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Below Klammstein Castle (Burg Klammstein) in Dorfgastein, you’ll find a tunnel for bikers and walkers. The structure is part of a cycle route along the Gastein Valley (Gasteinertal), which connects places like Bad Gastein, Bad Hofgastein, and Dorfgastein.
Klammstein Castle (Burg Klammstein) seems to block the Gastein Valley (Gasteinertal) in the north. In earlier times, it formed a toll station. Today, it accommodates a museum about the castle’s history and the valley.
Höch Caste (Schloss Höch), first mentioned in the 11th century, offers a nice view over the Flachau area. Inside there is a big salon with a splendid decoration made of wood. Owned by a shareholder of a pit (‘Gewerke‘) for a long time it serves as a venue for cultural events now.
Sundial at the Dechantskirche in Altenmarkt. The figure represents a Madonna for which the church is famous for. One can see a copy of this statue at one of the side altars in the church.
My first visit to the Natura.Kreativ led me to the Reitlehenalm, an alpine pasture near Altenmarkt im Pongau. Right in the middle of the hills, a class in voice training took place. The teacher was Annelie Leuthäuser, an experienced theatre and concert singer.
Before I arrived at Villa Excelsior in Bad Gastein I had already read about one of its most famous guests: Sigmund Freud. He spent several summer holidays here. The audio guide talking about sights in Bad Gastein also told me it was here where Mr. Freud was putting down his thoughts about Eros and Thanatos.
Big surprise. The hotel which was used as a home for prelates in earlier times offers a chapel on one of its floors. I was very impressed by the light inside the chapel which was determined by the design of the windows.
Villa Excelsior has already hosted famous guests. For example Sigmund Freud spent several summer holidays here. My tour guide told me it was here where the Austrian neurologist was thinking about the concept of Eros and Thanatos.
The hotel is situated next to a biking route at the northern beginning of the Gastein Valley. The place is fine as starting point for biking, hiking, skiing and collecting mushrooms. Actually I had a delicious mushroom dish while staying at the hotel.
At my hotel in Dorfgastein I had a fun bedside lamp. One can turn on and off the light just by touching anywhere at the metal. Any ideas how this works?
One reason to visit the restaurant of Hotel Klammstein was the ‘Pfandlwoche’. In this period the restaurant offered especially dishes served in pans (‘Pfandl’). I had a pan with mushrooms and dumplings. The owner of the restaurant told me the mushrooms were collected in the woods around the hotel.
At the restaurant of Hotel Klammstein I tried nettle soup as starter. It was a great alternative to all these noodle soups you generally get in rural areas. The owner of the hotel told me that she collects the stinning nettle herself at certain places around the hotel. More…