So we were just three bikes now - for the first little bit it felt weird. One upside was that it was now so easy to do a headcount of the bikes behind me! But soon our rhythm settled and we were back in the groove. We retraced our steps along the 210 back to Kranjska Gora and then headed for the Wurzen Pass. We stopped by the Russian Tank and got the obligatory photos before heading on to the Bunker Museum on the Austrian side of the pass.
It's a wee trek up to the museum entrance from the road, but it was well worth the effort. We stayed for over a hour looking at the different weaponry and battlements after getting a very informative introduction to the history of the area.
Artillery bits
Tanks and stuff
This section had been constructed to house the various weaponry
View of bunker
View from inside the same bunker
These guys were placed to block roads and generally annoy the invaders
Can I have go please sir?
We set off with a bit of pace as we'd spent quite a while at the museum. The weather was warming up big time again but sure it was way better than riding in the rain. As we rode through the long sweeping Austrian valleys we passed through some really lovely little towns with great names like Kleinkirchheim and Hinterkoflach. Quite often you'd see a most impressive church spire rising above the roofs of the other buildings.
The heat had us boiling over yet again so we stopped in Reichenau for lunch. Turned out to be a lovely spot with quite delicious food on offer. swanky coffees were had as well - sure we were on holidays!
Yummy food building in Riechenau aka. Gasthaus Lax
Cant beat a of al fresco dining
The infamous schnitzel - perfect for the hungry biker!
Savage coffees with a water chaser
We even found little pictures of Brian and Derek!
One thing we'd all noticed whilst we sat for lunch - more bikes than cars drove by as we ate. This had to be a really popular biking road and that's always a good sign!
We saw more bikers than cars on this stretch of road!
Back on the bikes and we headed for our next treat of the day - the Nockalmstrasse. The road is a joy to ride - great surface, tons of lovely bends and great scenery all around too. Just keep an eye out for the cattle grids - one or two of them are located on corners...interesting in the wet no doubt.
We pushed on and passed by the Glockenhutte café and restaurant...
We rode up through the alpine forest to the Eisentalhohe and pulled over to admire the views. Oh, and to have a snuggle with the mountain cows! Sexy devils every last one of them! :-) The air up here was so crisp and fresh. Each breath filled your lungs with unspoilt air that you couldn't get enough of.
Our Nockalmstrasse reception party!
The setup for bikers is pretty good - there are free lockers available for your bike kit in case you want to change into some walking gear and go trekking on the hills. Don't see that sort of thing back home, or maybe that's the purpose of all the potholes we have in Ireland...storage space!
Bikes properly parked (sort of) with the lockers behind
Do we have space for just one...do we, do we?
The views down into the far valleys were stunning...shame we didn't have our hill walking gear with us.
Beautiful view...and the mountains are nice too!
Just can't bring me anywhere really...
Pauline's latest hobby - jax photography
There were small bits of snow along the roadside, not much, but enough to maybe start a snowball fight! :-) Isn't that right Aynsley? ;-)
A sign of things to come later...
Back on the bikes we headed for the B99 and then onto the B106. It was roasting hot once again so we pulled over in Obervellach for a much needed break, a wee bite to eat and something to drink. Nothing adds class to a place like a bunch of bikers huddled under a tree munching away! :-)
Picnic in the shade by the side of the road in Obervellach
So now we were onto the last leg of the day's riding - once onto the B107 we were heading up towards the Grossglockner Pass. Long before the twisty bits, the road is a real joy to ride. Nice long sweeping bends coupled with lovely surface ensure you enjoy every inch of it. I love the way the Austrians don't bother with hedges along the side of the road. The grass in the fields comes right up to the edge of the tarmac which means you can see out of almost every corner even before you enter it.
I must admit, even after hearing so much and watching endless YouTube videos about the pass, nothing prepares you for just how incredible the place is.
The evening sun was getting lower now which made it a little harder to see ahead at times...
As we climbed out of the valley the mountain views started to open up. It was difficult not to let my gaze wander over the vistas, but multiple hairpin bends and drop offs with no barrier will keep your mind on the road!
Up and up we went and even more snow appeared along the side of the road. The temperature started to drop too - only a wee while ago we'd been sweltering in the heat and now the temp gauge was showing a chilly 9 degrees C!
We passed a few cyclists on the way up. Now, I'm keen on a wee bit of cycling myself, but this was ridiculous - 'twas hard enough getting up the pass even with the assistance of 1200cc!!
After rounding one of the corners we were instantly reminded of home when we came across a herd of sheep deep in discussion right in front of us. Unlike the clever Irish sheep back home, these guys proceeded to trot up the road staying in our way instead of running off to one side. Maybe they don't like snow around these parts!
As we rode through and came out the other side of the Hochtor tunnel the vista that greeted us was amazing. Snow lined mountains stretched away into the distance in every direction. We were lucky - the crisp clear air meant we could see way into the distance and wow, what a view. If you're ever in this neck of the woods, don't miss this place.
View back to the Hochtor Tunnel
We turned right off the main road and wound our way up the cobbled hair-pinned road to the Edelweisshutte, our lodgings for the night. Our host Kurt had kindly held the kitchen open for us (we arrived just after 7pm) so we headed straight to the restaurant before checking in etc. Lucky for us, because there's not exactly a plethora of choice when it comes to restaurant options up here!
Our mountaintop lodgings
Family business that's been going for a while now, especially when you add on 12 more years!
Stuart nipped outside with his pint to enjoy the setting sun - it's not everyday you get a photo opportunity like this one!
The perfect pint!
After a fine meal, half of which was spent ogling at the view out the window, we parked up the bikes, unloaded our gear and headed for our rooms.
Nice sheltered secure parking for the bikes
Our rooms were very comfy and spacious and the views blew you away. Being Irish, once we heard the bar was closing, we ordered two drinks each and Kurt kindly let us take them back to our rooms. He even threw in a kettle of water so I could indulge in a cup of tae before hitting the pillow. Champion!
Before heading to bed I took a couple of pics of the mountains lit only by the moonlight. This place was only magical!
Nighttime view of the mountains from our bedroom
But not much later I was tucked up and welded to my pillow as I wanted to get up early and catch the sunrise...
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