The autumnal colours were spectacular as we drove through Germany into Austria. The heading describes perfectly the landscape, mountains, water and wide vibrant green valleys it has to be one of my favourite places.

Salzburg

After a long drive we wild camped next to a public park with a swimming lake twenty minutes on the tram from the city. We arrived on a sunny afternoon so decided to leave the city centre to the next day. Carrying our chairs into the park we settled down to watching the locals who were swimming.walking leisurely around the lake, sitting chatting and children playing volleyball and enjoying the organised playground.

The following day we took the tram into town making our way into the main square where we took the funicular railway up to Hohensalzburg fortress which is a nine hundred year old cliff top castle sitting high above the rooftops of the Baroque city centre and is considered to be the best preserved of it kind in Central Europe. The views were spectacular and the inner courtyard gave a sense of history. Also housed there was a collection of puppets from when the castle had its own theatre.

Returning to ground level we decided to find somewhere for lunch and explore the old towns backstreets and intimate courtyards for somewhere suitable. Heading towards Mozartplatz we came across a small cellar restaurant called Sto Bene where we had our best ever Italian meal outside of Italy cooked by an Indian chef !

Taking a leisurely stroll along the river we returned to the tram terminus for our return journey and looking back at the fortress on the city skyline we took our last photo of Salzburg. Returning to where we had parked Vinnie we were entertained by a group of what was obviously dog owners arriving for dog training classes??

Breaking our journey towards Italy we found a lovely little campsite outside Ziebl based on a working farm with commanding views of the Alps over the river valley below (and two very friendly cats.)