On the Bodensee-Konigssee-Radweg Cycle Route
I had a very pleasant stay in the hotel in Bad Tolz.
In the morning I spent some time sitting in the outdoor restaurant area of the hotel. This was actually in the walking street that runs through the town. I had a number of conversations with fellow cyclists who were passing by. Most were on the Bodensee-Konigsee-Radweg Cycle Route which passes through the town.
The route runs east to west through the Bavarian ‘lakes district’. At its eastern end it gets very close to Salzburg.
Getting a Map is a Good Idea
A couple of cyclists suggest that I buy a ‘flip map’ of the route. They advised that albeit, “the route is well signposted, it is easy to get lost”. I bought one of the maps from a nearby book shop. It was to prove invaluable.
I finally headed off on the route heading east. The route follows a mixture of cycle paths next to roads, small farm paths (these are usually sealed) and forest trails (these are most dirt or gravel). The scenery was spectacular.
The farm houses are very interesting. They are mostly very big. At this time of the year they have flowers growing in big baskets hanging of the balconies. Most the houses and other farm building have photovoltaic solar electricity generating panels. It is easy to see why Germany is achieving up to 30% of electricity generation form sustainable sources.
Even Germans get Lost
At one point I met a couple of German blokes heading east of the trail. We got into a bit of a conversation. Their English wasn’t too good, but they want to chat. I rode with them for the rest of the way to Schiliersee. Even with two maps and their command of German, we managed to get lost a couple of times.
Schliersee
I found the camping platz by the lake. It is a beautiful spot.
My neighbours were a New Zealand couple. They had been riding through Germany, the Czech Republic and Austria for the past 3 months. They were very serious cyclists.
I decided to stay next day in Schliersee. I rained for most of the day.
Really wet
I headed off the next day despite the fact that it was still raining. The route took me around Lake Schliersee.
As I continued on, the rain turned into a real downpour. I stopped several times for shelter. At one of these points I stupidly left my map book in a café. This meant doubly back to collect it. I also managed to get seriously lost. This also meant doubling back. Not my best day of navigation.
Rohrdorf
It was quite late when I arrived in Rohrdorf. I came across the Post Hotel and asked for a ‘zimmer’. The main hotel was full, however, they we able to put me up in a guest house attached to the hotel.
The manager of the guest house was a delightful women who took my wet stuff, including my tent, and put it in a drying room. I also had a great meal in the hotel. After the meal I had a couple of beers listening to a local ‘Hump Paa Paa’ band playing in the bar of the hotel.
Chieming
Next was dry!!!. It was a great ride to Chieming which is on Lake Chiemsee which is the biggest of the Bavarian lakes.
The camping platz was terrific. I also had a really good restaurant. I decided to stay a day.
On my last night, it really poured with rain.
I packed up my sodden tent and headed off for Seigsdorf to get back on to the trail.
Outside the town, I ran into a couple of German girls heading east. I rode with them for a few hours. They were intrigued that I had been working in East Berlin in 1986. I could see then doing maths to figure out my likely age.
We went our separate ways in Teinsdorf where I had lunch and watched the start of a soccer match I continued on to Salzburg.
As I approached the city, it started raining again. I decided to check into the first reasonable hotel I came across.
Salzburg
After a quick shower, I head off to the Augustine Brewery for a beer and a schnitzel with the obligatory french fries.
Next morning I left my el cheapo Nokia phone in my room when I went down to have breakfast. When I returned, the phone had gone. I can only assume that the cleaner took it. The receptionist claimed that this was not possible; however it is the only explanation I can think of.
I head off the final the Hostel I had booked into on the internet. I turned out to be a really good place.
Again the rain started to fall. I decided to stay in Salzburg for a while. I checked out the old town and the major sites including the Hohensalzburg Fortress, the Mozart stuff, museums and the Hellbrunn Palace (very strange).
I also when to the Europark shopping centre to buy a new el cheapo phone and maps for my onward journey through the Austrian Lakes to the Danube and own to Vienna. That is an obscenely large shopping centre.
Hopefully the rain will stop tomorrow.
Flickr Links
Munich to Salzburg
Salzburg
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