18 April 2024 – Austria
Miles driven today = 133
Total Miles to date = 4,276
I feel somewhat relieved that I have actually managed to do a decent amount of mileage today without breaking anything on the van. We started out by continuing northwards on the SS12 to Bolzano where two lengthy tunnels and a proper Spaghetti Junction style interchange took us in a more North Easterly direction on the smoothly dualled but toll free SS38.
For many miles the mountains of the Gruppo di Tessa loomed gradually larger in our windscreen and we had an odd illusion of feeling as though we were heading downhill even though we were in fact following the course of the Adige River upstream all the way to Merano.
Once past Merano the road reduced to single carriageway but on the whole it was still beautifully smooth and I imagined how much my motorcycling friends would enjoy riding this route. At Spondigna we switched to the SS40 and at Malles Venosta we started some serious climbing up to the Reschen Pass via a series of sweeping switchbacks to Curon Venosta, where we stopped for lunch.
Curon Venosta stands 1,500 metres above sea level on Lago di Resia, an artificial lake built for a hydroelectric project in the 1950s. The lake is currently all but drained with swarms of bulldozers creating a dustbowl whilst presumably working on deepening its bed and maintaining the dam.
When the valley was flooded several ancient settlements were submerged, including the village of Graun. All that remains visible of the village is its clocktower which still stand proud of the water even when the lake is filled. It makes for a very strange sight.
It was a chilly 3 degrees while we were stopped for lunch. Shortly after we got going again we crossed the border into Austria and had the first of several short snow flurries. Vodafone welcomed us to Austria and then very quickly also welcomed us to Switzerland. For a short while the Swiss border was only a very short distance away on the other side of the Inn River.
We followed the river for many miles through the interlinked towns of Lanbeck and Zams and across some beautiful pastural landscapes with the snowy alpine peaks forming a constant backdrop.
At Imst we veered off and followed the B189 uphill again and on to our final destination at Camping Rossbach in the hamlet of Dormitz, which in turn is part of the larger conurbation of Nassereith. It’s a €21 a night ACSI site but the dreaded Tourist Tax bumps that up to €27.
We have a lovely view of the mountains from our windscreen. Or at least we did until some Belgian idiot decided that with 80 pitches to choose from he would park in the one directly in front of us.
Despite the chilly conditions and persisting intermittent snow flurries we decided that it would be wrong to pass up an opportunity to stretch our legs and fill our lungs with glorious Alpine air, so we dug out our big coats, crossed the brook which runs through the campsite and headed along the woodland path beyond.
Another snow shower passes by. It’s due to get down very close to freezing tonight. I’m very glad we filled up the gas tanks the other day to keep us warm and toasty.
The main part of Nassereith viewed through the trees. It certainly is a very beautiful part of the World but I’m not sure I’d want to be living here in the dead of winter.
We clambered up the hill a bit and followed a higher path back to camp.
I have to say I really enjoyed today’s drive. We could have got here quicker if we had used toll roads but having read up on how it all works in Austria, any vehicle over 3.5 tonnes has to have a “GO Toll” device fitted in the windscreen, which seems to be an awful lot of faff and expense considering we are barely going to be in the country for 24 hours. Tomorrow we will be on toll free German Autobahns which eventually will zoom us all the way to Luxembourg. I’d better figure out how the cruise control works again!
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