This final stop on our Christmas holiday was intended for snowboarding. But hey, when there isn’t enough snow, experiencing the lake towns of Obertraun, Hallstatt, St. Wolfgang, and Bad Ishcl is a wonderful plan B. The mountains, the villages along the water, and the cabins set the scene for one of our most relaxing trips. Our first full day here we drove over to Bad Ishcl to check out a coffee shop (with cake) that our host spoke very highly of. Top notch cake.
The tops of the mountains are covered in snow and the town was lovely to wander through. 
Later in the afternoon we drover further to St. Wolfgang to check out the town and the Christmas Market. We arrived right on time to watch the sun set over the mountains and put on quite a nice reflection of colors over the lake.
The little cabins and cottages here look like gingerbread houses. You know those little town displays that people set up in their homes for Christmas decorations? Clearly, they were based off this town. Spitting image I tell you!
Wolfgang Advent Market really surprised me. I was expecting a quaint little thing, but they were not messing around. Horse drawn carriages, lights, brass quartet, warm drinks, and warm fires. I had a huge appreciation for the fires. Bless you, Wolfgang for catering to my inability to stay warm. 
The bed and breakfast we are staying at is so lovely. We have the most incredible view and the cabins all around are a dream. I’ve been trying to figure out how to obtain one of these. Ben went on a long trail run through the village one morning and was thinking the same thing about these houses. (I wish I had more pictures to show, but my camera battery has been threatening to die for some time now). The breakfast room and lounge area have large windows that overlook the area. The perfect reading nook. After a slow morning we drove into Hallstatt. Very quiet and very beautiful. To be honest, I can’t say I love, or even appreciate for that matter, Austrian food (sorry…), so eating has been a challenge but oh how I love the little pizza place in Hallstatt! Pizza, the one thing that can’t be messed up! 
Ben and I stared at these mountains and talked for the longest time. At one point I said, “I think this is one of the background images on a Mac.” So picturesque. These pictures don’t even do it justice. 
This trip has been so different from our others. Rather than staying busy exploring a city or going non stop from sun up to sun down we have been able to relax and really enjoy the holidays. Although I am sad this little vacation is over, I am so excited to head back to London to celebrate our Christmas in our little flat!
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