Jane & Rog’s Balkans Tour

[Jane And Rog]

The caves in Han are worth their price tag, very good indeed, but yes you need a quiet day, Nerja caves are even better though, and so is the weather on exit

Thanks - the image of the glowing deer on the poster put us off, along with the €27 per head price tag. Nerja next time, maybe.

 

[chrispenrallt]

Enjoying your excellent posts again!

 

[Jane And Rog]

I forgot the maps again! This is a lovely corner of Germany and feels off the beaten track, and yet with plenty of good walking and cycling.

Here’s the zoomed out view for context.

And the closer-in terrain view.

And my view with coffee as I write this.

 

[Coastal Cruiser.]

When we got back to the van, we were disappointed to notice our neighbours had out-Denbyed Denby -

Seems they were lucky to get a spot in that car park!!

 

[Jane And Rog]

Today was mainly driving. We left Weingut Erlenwein to join a queue of traffic stretching all the way to our destination in Bernal am Chiemsee. Germany is a country of religious conservatives and as today being Ascension day, everyone over the age of 18 has strapped bikes to the back of their BMW and are heading towards anywhere that involves a moderate to long queue of traffic. 400km took us the best part of seven hours including an obligatory sausage break (not pictured).

The campsite we chose (Wohnmobilpark Bernau, uneven.rusted.saucy) is connected to the local sports hall and gets middling reviews but, it’s actually pretty good. Maybe a bit towards the car park aesthetic as these things go but the showers are good and the backdrop to the dog walks on the doorstep are great.

The other thing every single German was doing today was booking a table at one of the three restaurants in Bernal am Chiemsee. We walked into town to be turned away from each before rushing back to the bar attached to the tennis club hoping to beat all the other residents to the last table. Success . We chose from the short menu: hammered pork breadcrumbed, cheesecrumbed or nothingcrumbed all served with chips and beer or wine (obviously cheese is the correct answer). Not what we’d hoped for but all that looking at e-bikes on the back of a stationary X5 does make you peckish and we tucked in.

We’re now within spitting distance of the border. We’ve been to Vienna before but not the rest of Austria. Our first task on crossing the border will be to get ourselves acquainted with Austria’s needlessly complicated toll system.

- Rog

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[ANDKEZLULA]

Hope you like Austria, I’ve been many times touring on a motorcycle, it’s fabulous. Looking forward to hearingyour experience of it with a tinge of envy.

 

[Jane And Rog]

Maps for today - are people finding these useful?

 

[Jane And Rog]

Hope you like Austria, I’ve been many times touring on a motorcycle, it’s fabulous. Looking forward to hearingyour experience of it with a tinge of envy.

We’re thinking this may be a fairly quick transit as it’s still pretty cold and we only have our summer duvet and shoulder season walking gear (as the aim is the sunnier climes of the Balkans). But we may spend longer on the way back when it should be warmer.

Any top tips? Our route will be roughly Salzburg to Villach, north to south.

 

[ANDKEZLULA]

I spent most of my time there around the timmelsjoch & grosglockner mountain areas so a bit west of your route, but just about every where I saw was beautiful, I hope to head there in the van late summer. Enjoy

 

[Riverbankannie]

The first boat in the morning out on Chiemsee to the castle is wonderful, we so much enjoyed that trip. In the area is Eagles Nest of course and also worth a visit.

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[Jane And Rog]

The first boat in the morning out on Chiemsee to the castle is wonderful, we so much enjoyed that trip. In the area is Eagles Nest of course and also worth a visit.

We’re still trucking on through at the moment but one for next time, thanks.

 

[Dutch 68]

Today was mainly driving. We left Weingut Erlenwein to join a queue of traffic stretching all the way to our destination in Bernal am Chiemsee. Germany is a country of religious conservatives and as today being Ascension day, everyone over the age of 18 has strapped bikes to the back of their BMW and are heading towards anywhere that involves a moderate to long queue of traffic. 400km took us the best part of seven hours including an obligatory sausage break (not pictured).

The campsite we chose (Wohnmobilpark Bernau, uneven.rusted.saucy) is connected to the local sports hall and gets middling reviews but, it’s actually pretty good. Maybe a bit towards the car park aesthetic as these things go but the showers are good and the backdrop to the dog walks on the doorstep are great.

View attachment 754673

The other thing every single German was doing today was booking a table at one of the three restaurants in Bernal am Chiemsee. We walked into town to be turned away from each before rushing back to the bar attached to the tennis club hoping to beat all the other residents to the last table. Success . We chose from the short menu: hammered pork breadcrumbed, cheesecrumbed or nothingcrumbed all served with chips and beer or wine (obviously cheese is the correct answer). Not what we’d hoped for but all that looking at e-bikes on the back of a stationary X5 does make you peckish and we tucked in.

View attachment 754674

We’re now within spitting distance of the border. We’ve been to Vienna before but not the rest of Austria. Our first task on crossing the border will be to get ourselves acquainted with Austria’s needlessly complicated toll system.

- Rog

Try to visit Fiss/Ladis/Serfaus , have a Google , it is fantastic

 

[Jane And Rog]

Try to visit Fiss/Ladis/Serfaus , have a Google , it is fantastic

Sounds like one for the way back, thanks.

 

[Jane And Rog]

We had a good day today, although (dramatic foreshadowing) there was some campsite decision dithering that led to a cross word. (Not “bother” or “drat”.) First a lovely walk with that view…

We then stopped in the nearby outlet centre for Rog to buy a massive down jacket that will be just the thing in Albania where it is, as I type, 25 degrees centigrade. Next stop was at Hochfelln Sud service station (venturing.mincing.thrilling) where we bought our vignette for Austria. I mention it as it is a fair way before the border, and would allow you to go via Berchtesgarten and not worry about entering Austria via a minor road.

Also, you can buy three bottles of beer in a lederhosen bag. I don’t know how Rog managed to resist.

Although we’d have loved to have seen Salzburg, it’s not a very dog-friendly thing to do, so we headed on past, to Hohenwerfen Fortress, where we had our bread and cheese lunch with this amazing view.

Lunch done, we eschewed the lift and walked up to the castle, Flynn’s pulling on the lead actually being quite useful in tugging me up the steep path. We weren’t allowed on the tour inside with Flynn but explored most of the rest of the castle. It was built almost a thousand years ago on this natural pinnacle - here’s the view I couldn’t take (from Wikipedia).

And these is one of our photos of the castle, with that amazing mountain backdrop.

And Flynn failing to pose with the statue of a pointer.

We had a quite drink in the castle courtyard, where Rog managed to buy me a half-pint of wine. I only drank half!

Then back down, followed by our campsite dithering. First what sounded like, and was, a great farmhouse campsite, with the family inn serving food. But the inn was closed for its holidays, so we moved on. Next, a free town car park. Car park camping in Austria is strictly illegal, and this car park didn’t look to be worth the risk, so on we went.

Third time lucky! The free car park in Gmünd looked fine, plenty of trees, away from the road, and with another motorhome already tucked away in a corner.

We gave Flynn another quick walk while scoping out the town and discovered “Das Haus das Staunes” - a museum of astonishment, according to Google translate. We decided to take Flynn back to the van, and then head out for dinner early and astonish ourselves before eating. Sadly, the astonishment was that tours left at certain times, and the last of those times was a while ago, at 4pm.

So we settled for being mildly interested by a Max Ernst exhibition instead. (It turns out that Gmünd is a Künst town, which is not rude, it merely means it thinks of itself as arty, with galleries aplenty.) Max Ernst was a surrealist, which can mean drawing a lobster wearing a bowler hat, and in this case seemed to be just that. In hindsight, we should have saved the €12 entry.

This is the most representational of his art. I’ll let you guess which famous literary duo this is:

After further exploring the galleries, we stopped at a wine bar where I had an excellent local white wine and Rog a large beer. Or two. Then it turned out that debit cards were not an acceptable form of payment in the 21st century and Rog had to go and find a cashpoint for paper money of the old variety. In the meantime I was propositioned by a local who wanted to hold my hand and buy me a brandy. Not something that has happened in many a long year, but then he had drank several too many falling-down waters. (But, no, he wasn’t blind.) Luckily the barman helped me fend him off.

Dinner at the Gasthof Alte Post was excellent - smoked trout then zander for me, and picked beef and onions then boiled beef for Rog, again with leftovers aplenty.

When we got back to the car park, we saw at least three more motorhomes and a car and caravan. Seems as though this is a well-used spot, so I hope we’ll be undisturbed overnight.

 

[Leith Laddie]

Enjoy the Balkans I think that the best of the weather is on its way after a showery week. We are in Hungary now and the sun has been splitting the sky all day. Enjoying your posts and looking forward to seeing where you go. Bon voyage!

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[Jane And Rog]

Here are our maps - we’re heading south today through Villach and into Slovenia.

We’re the little grey dot north of Spittal an der Drau.

 

[Barryh]

I’m enjoying your trip. Thanks for taking the time and effort to post.

 

[jumartoo]

I love your trips, especially your writing. You make things I'm not particularly interested in particularly interesting .

I'll be following your trip.

Thanks.

 

[Figaro]

Great write up, thanks for sharing.
Are you using motorways in Austria with a gobox ?

 

[Jane And Rog]

Great write up, thanks for sharing.
Are you using motorways in Austria with a gobox ?

No, a vignette. Our van is apparently 3.5 tonnes.

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[Jane And Rog]

I love your trips, especially your writing. You make things I'm not particularly interested in particularly interesting .

I'll be following your trip.

Thanks.

Thanks Judith. I’m not sure what your interests are, but we are not usually as art-focussed, I promise!

 

[suavecarve]

Here are our maps - we’re heading south today through Villach and into Slovenia.

View attachment 755207
View attachment 755210
We’re the little grey dot north of Spittal an der Drau.

If you stay at a campsite around Millstat which includes Spittal you (I believe still) are entitled to the Millstat card which gives you free and discounted trips out including some ski lifts saunas boat rides taxis home free bike hire museums etc as well as access to the beaches

 

[Grianan]

I thinking I’m going to enjoy this tour! Photos of Austria are breathtaking and I love reading your commentary. A perfect blend of information, light-heartedness and personal touches. Thank you!!

I was trying to think of the perfect viewpoint near Salzburg and couldn’t remember the name - it was Fuschl. Too late now.

 

[Jane And Rog]

Thanks all for the Austria tips. Our intention was always to get to better weather first, but if we come back via the same (ish) route rather than taking the ferry to Italy, then, with any luck, it will be July and the weather will be better for the Alps. Although I suppose Austria will be even more expensive.

Top Slovenia tips welcomed though please! (and Croatia etc. down to Albania).

 

[Poms_from_Adelaide]

I think our favourite stop in Slovenia was in Dornberk. Nice campsite there amongst the vines, nice winery (Fox something?) nearby and super friendly locals.

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[Jane And Rog]

I think our favourite stop in Slovenia was in Dornberk. Nice campsite there amongst the vines, nice winery (Fox something?) nearby and super friendly locals.

That does sound like our sort of thing, but the Park for night reviews are quite mixed and someone said it was €60 a night?

 

[WESTY66]

If you’re planning a stop near Villach, check out camping Arneitz at Faakersee!! Fabulous acsi campsite.
At the southern end of Slovenia we found a cracking aire behind a lovely restaurant in zerovnica

 

[Grianan]

Llubljiana was a lovely city. I was there on Erasmus exchange in October. Very peaceful traffic-free centre.

 

[Jane And Rog]

If you’re planning a stop near Villach, check out camping Arneitz at Faakersee!! Fabulous acsi campsite.
At the southern end of Slovenia we found a cracking aire behind a lovely restaurant in zerovnica
View attachment 755522

Thanks, that looks good!

 

[Jane And Rog]

Llubljiana was a lovely city. I was there on Erasmus exchange in October. Very peaceful traffic-free centre.

I’ve seen the pictures and it looks great. But we’re thinking that cities and masses of culture are more of a post-dog thing. Close your ears, Flynn!

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