"Schafberg" Schafberg by acemj

Schafberg Travel Guide: 47 reviews and 157 photos

How does this sound for a morning excursion? . . .

Coffee in hand, you start with a stroll through a lakeside village to a small train station at the edge of town. Then, you hop on an old-style train that chugs up 1783 meters to the top of your visible world. Along the way, you pass by the occasional long wooden fence cutting sharply through a grassy meadow and you look hard to see what's being fenced in. You come around another curve in the track and there it is- a small herd of some kind of mountainous cow. They're a lighter brown than you've seen before and they look perfectly content and sure-footed as they graze away the morning hours amidst a backdrop of suddenly visible mountain peaks surrounding you everywhere the eye can see.

As you spin around in your wooden seat, you notice the windows of the train open by pulling a leather strap and you marvel at the efficiency and simplicity of such a design. It seems appropriate in a simple, yet magnificent setting such as this. You strain to see past the passengers on the other side of the train car. You don't want to miss anything. You start to sense the summit, but not yet. First you pass by a ridge lined with a row of squat, dark green conifers that seem to be gazing out at a long S-shaped lake that seemingly wriggles into the distance like a fleeing snake. You're almost there. Another curve in the track and you see it. You see everything. Your immediate world suddenly materializes below you and somehow, you feel humble for having received such a generous reward.

Last visit to Schafberg: Jun 2004
Intro Updated May 8, 2005
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Reviews (14)

A few things to remember . . . - Schafberg

A few things to remember . . . What to Pack (1)

If you're visiting Schafberg, come prepared adn don't be surprised if it's significantly colder up there than it is... more travel advice

Slopes to explore Things to Do (5)

From the hotel at the top of the mountain, there is a long slope that runs down the face of the mountain. It appears... more travel advice

Great landscape Things to Do (5)

The trees are thick and durable, the grass is toughened by the winds and the peaks are jagged and rough and yet this... more travel advice

Lakes, lakes, lakes everywhere - Schafberg

Lakes, lakes, lakes everywhere Things to Do (5)

Everywhere you look from up here, you'll see a lake below. Weather permitting you might be able to see as many as a... more travel advice

Travelogues (1)

Written Apr 17, 2005

8 photos

A few more pics . . .

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Comments (9)

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mvtouring Oct 19, 2007 at 6:05 AM

I love stumbling across pages like this one, introducing gems to the rest of us. ;-)
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victorwkf Apr 7, 2007 at 7:47 PM

Hi mark, great schafberg page! I'm planning to visit in early june 2007, does the train go up every hour? Is the train normally very crowded?
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matcrazy1 Jan 20, 2007 at 9:34 AM

Beautiful mountain scenery with great lakes down. Amazing pictures. A must see for me now --> thanks for sharing.
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Ekaterinburg Jan 5, 2007 at 2:15 PM

Wow - what a beautiful place ! Austria is one of my favourite places at the moment. Really lovely page - I enjoyed it a lot. :) Katherine.
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ATXtraveler Sep 14, 2005 at 4:36 AM

Very nice page... Ich mochte Osterreich.
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bugalugs Jul 17, 2005 at 10:50 AM

Oh that building on top of that mountain with the drops made me feel dizzy just looking at it. Would love to see the cows grazing, I love cows :-)
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globetrott May 22, 2005 at 7:35 AM

What a great scenery and excellent pics, Mark ! Schafberg is a Must for each tourist in Austria !!
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Bwana_Brown May 13, 2005 at 5:56 AM

Wow, what breathtaking scenery, Mark! I don't blame you for wanting to take some time up top to soak it all in. Those are some of the best views I've seen in a long time!
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b1bob May 8, 2005 at 8:39 PM

Nice photography and writing as usual. I'll have to try this place out.