My Perfect Rail Experience; Traveling through Austria

photo credit: bugbog.com

The perfect way to experience Austria is not only to backpack by foot throughout the country, but also to experience it by rail. To discover rolling valleys that were once covered by forest and mountains with so much fluffy snow, it’s scenery that can’t be forgotten. This view was one of my first train rides in Europe. I couldn’t have picked a more peaceful and relaxing ride that was completely filled with dreamy landscapes.

My plan was to stop in small little villages and experience the hiking trails off the beaten track, but at the same time I wanted to cross Austria from Czech Republic into Italy. I had this plan that I was just going to spend a day in half traveling through Austria so I could spend three weeks in Italy. However, that plan quickly changed once I started my train journey into Austria.

photo credit: telegraph.co.uk

One of my stops was seeing this stunning town surrounded by mountains called Zillertal. It is known to be one of the best ski resorts in the country, although since I was traveling during mid-summer most of the snow was only seen from the tops of the mountains. The main resort and ski huts in Zillertal are surrounded by over 171 ski lifts, with snow guaranteed on all mountains during the winter months. So you can only imagine what the hiking trails are like during the warmer months of the year.

Stopping for only a few hours, I had the chance to see one of the famous bike paths in all of Austria called Danube Cycle Path. This path crawls from the border of Germany to the capital of Austria. The path drops past little villages, rolling valleys, stunning little lakes, and into the romantic city of Vienna. During the holiday seasons, the cycle path is busy with families, and can be largely filled with much traffic.

The remaining of my journey was on the train making new friends and staring out the window seeing a whole lot of WOWs. Going through little tunnels from one mountain to another, with little meadows rolling down them, with villages near by is something you can only experience by rail. To really see the landscape of Austria is to jump on a train and travel through the country.