Zillertal

Date: 8/10/2013
Who: Mark and myself
Length: about 9 miles
Time: about 6 hours
Weather: cool, cloudy

Our lodging in Austria was a rental guest house in Stummerberg, a town in the Zillertal region. I found it through the Homeaway.com website. The Haus Kammerlander has two or three rental apartments, separate from the main house where the family lives. We stayed in the “Alpenblick” apartment. The house is on the hillside about 1,000′ above the valley, and the balcony had a nice view looking south down the valley. The apartment was clean and well-equipped. the wireless Internet service was solid–I was able to Facetime back to the U.S. with no problem. Our hosts Marianne and Joseph were very nice and patient with our substandard German skills. Their homemade schnapps was super! I would rent there again.

On the last full vacation day in Austria, we drove the Zillertaler Höhenstraβe (high road) and took a day hike in Hochzillertal. We had lunch at the Kaltenbacher Schihütte–which had many families with children playing in the “Murmeltier Land” attraction.

Later that afternoon, while Mark prepared to celebrate Mass, I took another hike right from the rental apartment. I found the freytag & berndt map WK 151 to be very useful this day. During this late afternoon hike I said my “goodbyes” to Austria.

One unexpected thing we learned on this vacation was the correct way to eat a Weiβwurst. I didn’t know that Weiβwurst is traditionally only served before Noon (it’s a breakfast sausage), and that one removes the outer skin before eating it, usually with special mustard, pretzel, and beer. It does taste better with the casing removed! If you visit Germany or Austria, don’t be a rube like me–peel your Weiβwurst!

Morning hike route:

View Colorado Chris Hikes in a larger map

Afternoon hike route:

View Colorado Chris Hikes in a larger map

2 thoughts on “Zillertal

  1. So, so glad you revisited lovely, lovely Austria. let’s plan a trip in 2015 and explore new places.. it is such a lovely, friendly country.

  2. Ok, so when you were on the private porch, thinking it was public, loved it! Also, enjoyed the hydroelectric glimpse, and the wild berries, both super cool. What a great trip back for you. Wish I could have been there, too. Saying goodbye to places is important, we encourage Cordelia often to do so.

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