Discovering Alpine Beauty in Austria

We just came back from a beautiful 15 day trip to the alpine regions of Austria and I wanted to share some of the gorgeous views with you.

The beautiful countryside and the majestic Karwendal mountains

The last several months have been really busy with the launch of my new Wildflower Watercolor book and all the work that comes with it. And also filming for my upcoming Watercolor Floral intensive Course (I’ll talk about it very soon!), I was exhausted and burnt out. So this trip was the perfect getaway and long break for both me and P.

We took it slow and did not bother about ticking off lists of places to visit. The quiet felt like a balm for our weary minds.

An unexpected turn

The first few days of our trip was really rainy and dense fog surrounded us all the time. I’ll be honest, it dampened our spirits (quite literally!). The promised stunning views seemed lost in the thick veil of mist.

On one of the days we decided to go on a long 5 hour hike up the mountains, hoping against hope that the fog would eventually lift and the sun would shine through. But as we trekked, our shoes became soggy, and water crept into our socks, reaching our feet. It was uncomfortable, to say the least, and we still had a long way to go.

We were disheartened by the weather. Yet, we made a pact to stop complaining and instead embrace the adventure for what it was. With this shift in mindset something magical happened.

We started enjoying the mystical mountain forests and observed the little dewdrops that adorned the delicate alpine wildflowers.

Even though it was a popular hiking region, there were absolutely no people around on that rainy day. We started enjoying the tranquility of nature in its purest form. The gentle pitter patter of the rain, the occasional distant cow bells and the whispers of nature were our constant companions.

These bending trees made us feel like we were in a mystical movie

It was a gentle reminder that beauty can be found even in the most unexpected places.

In the midst of the foggy paths and rain-soaked socks, this adventure tested our resilience and reminded us that nature’s gifts are ever-present, regardless of the weather.

The main highlights

As the days unfolded, so did the weather, treating us to beautiful, clear days that made our trip truly unforgettable.

I want to share the main highlights of this trip, which are not to be missed when you are there.

The Hochkönig Region, Hohe Tauern National Park, East Tyrol and Tyrol in Austria.

These alpine regions are filled with quaint little towns, gigantic mountains, gorgeous gorges and lots of waterfalls. Instead of going into every little detail of the trip, I’ll let these pictures do the talking.

Don’t forget to read the caption under the pictures, I’ve shared more details about the places there.

We stayed in Dienten, the small town that you see here nestled between the mountains. When we were there, we came up here every morning to enjoy this breathtaking view of the valley and the Hochkönig mountains.

The neighbouring town of Maria Alm is absolutely picturesque. Everything looked so romantic in the gloomy weather.

Austria is filled with mountain huts. They serve delicious warm food and cake. Is it the tiring hike that makes the food taste so incredibly delicious, or do these mountain huts possess some secret culinary magic? I couldn’t tell!

Innergschlöss

We stayed in Matrei in Osttirol, and visited Innergschlöss, an alpine settlement up the mountains. These alpine huts are inhabited only in summer, as heavy snowfall closes this route during the rest of the year. You can either hike all the way or take a mountain taxi or a tractor train ride (which we did) to reach here from Matreier Tauernhaus (where we parked our car). It was a fun and unique experience!

We took our time wandering around, admiring the charming old wooden huts, the beautiful old stone chapel, and soaking in the stunning scenery in Innergschlöss.

We started the Innergschlöss Glacier Trail from here. However, maybe because we were a bit tired from the previous days of hiking, this particular hike felt more intense than we anticipated. After about 1.5 hours of hiking up the mountain, we decided to turn back without reaching the glacier itself. While we didn't make it all the way to the glacier, the region of Innergschlöss was still incredibly beautiful to explore.

Felsenkapelle - a very old chapel carved into the stone in Innergschlöss

A little bit of Germany

After driving across Austria, we spent a few days in the alpine part of Germany before we left. Having lived in Germany for several years before we moved to Luxembourg, it always feels like home when we visit Germany.

We stayed in the quaint town of Mittenwald in Germany, right next to the German- Austrian border. P and I have always enjoyed visiting the Bavarian region of Germany since we were dating (we met in a small town in Germany. I’ll share that story another time!). It is our favourite part of Germany and we had no doubt that we would enjoy it this time as well.

We enjoyed walking silently through these long winding roads on a sunny afternoon after a heavy meal.

We stayed in this beautiful airbnb that was filled with flowers. Our host was the sweetest and she was so happy when I showed interest in here beautiful garden.

It was a joy to spot so many different kinds of wildflowers all along our trip.

We visited several waterfalls during the trip. This one is the Gollinger Waterfalls

The rugged Karwendal mountains on the border of Germany and Austria. We took the cable car to reach up and then did a circuit-loop hike on the mountains. There were so many rock climbers, young and old, and we looked at them in wonder and awe.

The beautiful town of Mittenwald. It is filled with ***Lüftlmalerei*** or paintings on facades of houses, churches and shops. These mural paintings are a folk art tradition dating back to the 18th century.

What I sketched in this trip

While we hiked a lot on most of the days, I tried to take some time out for painting or making quick sketches. There were so many things that I wanted to paint but also so many things that I wanted to see. I wish I could have painted more but I am happy I got to see a lot more and I made sure to take lots of pictures. Hopefully the pictures will be turned into paintings soon!

Had to sketch the mighty Karwendal mountains and the little hut!

Painting the texture of the hut was challenging. I took a break and tried to sketch it with my fountain pen. That made it easier to come back to the painting with confidence.

I really had to rush with this one because insects were attacking my legs even after several layers of bugs spray.

A super quick 5 min direct watercolor sketch of the mighty mountain.

Had to paint atleast some of the beautiful flowers from the flower-filled house that we stayed in.

This little butterfly stayed by my side all through the painting!

Got a new super light tripod to support my easel. Tried it for the first time in this trip. It’s a little wobbly but I like how light and easy it is to take with me. I might try it a few more times before I decide to stick with it or not.

A very quick sketch from the house that we stayed in Matrei. I enjoyed waking up to the church bells in the morning and watching the low hanging clouds gently drifting away.

About my sketching supplies

I’ve used the 200gsm watercolor sketchbook from Hahnemuehle. I love using them for quick outdoor paintings.

The board/easel is from Stablo France. It is light and compact and fits easily in my backpack. The paint palette is from Art ToolKit. The metal case is sleek, light and so compact. It sits nicely on the magnetic Stablo board, which makes it very easy to hold it in one hand and paint in the other.

None of these supplies are sponsored. I simply enjoy using them.

I have created an Art Supplies Resources Guide, where I share all the art supplies I use and also budget-friendly supplies for beginners. I hope the pdf guide helps reduce overwhelm when you are buying art supplies!

GeT THE FREE ART SUPPLIES GUIDE HERE

While returning we visited Walchensee and went up the Herzogstand cable car to enjoy this view of the beautiful blue lake.

Beautiful church nestled between the mountains in Heiligenblut am Grossglockner

Nature's Embrace

In the serene alpine regions of Austria, we found a much-needed break from the chaos of daily life. We cherished each moment and had an amazing time. It was a trip filled with unforgettable experiences, and we returned home with hearts full of gratitude for the beauty that enveloped us.