Austria

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We first went to Austria in 1972, and decided to visit the same place again in 1997, Saalbach, in Salzburg state. We stayed at the pretty Saalbacherhof Hotel. We were there both times in June, so no skiing, just sightseeing. The second visit, we were only there for 3 days, so we were only able to do a limited amount.

We also visited the Ice Caves near Werfen, Eisreisenwelt. It was a scenic drive from Saalbach. As you approach Werfen, you'll see the Hohenwerfen Fortress atop a steep hill in the middle of the valley. The fortress was built in the 11th century. The caves are high on the mountainside, you take a very steep cable car first, then walk along a good footpath, rising all the time. The caves are chilly, and you climb up steps the whole time you are inside, to see the ice formations, attractively lit. You then descend another way, so as not to bump into those coming up.

The obvious trip is to go up in the cable car, and spend some time walking the mountain top. In fact we walked all the way down, to Hinterglemm, just up the valley. It was a lovely experience, especially once we'd got off the peak, and were among flowers, including wild azaleas. Hike boots are definitely advised though.

Finally, we went once again to Krimml Falls, which are the highest falls in Europe, dropping 1250 feet in three main falls. Previously we had not managed to get right to the top, as we were with coach trips with limited time available. This time, we came in our hired car, so had all day. We discovered to our delight, at the top there was a walk along the river in a beautiful high valley. We went as far as an inn we could see in the distance, had some refreshment, and retraced our steps. All along the sides of this high valley were more wild azaleas, and steep mini waterfalls coming down to join the river below.