Sometimes it can't be avoided: the girls' weekend has been booked for ages, the accommodation is sorted, and the weather forecast is disastrous. Postponing isn't an option because the cancellation period has passed, and with two busy friends, there's no other weekend available.
So what to do? Simple: we pack up as planned and drive to Pinzgau in the rain. In pouring rain, to be precise. And at temperatures below 12 degrees. Will it be worth it?
Wet and cheerful: Pinzgau in the rain
The accommodation
The weekend trip to Saalfelden-Leogang in Pinzgau was a birthday present for my dear friend Stephanie. I found the accommodation, the Stillinghof run by the Hartl family in Saalfelden, on the we-are.travel platform, where you can often find really good bargains. You just have to be flexible with your travel dates.
We stayed in the annex of the beautiful old farmhouse. It has a room with a kitchenette and a small apartment. Our room had a wonderful balcony with a view of the mountains. Unfortunately, we couldn't use the balcony due to the temperatures and couldn't see the apartment because of the awful weather. The kitchenette was fully equipped and also had a small table with three chairs. There was also a large couch next to the bed. Everything was spotlessly clean and very lovingly furnished. And my dog Rocco was no problem at all and was allowed to stay for free.
Breakfast is served at Marisa Hartl's in the main building. There were delicacies such as homemade cream cheese with pesto, soft-boiled eggs, homemade yogurt with fruit purée, and the classics. Everything was organic, and the dairy products and eggs came from their own farm.
The breakfast chat with Mrs. Hartl was particularly nice and also very interesting, giving us many insights into the strenuous life on the farm.
But what do you do in the mountains when it's pouring rain?
A lot, actually! The region is, of course, perfectly developed for tourism. When you stay overnight at a Löwencard Alpine establishment in Saalfelden Leogang, you automatically receive a Löwencard for the duration of your stay. This card includes many free services and discounts for a wide variety of attractions. For example, you can use it to take one free ride up and down the Asitzbahn mountain railway per day. Admittedly, it's definitely more worthwhile when the weather is dry.
Below you can see what we did to pass the time during the rainy weather.
Going for a walk? You can do it in any weather!
Guys, the saying is old, but still true: we're not made of sugar! So before you set off on your trip, make sure you have a proper rain poncho and rubber boots. The poncho won't make you look any better (see the cover photo of this article), but it will keep you dry. You can also wear your backpack or bag underneath it. When buying rubber boots, make sure they are really comfortable. A cap under the hood is also useful, as it keeps your face dry even in windy conditions. Now nothing stands in the way of your rainy walk.
Even if you are in the middle of the high mountains, there are always leisurely walks with only a few meters of elevation gain. We chose one such walk and went from Saalfelden to Maria Alm. After all, hiking in the rain is not really necessary, and many trails are dangerous when wet.
Treat yourself to a coffee and a really good piece of cake along the way as a reward. You've earned it!
Naturally protected from rain: the show mine in Leogang
The Leogang show mine is a real hit! You shouldn't miss it, even when the sun is shining. It has been open to tourists since 1989 and impressively shows how laborious it used to be to mine silver, copper, and lead.
The mine can only be visited as part of a guided tour, which takes place several times a day from May to October. Important: There is a sign at the ticket office saying “Not suitable for people with claustrophobia.” Take it seriously. Some of the passages are only shoulder-width wide, and we often had to bend down low to walk through sections of the tunnels. But in return, you get to experience first-hand what backbreaking work mining used to be. The tunnels were still driven with hammers, advancing about one centimeter per day. And while we tourists climb comfortably through the mine on wooden steps, the miners had to scramble along the rock and had at most simple wooden logs with small steps. And all this in the light of pine chips.
Seriously impressive.
Our somewhat grumpy guide clearly warmed up during the tour and answered our questions willingly and informatively. On the way back to the ticket booth, he can also tell you a lot about the surrounding mountains and the flood of 2012.
By the way, the Löwencard entitles you to discounted admission.
Some education: The Mining and Gothic Museum
Admittedly, we are not usually big museum visitors. But since the weather showed no sign of improving and admission was free with the Löwencard, we visited the Mining and Gothic Museum to add some culture to our trip.
The museum is beautifully designed and houses a wealth of sacred art, statues of saints, magnificent old cabinets and chests, and books. Anyone interested in these things will love the museum. My highlight was the room on the upper floor dedicated to mining. Having just come from the mine, the exhibits there provided many more interesting insights.
Ergo bibamus!
So let's drink! Stephanie and I are not children of sadness. But after not finding anything in Saalfelden that resembled a nice bar (at least not before 8 p.m.), we drove to Leogang to the hotel mama thresl . This hotel is amazing. After 10 years in marketing, I really admire good, well-executed concepts. The mama thresl has taken this to the extreme. Home of cool, that's all I'm saying. The drinks are amazing, you can swing at the bar, the bartenders have to climb a ladder to get to the wine fridges, and you can climb both outside and inside the hotel. Now, if that's not a hit!
By the way, we didn't just go there for drinks, but also spent a cosy afternoon there. The milk foam on the cappuccino gets 5 out of 5 stars. And treat yourselves to the waffles, they're worth every calorie!
Games, games, games!
I can't say it often enough: find games you like and bring them with you! They are always worth the space. Stephanie and I are both enthusiastic board and card players. Uno, 6 Nimmt, Würfelpoker, Schweinerei and Kahuna made it with us to wet Pinzgau. And whether in the apartment, at mama thresl or in the coffee house: we played and had a lot of fun. Rain? Who cares!
Eating is also a good activity for rainy days.
Eating is not only an excellent activity in Pinzgau when it rains, but in any weather and anywhere!
On the first evening, we ate at the Brandlwirt on the recommendation of our hostess at the Stillinghof in Saalfelden. As there were no tables available, we were seated at the regulars' table. This turned out to be a stroke of luck, as it meant that, in addition to our wonderful dinner (really good Kasnockn!), we got to chat with the landlord Bernhard and a local from Saalfelden.
We enjoyed our second evening at the Jufenalm . I know it from a wedding in the year before. It is also definitely worth a visit – especially when the weather is nice. The location in Maria Alm is wonderful, and the view of the surrounding mountains is absolutely magnificent. Children will also be thrilled, as there is a large playground in addition to a deer enclosure. And for older children and teenagers, there is a great archery course. If you want to treat yourself to a little luxury, then book a room – they are also a real hit.
And, of course, the Hotel mama thresl is also worth a culinary detour. That cheese dumpling soup (Kaspressknödel-Suppe)... mmm!
The rain takes a break: up to Birnbachloch
We were lucky: not only did the rain stop on the day we left, but the sun even came out in the afternoon. So, to make sure our hiking gear hadn't come along for nothing, we hiked to Birnbachloch.
Approx. 360 metres elevation / 3.5 km / 1 hour 20 minutes / from Leogang
From the Ullachtal car park, the trail climbs steeply uphill after crossing a stream bed. At first, a leisurely hiking trail leads through woods and alpine pastures, but after about two-thirds of the way, it becomes an alpine path. Over many rock and wooden steps, with magnificent views of the Leoganger Steinberge mountains, the trail now leads to the Birnbachloch. The Birnbach stream rises in this impressive and almost magical cave and thunders down into the valley from there. From here, you can either continue on to the Birnbach glacier or (as we did) return to the starting point.
