Prague, Vienna and Salzburg

Saturday 28^th August, we travelled down to Dover to stay overnight at our usual CL at Lenacre Court Farm prior to catching the ferry in the morning. Late in the afternoon we were joined by our friends.

We caught the early ferry at 6.40am with Sea France and enjoyed a calm crossing. Since our friends had not visited Bruge, we agreed to stop there on our way to our first site outside Ghent. Parking in Bruges was straightforward though the dedicated motorhome park was closed at 10.00am so we had to park up in the coach park opposite. No problem but not cheap. It was a fairly short walk into the town centre which was just as we remembered it from some years ago.

After four hours or so, and a relaxing lunch in the square, we travelled on to Camping  Blaarmeersen, Gent for our first night. The site, which is clean and well organised, is situated by a lake which we walked around during the evening.


The following day we travelled on to Moncheau in Germany arriving at about 2pm at Perlenau.  After lunch we walked into the town which proved a delight.

Feeling lazy, we caught a bus back to the site which was well positioned in woodland by the side of the river. It was the first of several ACSI sites which really are excellent value. The weather remained dry though it was quite cool.

Travelling along the Mosel valley the following morning proved an excellent, picturesque route and we delighted in stopping for a picnic lunch en route. Camping Wetzlar, two kilometres from the town of Wetzlar proved an excellent overnight stop. Situated by the river, there is a pleasant riverside walk into the town which has little to commend it but the local supermarket proved useful.


Though we had agreed to avoid motorways where possible, there was a long way to travel and the autobahn was at least quiet and took us through varying scenery. We were delayed as a result of road closure which unnerved out TomTom a lttle though we did find a small park in a village to have our lunch. We eventually arrived at our ACSI site, Stausee Hohenfelden, near Kranichfeld at about 3.30pm. It was a lovely day, warm and sunny, and we all enjoyed a walk around the reservoir.


Friday 2^nd September was to be our first two night stop enabling us to visit Colditz. The journey there had its problems again as consequence of road closures but we safely arrived at Campingplatz am Waldbad at 3pm. To our shame, we have very little German and the lady who greeted us had no English but sign language works well in such situations and my wife enjoyed a friendly hug after “negotiating” the pitches. The site was again quiet and extremely friendly. Jan and I walked into Colditz through woodland and refreshed ourselves with a beer in the very attractive square.

Colditz castle looked formidable though now painted white slightly less forbidding than it must have been during the war.

The following morning we all walked into the town to visit the castle. We were offered a private guide which we gladly accepted and there followed a two hour tour of the site which was excellent value at 15 euros per head. Our guide proved extremely informative and was clearly very proud of her heritage. It was fascinating learning about the various escape routes and seeing firsthand the near impossible tunnel exits. For those travelling across Germany to the Czech Republic a short diversion to Colditz is well worth the detour. We enjoyed a lunch of frankfurters at the local hostelry prior to returning to the castle to tour the museum which has recently been established and continues to develop.
That evening, I cooked our meal for the second time on our recently purchased “Cadac”. This wonderful cooking implement was recommended by friends who also motorhome. It is much easier and cleaner than a barbecue and, to my mind, produces food of equal quality.


Sunday 4^th September saw us leave Colditz for the Czech Republic and Prague. Always a good day to travel, the roads were quiet and the journey to the border straightforward. We had read that you can collect the necessary motorway vignette at the border and so it proved to be with a dedicated stop on the motorway for this purpose. At a cost of 14 euros, it seemed reasonable value. We had decided to keep to main routes whilst in the Czech Republic having read about potential difficulties if you stray on to minor roads. As a consequence there were few problems though don’t expect the road surface to be as smooth as in the “west”. The countryside proved interesting if unspectacular with miles of forest and agricultural land ripe for further development.


Our ACSI site for Prague, at Sunny Camp, proved ideal, flat, spacious pitches out of season and secure. The excellent underground was a reasonable walk from the site and the very straightforward and regular journey into the centre took about twenty minutes. To access the site though from the north you do need to negotiate the centre of Prague which had its challenges, not least because the language on the road signs was so completely unfamiliar.


Prague is a delightful city even with the very obvious tourist development over recent years. We purchased  two 24 hour travel tickets  from reception which covered all transport costs and from a cafe in the old centre bought a ticket to cover the main tourist attractions. At half price of 125 Czeck Kuronas for over 65s this proved excellent value providing access to the Basilica, Old Palace, Gold Lane and the Castle. During the afternoon we attended a concert at the Lubovotz Palace which proved a delight. Even torrential rain on the way back to the metro failed to dampen the spirits but certainly saturated the body.

The following day we returned to the city in bright sunshine and just enjoyed wandering around including a visit to the Jewish quarter. After a generous three course lunch of local fare we walked out of the main tourist area to find the John Lennon Wall – quirky, but worth a visit, and finally strolled back to the metro to complete our two days of sightseeing.

We decided to make Vienna in one leg. Quite a long journey ensued through miles of forestation on the motorway which suffered from a very poor surface and became quite tiresome. Collecting a vignette for the Austrian motorways proved as easy as it was entering the Czech Republic though this time we purchased at a  service area prior to the border. I think for the first time in all of our travels abroad, our chosen site was full so we drove on to their sister site at Tulln an der Donau. Though Donaupark Camping, another 15 euro ACSI site, was further out from Vienna it was nevertheless well served by a direct rail route and was also a very pleasant town in its own right. The site itself was well maintained with level pitches arranged in circles around central water facilities. The neighbouring swimming and sports facilities are also free to camp site guests though we failed to take advantage of the offer.


Having purchased some concert tickets by ‘phone, we were left with the challenge of finding the booking office in Vienna this morning. Not as easy as it appeared we eventually found the office and then spent the rest of the day looking round the Old Town. Vienna is a large city, a statement of the obvious which is complemented by the size of the buildings. St Stephen’s Cathedral is certainly worth a look and we also enjoyed a free organ recital at St Peter’s Church.

The Royal Buildings are extremely impressive. All in all, it was a very pleasant day in a city which certainly did not disappoint.

We decided to stay at the campsite the following day and explore the area on our bikes. This was made much easier as a result of cycle paths which are so more developed than in the UK. We cycled for some twenty miles down the Danube thoroughly enjoying the varied scenery. Tulln itself proved a busy and interesting small town which has clearly made a real effort to promote itself.


Our fourth and final day at the site saw us catching the train back into Vienna and on to the Schonbrun Palace. Travelling is made much easier through the purchase of a day ticket which allowed use of the full transport network. Schonbrun Palace is spectacular and fully deserved a full day.

The buildings themselves were worth the tour but the gardens and the resulting views of Vienna were superb. If there was a slight downturn it was the weather which was extremely hot. Late afternoon we caught the train back into the City and thoroughly enjoyed a meal in a restaurant hidden away in a cobbled street in the old quarter prior to joining our friends for the concert which proved excellent. I have a feeling that we might be re-visiting Vienna at some point.

Sunday 11^th September saw us set off for Salzburg on another very hot day. The scenery became much more mountainous and we past some very interesting sights en route including Melk Monastery. Camping Nord Sam, another ACSI discount site is ideally situated for the city.The site  proved quite tight though the pitches were well screened and of a reasonable size. Following our arrival, we decided to off load the bikes and entire into the town. In fact, this proved an excellent decision. The dedicated cycle route followed the river all the way into town, the only hazard being the many other cyclists all more proficient than we are. Not for the first time we were aware of how much more seriously cycling ion taken on the continent with most towns in Austria and Germany enjoying their own dedicated cycling routes. It seems that in this area, the UK still has a long way to go. Our first impressions of Salzberg were not good with every appearance of a town committed to meet the needs of the tourist whilst sacrificing it's own values but we determined to return again the following day.

The following morning we purchased the excellent Salzberg card which provides access to all the attractions and includes transport costs. The bus dropped us at the bus station which conveniently left us with a short walk to the Mirabelle Gardens on the way to the main town. Well worth the visit the gardens were resplendent with bedding pants in coloured blocks arranged around fountains and impressive statues.

Walking into town we first visited Mozart's birthplace and its fascinating array of memorabilia and artefacts. Next on the list was the Cathedral with its ornate plaster work. The surrounding area is full of charm with cobbled streets, large squares and lovely architecture. Lunch was taken at the castle following a trip on the funicular. The views from the castle Walls over Salzburg were amazing mirroring the panoramic view we had enjoyed on a visit to another display in town earlier in the day.

Back down the funicular we enjoyed a relaxing cruise up the river. Finally, we visited the second Mozart home prior to heading back tired but replete to the camp site. Salzburg is not to be missed.
 
With a touch of sadness, leaving Salzburg behind, we travelled on through the Austrian Tyrol under a glorious blue sky. High mountains and Swiss type calets added to the scenic beauty. We arrived at a lovely site at Weer mid afternoon. Alpenhorn Camping Mark is probably one of the most idyllic sites we have visited.

The view to the distant mountain ranges across the valley was spectacular and the site iteslf sat amongst open countryside. 

Following a short walk around the local village, we settled down for the evening.

The following morning we set off on the next leg of our journey taking in the tolled Alsberg tunnel. Emerging from this eight miles of remarkable engineering, we found the skies overcast and the mountains shrouded in mist. With little persuasion needed, we decided to miss our planned stop outside Bludenz and head for Salem. Sadly, on arrival here, the site appeared cramped and very busy so we agreed to head on to a site in the Bodensee Valley about 20 km further on. This proved a sound decision. The valley was beautiful en route with the added bonus of a stop at a huge pumpkin shop which also stocked a wide range of fresh fruit. The site at Stockach, Freizeitpark Papiermuhle, cost a mere 10 euro and was essentially an overnight motorhome halt. Though basic we enjoyed all the usual facilities whilst also being entertained by workmen who were equipping a new pylon with the necessary wiring and insulators. Though most were wearing safety harness it was not a job for the faint hearted.

We left early and headed for the Black Forest. The scenery through the Bodensee Valley proved spectacular and we finally arrived at our next site at Schapback at 2.30 pm. Though the site was closed we identified a couple of pitches and decided to have lunch to await the return of the warden. We were suddenly surrounded by a group of excited Germans who finally managed to communicate that they were part of a rally and all the pitches were taken though they were not sure when others would arrive! Keen to avoid a diplomatic incident, we decided to move on. We continued into the Black Forest through picturesque villages and delightful countryside until we arrived at Dornsetton.

As seems so often the case out of what appears to be misfortune comes good fortune. Hohencamping Konigskanzel stands atop a hill as opposed to the rather dank riverside position of the previous site. Again the pitches were level and open surrounded by trees. Throughout the holiday, we have been fortunate with our Oyster satellite dish and this site proved no exception. Though we had lost BBC in the Czech Republic and Austria as we moved west again this had returned. It was quite a long haul down to the town but the centre certainly warranted a return trip the following morning.

The weather proved kind and we enjoyed a lovely lunch in the village square with our travelling partners under a bright blue sky.

 
We arrived at our ACSI site in Luxembourg at about 3.30pm following a pleasant though long journey made more challenging as a result of various road closures and subsequent detours. The site, Bon Accueil Kat.1 proved excellent. It was the first time we had booked ahead following our unfortunate episode in Vienna and the allocated pitches proved ideal. in fact, there had been no need to book but it was surprising how full the site became the following day.

After a quiet evening strolling around the neighbouring park, the following day we caught the bus into the city centre. It was some years since we had been to Luxembourg and it was good to reacquaint ourselves with this attractive and clean city. Though the weather was cooler and showery we managed a coffee in the square listening to a band and later lunch with the benefit of outdoor heaters. It is remarkable how the temperature has dropped over the last couple of days. The old city is all within strolling distance and there are many fine buildings including the cathedral.

The following day we set off for the municipal site at Signy L'Abbaye. The journey through the Ardennes was particularly attractive. We stopped en route at the Citadel at Montmedy.

Now rather unkempt this huge structure had been built in the late seventeenth century and must have proved a powerful defensive position sitting atop a hill overlooking countryside on all sides. Now it seems largely unoccupied and derelict though there is a community of largely artists in residence. Moving on, the site was basic but quite adequate and the pitches level. Before leaving the following morning, we walked into the town for croissants and bread.

 
Our penultimate stop at Cambrai proved something of a disappointment though the municipal site was, as usual, of a high standard. We pondered on why we don't use municipals more often and will make a more determined effort to do so next time. Our travelling partners had connections with Cambrai from their student days so we agreed to stay two nights prior to moving on to our final site in Gines at La Belle Assise. From our point of view this proved a shame because though Cambrai is a reasonably sized provincial town it has little to commend it with regard to sightseeing.

La Belle Assise is well placed for Calais and has the added benefit of a superb restaurant adjacent to the site. Our final meal together proved excellent prior to a calm ferry crossing the following morning and going our separate ways after an excellent holiday lasting two days short of four weeks.

In all, we had travelled 1,848 miles with an average fuel consumption of 29.16 MPG - not bad for our AutoTrail Cheyenne. Out of interest the total fuel cost was £331.64.