Reutte, Austria May 25 – 27

May 25, 2025 Rick Steve’s tour Day 7

Over the Alps to Bavaria 

PROPOSED PLAN:

Today we say “ciao, Venezia” as we hop back aboard our bus and drive north into Germany, on a breathtaking all-day drive through the Dolomites and over the Austrian Alps, stopping for lunch along the way. Our destination is the medieval Bavarian town of Füssen, perched on the border — both historically and geographically — between Germany and Austria. After some time to settle in, we’ll gather together for a hearty dinner. Prost!

Light walking: 2–4 miles throughout the day on mostly level terrain. Boat: ½ hour. Bus: 8 hours. Sleep in Reutte, Austria.

ACTUAL EVENTS:

Early Sunday morning was a good time to walk to the Rialto Vaporetto Station. The obvious root of Vaporetto is vapor which came from the steam engines to power these boats that are more like the buses of Venice. The cost for one ride was 9.5 Euros but that was much better than the $25 euros that cost to ride in a gondola but the gondola was definitely worth the money on Friday night. There were several stops including the train station before we arrive at Tronchetto station where the bus was parked.

We piled aboard the bus for one of our longer days of driving but between the beautiful scenery and the frequent rest stops, it was a pretty wonderful day. We drove north of Venice to Verona and our lunch stop was in a cute little town called Egna. This region is called the South Tyrol or Sudtirol in Italian. The several young people in Egna were wearing traditional costumes which we assumed had something to do with the Folk Museum there. Definitely worth a return trip to explore more.

We arrived at our hotel in Reutte, Austria around 5 pm and managed to get some laundry washed before dinner. Nick had trout and I had Weinerschnitzel. Then we were entertained by a duo with an accordion and a guitar singing traditional Austrian and Slovenian songs. It was a very spirited and lighthearted evening of songs and rhythmic clapping. We even managed to get our clothes dry in the free dryers. The pictures tell the rest of the story.

May 26, 2025 Rick Steve’s tour

Day 8: Neuschwanstein and a Luge

PROPOSED PLAN:

It’s a short drive and a half-hour hike to “Mad” King Ludwig’s deservedly famous Neuschwanstein Castle. We’ll tour the castle and have time for lunch. Afterward, you can barrel down the Tegelberg summer luge track (weather permitting). This afternoon you’ll be free to visit another nearby castle, take a bike ride in the countryside, or just relax at a quaint café or outdoor beer garden before dinner on your own.

Strenuous walking: 2–8 miles throughout the day with lots of hills, stairs, and uneven terrain. No bus. Sleep in Reutte, Austria.

ACTUAL EVENTS:

The drive was short and we made it to the castle but the rain was coming down pretty hard. We opted for a bus ride to the top. The views were spectacular of the castle, the forest, the mountains and the valley below. We had a timed ticket for 12:05 and we e early so we had a cappuccino first in a souvenir mug for 5 euros. The rain stop before we entered the castle. The castle was a vanity project for King Ludwig and he used it briefly as a vacation home before he died in 1886. There are many unfinished rooms but the ones that were completed were quite grandiose. Beautiful but a little over the top. It reminded us of Hearst Castle in California but the location and the dramatic spires were awe inspiring.

We had a nice lunch in a nearby restaurant that was topped off by Kaiserschmarrn which is a popular meal or dessert in Austria, Bavaria, and many parts of the former Austro-Hungarian empire. It is a lightly sweetened pancake that takes its name from the Austrian emperor (Kaiser) Franz Joseph I, who was fond of this fluffy shredded pancake. It was served as a dessert alongside apple sauce and contains raisins or dried cranberries.