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Dec 6 - St Nicholas Day
It’d snowed again overnight, we woke to a wall of white fog. We’d hoped to take a bus to Hintertux at the end of the Tux Valley, but we knew we’d need a good weather day to make the cable car excursion worthwhile, and today wasn’t that day (€48 each for a pedestrian ticket). The Hintertux Glacier has the longest skiing season in Austria, and rises some 3,250 meters above sea level. It’s home to the highest double cable car in the world, and is said to offer spectacular views - on an ideal day. https://www.hintertuxergletscher.at/en/ We’d hemmed and hawed about taking the bus into the valley anyway and walking along the river instead of going to the top, but we couldn’t get excited about taking a bus some 40 minutes to a river walk that might or might not be accessible, so instead we decided to walk along the Ziller River towards Hippach via the mostly cleared, completely flat river trail. So we set out on the walk from our apartment, soon finding ourselves on the Der Skulptureweg am der Zillerpromenade, a path alongside the river with an assortment of sculptures on display. https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...a7a49ae826.jpg Mayrhofen https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...0fbd7f39a4.jpg Der Skulptureweg am der Zillerpromenade We walked as far as Ramsau (surprised to discover that Hippach and Ramsau are just across the river from each other), crossed the river and then returned to Mayrhofen on the opposite side. The walk took about two hours and wasn’t particularly interesting, but we got some fresh air and exercise. https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...d5bee42c20.jpg Ziller River Then we walked back to the tourist office to ask about our guest cards, which we’d read online will cover transport back to Jenbach upon departure. Nope. The same helpful woman from the previous day was manning the desk. Evidently, this perk is only good with the digital guest card which not all accommodation owners provide. The paper card - which we’d been given - is basically of no use this time of year, as most businesses that offer discounts with the card are closed and the buses run so infrequently. So we just confirmed what we’d already discovered, that our card wasn’t worth the paper it was printed on. Our new friend told us that the town is transitioning between the two cards, but it will take a while to get it all up and running. We also learned that neighboring towns in the Zillertal are part of different resorts, so they have different bus systems, etc. These towns don’t play well with each other. She gave us a very short list of open restaurants (there are approximately 80 in the area). We sought out Pane & Vino, which was open, but nothing appealed, so we went back to the busy Ellie’s for an encore hamburger for Bill, chicken burger for me, shared fries, Guinness and white wine - €35.20, different waiter, but he too was an English speaker from Brazil. We’d been told Café Kostner was open until 7 pm and recommended for their cake; and as it was my birthday, I was looking forward to a treat. But, alas, they were closed! Mayrhofen was very quiet, even more so than the past two days. We picked up a few things at Billa and Spar and walked back towards the apartment, stopping in the Mayrhofen Parish Church en route. https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...74e3b6f881.jpg Mayrhofen Parish Church https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...867fe42001.jpg Mayrhofen I’d noticed another bakery during our many walks to and from the apartment over the past few days, and knew they were open from 2 pm onwards, so we popped in. I was hoping for a nice slice of cake, but no, just bread and limited sweets, none of which appealed. There would be no cake for me today. To be continued… |
Dec 7 -
Today we were leaving sleepy Mayrhofen for S. Cristina, Italy. Bill had discovered that there was a transport strike, but fortunately there was guaranteed transport within certain hours; we were good to go. He booked the train from Mayrhofen to Brennero/Brenner - the border station between Austria and Italy - on the ÖBB site (€12 for him, €18.80 for me). Because we didn’t meet the resident qualification, we were ineligible for a Sud Tirol number on their transport app, and were therefore unable to purchase tickets within Sud Tirol online. It took us about an hour to reach Jenbach, where we connected to an EC train to Brennero/Brenner. We’d wrongly assumed that Brenner would be a big station; but it was just a few platforms, a broken ticket machine and stairs, no elevator. As we stood at the broken ticket machine wondering how we’d get a ticket, a worker passed by and told us to go upstairs to platform 6 to find a working machine. So, we dragged our luggage up a second set of stairs. He followed us and waited while we purchased tickets to Waidbruck Bahnhof - a journey of about an hour (€20 for both) and then directed us to the correct platform (TRNS?) for the train to Merano, which we might have never found without his help, bless him. The train was empty at first, but progressively became more and more busy. En route we passed through Chiusa/Klausen, the town overlooked by what I now know is Sabiona Monastery/Kloster Säben/Monastero di Sabiona, piquing our interest for a future visit. https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...62b3ab983f.jpg Sabiona Monastery/Kloster Säben/Monastero di Sabiona Our tickets weren’t checked until minutes before we were due to get off. Bill pointed out a wine bar near Waidbruck Bahnhof but we didn’t stop to investigate. We walked to the nearest bus stop, waited a bit, and then boarded the 350 bus to Val Gardena, paying the driver €3 each. When we arrived in Orteisi, loads of people got on; it was now standing room only. We got off at S. Cristina Rathaus, took a minute to get our bearings, and then walked about three minutes uphill to our accommodation, Ariston Garni Apartments. The owner was surprised we didn’t have a car (there’s a skinny garage under the building) and intimated that the buses could be an issue. She was also surprised to learn we were American, and told us she gets many American visitors in the summer, but very few in the winter. We’d booked a two bedroom, two bathroom apartment on the first floor; the owner took one look at our luggage and told us she’d put us in a nice apartment…on the top floor, and there was no elevator (we counted 54 steps, memories of Coimbra, Portugal). Best laid plans. She gave me a quick tour of the building while Bill took the luggage up a few floors; then this tiny wisp of a woman grabbed my rather heavy suitcase and took it up the remaining stairs to the top floor. She told us that tomorrow was a public holiday - Feast of the Immaculate Conception, but the grocery store and bakery would be open. She also told us that S. Cristina was gearing up for a World Cup ski race that weekend. As there were only two of us, she’d locked the second bedroom, but gave us the key when we asked if we could use the floor space of that room to lay out our luggage; we promised we’d not use the bedroom or the second bathroom. It would have been quite a squish had she not let us do this. The apartment was small, but clean, comfortable, well equipped and not too hot. It worked well for us. We got settled and took in the views of the tip of the 3,000 meter Sassolungo poking out across from our balcony and of the Tervela waterfall (which is lit up at night). https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...39ef5f7444.jpg Sassolungo After a quick run to the nearby Despar, we Googled ‘open restaurants’ near us, and then walked up several hills to the Plaza Pizzeria Restaurant; we’d not eaten and were starving. Here we had pizza, ½ liter of house wine, and sparkling water €48.10; good, but too much food. When will I learn? https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...de5de26ca3.jpg In addition to a slew of ski and ski clothing shops, we saw several wood sculpting shops. Google later told me that “wood carving in Val Gardena boasts a rich tradition and dates back to the beginning of the 17th century” and that it was also home to the world’s largest hand carved nativity scene. https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...6eb53012da.jpg Wood sculpting shop It’d been a full day, three trains, one bus and lots of hills, but I was looking forward to exploring Val Gardena. To be continued... |
Mel, overrun in both winter and summer. Another comment on summer hiking - while there are lots and lots of trails I found them not well connected for loops (or quite long/strenuous), especially if you want to use the cable cars. These cable cars were obviously built for skiing, not for hiking (different from many Swiss resorts, think Engadine or Bernese Oberland.)
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Mel, I had the same trouble, couldn’t buy tickets on the South Tyrol App, but at least got all the routing. Sometimes the drivers couldn’t be bothered with ticket sales, if running late, so we travelled without tickets a few times.
We have been to Chiusa/Klausen on 2 trips - it’s really charming. We walked to that monastery last June (sweaty walk!) https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...7a1d6a591.jpeg https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...0707124f57.png Loving your report! |
Ingo - interesting about the hiking trails - we found the area disjointed and were surprised that the resorts don't work well together. I thought it might be better in season, but perhaps not.
Adelaidean - good to know - we might have to check it out. Funny how one trip can lead to another, and another and another... |
Mel, I would go back to Europe in winter in a heartbeat if I could. Your photos are wonderful and sounds like another brilliant holiday. Thanks for sharing. Our daughter and her boyfriend just returned from 3 months swanning around central Europe in winter and they had the best time ever (even better than when she went with me - now how could that be?!).
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dreamon - in the four years since our last winter trip, we'd forgotten about some of the challenges of traveling in winter (or perhaps we're just getting old). All the winter gear, traction devices, the short days, etc, it was a bit more cumbersome than we'd remembered (and we live in a cold climate). We travel in winter here too of course, but for much shorter lengths of time.
I'm glad your daughter and BF had a good time though - no doubt a memorable trip - three months sounds fantastic. |
Dec 8 -
We had such a quiet night that we wondered if we were the only guests. The first glimpse outside the window showed a black and white landscape, no sun today, -3c. We studied the map over coffee trying to get our bearings. We’d been given the Sud Tirol guest card which covers transport throughout Sud Tirol; a wonderful thing, we’d get much use from it over the next 10 days. We set out in the gloom to explore, pleased to find the tourist office open on this public holiday. We asked if there was a trail to the Tervela waterfall, were told yes; it would give us a good overview of S. Cristina, but we’d need our traction cleats. So it was back to the apartment to get our cleats and then out again to find the trail. We walked up the steep hill to the church, popped inside, then located the trail, soon sidetracked by the Val Gardena Railway tunnel, which we walked through and back before resuming the trail to the waterfall. https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...86c3122800.jpg S. Cristina Church https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...edb80c0168.jpg Val Gardena Railway tunnel We followed the signs for the Raia dl luesch - Dorfrungweg Village tour, putting on our much needed traction cleats partway through. We walked up to and under the mostly frozen Tervela waterfall, and then worked our way back down to town. It was an excellent introduction to S. Cristina with nice views over the village. It took us about 90 minutes. https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...931eb9587f.jpg Tervela Waterfall https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...e35994497d.jpg Views over S. Cristina We next sought out lunch - choosing Ristorante Pizzeria L’Fudle because it was busy - whether because it was good, or because it was the only place open we had no idea. Nice place this; white tablecloths, great service and lovely pizza. Bill went for the Diavola, I chose the Popey (spinach, ricotta and pine nuts) bringing a smile from the waiter at my mispronunciation. I liked it better than the pizza from the Plaza Pizzeria Restaurant, although I could have done with a bit less spinach, Bill preferred the thinner crust from the Plaza Pizzeria Restaurant. It was still too much food; we’d considered sharing a salad and a pizza, but couldn’t find a salad that appealed, so…€42.40 including €4 coperto, sparkling water and a ½ liter of house red (a bargain at €9). It was cold and snowing; Bill wasn’t feeling great, so we went back to the apartment. https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...cd3b00801f.jpg S. Cristina Later, we took the bus to Ortisei, free with Sud Tirol guest card. We poked around and stumbled upon St Jacob’s Church, where we watched a men’s choir practice, and then went out to explore the Christmas Markets. https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...7374689924.jpg Ortisei https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...63c17e9203.jpg Ortisei https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...a75c41ebee.jpg Ortisei https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...faae8b789f.jpg Ortisei https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...292b466d86.jpg Ortisei https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...e74f04f4c6.jpg St Jacob’s Church https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...69fd4e4c21.jpg Ortisei https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...c2788b4a9c.jpg Ortisei Ortisei was hopping and decked out for the holidays; making S. Cristina look like a ghost town. We took a wine break at the warm and cozy La Cercia Enoteca, Bill loving the Riesling, me trying two reds, both of us admiring the stemware (€23.90). The tiny wine bar was heaving and loud by 5:30, an exuberant Italian man seated next to us breaking a glass during an animated, arm waving conversation with his tablemates. https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...a91ad92d4c.jpg La Cercia Enoteca Afterwards we wandered a bit more, now cold and snowing, then took a bus back to S. Cristina. The bus display screen wasn’t working (which turned out to be a common theme), and it was dark, so we had to really pay attention to avoid missing our stop. https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...64701598e5.jpg Ortisei https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...2db370ac65.jpg Ortisei https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...7fca5d10aa.jpg Ortisei https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...49acd0323c.jpg Ortisei https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...79f55bd09a.jpg Ortisei We were beginning to understand our host’s comment about the buses, so far the 350 bus had been absolutely heaving every time we used it. To be continued... |
Wow, such an ethereal glow from that Ortesi church above. Mel, Rick Steves one had an episode wherein his family was hosted by pals in Gimmewald. His then-teen son Andy paired with those host's similarly-aged boy to portray Kramper and his associate.
I am done. the Mel TR |
zebec - I didn't know Krampus was a Swiss thing, never experienced it there in all our Christmas trips to Switzerland.
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That frozen waterfall, Mel!!! 🥶🥶🥶 Incredible.
I had to look up traction cleats. Hmmm, so much stuff needed for a winter holiday. We had a summer week in Ortisei when the boys were teens, and we all loved it, our first taster of the Dolomites. I know it’s very ‘touristy’ but for good reason, access to cablecars, good trails that are well connected, convenient bus, lots of restaurant and lodging options. |
Wonderful photos Mel!! Thank you.
We have had a number of stays n Ortisei and whilst it is very much a tourist centre our stays have been mostly in Autumn and not all that busy. We have often wondered what it is like during the Christmas season, knowing that it is not a time of year we can ever visit, so again thank you. And that frozen waterfall is wow!! |
Great report and photos! We almost went to Austria over winter a couple of years ago, starting with Vienna at New Year's and then beyond - but there were still quite a few covid restrictions. Maybe an idea for next winter :?
Love your view of the Sassolungo. Lots of memories of that from our first trip to the Dolomites. We've hiked much of the way around it, and also down the trail (partly scree slope) between it and the Sassopiatto to the Monte Pana station, which is probably near where you stayed. |
I had to look up traction cleats. Hmmm, so much stuff needed for a winter holiday.
Well, more than for a summer holiday, but not a problem for those of us with a closet full of winter gear:) The secret is layers. Our traction cleats don't take up much space, but are a pain to put on. They're lifesavers on packed snow and ice. |
Loving this report! After a New Year's visit to Yellowstone for wolf watching (which was amazing but I've never been so miserably cold), I sorta swore off winter travel. Maybe I should reconsider.
Originally Posted by Adelaidean
(Post 17529384)
We had a summer week in Ortisei when the boys were teens, and we all loved it, our first taster of the Dolomites.
I know it’s very ‘touristy’ but for good reason, access to cablecars, good trails that are well connected, convenient bus, lots of restaurant and lodging options. |
Delete post as text too big.Any idea on how to fix this? It only happens on first paragragh. |
Originally Posted by Melnq8
(Post 17529572)
Delete post as text too big.Any idea on how to fix this? It only happens on first paragragh. |
Thanks Leely I'll try again.
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In addition to post 42:
https://www.suedtirolmobil.info/en/t...urocity-ticket |
Dec 9 -
It’d been a rather noisy night, our neighbors speaking in loud rapid-fire Italian; it sounded like there were 10 people staying next door. The Sassolungo was back in view, the day promising; it was time to check out the Puez Odle Nature Park. https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...0860306870.jpg We’d decided to take the Col Raiser cableway and then walk the trail down to Selva, my knees wary of the 500 meter descent. https://www.colraiser.it/en/ We walked up the hill to the Dosses Plaza bus stop, encountering a rather hectic scene; a lot of cars and a bus trying to turn in the roundabout, while ski toting pedestrians tried to cross the street - all made for a bit of chaos. https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...c1db60dfca.jpg We took bus 358 to the Col Raiser cable station, where we bought a one way ticket to the top after confirming with the attendant that the trail down to Selva was in good condition (€19 each). We were told it was open and groomed, but we’d need good boots. No problem. So, we went up… https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...dbff99519f.jpg ...and it was absolutely breathtaking at the top - I couldn’t stop taking photos. https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...c2a0829488.jpg Col Raiser https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...af941116d6.jpg Col Raiser https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...559ac6bbd8.jpg Col Raiser https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...5a908ddeb7.jpg Col Raiser Before locating the trail, we popped into the Almhotel restaurant for lattes and a shared piece of cake, the queue for coffee long, the wait even longer but…coffee is an art, no? €13.20. https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...f5e44a6b37.jpg Almhotel restaurant https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...4b13c94f28.jpg Almhotel restaurant We then compared the paper map we’d been given by the S. Cristina tourist office and the informational map posted near the various trails and ski pistes - discovering that none of the numbers on our map matched the numbers on the trail signs. Huh. https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...081cdccea1.jpg Col Raiser https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...751dcc5681.jpg Col Raiser Eventually, we figured out that the trail we’d planned to take to Selva - the same trail we’d asked about before buying our one way tickets to the top, was closed. Well crap. So, on to Plan B. We set out on another trail, not knowing how long it was, or where it went. This turned out to be a gorgeous hike surrounded by those spectacular peaks. We followed the trail to an overlook, and then past a gate, where the trail disappeared and left us sinking into the snow up to our knees, so we turned back. https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...c6a747b6ba.jpg Trail to overlook https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...97c5719964.jpg Trail to overlook https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...3540542f49.jpg Trail to overlook https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...a7a2435bb2.jpg Trail to overlook We backtracked to Col Raiser and then followed a wide easy walking trail that led to Rufugio-Hutte Fermeda, which I’ve since learned is on the Seceda Alp. The trail was fairly busy with lots of walkers and even a stroller or two, which must have been fun in the snow. https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...03fd8b456a.jpg Trail to Rufugio-Hutte Fermeda https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...928c4f5ee8.jpg Trail to Rufugio-Hutte Fermeda https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...c70495204f.jpg Trail to Rufugio-Hutte Fermeda https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...0f5529fceb.jpg Trail to Rufugio-Hutte Fermeda Here we had a nice lunch on the terrace while soaking up those fabulous views. Bill went for the steak tartare, I chose the polenta with mountain cheese which came adorned with flowers (I asked Bill later if I had flowers in my teeth, why yes, I did), washed down with 5dl of house red, €50.50; the food very good, the views spectacular. https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...6c524cffd2.jpg Rufugio-Hutte Fermeda https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...d05f8777ac.jpg Rufugio-Hutte Fermeda https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...b39e3e4eb3.jpg Rufugio-Hutte Fermeda https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...e4704af77c.jpg Rufugio-Hutte Fermeda Inside the restaurant was heaving, the poor wait staff running their tails off. It was quite pleasant on the terrace, but the minute the sun dipped, it got cold in a hurry. We returned the way we’d come, and then had to buy tickets to go back down (€19 each one way, €28 each return), as we hadn’t bought return tickets planning to walk down to Selva. Best laid plans. We’d spent about four hours at the top on this glorious day. https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...59e21a3d6d.jpg Walk back to Col Raiser Back at the base of Col Raiser, we took bus 358 back down to Dosses Plaza, and then waited for a bus to Selva. We were finding the bus situation a bit confusing. Fortunately there was a bus for skiers and a bus for non-skiers, otherwise it would have been a scrum. Once in Selva we got off at the Nives bus stop, walked through town and the Christmas Market, and visited a church. Selva was quiet when we arrived around 4:30 pm, but rather busy by the time we left. I really liked Selva, which was pretty and lively, but not as hectic as Ortisei. https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...f4dd3292e0.jpg Selva https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...00cbab1aa9.jpg Selva https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...6a00161df7.jpg Selva https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...dbce46a2a8.jpg Roasting chestnuts, Selva https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...197a1ab8bb.jpg Selva https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...f55edbeb5a.jpg Selva https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...26c5eb6322.jpg Selva church We popped into the cozy Nives wine bar for a drop (€13.50) before heading for the bus stop, where we had to wait about 20 minutes, alongside a lot of skiers. So far, the buses here hadn’t been on time, but there’d been a lot of traffic. We weren’t sure if this was due to the long holiday weekend, or if it was just normal for early ski season. Fortunately, a bus for non-skiers turned up and we got on and returned to Dosses Plaza. We then walked down to Despar to pick up a few things before returning to our apartment, the store well stocked for the holiday. https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...ff022ce0d4.jpg Despar, S. Cristina https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...7a0ce7d2bb.jpg Despar, S. Cristina Mariah Carey had followed us to Italy; her Christmas music was everywhere. To be continued... |
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