The Brine Trail

  

The Salzkammergut, the old salt-mining region of Austria, is one of those rare parts of the world where mankind has managed to leave its mark without blighting the natural environment. Now designated as a World Heritage Cultural Landscape, the region is not only scenically breathtaking but also architecturally beautiful. Historic palatial buildings and picturesque villages nestle around clear-watered lakes under the silver crags and green forested slopes of the Dachstein Mountains as though they belonged naturally as an integral part of the landscape.

 

Of all the many charming villages, the old salt-mining town of Hallstatt is the most enchanting - a cobble-stoned lakeside town straight out of the pages of a picture book.

Its fairytale 16th and 17th Century houses are squeezed into every square inch of space on a precipitous mountainside, expanding upwards on terraces and outwards into Lake Hallstatter, on piles driven into the lakebed.

 

The 10 km (6 mi) walk from Hallstatt to the quaint market town of Bad Goisern follows the course of a historic pipeline used for transporting brine from the salt-mine to the trading to the trading town of Ebensee on Lake Traunsee, 40 km (25 mi) away. The path, known as the Soleweg (Brine Trail), is cut into the rock face 200 m (650 ft) above the western bank of the lake. As you amble through romantic countryside of woods and pastures, spotting wildlife and breathing pure mountain air, you are accompanied by a heart-stopping view of the opposite shore - the towering crags of the Sarstein Ridge mirrored in the water. The beauty of the pastoral surrounding induces a sensation of mild euphoria and by the time you reach Bad Goisern you will be completely smitten with this glorious part of Austria.

 

HOW

On foot

WHEN TO GO

June to September

TIME IT TAKES

Three hours

HIGHLIGHTS

A tour of Hallstatt salt mine.

Gosauzwang Bridge - impressive 38 m (125 ft) bridge built on enormous stone piles over the rushing torrent of the Gosau River.

Breathtaking views of the Dachstein Mountains.

YOU SHOULD KNOW

This is a straightforward family walk for young and old. The Salzkammergut is wonderful hiking and cycling country. There are hundreds of trails of all lenghts and levels of difficulty leading around and between the lakes and up into the Dachstein Mountains.

Hotels in Salzkammergut

 

A Trip to Anak Krakatao

  

Anak is the offsping of the vanished volcanic island of Krakatao (sometimes incorrectly called Krakatoa). Located in the Sunda Strait between Java and Sumatra, the parent island famously blew apart in the great eruption of 1883, ensuing tsunamis killing tens of thousands after a "big bang" that was heard 5000 km (3000 mi) away. Starting in 1929, the new island of Anak Krakatao emerged from the sea as the centre point of three encircling islands - the remains of the original Krakatao.

 

It is an active volcano that is growing steadily. It lies within the remote Ujung Kulon National Park in West Java, created by the Dutch in the late 19th century, and it is possible to find a good selection of cruises that include Anak Krakatao on an itinerary designed to explore this fascinating refuge, which comprises the western tip of Java. This is both rewarding and the easy way to go - Ujung Kulon is an extraordinary wilderness with no tourist infrastructure, so a do-it-yourself journey to this magical place is a real backpacking adventure.

Even so, those who are interested only in vulcanology can make a dedicated journey to Anak Krakatao. Depending on current volcanic activity, it is possible to land and camp on the vegetated eastern shore of this young volcano before scrambling to the cone's summit - a demanding hike up a steep slope covered in lightweight ejecta (pumice-like-rocks) that will take around two hours. But this is not a simple enterprise - the jump-off point is the port of Carita, a 120 km (75 mi) drive from Jakarta that alone takes the best part of half a day. From there, it is possible to hire a dilapidated fishing boat out to the Krakatao Islands, for the unique pleasure of exploring the world's most violent volcano.

HOW

By boat

WHEN TO GO

Dry season (May to September) is best.

TIME IT TAKES

Carita to Anak Krakatao and back (including a climb to the edge of the caldera) can be done in a day.

HIGHLIGHTS

The islands of Rakata (another name for Krakatao), Panjang and Sertung - for a chilling perspective on the size of the explosing that reduced the original large island to these three outlying fragments.

A side trip to Welcome Bay in the mainland portion of the Ujung Kulon National Park - don't miss the white rhino skeleton at the ranger station.

A canoe trip along Ujung Kulon's Cigenter River through dene tropical forest teeming with wildlife.

YOU SHOULD KNOW

Hollywood geography isn't all it should be - the 1969 adventure movie featuring Krakatao's 1883 eruption was title Krakatoa, East of Java when in fact the volcano is due west of Java. 

Hotels in Java

 

Blue Voyage

  

With rocky coastlines backed by dramatic forested mountains and waters of heavenly peacock hues, this is an idyllic region for a leisurely sea-voyage.

Gulets are the graceful traditional Turkish motor-yachts, still constructed locally of the red pine that covers the hillsides. Most are now built for the tourist business and they're comfortable and well equipped. They may be chartered by group, or a cruise can be an alternative "package" holiday.

 

A typical Blue Voyage will sail from Bodrum to Marmaris by way of pretty Gokova, mooring here or at one of the neighbouring fishing villages or coves, and along the north of the narrow Datça Peninsula, doubling back to Datça, with its busy harbour and waterfront. Fjord like Keci Buku Bay provides anchorage on the journey east to Marmaris, at the traditional fishing village of Selimye, or Bozburun, renowned for its boat building. Just short of huge, hectic Marmaris lie the more tranquil bays of Turunc and Kumlubuk.

 

The gulet will be at sea for several hours each day - possibly under sail - anchoring for swimming, visiting fishing villages or, for those withan interest in history, archaeological sites. The captain will establish his passengers preferences. Scattered around the Gulf of Gokova are the remains of several ancient towns; at the tip of the Datça Peninsula the ancient city of Cnidos, and on a promontory south of Bozburun, are the ruins of Loryma, with its sheltered harbour.

 

HOW

By gulet

WHEN TO GO

Late April to June, September and October.

TIME IT TAKES

One week

HIGHLIGHTS

The Crusader castle of Saint Peter dominates Bodrum Harbour; it contains the fascinating Museum of Underwater Archaelogy.

Cnidos is an important site in a wild and beautiful location. A steep street flanked by the remains of houses, a temple and theatre, overlooks ancient twin harbours.

Swimming from the gulet in deep, transparent, cool, blue sea.

At anchor is a quiet bay - watching shooting stars and listening to the lullaby of gently lapping waves.

YOU SHOULD KNOW

Children under 12 are not usually allowed on gulet cruises.

Hotels in Bodrum 

 

The Eagle's Nest

  

The "Eagle's Nest" is the nickname given by the American occupying fordes of 1945 to Hitler's lodge on the 1834 m (6017 ft) peak of Mount Kehlstein, pressed against the Bavarian Alps border with Austria. It commands a 360 degree panoramic view across the mountains, fulfiling the intentions of Martin Bormann and Hitler's innermost circle, who conceived the lodge as a 50th birthday present that would symbolize the singular height and endurance of Hitler's authority. Inevitably, the hubris of that intention makes the Eagles's Nest one of Bavaria and Germany's biggest tourist magnets. Be warned: it is stunningly beautiful place, but despite local people's most fervent wish it is a tainted by history, and no euphemism can change that.

 

Even, so, getting there is a unique journey. There is only one way. You must take the bus from Obersalzberg, because the road (closed to normal traffic) is like no other in the world. From Obersalzberg to the top, it is designed so that in a 700 m (2296 ft) vertical ascent over 6.5 km (4 mi), there is only one bend, and you cross the steep northwest face of the Kehlstein twice. 

 

Your ears pop and you might not look if your eyes weren't glued wide-open. At the upper car park, you are directed into an imposing, marble-lined tunnel that cuts 124 m (406 ft) striaght into the mountain, where an ornate, brass-frilled and ornamental lift whisks you up to the inside of the Eagle's Nest buildings in just 41 seconds. The walls are a metre thick, and the place is a fortress. The conference and domestic rooms and the terraces would be mundane except that imagination is in full flow, reconciling extraordinary location and engineering with all the rest. you set out joking, excited. You come back speechless.

 

HOW

By car and bus

WHEN TO GO

May to October - the bus service does not operate at any other time.

TIME IT TAKES

20-30 minutes (Obersalzberg-Kehlsteinhaus car park).

HIGHLIGHTS

The best views of the German/Austrian Alps.

The lift/elevator.

The engineering that built the road and turned the mountain peak into a fortress - surely years ahead of its time.

Looking towards Austria from the terrace, reflecting that "The Sound of Music" took place only a few valleys away.

YOU SHOULD KNOW

Under the ownership of the State of Bavaria (until recently, the site was owned by the US Armed Forces), the Kehlsteinhaus (Eagle's Nest) has been made part of a charitable foundation. Profits from bus and entrance tickets, the restaurants and other facilities are used to support good causes.

Hotels in Baviera

 

Sligo Yeats Trail

  

Nothing evoques the spirit of Old Ireland better than the sight of horse and rider silhoutted against the setting sun, and there is no better place to ride than the captivating coastline of Sligo, an area steeped in history and blessed with natural beauty.

 

Many operators cater for those who wish to indulge in what is now called the Yeats Trail.The preferred option for the experienced rider has to be a self guided tour riding between lodgings. A typical tour starts near the exquisite Streedagh Beach, which is your first chance to slacken the reins and experience the gallop of a lifetime along the wonderful long golden sands. If the tides are right it is possible to ride across to the magical Dernish Island, scene of many a shipwreck. A long soak in the bath, a hearty meal and a pint of the black stuff (Guiness) are your rewards at the end of a long day in the saddle.

 

The new day arrives with the sun rising over the towering rocks of Benulben. It is time to shake off any saddle-soreness and remount. This stage takes you along small tracks and down country lanes and then on to the magnificent white sands of Trawbawn. It is then but a small climb to Cullumore cliffs for an amazing view over Sligo Bay.

Having fed and stabled your horse and done the same for yourself, the final leg of the trip takes you towards Ardtarmon Castle, both sumptuos and rich in history. A ride along Lissadell Beach then takes you on the most challenging part of the trip as you climb steadily up the foothills of Benbulben.

HOW

On horseback

WHEN TO GO

Year round, but best in May and June when the wild flowers are in bloom.

TIME IT TAKES

Allow anywhere between a couple of days to a week.

HIGHLIGHTS

The long sandy beaches - the perfect place to ride.

Inishmurray Island - a monastic settlement founded about 500 AD.

Ardtarmon Castle - family home of Countless Markievicz.

Drumcliffe Churchyard - burial place of William Butler Yeats.

YOU SHOULD KNOW

Intermediate to advanced riding skills are required for this trip. Most operators also do not allow children less than 13 years old.

Hotels in Sligo