Golling to St Johann Im Pongau

September 2, 2018

Brass band in lederhosen, Gorges in Werfen, sunshine in the morning and meetings on the trail.

September 2nd Sunday 37kms

Brass band in lederhosen, Gorges in Werfen, sunshine in the morning and meetings on the trail.

The day starts at 6:00am with a special call from Thomas wishing me happy Father’s Day. He need not worry about waking us - the church bells are tolling without restraint. Looking from the windows the welcome sight of a patch of blue is visible- but will it last?

Early morning- is there a break in the weather?

We pack, breakfast, collect our bikes from the garage and then spend an hour listening to the brass band playing in the grounds of the castle next door. Clad in smart jackets and lederhosen, their instruments reflecting the struggling sunshine, they put on a spirited performance and it is much appreciated by the audience seated at tables, enjoying large handles of beer. Reluctantly we leave as they strike up another number- I’d like to think it was ‘Auf Wiedersehen.

What better way to spend Sunday morning.

The mist is lifting as we leave and the streets are drying as we follow the signs out of Golling. The trail presents no real difficulties though part of it is along a climbing minor road with some traffic. For most of the way there is a good shoulder or cycle lane. We start on the Lueg Pass (532m) which also has a tunnel.

Gradient is reasonably benign. Note sign for Eurovelo 7- we’re on track!

At Werfen we pull off the trail and climb up to the entrance to a walk along some spectacular limestone gorges, similar to the Ruakuri walk at Waitomo in NZ but on a fairly massive scale. We park our bikes next to the 18th century Maria Brunneck Chapel and follow the sound of roaring water. One byproduct of the recent rain is the increased volume of water in such places. As with yesterday’s Wasserfall, there’s a minor charge.

This rocky ledge, where evidence of prehistoric life has been found, once at river level, is now 80 metres above the torrent. The limestone rock has been raised over time due to the movement of tectonic plates, while the river has cut a deeper path through the rock.

This area, characterised by rocky outcrops in which Bronze Age artefacts have been found, is hidden in a forest of beautiful beech trees. The gorge itself has cut a pathway through the limestone rock and is now 80 metres below where it had been during that time of early human habitation. It is suggested that a bronze helmet carefully crafted and placed in a cleft in the rock, was left there by a wealthy traveller in order to placate fate and ensure his safe passage through the hazardous landscape. There is only one other group apart from ourselves visiting and for a moment we stop to really take in our surroundings and try to imagine people living here centuries past. The area definitely conveys a presence and we’re thankful it’s so deserted today.

We continue on our route after picking up our bikes at the chapel where I am, I think, gently admonished by an elderly woman for leaning mine on the church wall. I apologise profusely.

Hohenwerfen is a medieval rock castle built between 1075 and 1078. It has seen its share of suffering but has also been used as a set for several movies. It features as background in the Sound of Music’s Do-Re-Mi scene.

Clouds clearing gradually and what they reveal is spectacular.

When we stop for lunch (since it is Sunday, Ann made our rolls in the morning) at a handy bus shelter near Werfen, a couple from Yorkshire, with flash electric bikes, stop for a chat. They are about our age and have left their car, taken the train up from Grado to Salzburg and are cycling back. He is lively and energetic in a northern English kind of way and insists on telling us how much and what kind of dining his wife has been doing and why cycling isn’t going to create any weight loss on her part. I make the mistake of mentioning Brexit, though he is humorous about the whole thing he points out that the Brits are the only ones keeping to the rules re refugees as he’s seen large numbers being returned to France from Germany. He also tells us that he’s just met another NZ couple on the trail.

Later in the afternoon, a couple, one with a silver fern flag affixed to her carrier, pass us and we greet them, ‘Kiwi!’ And stop for chat. They are from Dunedin and are heading south on the same route as us but plan to go back up to their starting place, Munich, where they have left their bike boxes. Ann notes their small panniers and they tell us that’s because they stay in hotels. We part, wishing them a safe journey.

In St Johann, slight rain begins to fall and we find a subway under the highway to reach our hotel. The owners are out to lunch, literally, and have left the keys in a plastic bag on the door.

Our room is dim but large. We drink cups of tea and watch the American Tennis Open with German commentary. We’ve covered under 40 kilometres but it’s been an action packed day. Alpine cycling is certainly different from canal towpaths.

Today's ride: 37 km (23 miles)
Total: 3,654 km (2,269 miles)

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