Suzanne's Cycling Site
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      • Continuing on the Romantic Road >
        • Day 1 - Donauwörth to Raustetten
        • Day 2 - Raustetten to Dorfgütingen
        • Day 3 - Dorfgütingen to Creglingen
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        • 6. A Short Ride: Golling to Werfen
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        • 8. Holed up in Sankt Veit
        • 9. The Big Climb: Sankt Veit to Unterkolbnitz
        • 10. Inching Our Way: Kolbnitz to Spittal
        • 11. Flat and Dry: Spittal to Arnoldstein
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Piešťany to Lichtenfels: The green curtain

Monday July 8, 2013
We now found ourselves heading home. We had already gathered many impressions and felt we were reaching the saturation point. So instead of visiting the Czech Republic, originally on our tentative itinerary, or eastern Germany, we chose a route through a part of Austria that we had both never visited, the Waldviertel (Forest Quarter), a region in the Austrian state Lower Austria.

On small roads through a beautiful countryside with expansive views of cultivated fields, forests and distant mountains we set our sights on the Austrian border, formerly part of the Iron Curtain. It is now a green curtain, as the vegetation flourished especially well in the "death strip", the mined area where no one dared tread for so many years. Officially, it is now called the Green Belt. Although you cross into Austria and there is no sign of a border crossing, the difference in the economies of the two countries is enough evidence that you are now in the "West".

Picture
A cloudy day with occasional showers, not good for picture taking but good for driving
Still in Slovakia, we were attracted by the church towers in Šaštín, where the monastery and church of the Virgin Mary of Seven Grievances is located, the patron saint of Slovakia. This pilgrim site was empty today but there were many benches in the square facing the church to accommodate the crowds that come on special days.

Picture
Monastery and Church of the Virgin Mary of Seven Grievances at Šaštín
Picture
Closer view
Picture
Marian column and church tower
Picture
Local store, perhaps a little drearier here than in other parts of the country due to the depressed economy of areas near the border
In the later afternoon we drove by a sign for Kloster Altenburg, which we had never heard of. We decided to stop and see what there was to see. We are always amazed at how many things there are, not too far away, that we have never even heard of, but are certainly well-known. The Benedictine monastery at Altenburg is said to be one of the loveliest in the whole of Austria. The Baroque abbey was built on the remains of former Romaneque and Gothic buildings, its highlight is the library. The abbey church itself is rich in Baroque ornamentation.

We had just parked, when a few drops of rain convinced us to take our umbrellas with us, just in case. We had barely reached the church when we witnessed a torrential downpour with lightning and mighty claps of thunder. It took quite a while before the storm subsided and we weren't able to visit the monastery gardens. Next time.

Picture
Altenburg Abbey
Picture
The scent of the lavender was overwhelming.
Picture
Church at Altenburg
Altogether, the drive through Austria's Waldviertel was beautiful. There were many spots where we could imagine it would be nice to ride our bikes. It's on our list of places we would like to see again.

  • Home
  • Bicycle Tours
    • 2021 >
      • Autumn in the Allgäu
      • Austria Again
      • A Dip into Tyrol
      • Wertheim and Beyond
      • We got as far as Wertheim
      • Bavarian Getaways
    • 2020 >
      • Out and About in Bavaria >
        • Day 1: Gauting - Bad Tölz
        • Day 2: Bad Tölz - Bad Kohlgrub
        • Day 3: Bad Kohlgrub - Landsberg
        • Day 4: Landsberg - Gauting
    • 2019 >
      • The Season Has Begun
      • Pedaling and Shooting in Bavaria >
        • Day 1
        • Day 2
      • More Pedaling in Bavaria >
        • Day 1
        • Day 2
      • Cycling the Inn in Austria >
        • Day 1 Gautig to Tölz
        • Day 2 Tölz to Jenbach
        • Day 3 Jenbach to Innsbruck
        • Day 4 Innsbruck to Rietz
        • Day 5 Rietz to Landeck
        • Day 6 Landeck and Home
    • 2018 >
      • A Two Day Outing
      • A nine-day tour in Lower Bavaria >
        • Day 1
        • Day 2
        • Day 3
        • Day 4
        • Day 5
        • Day 6
        • Day 7
        • Day 8
        • Day 9
      • The Romantic Road >
        • Day 1 - Füssen to Peiting
        • Day 2 - Peiting to Klosterlechfeld
        • Day 3 - Kosterlechfeld to Gersthofen
        • Day 4 - Gersthofen to Donauwörth
        • Day 5 - Train Ride Home
      • Continuing on the Romantic Road >
        • Day 1 - Donauwörth to Raustetten
        • Day 2 - Raustetten to Dorfgütingen
        • Day 3 - Dorfgütingen to Creglingen
        • Day 4 - Creglingen to Hochhausen
        • Day 5: Hochhausen to Uettingen
        • Day 6 - Uettingen to Würzburg
      • Alpe-Adria Tour 2018 >
        • 1. Alsace or the Alps?
        • 2. We're Off: Munich to Bruckmühl
        • 3. Mountains Aready? Bruckmühl to Übersee
        • 4. Almost Salzburg: Übersee to Freilassing
        • 5. On the Ciclovia Alpe-Adria: Freilassing to Golling
        • 6. A Short Ride: Golling to Werfen
        • 7. A Patch of Blue Sky: Werfen to Sankt Veit
        • 8. Holed up in Sankt Veit
        • 9. The Big Climb: Sankt Veit to Unterkolbnitz
        • 10. Inching Our Way: Kolbnitz to Spittal
        • 11. Flat and Dry: Spittal to Arnoldstein
        • 12. Buongiorno Bella Italia: Arnoldstein to Chiusaforte
        • 13. Best Bike Path Ever: Chiusaforte to Tavagnacco
        • 14. Closer to the Sea: Tavagnacco to Palmanova
        • 15. Last Day on the Road: Palmanova to Grado
        • 16. Grado and How We Got Home
    • 2016 >
      • To Berlin and Beyond
    • 2013 >
      • Eight Wheels in Transit
    • 2011 >
      • From Passau to Vienna
    • 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006
  • Day Rides
    • Rides 2023
    • 2022 Rides
    • 2021 Walks and Rides
    • 2020 Bicycle Days
    • 2019 Rides >
      • Bicycle Days 2019
    • 2018 Rides >
      • Bicycle Days 2018
      • 2018 Monthly Challenges
      • Cycling in Circles
    • 2017 Rides and Challenges >
      • Late to the Party
      • The Munich Kaffeeklatsch
  • Bicycle Memories
    • 1981: Bicycling with Daniel
    • 1981 - Passau to Vienna
    • 1982 - Provence with Daniel
    • 1985: Believe It or Not
    • 1986 - Southwest France
  • About
  • Contact
  • My Blog
  • Miscellaneous
    • Hochbunkers in Munich