Day 4: Maurach and the Achensee Railway

The next morning, once again, we were woken by raindrops tapping on our windows.

So, we first visited the wellness area. As I said, I love swimming in the rain (actually, I love swimming everywhere and in any weather).

Afterwards, we made our way to Maurach once more .

We strolled through the village where I had stayed with my family back in 1983. I hoped to find our old accommodation but didn’t succeed. No memories came back at all. Too much time had passed, too much had changed.

What I could still remember was the Achensee railway, a historic narrow-gauge steam railway still in operation, which we had often used as true train enthusiasts.

So, we walked to the station, where soon this nostalgic train arrived. By the way, the Achensee railway is Europe’s oldest still-operating steam cog railway. It connects Jenbach with the Achensee and overcomes more than 400 meters in altitude during its journey.

Through picturesque landscapes, we traveled to Jenbach station. The smoke from the old steam locomotive billowed past us again and again — the smell of my childhood.

In Jenbach, there was a short stop before we took the same route back. On the return trip, we even managed to snag seats in the front row.

The sun came out repeatedly but never stayed long.

Back in Maurach, we felt slightly hungry.

So, we took the Rofan cable car back up the mountain, where we ordered bacon bread and yeast dumplings in a rustic hut.

Afterwards, we walked a bit around the mountain station, but the weather worsened again. Thick clouds hung in the sky, giving the landscape a somewhat mystical atmosphere. It was icy cold, far too cold for July.

We soon went back down to the valley, where we took the next train to the lake shore.

From there, we boarded the boat again and took another trip to the Gaisalm.

This time, however, our destination wasn’t the guesthause, but a nearby jetty that extended into the lake.

We sat down there and once again enjoyed the wonderful view over the lake and mountains.

It was still far too cold to swim, but at least I wanted to dip my feet into the water before heading home.

We returned by boat as well.

Dinner was, as always, delightful. Rarely have I eaten so well in a hotel.

In the evening, we took a little walk through Pertisau. At that time, however, there was absolutely nothing going on, so we soon returned to the hotel.