Austria to Bad Reichenhall, Germany

4 min readSep 23, 2019

I crossed Austria today after spending the night in Millstatt. It was a bit rainy, especially in the afternoon, but the beauty of the country still shone through.

The skies cleared a few times and I took advantage by stopping along the road to examine whatever looked interesting. This church near Berg im Drautal caught my eye. I wasn’t sure exactly how it was used, there didn’t appear to be any defined parking.

There was no one around for miles so I opened the old wooden gate to the front of the church and peered in a window. I jumped back, thinking someone was watching me from the altar. Taking a second look, I realized it was just a life-size cardboard cutout of the pope.

My journey from Lienz northward to Zell am See took me on the Großglockner Alpenstrasse. It’s officially the highest surfaced mountain pass road in Austria. It was built in the early 1930s to provide work for the jobless during the international Depression.

The fog and rain made the drive much more exciting, especially as I hoped my brakes held as I carefully took hairpin turns at that altitude.

I paused at an entrance to a restroom along the route. I wondered if this was intended or just a coincidence? Perhaps Austrians have a sense of humor?

I also noticed numerous election posters. In Austria, as in many European countries, there are more than two political parties. Parties which earn enough legislative seats can compromise and form a coalition government.

I crossed the border into Germany in the early afternoon and had time to explore the town of Bad Reichenhall. I’m in the state of Bayern (Bavaria), just a few miles from Salzburg.

Oktoberfest kicked off in Munich this past weekend. It runs for the next two weeks. I noticed pop-up Trachten shops selling traditional garments. These outfits weren’t cheap. The Germans spend serious Euro on quality lederhosen and dirndls.