At the end of August we ended up in the Salzkammergut for the second time. As I already revealed last Sunday in the "dirndl post", Martina had been invited as a maid of honour to a lovely traditional wedding. We therefore went looking for accommodation for our 4 four-legged friends and ourselves in the Gosau area.
After a few rejections and one friendly phone call, we found what we were looking for in Rußbach (the gateway to the Salzkammergut) at the Waldwirt and were delighted to discover a spacious premium room waiting for us.
Over this long weekend we experienced quite a few firsts – though one thing was no premiere at all: we had a little bad luck with the travel weather once again...
Day 1: Arrival in Rußbach and Dinner in Gosau
Note on booking:
I contacted around 10 accommodations that were listed as pet/dog-friendly. Some came back with rejections because they had no rooms available, and some said that four dogs was simply too many for them (which is completely understandable). What I can't quite wrap my head around, though, are rejections that simply state they don't take dogs – without any explanation whatsoever.
One evening I received a call from Mrs. Wintersteller at the Waldwirt, who wanted to enquire about the 4 dogs. Her main concern was the breakfast buffet and whether we planned to bring the four-legged crew along. She was thinking of the other hotel guests. I explained to her that Atlas, Tiago, Neroli and Murphy are all well-socialised, but that it would be no problem at all to leave them in the car. We agreed that we'd find a solution and received the reservation confirmation for the premium room.
Thursday.
The Accommodation.
We arrive at the Waldwirt in Rußbach on Thursday afternoon and, after a warm welcome, take a look at our generous room. It's perfect for our needs: the entrance area leads into a large, bright room divided into a sleeping and living area by a waist-high room divider.
A modern, lovely bathroom with a shower AND a bathtub made both our hearts leap. And a spacious balcony offers views of lush "jungle" greenery and the mountains. The one small challenge – for some dogs at least – could be the smooth staircases in the stairwell. Tiago sometimes struggles with them on account of his long legs...
Breakfast covers every wish and the service is friendly throughout. The staff are equally helpful in the evenings: on Saturday, after the downpour at Gosausee (see below), all we wanted was to sink into the hot bathtub and curl up under the duvet. Toast and chips for a late-night snack in the room? No problem at all :)
Unfortunately the cold and wet catches up with us on the very first day – it had been (or at least it felt that way, and I think it actually was) sunshine and glorious weather every single day since our departure at the end of July. Oh well, never mind... we're not going to let it get us down – let's just unpack our things and relax a bit.
Dinner.
Since we have a date with the bride and groom at the Gasthaus Echo at 18:00, we make use of a short break in the rain for a walk with the boys. Once we've all stretched our legs, we meet Renata, the seamstress, and Andreas, from Fischgenuss, in the beer garden. As it starts raining again and the temperature drops, we leave the pups in the car. The Indian runner ducks of the house are foraging for their dinner in the surrounding meadows – that would have been the ultimate challenge for Murphy :)
The bride's witnesses join us a little later and enjoy, just like us, the most wonderful wholesome home cooking. Tomorrow's big day is discussed and the bride is "assured" that the weather will hold (which it did! more or less ;) ).
It doesn't get too late that evening – on Friday everyone needs to be fresh and bright.
Day 2: the Wedding, or Babsi Alone with 16 Paws
Friday.
The Wedding.
Martina needs to be at the hairdresser just before 9, so an early start is in order. We go for a first quick walk together. The doggos get to "sleep in" in the car while we have breakfast. Then comes the packing: dirndl & co for Martina, a hiking rucksack, the dogs and leads for me.
As maid of honour, Martina is fully dedicated to the bride and groom all day. I drop Martina off in Gosau on time so she can have her hair pinned up, then head back to Rußbach. The civil ceremony takes place in Altaussee at midday.
From there the party heads to the Altausseer See, where the wedding company crosses the lake in a beautifully decorated Plätte to reach the Seewiese. At the Jagdhaus, the newlyweds and their guests can enjoy a meal and make the most of the still-dry weather.
The groom then bravely manoeuvres the Plätte back to the other shore as the rain sets in, while bride and maid of honour are driven back by car. In fine style, "Mr. Andreas & Mrs. Renata" and their guests round off the wonderful wedding day at the Sommerhof, with a multi-course dinner and good wine.
Parallel programme: the hike along the Randobach
Meanwhile I park punctually at 9 o'clock in the centre of Rußbach and think about which route the five of us should take. Either the Paß Gschütt circular walk (6,5km, 189hm, approx. 2h) or along the Randobach.
The only dog we meet on the trail is right at the start, in the village. A hiker with a dog that looks hilariously like Fuchur — but with pointy ears. My 4 boys are well rested after the rainy travel day, and watching the leash chaos is quite entertaining. The lady and "Fuchur" settle onto the nearest bench and watch us until we head off...
Which trail will it be?
At Hotel Kronenhirsch — turn right or go straight? We decide to go right and take the Paß Gschütt circular route. We soon come across a sign warning us about a farm dog. But none shows up. Then we encounter a large herd of goats that actually comes running towards us. The fence keeps them in check, though ;) The cattle grid a little further along, however, stops me from going any further.
This is the first time I've been out with all 4 boys on my own, which means I'm holding on to nearly 100 kg of dog. Cow encounters are something I'd really rather avoid in that situation :D We turn back and head around the corner at Kronenhirsch so we can walk along the Randobach.
Relaxation along the Randobach.
The route isn't super varied, but the wonderful scent of the forest and the different layers of river sediment still offer plenty of natural relaxation. The gentle, steady incline, the lovely wide gravel track and just 2 Nordic walkers make it the perfect route for Atlas, Tiago, Neroli, Murphy and me that day.
After a break and a photo (with the "Gamsfeld" in the background), we turn around and stroll back to the car the same way. Including the detour at the beginning, we've been walking for almost exactly 3 hours. At the "Gamsfeld-Blick" viewpoint you could turn left towards the Schneckenwand-Rundweg or carry on straight ahead to the Neualm.
The five of us spend the rest of the day being gloriously lazy after a well-earned meal and sleep the afternoon away. Later the boys get to stretch their legs a little at the fish pond in Gosau. Until it starts raining again, of course... ;)
Summary Randobach
Trail data
- Pace: leisurely with breaks
- Walking time: approx. 2:45 h
- Total time: approx. 3:05 h
- Distance: 8.7 km
- Ascent: 310 hm
- Descent: 309 hm
- Highest point: 1043 hm
- Lowest point: 807 hm
Dog facts
- Hike on gravel track
- not a single dog encounter all Friday, except in the village
- met 2 small hiking families + 2 Nordic walkers
- relatively few accessible spots to cool off in the Randobach
Day 3: Hiking around the Gosausee
Saturday.
The Gosausee
It's been raining (pouring) since the previous evening and the temperature has dropped from 30 degrees to 12!!! degrees... Thank goodness we (Martina) packed the winter coats for the Spanish boys.
What with all the activities from the day before, the Hundereise team is still pretty tired anyway, so we take things nice and easy.
We keep checking the weather app and by 1 p.m. the floodgates seem to close for a while. We meet up with the rest of the wedding party and tackle the walk around the lower Gosausee. The clouds mean we can't enjoy the famous view of the Dachstein, but the surroundings are breathtakingly impressive nonetheless!
A fairly wide gravel path leads around the lake, dotted with interesting information stations on the theme of "water" — perfect for lingering, learning, trying things out or simply marvelling. We also claim a few of the beautiful little coves for some memorable photos.
By the halfway point it starts raining, and in the last quarter it's pouring again, so we bustle our way back to the car. Even so, we're not the only ones out there. On a fine day I can imagine it gets quite a "squeeze" here.
We stop off at the Gosauerhof for a bite to eat, and then it's back to Russbach and our cosy room at the Waldwirt.
Summary Gosausee
Trail data
- Pace: leisurely with longer breaks
- Walking time: approx. 1:15 h
- Total time: approx. 2:00 h
- Distance: 4.5 km
- Ascent: 29 hm
- Descent: 18 hm
- Highest point: 948 hm
- Lowest point: 932 hm
Dog facts
- Hike on gravel track
- easily accessible coves for cooling off in the Gosausee
- A few dog encounters, but all on leads
- despite the bad weather, still quite a few hikers out (it must be really busy in good weather!)
Day 4: Hike between Traunsee and Traunstein
Sunday.
It's departure day and it's still raining. We have breakfast, pack up, pay the bill and visit the wedding party in their apartment in Gosau. The plan was to do something together, but since there's no sign of the weather improving any time soon, the Hundereise team decides to hit the road. "We'll find something on the way home!"
Lisi, my all-knowing Salzkammergut encyclopaedia, has a tip for us: the eastern shore. We drive the narrow village road all the way to the end and can even take our pick of parking spots. It only stopped raining a short while ago, so there's hardly anyone around yet.
We set off along the forest road beside the sign telling us we're in a nature reserve. Every now and then the view opens up to reveal the gorgeous Traunsee or the imposing Traunstein.
We have to pass through 2 longer tunnels — a first for us! The 3 Galgos and the Frenchie are brave and step into the darkness with us. On the way back, the Spaniards suddenly find the pitch black rather interesting from a smell perspective, while Murphy would much rather head back out into the light.
After the second tunnel we cross a bridge and walk a little way alongside the lovely-smelling forest. A young bird is sitting on the path looking for something to eat. Murphy finds this absolutely fascinating. Atlas, Tiago and Neroli can't understand what all the fuss is about ;)
Not wanting to drive home completely in the dark, we decide to turn around after about an hour and head back to the car. Martina and I dish out liver pâté and water to the boys, and then everyone dozes peacefully until we arrive home safe and sound.
Summary Traunstein East
Tour details
- Pace: leisurely with breaks
- Walking time: approx. 1:40 h
- Total duration: approximately 2:00 h
- Distance: 4.4 km
- Ascent: 183 m
- Descent: 183 m
- Highest point: 539 m
- Lowest point: 429 m
Dog facts
- Walk on gravel path
- One off-lead dog encounter — not very considerate, but ours behaved well
- Few other hikers
*** The review of the hotel is a purely personal assessment and perception. I was not asked and not paid to write this. The stay was simply so relaxing, dog-friendly and delicious that I didn't want to keep it to myself. ***
