Back On The Road Again – Dalaas, Austria

Takedowns, at the end of a campsite stay, can be quick or leisurely. Quick is when we have somewhere to be soon, and no time to dilly dally, or it can be when we’ve risen late and departure time is impending; when that happens, stuff is packed away with little or no finesse. This morning was very much of the leisurely variety. The van was cleaned out quite meticulously, and the canopy was dismantled in an orderly way. By the time we were ready to leave, everything was precisely in its place, and we were ready to roll. We settled the bill on exit, and headed for Dalaas, in Austria.

Since Google told us the drive to Dalaas  would only take about 1 hour and 45 minutes, we decided to keep an eye out for interesting diversions en route. Our first impromptu stop was at a small service area where, given the number of vehicles stopping there, seems to be quite a popular stop. It turned out to have some great views of an azure lake far below. As well as a petrol station, toilets and a restaurant, a large wooden, empty picture frame is provided for tourists to stand in and have their photo taken with Zugspritze rising up in the background. With no visible paths down to the lake, we took a few photographs and then moved on.

For our next impromptu stop, we chose to visit Bergbau Gand. It’s website describes how visitors will experience ‘a journey through the past and into a mystical world, and learn more about the life and work of ore miners at this historical site’. Promising, then. Alas when we got there, there was a notable absence of signs telling us where to go, and there was absolutely nowhere to park. The only parking appeared to be for the local private residences. It’s possible we took a wrong turn somewhere, but that would be on Google Maps; I followed the route to the letter… we gave it up as a bad job and continued on our way to the next campsite (which we had booked, but haven’t paid for yet).

Along the way we passed through several tunnels, some of them many kilometres in length. At the approach to one tunnel in particular, we were faced with toll booths and a payment of €13 to continue. This surprised us since we had already paid for a vignette that we believed covered us for such expense. Apparently not. It turns out this was the Arlberg Road Tunnel, Austria’s longest road tunnel, 8.68 miles in length, connecting Tyrol and Vorarlberg under the Arlberg massif. Fun fact: when it first opened in 1978 it was, in fact, the longest road tunnel in the world.

I think it’s fair to say, when we arrived at the campsite in Dalaas, we were somewhat underwhelmed, and agreed that it was not quite what we expected. Our previous stop, with its magnificent view of the mountains was always going to be a tough act to follow. This site was situated in quite a deep wooded valley, and had very little in the way of views of the mountains. Also; it didn’t feel entirely right; there are many permanent caravan pitches here, leaving only a relatively small grassy area positioned quite close to the main road.

The plan was to stay here for two nights, but we’ve decided to only stay the one. An email to the next site, in Switzerland, where we are booked for five nights, asking if it might be possible to arrive one night early, has secured us a place, so we’ll be leaving tomorrow morning.

In all honesty, there’s nothing wrong with this site per se. Aside from the pitch itself, and the general location, I have to say that its facilities are absolutely top-notch. They’re clean and well kitted out, and the showers look great (although we won’t be using them because they require an extra payment, and the night’s stay is already costing quite a bit). Electricity is also charged extra, although it is at the same rate as the last site, so we don’t expect that to amount to very much.

In the end, then, it’s turned out to be rather a lazy, relaxed afternoon. I put up the windbreak to provide some extra privacy , but it started raining, so we’ve spent most of the afternoon in the van, catching up on stuff.

Tomorrow, we head for Switzerland…