- 29 May 97 - 13 July 97

Salzburg, Austria - PM Trip to Konigsee, Germany

Around 9:00 we saw that the funicular was running and went up to the Fortress. The base station for the funicular is in the former house of Michael Hayden, brother of Joseph Hayden the Composer. The views from the fortress were great. North over the old city, the River Salzach, and the new city. NorthEast to the Kapuzinerberg (Kapuzin Kloster & Mountain Park) - couldn't quite see our hotel, it was behind the left edge of the mountain. East, West and South to the Alps - dominated to the SouthWest by the Untersberg. It almost felt like WE were in - "The Sound of Music". The only drawback to the view was a "light" blanket of smog, particularily to the NorthWest. We didn't go thru the Fortress musuem, but walked all around the inner and outer courtyards then walked back down the "horse path" on the North side thru the KapitelPlatz and DomPlatz to the ResidenzPlatz. I pity the horses that used to have to travel this "path" to the fortress - it is steep!!!

Picked up a cab at the ResidenzPlatz back to the Hbf, got some sandwiches and drinks, and caught the 12:35 train to Bertchesgaden, and a cab to Konigssee.

Konigssee was just a beautiful as the man at the Hotel Bavaria described it. It is a large lake at about 650m elevation, surrounded by alpine peaks ranging from about 2500 to 2800m. From the North shore port of Christlieger, the size of the lake can't really be appreciated - and the lake ferry's were not running yet - but we were blessed again with a beautiful clear day for a walk about. The Eagles Nest, the Kehlstein Ridge and Honer Goll are clearly visible to the NorthEast from Konigsee. Hang gliders were out in force - stepping off of Honer Goll and riding the ridge winds down the Kehlstein Ridge.

Took the Bus back to Berchtesgaden and took our afternoon coffee (or beer) break at the Hbf. I got a DB system map at the station, like the system maps that we'd seen on the trains, which covers almost all of our European train travels. Determined that the train route that we had planned to take to Innsbruck would be traveling up a long valley and got an alternate route to Innsbruck thru Bischofshofen, Zell am See, and Kitzbuhel, which would go south then west - more thru and across the mountains. Took a direct train back to Salzburg , and walked back to the hotel - arriving at The Dorint about 19:15.

Cleaned up and walked about 1 km to a very nice, small, restaurant on Schallmooser HauptstraBe, between Virgil Gassee and Arno Gasse, at the base of the Kapuzinerberg. As we were finishing up, around 8:30, the restaurant filled up with about 50 young people (students?) who had walked in from somewhere - it wasn't a busload (at least we didn't see any bus) - they just kept coming and coming!!

Had another wonderful day - off to Innsbruck in the morning.