pharmboy

I will be traveling in Northern Austria in a few months by train and would like to spend several days in small towns primarily unspoiled by tourism. We enjoy gathering in the history and getting to know the people. A few recommendations I have received are Steyr, Gnumden, and Enns. A car is not an option for me so I need to be able to get there by bus and train. Love to hear your suggestions.

ira

Hi P,

Have you looked for train schedules at www.bahn.de?

Castleblanca

You mention a couple towns, which are not really in "northern" Austria, so I'm confused. Also, Steyr and Gmunden are not exactly "small".

Now, if you really want small in the north, try Retz. Also, for a couple Euros you can take the train across the border and spend a day in Znojmo (German name is Znaim).

If you include Salzkammergut in "north", then you can go to much smaller places than Gmunden. My favorite is to take the train to Bad Aussee (5,000 people) and then it is a short bus ride from the train station or center of town (5 km) to Altaussee (1800 people). Now this is truly heaven on Earth (mountains and a lake)! But again, this is not what I would call "Northern Austria", but is rather in the north of the Steiermark / South of Gmunden, which you are already considering. Furthermore, if you want history, the Altaussee/Bad Aussee/Grundelsee/Toplitzsee region (Ausseerland) will also not disappoint. For instance, think back to where the Nazis buried their gold in the last days of WWII. Oh, Topltzsee! And Altaussee was not overlooked by them either! This is where all those conterfeit British Pound notes were found a few years ago.

ira

Hi Castel,

We are planning to drive up to Toplitzsee on our upcoming visit.

How would you compare that to Altausee?

Thanks,

Wayne

I wouldn't want to argue with Castelbianca, but I would also consider Steyr, Gmunden, and that region to be northern Austria -- certainly not central or southern. And those towns aren't in Styria, but in Oberosterreich. But that isn't the point of the question.

Here are some towns or villages that I think will fulfill your desire to see the natural Austria, especially if you can arrive during some of their local festivals:
-Rather than Gmunden but still on the lovely Traunsee, go to Traunkirchen, a pretty lakeside village with a beautiful church and great views.
-Between Linz and Salzburg, consider Attersee, Mondsee, St. Wolfgang, St. Gilgen, Lambach, and Wels (a little larger but charming).
-Between Linz and Wien, consider many of the villages of Niederosterreich, which is VERY northern Austria. My favorites include Rappotenstein, Zwettl, Gmund, Heidenreichstein, and Engelburg. Unfortunately, I don't know which of these is on the rail routes because I always go via auto.

KarinMarina

There is a really small town in Norther Austria (Niederösterreich) which is called Pürbach - near Schrems. They have a great Theatre there, the Waldviertler Hoftheater:
http://www.w4hoftheater.co.at/
If you go there you are in for a treat.
Train and bus will bring you there.
All the best,
Karin

bettyk

Ira, when you visit Toplitzsee, you must eat at the Fischerhutte. We did in 2005 and it was very popular and quite good. As I recall, we had to park the car near Grundelsee and walk along the Lake to the restaurant.
http://www.toplitzsee.at/fischerh.htm

pharmboy

Thank you for the great suggestions of small towns, as well as the history and geography lessons; all three are greatly appreciated.

ira

Thank you for the tip, Betty.

bob_brown

I suggest using the Austrian National Rail Website: www.öbb.at. Or www.oebb.at.
Either way.

I think the Austrian site has more information for local travel as a general rule.

Enns and Steyr can be reached from Salzburg or Vienna quite easily by rail.
Some of the more remote villages, like Mondsee, are reached mainly by post bus.

The Austrian rail web site will tell you if a bus or train or a combination of bus and train will get you there.

There is an English version of the Austrian site. Look at the top of the home page and find the drop down box that says Sprache/Language

Your choices are Deutsch and Englisch.

Castleblanca

Ira, Toplitzsee only has the Fischerhutte (small restaurant) and a boat can take you around the small lake. You must walk to it from Grundelsee, as pointed out (about 1.5 km), through the woods.

Altaussee is a true village with a couple inns/hotels, restaurants, bike paths, wandering paths up to the main mountain (Loser) and mountain meadows (Blaa Alm), and a really nice path around the lake, itself.

So, you have to stay in either Altaussee, Grundelsee, or even Bad Aussee --- not at Toplitzsee.

Again, I only suggested this region, because pharmboy started by saying Steyr (poplulation 40,000) and then Gmunden (population 100,000) ---- Gmunden being at the northern side of Salzkammergut, while Ausseerland is the southern tip of it. And yet he wants "small". So, when someone says "small", I think "small population".

Again, Retz is truly "north" and is unlike any of the other regions or towns everyone has mentioned. It is a wine-making region on the Czech border, architecture is more Bohemian than Austrian. Alfred Komarek sets some of his novels in and around Retz (along the Wine Cellar Road), i.e. Blumen für Polt, etc. Retz has a population of 4,000, Altaussee has 1,800, Bad Aussee has 5,000, etc. See the difference. It just depends on what you mean by "small".

Pharmboy can't go wrong by picking a couple places, and it will only whet his appetite for a second (and a third, etc.) visit.