Life & Style | Travel
Austrian vignettes
Kanav Duggal spends an unforgettable summer vacation in a 'Baurenhoff' near Salzburg
- By Kanav Duggal
- Published: 00:00 October 18, 2008
“Guess where we are going this summer?'' my mum asked me. Then, without waiting for a reply, she rushed to say: “We are staying at a Baurenhoff''.
“Where on earth is that? Or is it on another planet this time?'' I asked in mock horror. She just laughed and said: “Wait and see what a great holiday you'll have.''
Having been told about the Baurenhoffs (which means “farmhouse'' in German) in Austria by some close Dutch friends of the family, my mum decided to give us a firsthand experience of farmhouse living.
Flying via Amsterdam we landed in the Austrian capital Vienna. In July, it was perfect summer weather in Europe.
Sightseeing in Vienna
In Vienna, we did the usual sightseeing rounds of the Schonbrunn Palace of the Hapsburg dynasty, the Hofburg Palace, St Stephen's Cathedral and the composer Beethoven's various residences.
The famous Spanish Riding School was closed so that was an experience we missed. We tasted the famous culinary delights weiner schnitzel and apfelstrudel (hot apple strudel) in one of the oldest coffeehouses in Vienna.
A scary ride in the world's first Ferris wheel called the Weiner Riesenrad in the Prater (amusement park) rounded off our Vienna trip.
After spending three days in Vienna we drove to Salzburg. Unlike most of Europe, the countryside between these two cities was fairly unremarkable.
We stopped at one of Europe's oldest and richest monasteries, the Melk Monastery, to admire its architecture.
After four hours of driving we reached Salzburg, then drove on to our destination which was in a small village called Neu Anif.
With great difficulty we located the beautiful farmhouse where we were to stay.
Friendly landlady
We were met by a very friendly though tired-looking landlady who ran the farm with her teenage son and took in guests during the summer months to supplement their income.
We got two very clean and comfortable rooms at a “very, very reasonable price'' as I heard my mum mention.
My brother and I took off to discover the surroundings. Mum had chosen what was advertised as a child-friendly farm.
There were cows, horses, chicken — all the usual farm
animals.
After an early night, we got up the next morning to watch cows being milked. We had a hearty breakfast of eggs — which we were allowed to pick from the coops ourselves — and freshly baked bread straight from the oven.
It was a truly delicious meal. Everything was personalised, unlike a hotel.
Discovering the city
Over the next two days we would hop on to a bus and go discovering the places around. It is famous for its Mirabell Gardens where the film Sound of Music was shot.
We visited the Hohensalzburg fortress, Hellbrun Palace, Mozart's house and a museum dedicated to him, and enjoyed a boat ride on Lake Wolfgang. An unforgettable experience was a trip to the salt mines at Hallein.
On the last day, as we were driving around the Bavarian countryside, someone told us to visit the Eagle's Nest.
Intrigued by the name, we decided to do just that. It turned out to be the summer retreat of Hitler during the Second World War built for him as a 50th birthday present by the Nazi party.
Elevator in the rock
The amazing part was that the only way to the top was by an elevator that had been cut into the solid rock in the heart of the mountain.
It may not sound impressive today but close to 70 years ago it was an engineering marvel. The view of the Alps from the top was awe-inspiring.
The next day we started our journey back home after a fond farewell by the landlady.
The best part of the trip was living at the Baurenhoff — an experience we will cherish.
Kanav Duggal is an 11th grade student of Choueifat School Dubai
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