Our family has finally grown with a new travel companion, so we need to break the travel fast and slowly show the little one the world. We start with our southern neighbour Austria. Specifically, at Janet's request, we will visit Hallstatt and add Gmunden and Bad Ischl.
Gmunden - Ort Castle
This trip, even though it was a bit in our imagination, was not originally planned. The reason was mainly administrative. The office has 30 days to process the ID card for the little one, which coincided exactly with the long weekend on November 17. But after a fortnight, a text message beeped that the document was ready for collection. Praise be to the Czech state and its bureaucratic apparatus. Such an unexpectedly early processing was a clear signal that we should go. We had originally planned to visit Berlin at Janet's request, but this early before departure the prices of early tickets were already quite high. Moreover, after the attack on Israel, the local cultural enrichers there started to get a bit greedy again and Berlin ceased to be a place you want to go with your child in our eyes. Janet's second wish was Hallstatt. First I had to look up where it actually was in Austria, and when I saw Linz nearby, the train combinations started coming up. I jumped on the ČD website and started checking ticket prices to and from Linz. To my surprise, the prices were still low (not applicable to the EC) and to my second surprise, it is possible to buy early tickets all the way to Hallstatt. Of course it was clear that accommodation in Hallstatt was suicide, so I ran my finger over the map and came across the nearby town of Gmundem, which was ideally situated and not too overpriced. Early tickets could be bought for this town as well, so the program was decided.
As for the small and train travel, there were test runs before the plan for this trip. First we took a short trip to Nymburk to test how he would like the train, and when he passed this test, we had a visit to his grandmothers in Ostrava as a second test ride. He did that one too, so we knew we would make it to Austria. Now there was nothing left to do but pack up the stroller and hit the road.
We leave on Thursday afternoon before a public holiday. Today's destination is České Budějovice, where we plan to spend the night and continue the next day. We leave Boleslav at 2:30 by bus in the direction of Černý Most. The metro is a bit tricky as the transfer at Florence is designed so that you take the elevator to the surface, walk to the entrance of the C line and take the elevators down to the platform. I researched the procedure on the internet beforehand so we wouldn't be surprised. It was also for this reason that we left early, as I found it easier to get off at Florence and walk to the main station. A side motivation for this walk was to see the just completed Masarycka Administration Building. This building, designed by the late Zaha Hadid, is very well done and I liked it very much. It is something modern in Prague after a long time and it is worth visiting this place.
Prague - Masarycka
We leave Masarycka and go to the main station. We still have a little time, so I make a quick purchase of snacks in Bill and then we go to the platform where our train is already docked. Our reservation is in the children's carriage, where the strollers are deposited in the bicycle compartment. You need to find out in advance what type of carriage is running, because the Slovakian carriages that go to Ostrava don't have this space and the prams are deposited in the load compartment, which is hidden behind those big doors in the middle of the carriage. We park the pram, settle down and take the Southern Express south to České Budějovice. After the opening of the last reconstructed sections, the ride south is one hell of a ride and the travel time of an hour and forty is praised by the locals.
We arrive in Ceske Budejovice on time and the city welcomes us with a nice slivak. We get lost at the station, because one exit from the underpasses is being repaired and instead of taking an alternative passage, we take the elevator to the platform again, but eventually we make it out of the station. I would include here a criticism of the size of the lifts both in the stations and in the metro. You park a stroller in there and you can't fit much more in there yourself, how little space there is. Before we reach the hotel, we take it through Albert to buy dinner and food for tomorrow's journey. Then we move to our Cuban hostel near the center and the train station. After a successful check-in, we put the little one to sleep and not long after that we sleep too.
Ceske Budejovice
Ceske Budejovice - Cuba Bar & Hostel
Our departure from Ceske Budejovice is scheduled for ten o'clock. It was possible to buy a ticket for this time with only one change. Otherwise, if you take the Donau-Moldau express train, you have to change trains twice. We leave the hostel and go to the station. On the arrival from Austria, our train is a few minutes late. We take the Austrian CityShuttle, where again I find out ahead of time that the space for strollers and bikes is in the driving car (that's the one at the other end from the engine). There is plenty of room for strollers and bikes. The little one is asleep, so we leave him in the stroller and we go and settle into the large space next to it so we can see and hear him.
Stroller space in CityShuttle
The journey to Linz by this train takes two hours and forty minutes. It runs through a beautiful countryside where the track meanders like a snake. You'll know the border crossing soon enough. I don't know how they do it in the west, but all the stations there look like new, whereas here even the newly renovated stations are so shabby and dirty after a few years. We arrive in Linz a few minutes late.
Linz
As soon as we get off the train, I can see the Railjet stopping at the next platform we would be transferring to, we would choose this faster option with two transfers. Instead, we have 50 minutes before the Regional Express to Gmunden. We'll fill the time by buying Linetzky at Spar, located at the station, and taking a short walk a short distance from the building (
For a better idea of what to see in Linz, I offer a travelogue from our Christmas visit last year). There was no more to do. Even so, we arrived quite late as the train was already quite full and the Austrian passengers in particular were very keen to occupy the folding seats in the pushchair seats. Eventually, though, we squeezed in and continued on our way. The train is full to the roof and almost everyone is on a Climate Ticket, which entitles the holder to unlimited travel on any train, bus or public transport all year round.
Linz - Our train to Gmunden
In Wales, most people get out and a new horde gets in. Some will get off at Attnang-Puchheim and the rest will come with us to Gmunden. Here, at the station, is the terminus of the train tram that goes from Gmunden to Vorchdorf. Interestingly, the route follows the original tram line, which is the oldest and shortest in Austria. This new tram system was opened in 2018. We have accommodation in the centre, which is less than two kilometres away. We are not using the tram this time and are walking there. The town is completely on a hillside, so we walk downhill all the way to the centre. We settle in, change, feed and go sightseeing in Gmunden. We don't have much time, it's three o'clock and after four it starts to get dark. The top attraction is Lake Traunsee and Ort Castle, which is located on an island. First we walk around the lake and gradually arrive at the castle.
Gmunden
Gmunden - Our apartment
Gmunden - Streets of Theatergasse
Gmunden - Kurpark
Gmunden - Traunsee
Gmunden - Traunsee and Ort Castle
Gmunden - Ort Castle
Once we see the castle, it gets dark, so we go back to the historic centre and walk around the whole place. We get as far as Tranbruecke, look a little bit beyond it and go back to our accommodation. There we make dinner, get the little one ready for bed, and once he's asleep we have a Kazm's One Man Show movie for goodnight and go to sleep. Tomorrow we have a visit to Hallstatt.
Gmunden - Rathausplatz
Gmunden - Traun promenade
Gmunden - Stadtpfarrkirche
Useful links:
Czech Railways
Austrian Railways
Upper Austrian Transport Association
Cuba Bar & Hostel Ceske Budejovice
Other accommodation options in Ceske Budejovice
Accommodation in Gmunden
Other accommodation options in Gmunden
Ort Castle
