Day 6: Munich to Tyrol, Austria

Morning: Snow-capped Alps form the backdrop with an opportunity to experience white water rafting mid-morning and later be dazzled by the sparkle of Swarovski crystal.

Afternoon: Hopfgarten and Gondola ride

Bavarian & Tyrolean Alps ... Incredible hotel and top notch service!

Evening: A quite evening in the Mountains in Itter.

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We crossed over the German-Austrian border, and Dave gave us an introduction to Austria. Part of our introduction included a sing-along of "Do-Re-Mi" from The Sound of Music, which is based on the Von Trapp family. Oh, everyone knows the story. The Von Trapp kids are all grown up now and actually live in Vermont (I went to their property ten or eleven years ago). Austria's scenery was even more breathtaking in person than it was in the opening scene of The Sound of Music.

So we drove into Austria around mid-morning. Wow. That's all I have to say. In Austria, there were many snow-capped mountains and it was a perfect sunny day.

First, we went to the Swarovski Crystal World. We enjoyed seeing the gems and crystals all over. In the early afternoon, we hung around Innsbruck. There, we got to see the Hapsburg's palace. You see the House of Hapsburg and the Austrian Empire ruled most of Europe for 700 years from 13th to 20th Centuries. Typically, the Hapsburgs marry the prince/princess of the other countries and you know the rest of the story.

Innsbruck was a pretty scenic town. I got to see the green and clean river running through the city with the snow peaked mountains in the background. Beautiful sight.

Then it was off to Hopfgarten. Dave led the way back to the coach through a beautiful park/garden. Man, this place is so gorgeous! Why doesn't Singapore look like this? One of the things we learned about Austria was the tax deduction Austrian residents can take if they have flower boxes and gardens on their property, because they are contributing to the beauty of the country. No wonder the place was so nice. Maybe the other countries in this world should offer the same incentives.

Hopfgarten is a quiet, Quaint, traditional village, yet even with it's friendly, low-key atmosphere, few British are found here. The idyllic Austrian village of Hopfgarten lies at the foot of the ‘Hohe Salve’ mountain that rises to a peak of 1629m.

If your are in search of a lovely town where you can pursue your outdoor hobbies, where there is scenic beauty everywhere you look, and where there are inexpensive package deals, then you need look no further! Hopfgarten-Kelchsau is delightfully located in a wind-protected and fog free basin at the foot of the majestic "Hohe Salve" mountain.

Hopfgarten is a charming town (or village) with its beautiful cobblestone square, its narrow lanes, and a splendid baroque church.

It is a popular place for all levels of skier with a variety of slopes ranging from black slopes for expert skiers and nursery slopes for beginners, and featuring a ski school. There are also many neighboring towns with an extended variety of slopes including Itter a perfect slope for those early skiing lessons. A trip on the gondola is worth doing if just for the view at the top.

For the non-thrill-seekers there are also plenty of options. You can visit one of the typical Austrian restaurants such as the Gasthof Traube where you can try meals such as schnitzel, streudel or noodles. It also has a renowned church with a wonderful ceiling.

Hopfgarten is a ski resort in winter, but in summer daring adventurers could try mountain biking, paragliding or hiking.

With its idyllic valleys and picturesque mountain landscape, the WILDER KAISER-BRIXENTAL holiday region offers the ideal conditions for cycling and mountain biking. From gentle cycle tours lower down in the valley to the more demanding mountain bike tracks, both leisurely cyclists and sporty bikers will find their very own paradise.

The Tyrol region of Austria has long been popular with walkers and it is very easy to see why. It is a region of spectacular mountains interspersed with wide valleys in which nestle pretty villages. Some of the mountains are grassy with wooded slopes whereas others are almost pure rock above the tree line. The valleys with their meadows and villages almost shout to be photographed with their mountain backdrop. This circular walking route takes you right to the heart of this area visiting the well-known villages of St Johann in Tyrol and Kitzbühel as well as lesser-known villages such as Scheffau. The walking is graded as moderate as there is plenty of up and down but there are a number of cable cars, which can be utilized if desired.

Here a breathtaking mountain world combines with old Tyrolean traditions and the heartfelt hospitality compliment each other as a whole.

From Hopfgarten and Itter you can reach the wonderful walking mountain world the Berg Welt of Tyrol in a few minutes by using the modern gondolas.

The Berg Welt Wilder Kaiser – Brixental is a unique natural experience, awakening new senses again and again.

Idyllic side valleys, rounded grass covered mountains, rocky mountains, fresh mountain air and a mild climate guarantee to get all generations in top form.

Rushing water, still moorland, vast mountain pastures, and now and again you might even catch a glimpse of a Golden Eagle or a Marmot in its natural surroundings. Between flaming alpine roses, deep blue gentian and delicate orchids present themselves in the breathtaking beautiful countryside, especially in spring and summer as a unique show of color.

Conquer the romantic grass mountains of the Kitzbuehler Alps, in the center the Hohe Salve, the "Rigi Tyrol", as the most beautiful prospect mountain. The Hohe Salve with its far away visible dome, height of 1829 m, bears not too wrongly since long time the “Rigi of Tyrol“, and is one of the most beautiful prospect mountains of the county.

We have been given only 1 hour to spend in Hopfgarten and very few of us choose to take the Gondola ride to Hohe Salve. Few of the couples have chosen to go to only the first level. Priya and myself choose to go up to 2^nd level, which is called the Rigi. It was really a race against time as we just had an hour to spent before I bus leave for Itter. And going to the Rigi and coming back can take 45-50 mins. We made it, but we didn’t have enough time to stay at the Rigi and marvel at the wonderful panoramic view.

It was kind of going up using a gondola up to level one then running to the level 2 stations. Taking chair lifts to Rigi. This part was bit scary, as there were only place for 2 people to seat and without any protection. We were kind of hanging in the air ….

Well as I mentioned we were able to come back on time and didn’t miss the bus.

We eventually checked into a Mom's and Pop's guesthouse in Itter, a small village on the hillside. This time, our tour group exclusively took over the place and so we bonded with each other even more. We converted their normally quiet bar into our dance floor. The tens of people living in the village sure noticed the full blast music from us. We got to sample Schnapps, the drink that you got to have while in Austria. It tasted really strong.

We really did not do much this evening. We just walked around the town and admired the Bavarian Alps. The mountains were beautiful.