Jul 18, 2014
Lienz, Austria
After a ljovely day in Ljubljana (that joke never gets old) we hit the road for a “day of two hikes.” How exciting! Our first stop, Lake Bled. This hike was recommended to me by one of my favorite students ever (am I allowed to say that? I’ve been teaching 22 years. I do have favorites!) We had thought about running the 3 mile route around the lake, but I was carrying the Nikon so we decided to stroll instead. And I’m glad we did. So many views to take in, and each one more beautiful than the next! We loved our walk, and we also loved the Lake Bled cake we ate before leaving town.
We had an easy driving day. Only an hour and a half to get to our hotel in Lienz, Austria. So on the way there we stopped in the town of Flattach to hike the Raggaschlucht. The good folks at our Austrian hotel had recommended this little stop, otherwise we would have missed it and blown right into town. I’ve never seen anything like Raggaschlucht. We had such a wonderful time climbing up the narrow gorge, listening to the water rush through, and taking pictures of the beautiful landscape. I’m so glad I found out about this place because it’s easy to whiz by while looking at the rest of the landscape. Please don’t miss this hike. So beautiful.
With just a little bit of drive left, we headed on to Grand Hotel Lienz. This would be a bit of a rest, since there’s not much to do in this town and our goal was really to enjoy the luxury of this hotel on the river. And boy did we enjoy it. John immediately had a much-needed nap while I explored the spa, swam in the pool, and sunned by the river. If you happen to be in this part of Austria, don’t miss this luxurious place!
