This week we start the long journey home, passing through Hungary, Slovenia, Austria, Lichtenstein, and Switzerland.
Whew! What a week!
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The Detail:
Distance Covered: 950 miles
Financial: Fuel £126; Site Fees/Parking £12; Household £9; Groceries £34; Alcohol £16; Zeus £4; Vehicle £71; Sim £10; Total £282
Stopovers: Balatongyorok (Hungary); Resnik (Slovenia); Prtovc (Slovenia); Sachsenburg (Austria); Felbertauern Tunnel (Austria); Barwies (Austria); Triesen (Lichtenstein); Ballenberg Museum (Switzerland)
So many countries in a short space of time. So much to see, and so many amazing places: Lake Balaton, Logar Valley, Vrsic Pass, The Grossglockner High Alpine Road, tiny Lichtenstein, and Switzerlands’ Alpine Passes. It’s been a crazy week, but also an amazing week!
Lake Balaton
Lake Balaton is a large freshwater lake in the West of Hungary. It’s one of the most popular tourist destinations in the country, mainly for the beaches, lakeside bars and restaurants.
The surrounding volcanic hills provide ideal conditions for wine growing, particularly along the North shore where there are numerous small vineyards and wine shops offering tastings.
Cycle paths encircle the lake making it an easy and relaxing way to explore at a leisurely pace. Protected wetlands and hiking trails at Balaton Uplands National Park offer an alternative if you fancy a break from the more touristy areas. The town of Veszprém has a walled Castle district and 13th-century frescoes at the Gizella Chapel.
We were pleasantly surprised to be honest. We spent a day along the North Coast and although it is indeed a tourist destination it has been tastefully managed with good quality accommodation, areas to enjoy the lake, well appointed cafes, bars and restaurants without hundreds of outlets selling ‘tacky tourist tat’. I wouldn’t say it would be our first choice of a holiday destination, but I can see why people would like it.
For the night we moved a little further towards the Western side of the lake to a village called Balatongyörök. In the hills above the village, there is a rather lovely picnic area with an open-air theatre. It is also the starting point for many hiking trails, including a well signed trail to several viewpoints and an observation tower overlooking the lake.
For us, it was an ideal spot to spend the evening. Peaceful, away from town and somewhere to walk Zeus. The only downside was the number of mosquitoes.
Resnik, Slovenia
Today we said viszontlátásra Hungary and zdravo Slovenia.
We decided to head almost due west into Slovenia with the intention of cutting north through the mountains into Austria a bit later.
I had no idea what to expect from Slovenia, but I have to say that I’m very impressed with what I have seen so far. Everywhere we have been has been neat and tidy. Virtually no litter, other than at a layby we stopped at where there were a couple of overflowing bins. Property is generally in good condition with immaculate gardens. The houses and gardens seem to be huge, suggesting that it is quite a wealthy country.
According to various sources on the web, Slovenia has a highly educated workforce, well-developed infrastructure, and is situated at a major transport crossroads. It is considered among the more highly developed economies by UN definition. Average income is also quite high.
We are using the minor roads to move around, partly because we don’t want to buy a vignette (€30 for 10 days) as we will only be here a couple of days, but more importantly because we want to explore some of the gorgeous scenery. These minor roads have so far been really quite good, if a little narrow sometimes. Not that that matters as we aren’t in a rush.
What we have seen of the scenery so far has been lovely, although our views have been somewhat limited because we encountered a massive thunderstorm while we were parked at the supermarket.
Wild camping, or free camping, is not allowed in Slovenia. If caught you risk a large fine. That’s not to say it doesn’t happen, it does, and apparently the police often either turn a blind eye, or politely move you on, especially out of season.
Unlike other places on this trip so far however, there are quite a few towns and villages offering free motorhome parking with service points, usually with a small fee for electricity and water if you want them.
We decided not to risk it on this occasion as we are only passing through. So our first night in Slovenia was at one of the free Aires up in the mountains at Resnik, a small hamlet within easy reach of a number of ski resorts. I have to say it’s lovely, just 4 spaces but nicely located next to the forest, and very peaceful, apart from the church bells at 7am!
Cviček is a Slovenian wine from the Lower Carniola region. It is a unique wine, composed of different grape varieties including both white and red. It has a relatively low ABV, around 10%. Despite its reputation as a sour and poor wine, it has recently become a popular drink with both locals and visitors, mainly because it’s high acidity complements the local food. I had to get some to try of course, turns out it’s not to my taste.
Logar Valley and Prtovc
We still have over 1000 miles to cover to get back to Calais, and that’s if we took the direct route. That may not sound like too much, and if we were to use the motorways it wouldn’t take long.
But that’s not us. The rough route we intend to take will no doubt be quite a bit longer. Plus mostly using the slower roads will add time. For example today we were driving most of the day and only covered about 120 miles. Yes we stopped for lunch and went for a walk, and yes we did stop often to take pictures, but even taking that into account driving on mountain roads takes a lot longer than you might think, especially in a large motorhome.
The plan such as it is, is to continue West through Slovenia, cutting North through the Vrsic Pass into Austria. Once in Austria we will continue West, passing through the Grossglockner High Alpine Road.
Next up we will pass through Lichtenstein into Switzerland. Switzerland is chock full of beautiful mountain roads so we can’t hope to see them all this time around. Detouring slightly southwest we can go through Furka Pass and Grimsel Pass before heading north again. That will take us up to the Black Forest where we can spend a little time exploring.
Just across the border into France and you are in Alsace. From there it’s a dash up eastern France to Calais.
So a lot of driving around on Mountain roads….
Today we started heading West across Slovenia, which continues to impress. Beautiful scenery, lovely towns and villages, friendly people and decent roads. Worth mentioning that there are many good cycle paths too, with more being built.
We detoured slightly north to visit the Logar Valley. And it was so worth it. I was a bit concerned we wouldn’t be able to drive through it. There is a charge (toll?), paid at the start of the valley and one review stated that motorhomes weren’t allowed. Once there we paid the toll and were allowed in with no problems, €7 for cars, €8 for a motorhome. I suspect that the previous review lost something in translation as camping isn’t allowed in the valley. Whether you can park overnight in a motorhome I am not sure, but I would suspect that is pushing it.
The drive through the valley is 7km through the most gorgeous scenery. Just awesome. At the end of the road is the main car park from where you can take a 10 minute walk (unless you have a dog like Zeus then it is an hour and ten minutes!) to Slap Rinka (a waterfall – yup, slap is Slovenian for waterfall which for some reason makes me happy), a waterfall with a high drop, although not a huge amount of water while we were there. The falls are the source of the Savinja river, one of the main rivers in Slovenia.
Along the road, there are many other parking areas and hikes making it an ideal place to explore. Also in the valley is the village of Logarska Dolina, protected as an immovable cultural monument of local significance.
The valley is surrounded by mountains of the Kamnik–Savinja Alps, many over 2000 metres high: including Krofička, Ojstrica, Planjava, Mount Brana, Tauern Mountain, Carinthia Mount Rinka, and Cold Mountain. It is the lush valley surrounded by these majestic mountains that makes it one of the most impressive places we have been.
From the valley we continued west. Up and down through the mountains, with a brief dip into Austria and back out again, through some truly unforgettable scenery. It was just an amazing experience. One viewpoint of particular note was
“Viewpoint Jezersko and Kamnik-Savinja Alps”, where we came back into Slovenia after the brief incursion into Austria.
We drove a little bit further than intended because the first place we tried to stop was too busy for our liking, so we moved on. We finished up at Prtovc, a tiny hamlet of just 20 inhabitants. The village stands on a scenic grassy ridge with a view of the Kamnik Savinjska Alps and part of the Škofjeloško-Cerkljansko hills. Which roughly translated means that the views are lovely. It is also the starting point of the hike to the summit of Mount Ratitovec which stands behind it.
Parking is charged at €2 per 24 hours and is adjacent to the church, payment is made over the phone quoting the reference number on the signage.
The bells ring at 9pm and 7am, which didn’t bother us but might some people. We found later that there is alternative parking at a hunting lodge a little further on, along a gravel road, which is nestled against the mountain side among the fir forest where the sound of the bells would be more muffled. It is also paid parking under the same scheme, but a different reference number.
Most na Soci, Vrsic Pass and Sachsenburg
We set off the next morning, continuing west through Slovenia. It seems to be taking us a while at the moment to decide on places to stay. This morning we were looking at places in Austria because that’s where we would finish after going over the Vrsic Pass.
Wild camping is not allowed in Austria, and if caught the fines can be quite hefty. The authorities are more likely to issue a fine than ask you to move on too. It is possible to park on private property with the owner’s permission.
There are quite a few campsites, but they are pricey. There are also a few Stellplatz, or dedicated motorhome parking areas, but again these can be expensive.
Having found a suitable spot (eventually) we set off. It was quite a long drive to the start of the road that goes over the Vrsic Pass, along the 403 and 102 to Kobarid. Very easy to drive, the 403 basically following the Baca River and then the 102 along the Soci River. Passing through beautiful valleys with flat, fertile plains with forested hills all around. Immaculate properties dotted the meadows and the villages were pristine. Slovenia really is a lovely country.
We stopped for lunch and to stretch our legs at Most na Soci. Located where the Soci and Idrijca rivers meet. The deep gorges cut by these rivers have been turned into a gorgeous reservoir since the building of the Doblar hydro plant. It was a beautiful place, cobalt blue waters and a lovely walk alongside the water. Perfect.
From there we continued to Kobarid where we picked up the 203 which links up with the 205, the road which goes to the pass. Unusually for such a lovely road there is no toll. If you wish to use the motorways and expressways in Slovenia then you need a vignette, but honestly, why would you want to bypass such lovely scenery when the smaller roads are so good?
As is to be expected on such a lovely driving road it was quite busy. Many cyclists, motorcycles, cars, and other motorhomes. But that didn’t matter. We were not in a rush, we just wanted to enjoy the drive and the scenery. We just kept pulling over and letting others pass if we were holding up the traffic.
And what magnificent scenery it is. Stunning views around every corner, waterfalls, gorges, and majestic mountains. I could go on but hopefully the pictures will do it justice.
Once over the pass it is just a short drive to the Austrian border. It caught us on the hop a little as we weren’t expecting it to be manned, but it was. No problem, we just had to pull over and get the passports out of the safe first. One thing to note, dashcams are not allowed in Austria because of their privacy laws.
From the border we still had a bit of a way to go to get to our stopover. First impressions of Austria? It seems like a lovely country, but after the fresh, clean, uncluttered countryside of Slovenia it felt busy, more built up and ever so slightly “used”, by which I mean that the infrastructure has been around for much longer and is starting to show its age just a little. I am sure, however, that we haven’t seen the best of what Austria has to offer by a long way yet.
We finally made it to our chosen stopover. Not too bad a spot. Right next to the river Drava, just outside Sachsenburg, quite close to the main road. There was one other vehicle there when we arrived, but by nightfall there were 5.
With wild camping being frowned upon in many places in Austria, if you can find a spot where the Austrians are sleeping in their vehicles like this, then the chances are that it is tolerated there. Therefore the presence of the other vehicles gave us some confidence that we weren’t likely to be distributed, and indeed we had a peaceful night.
Grossglockner High Alpine Road
Today was all about just one thing. The Grossglockner High Alpine Road.
The road is named after the Grossglockner, the highest mountain in Austria at 3798m. We drove it South to North, from Heiligenblut to Bruck. A distance of 48km with a total of 36 hairpin turns, each numbered and with the altitude.
It is the highest surfaced road in Europe passing over Fuscher Törl at 2,428 m and Hochtor Pass at 2,504 m. There is also a branch off to Edelweißspitze viewpoint at 2,571 m which offers panoramic views over the Pasterze Glacier, the Grossglockner massif, the Glocknerwand, and the Johannisberg.
It’s a toll road, costing €30 for a motorbike, €40 for a vehicle up to 3500 kg, snd €49 for larger. It is very busy, attracting around 900,000 visitors annually.
But that’s just facts and figures, it doesn’t even begin to express the sheer awesomeness of seeing it for yourself. You can drive it in about an hour and a half, but why would you do that? For us it was an all day affair, with frequent stops to admire the views, take pictures and walk Zeus. A truly magical day. We were even lucky enough to see mountain ibex and marmots at the highest point.
Slightly scary coming down. It’s a long, steep descent and by the time we got to the bottom the brakes were very hot. We pulled over for a while to let them cool down and everything was all good again.
A short drive West from the end of the road brought us to our overnight stopover. Nothing glamorous but functional. In the car park at the entrance to the Felbertauern Tunnel.
Barwies
Slow start to the day today. Actually slept quite well despite being so close to the road. I guess the sound of the river drowned out what little traffic noise there was.
Lazy morning to catch up with website, setting off after lunch. It was supposed to be a short drive to somewhere for the night but it ended up being more driving than intended.
The part of Austria that borders Lichtenstein and Switzerland is the Tirol region. This region is known for its ski resorts, historical sites and folk traditions.
They are also very strict about sleeping in a vehicle outside of recognised camp sites. The first location we went to was an old logging site that had been levelled off into a parking area. Nothing there, but no cover and right on the road. It was also just outside the Tirol region so we may have been okay, but I didn’t feel comfortable there so we decided to move on.
Bit of a drama with the road on the way there. At this point the road splits. One direction is a toll road to the Krimmler waterfall, the other is supposed to be a continuation of the main road. However, it’s actually a very narrow road, steep in places, and quite busy with traffic.
There was also a 2.5 ton limit sign saying “except works vehicles”. However we didn’t see the sign until we were committed, so we drove a little way up the road and pulled over. We tried to look for a way around, but there really wasn’t any viable option.
It was a Saturday afternoon and they weren’t working on the road, plus we were struggling to find somewhere to turn around, plus no viable alternative route. So we decided to press on, on the basis that if heavy vehicles were using the road for the roadworks then we should be okay. I didn’t like it at all. It was a slow journey, constantly pulling over to let traffic pass (in both directions), but we got through. It wasn’t actually that far, just a few kilometres, the weight restrictions finished and the road improved markedly.
We stopped briefly to walk Zeus through the forest. It was lovely, well maintained and marked trails in all directions, ski resorts all around. Hadn’t appreciated that we were so high up.
The next site was quite a drive away. A restaurant car park, but the restaurant is only open until 6 pm and then they allow overnight parking, for a fee of course (€10), and you have to leave by 10 am the next morning.
It was a slow, but relatively scenic drive through the middle of the broad valley between high mountains of the Karwendel Alps to the north and Serles to the south. Passing through Innsbruck and many other towns and villages along the way.
We eventually got to Barwies where the restaurant is located. They were just closing up when we arrived and fortunately still had space for us. Beautiful location right at the start of many riding, cycling and walking trails.
Lichtenstein
Today we mostly drove to Lichtenstein. Passing through Western Austria on the way.
It was a little eerie passing through the deserted ski towns. Yes it was a Sunday, but the majority of the towns and villages felt deserted.
There was a little hold up in one town. Don’t know exactly what was going on, but when the traffic started moving again we could see lots of people in traditional costume walking around, many carrying musical instruments. Lovely to see, but no idea what the occasion was.
Also, it felt a bit surreal as we passed the traffic coming in the opposite direction. Despite being about an hour and a half from the German border probably >90% of the vehicles had German plates.
We arrived at the Lichtenstein border just as there was a shift change in the border guards. They were heading towards their vehicle, saw us approaching and just waved us through. No checks, no passports. We didn’t even pull to a halt!
Lichtenstein is a tiny principality between Switzerland and Austria. Its main city is Vadiz. The language spoken is a dialect of German. The main currency is Swiss Francs, although the Euro is also accepted, but at a terrible exchange rate. They are part of Schengen, but not a full EU member state, much like Switzerland.
The majority of the country is mountainous, and much like its neighbours well known as a skiing destination. Most of the population is in the less hilly Western side close to the Swiss border.
We passed through Vadiz which had the feel of a modern European city. But once in the countryside more traditional buildings are evident.
We stopped at a recreational area outside of Vadiz, Robinson Spielplatz, near Triesen. A forest with BBQ area, play equipment, small pool, gazebos and toilets. There are many hiking trails starting from here, including a fitness trail (with various equipment around the forest), a nature trail, a cycling route and various mountain trails. There is also a tennis club and treetop adventure equipment (not in use when we were there) including zip wires and some very scary looking high rope walks.
After a lovely walk we got back to the van and a tremendous thunderstorm struck. It cleared the place and we were pretty much the only people left.
Day of the Alpine passes
Switzerland is a lovely country with much history and tradition. We could easily have spent so much longer there, but our goal on this occasion was simply to try and take in some of the fantastic scenic drives across the alps.
There are many beautiful driving roads in Switzerland, and there was no way we could hope to see them all. So we plumped for the Furka and Grimsel passes as they were pretty much on the route we needed to take. As a cheeky bonus we passed through two of the lesser known passes to get there as well, the Oberalp Pass and the Andermatt Pass.
A word of caution. Switzerland is expensive. If you aren’t planning on visiting for long then stock up before you get there, otherwise you’ll just have to suck it up. But don’t let that put you off. It’s a truly beautiful country.
Such an awesome driving day. Probably a little bit of scenic overload. Another amazing view around every corner.
Some menu highlights from this week
Click on the picture for further information. If you would like recipes or further information let me know in the comments
As before, There is so much more we saw and did that I haven’t included here – you’ll just have to go see it for yourself!
I haven’t gone into great detail about anything in particular in this post, so if you would like me to expand on anything please leave a comment and I will endeavor to write another separate post on the topic.
Happy Motorhoming.
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