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Austrias Virgen Eyes

After two weeks of hopping trains around Germany, my travels had landed me in Prague, Czech
Republic. I spent the last night having dinner with the group I had been traveling with, and left
the restaurant to find my brother. He flew in that day from the states to meet me, where I would
leave my group and head on with him to Austria. Our destination: Virgen Austria. Pragues
streets proved more than a challenge as a foreigner; my brother got pulled over twice in our
rental car after accidently driving onto a pedestrian zone. The roads were a nightmarish, one-way
labyrinth that ended in a 500 koruna (about 20 us dollars) fine. Needless to say we were anxious
to get out of the city and onward to our destination.

Why Visit?
-

Virgen is a small village in the western state of Tyrol Austria. Just north of Italy, Virgens
quiet disposition conceals a village drenched in traditional Austrian culture. The
mountains hugging around the city at the base of the valley offer a myriad of hiking trails
and mountaintop rest cottages to enjoy the alpine weather.

The next day, we drove four and a half hours south from Prague into Austria. We had to stop at
Salzburg for lunch but Im ashamed to say I was disappointed. The birthplace of Mozart,
Salzburgs streets had the air of homogenous tourism, peppered with designer bags and jewelry
stores. I had wanted to see the real
Austria: The people, the lifestyle. I
wanted to see more of the flashes of
villages that flew by my window on
the countryside drive there. We
stopped for some dumplings and an
ice cold weisbeer at Stiftskeller
Zwettler's, a local restaurant, before
we put Salazburg behind us. Before
we knew it we were winding
between narrow roads, massive
valleys, snow-capped mountains,
and thundering waterfalls.

We were relieved to arrive at our

hotel, The Bronte-House in Virgen Austria! A large house made into bed and breakfast, we had a
balcony view of the whole valley. We talked with the owner, an English woman who runs the
house with her husband, where she gave us some pointers on local attractions before we headed
into town to explore. The village was quiet, even on a Friday night, but we managed to find a
few bars that were still open. We sat among half a dozen locals over a few beers as the sun set.

Local Food:
-Caf Sinne Open later than other restaurants in the area, this eatery is a great place for
getting to know the local atmosphere. Positioned in the center of the village this quiet caf has a
friendly owner and one hell of a view from the outside patio. Good food, better beer!
-Alte Muhle A perfect example of traditional Austrian cuisine, this restaurant uses fresh
and local ingredients in their menu. With a rustic setting, Alte Muhle exemplifies Tyrolean food:
Kaiserschmarrn- A dessert pancake served with berry compote, Wiener Schnitzel- deep fried
slice of veal, and Gulasch- an Austrian beef stew.
-Panzl-Brau Another great example of classic Austrian food. Be advised, a lot of places
close early in the countryside. Panzl-Braus food is well worth a stop, but can be missed if you
plan a late dinner.
-Gottschaunalm While not exactly a
restaurant, this cottage is just one of many
rest spots along the spine of the surrounding
mountains that offer freshly made bread,
yogurt, and cheeses. Tailored for tired hikers
and Virgens innumerable trails,
Gottschaunalm is a family run farm with a
breathtaking backdrop. The food is so fresh
one can hear the cows mooing out
back.

Our first full day, we took a

quick drive deeper into the
mountain valley. The owner of
our hotel had briefed my brother
and I on Virgens surrounding
hiking trails and the 21 alpine
huts that connect them together.
Stopping on the road to ask for
directions, I quickly learned that
little of my German worked in
Austria: the accents were
indecipherable to me half of the time. We parked the car, and begun a two hour hike up a thin
horseback trail.

What else is there to do?

If the demand of the hike is too much, and trust me it can be, there are other things to do from the
village.

-Hohe Tauern National Park The Hohe Taurn mountain range is home to Austrias
tallest mountain, the Grossglockner. This, and the road leading up to the mountain peak are one
of the best thrills around. A narrow road twists and spins through the mountains giving up some
of the best views in Austria.
-Lienz Just outside Virgen, Lienz is home to Bruck Castle. Today an Art Museum,
Bruck Castle features the paintings of native, Albin Egger-Lienz. This castle and the art inside is
an opportunity worth seizing. One ticket gains entry to explore the majority of the castle, which
has a view of the whole city. The unique paintings deliver heavy history through Egger-Lienzs
macabre style. Definitely worth a look.

We had planned a small trip less than an hour out of town to the Grossglockner. Our rental was
no sports car, but we still managed to push every bit of fun that we could out of our little black
hatchback; up and down the mountain roads. When we reached the top, we left the car to do
some more climbing. At the snow covered peaks we scrambled up a narrow trail to the precipice
where our view spanned across miles of towering mountains.

The next day was the last wed spend in Virgen before we moved on

to Graz. On
Sunday, a lot of places are closed, so we were excited when we
returned to
Caf Sinne to find the doors open. We sat talking with the
owner, the
same old Egyptian man
from the time before, over a
tall hookah and some wheat
beer. This had been one of my favorite experiences. Simply
an accidental product of
travel, engaging in real
conversation with the locals
really contributed to not
only my trip but my overall
global perspective. I
mustered my best German as the owner and I talked about travel and local music. I even
discovered a new alternative rock band, Bilderbuch. Sunday might have been otherwise
uneventful (I cant stress enough how many places are closed regularly) but we managed to
spend the rest of the day driving across the empty rural landscape.

Virgen possess many of the aesthetic qualities youd expect from a European adventure, but its
tertiary remote location offers what I believe to be a truly accurate representation of Austria. The
perfect jumping-off point for anyone looking to do some exploring, Virgen distances itself away
from clichd tourism. My brother and I saw a lot of the country driving in our rental car, but
nowhere nearly so rich with cultural nooks and crannies just waiting to be excavated.

-Ryan Domitz

Be on the Lookout:
- Austria uses the Euro for their
-

currency
A large portion of the
Austrians speak English, but
by no means, do all of them.
Knowing a little German is
particularly helpful in such a
remote part of the country, not
to mention a courtesy a
foreigner.
A lot of restaurants and bars arent open late, and often closed on Sundays. Museums are
often closed on Mondays.
Tipping is not common in Europe, particularly bartenders and waiters. They get paid
enough so its not necessary that you show a gratuity on top of your bill.

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