in Salzburg at the market eating, drinking, window shopping, and well...just taking it all in! This is also where we learned about Krampus. [TLTR? Short version: In Central European folklore, Krampus is a horned, anthropomorphic figure described as "half-goat, half-demon", who, during the Christmas season, punishes children who have misbehaved. He hangs out with Santa and the two tour around together as BFFs on Christmas Eve.] Going to be honest here...Krampus is intense. Have a look for yourself:
Kitzsteinhorn & Gipfelwelt-3000: Ever wanted to feel on top of the world? Well this place will do it for you! At an elevation of 3029m, this mountain is the highest point of the Salzburg region. Being up that high takes your breath away (both literally and figuratively)! Not only that, to reach the top you get to hike through the permafrost to reach the ultimate viewing platform. The route, which is a good hike, has interactive educational stations and almost turns the National Park to a museum!
Stop #4: Oets & Umhausen, Austria
Our stay in Umhausen was for only 3 nights, but we loved it! It gave us some time relax and recharge, and tuck into some home cooking, good snowy hikes, old town exploration, and watching 'Die Hard' on the cold, snowy nights.
Stop #5: Mittenwald, Germany / Seefeld Olympic Region, Austria
Kelly and I discovered Mittenwald over the summer on a random Sunday when everything in Austria was closed. You should have seen our faces when we discovered that this town is not only the quintessence of Bavaria, it has its own BREWERY!!
Brauerei Mittenwald has been around since 1830, but it's inception dates all the way back to 1808. On their website is a fantastic photo chronicle of the brewery's history - even if you're not into beer, I highly recommend you check it out! The old photos alone are pretty cool!
Because Mittenwald is so close to the Austrian boarder, we could go between the areas with relative ease. This meant the best of both worlds! We could hike and play in the snow in Seefeld, then retire in the evenings to our top floor traditional Bavarian chalet in the evenings!
Small European villages are really just the best - the snow flies and you just walk anywhere you want to go. It also makes quite nights in exceptionally cozy. It's fair to say that we all love a warm, tropical vacation with a beach, waves and drinks with little umbrellas in them...but I think that I may just forgo that for the warm glow of a fire on a snowy night, enjoying a cup of hot mulled wine with the people I love.
Matty, thank you again so much for making the long, long, 30 hour journey to hang out with us - these memories are going to last a lifetime!
...We love you man! ❤️
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