Hochramalm

Near Purkersdorf, close to Vienna, lies the Hochramalm, right in the middle of the Vienna Woods.

Together with the family, we wanted to finally visit it again after a long time. So we took the train to Purkersdorf and then continued on foot.

Several paths lead there. The shortest one is also the steepest, but here you are rewarded again and again with a beautiful view over the surrounding landscape.

We decided to take this path and return by another.

It was the end of May and one of the first really hot days of the year. The sun was blazing down on us, not a cloud in sight. The lush green meadows formed a wonderful contrast to the blue of the sky.

Soon we spotted Hochramalm nestled among the trees of the Vienna Woods.

As children, we had loved spending summers up here and rowing boats across the small pond. That had always been something special, and we wanted to pass that on to the next generation.

So we first strolled down to the lake, which lies directly behind the rustic inn.

There we rented two boats and happily paddled across the lake. Water has always been my element – whether inside or on it, water makes me happy.

For an hour, we glided across the small pond, indulging in childhood memories. Time almost seemed to stand still.

Not much has changed here in the last 50 years. Of course, the boats were no longer the same as back then, and the inn had been rebuilt several times. But the landscape was as it always had been, and the lake radiated the same calm as before.

A bit of constancy in a world that often changes very quickly is sometimes just what you need.

After we docked on the shore, we stopped at the inn. There, we treated ourselves to cool drinks and coffee while the children enjoyed the playground.

Then it was time to head back. As mentioned, this time we took the other path, which goes through a dense forest. This had the advantage of being cooler, as the tree canopies caught the sun’s rays.

We walked for about half an hour before arriving back in Purkersdorf. Since it was still very hot, some of us decided to cool off at the nearby Hadersdorfer Bath.

The water was still ice-cold, but anyone who knows me knows that this doesn’t stop me from jumping into the refreshing water.

There we spent the rest of the day relaxing before making our way home.