Over the past few months I’ve been in need of a reset. Something to break my mind-set and give me a desperately needed fresh perspective. For me, I tend to find those sorts of things half way up a mountain because I’m strange. This time it was a road trip to the Austrian borders.
The sheer scale of the alps is more than enough to make you feel ridiculously tiny by comparison and put you firmly back in your place in the grand scheme of things. There’s nothing quite like a mountain to help you get over yourself and chill the hell out!
I stayed with friends on lake Weissensee in Carinthia, southern Austria. It’s all about the scenery here which I enjoyed on foot, boat and bike. A car trip up a rugged mountain road was attempted but I completely wigged out half way up due to my fear of heights. No amount of mindful breathing could save me!
Lake Weissensee is also just over an hour’s drive away from both the Italian and Slovenian borders and I’m not ashamed to say I managed an eating triad of breakfast in Austria, lunch in Italy and dessert in Slovenia. Happy days!
Rateče, Slovenia
Tarvisio, Italy
Food
The food in Austria was generally good but there’s a heavy emphasis on meat, especially pork products. Most meals come with little to no vegetables so it’s always worth ordering extra. The traditional chicken schnitzel is definitely worth trying – served with jam no less!
Admittedly the best food I had was across the border in Tarvisio, Italy but there are plenty of Italian-run Pizzerias in this part of Austria if the traditional schnitzel and potatoes don’t quite hit the spot.
Restaurant prices are comparable to those in the UK and the quality of the food was generally reflected in the price. If you’re in a large group check before ordering your meal as splitting the bill can sometimes be problematic.
Things to do
This part of Austria is very much seasonal (from June onwards) but there’s just about enough to keep you occupied for a short stay including mountain biking, boating/kayaking on the lake and mountain walking.
Good to know
Due to sheer scale of the mountains in the area be prepared to drive for at least 30 minutes to reach neighbouring villages.
Most bike hire places offer electric Mountain bikes and they’re definitely worth the extra money. You still cycle under your own steam but when it comes to off-roading and steep inclines the boost from the battery is a Godsend.
If you’re anything remotely more exotic than white Caucasian you will likely be stared at – this part of the world is not exactly diverse and my black best-friend proved fascinating to some of the locals.
You’ll find more pics over on my Instagram
