Austria 2008 - Heading west again

Austria 2008 - Heading west to Bavaria
We travelled quite quickly through Austria as we headed homewards choosing a route avoiding the highest mountains. After a diversion northwards to stay at a stellplatz on a campsite in Bad Waltersdorf in an area of thermal spa complexes we drove on the autobahn having bought a vignette for €7.70, bypassing Graz then after passing through some industrial towns of Voitsburg and Koflach climbed slowly to the top of Gaberl at 1550m a popular stop off for bikers but as we were then in the clouds there were no views, and a long easy descent to the flat valley east of Judenburg where we pulled in to the 50Plus campsite at the small hamlet of Fisching near Weisskirchen which could have been mistaken for a Caravan Club site with neat marked pitches and luxury amenities.
The next day we continued up the Murau valley stopping to look around the old town where the locals many in traditional Sunday best were leaving the church. There was a mix of old and ultramodern buildings in the town. From there we took a minor road to Temsweg and over the Obertauern pass with a large ski resort at the summit. The road descended through a rocky gorge to Radstatt and we drove to another stellplatz on a farm on the edge of the village of Altenmarkt im Pongau. Once set up alonside two German motorhomes we strolled into the town with some lovely old wooden buildings, one a folk museum, and a large church surrounded by a cemetery. We walked around looking at the gravestones and intricate ironwork, one very modern and colourful for a young person another a double headstone with an inscription for the husband who had died recently and also his wife's name but only her birth date! Altenmarkt im Pongau - ornate gravestones	Murau modern building among many old ones Altenmarkt im Pongau Typical decorated chalet
We had visited this part of Austria a few years ago so we headed up the autobahn around Salzburg in rather grey weather and crossed the border into Gemany where we immediately turned north alongside the river stopping at Laufen to walk across the ornate iron bridge to Austria then back again, obviously a lot easier now without border controls. Further north we stopped at Tittmoning, a town with a castle and several old buildings around a large central square, then headed to Traunstein a busy town especially in the late afternoon, and found the stellplatz at a caravan and motorhome dealers premises at the village of Wolkersdorf.
Bridge to Austria at Laufen low bridge (1.5metres) at Laufen Tight fit at Tittmoning
Chiemsee is a popular large lake so the next morning we headed to Chieming a pleasant small resort on the eastern side with bathing beaches and boat trips. After a lakeside walk and lunch we continued around to the opposite side of the lake which was busier and more parking restrictions for motorhomes near the lake. After a night at a difficult to find stellplatz at a farm in the middle of nowhere north of the lake, we turned south towards the Bavarian Alps getting lost due to diversions in the very busy industrial town of Rosenheim. A short stretch of Autobahn packed with lorries was too much like driving in the UK so we turned off as soon as possible to the busy lakeside resort of Schliersee then a steep climb to the delightful lake of Spitzingsee surrounded by mountains where parking was €5 for the day and €9 overnight so we chose a space at the water's edge and relaxed in the sunshine for the rest of the day.	steamer on Chiemsee
Spitzingsee	Spitzingsee stellplatz
We stopped at Schliersee the next morning a resort catering for the older generations but with some interesting decorated buildings, then drove around the busier Tergensee and after a couple of kilometres back in Austria headed along a pleasant wooded valley passing a large reservoir then on a toll road with plenty of stopping places. Continuing into Garmish Partenkirchen we passed through a tunnel into Bavaria again and to Oberammergau where we found the stellplatz at €7 for 24 hours, adjacent to the campsite (€21+electricity!). The next morning we walked into the town centre with many more decorated buildings and the large modern Passiontheater (next Passion play is in 2010). From there we drove to Schloss Linderhof, another of mad King Ludwig II's creations with lovely Italianate gardens and lots of ornate golden statues. Parking was €3.50 for motorhomes but entry to the gardens was free and the Moorish style kiosk was amazing. (It was originally built for the Great Exhibition in Paris in 1867).	Decorated shop in Schliersee
Typical Oberammergau house	The Passiontheater at Oberammergau
Schloss Linderhof	Schloss Linderhof Italianate garden
Moorish kiosk at Schloss Linderhof	kiosk interior
After another short drive into Austria and a top-up of diesel at Reutte, full of bikers on a weekend afternoon we drove through another tunnel back to Germany and Füssen. There was a new stellplatz listed at Schwangau near the fairytale Neuschwanstein castle but it wasn't open yet so drove back to the very busy Camperstop at Füssen next to the bus depot and discount shops so not peaceful. This is one of the most popular stellplatz in Bavaria with another one being built adjacent but was the most expensive at €12 including kurtax and extra for water and hookup (but free wi-fi). The next morning after waiting ages to fill up with water, we drove to one of the parking areas near to the Tegelbergbahn cable car and walked to Schloss Neuschwanstein in pleasant sunshine. (The view on most postcards is only possible from the air).	Schloss Neuschwanstein
From there we headed back west passing through gentle hilly farmland to Baden-Württemberg region planning to stop at Kißlegg but found a fair and flohmarkt had taken over the town so continued to the small village of Wolfegg where there were designated free motorhome parking areas but no services provided. There was a small motor museum in the schloss in the village.
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