- Travel from Salzburg, Austria to Castelrotto, located in the Alpe di Siusi region of northern Italy
- Rest-stop at Europabrücke
- Walk and explore around Castelrotto
But First, Coffee!
We had another lovely breakfast in Hotel Hofwirt; today we meet our bus driver Rob and head off to Italy! But first, a small coffee shop caught our eye the night before that is literally steps away from the hotel Ratio Coffee. We were packed and ready before departure time, so we took a few moments to savor in a coffee before leaving Salzburg.
Europe Bridge - "Europabrücke" Rest-Stop
Built in 1963, the Europabrücke was the highest bridge in Europe for 10 years until 1974. The bridge is 623 feet high above the Sill River, and is located just south of Innsbruck on the Brenner Highway. We had not known about this bridge so it was neat to have a rest-stop pair up with a point of interest!
Rest-stop coffee (yes, more!) and chocolate treats, accordion music played by a kind local and a small hike to a lookout point of the Europabrücke.
The Name Game!
With the accordion music playing in the background, Axel got us well-engaged in the "Name Game" to learn each others names as we journey through the alps together. It was a fun and effective way to learn a little about each other, including our bus driver, Rob! (blue shirt in middle of photo facing Axel)
Museum of Traditional Costumes Castelrotto - "Trachtenmuseum Kastelruth"
Located within the Tourist Center is the Museum of Traditional Costumes Castelrotto showcasing some traditional clothing of the Tyrol region
This is a great stop to see some local culture and get some maps from the Tourist Center; we picked up a few for the mountain area for the next days hike.
This is a great stop to see some local culture and get some maps from the Tourist Center; we picked up a few for the mountain area for the next days hike.
Mendel Haus
The Mendel Haus house displays frescoes from 1886 and has a woodcarving shop inside with all sorts of items from small wood-carved hearts to large wood-carved crucifixes. This region is well-known for its woodwork. Troy found a souvenir that caught his eye!
Dinner time
We walked down the street from the hotel to grab dinner at Ristorante Pizzeria Zur Alten Schmiede including mixed salads and a prosciutto and salami pizza, and of course, beer!
Settling in for the evening
Having a relaxing evening in the cozy lobby at the front of the Hotel Cavallino D'Oro, chatting with group members and gazing out at the center square.
Cheers - Prost - Saluti!
Today's "Wow" Moment
Enjoying the first of the bus rides and seeing the views of the rural areas; the first sight of the Dolomites made me speechless!- Troy |
After being in large cities for the past week, it felt great to settle in at our lovely hotel in this tranquil village, anticipating tomorrow's adventure of exploring the Dolomites - Ashli |