This was a very fun market! It was very large and there were lots of stalls to choose from. I was…read morea little disappointed in the gleuwine mugs but I was able to get a cute one while we were at the fortress. In general everyone spoke basic english, so communicating wasn't a problem. We had one of the best things (I think) which was a "donut" topped with cheese and garlic. The first few gleuwines we tried (don'tHodge me!!), weren't that special. They really just tasted like hot wine. I think the type of wine used makes a big difference. Before we left, we had a white gleuwine and it was FANTASTIC. All in all the people were friendly and the shops offered a pretty good variety of things to buy if you were shopping for gifts. We are really here mainly for the food, drink and atmosphere. This market for sure had all 3!! You should come check out out!!

Stop #5 of Christmas markets of our trip, and the best one in comparison by far. All seem to offer…read moresimilar booths, but the booths at this one were a lot more plentiful and had a much better aesthetic. Some of the displays were absolutely stunning. The glühwein offerings were good; I was surprised at how good the mulled white wine was at Speck Willi ( stand no. 2). There was also wonderful food and drinks all around.

About 1 kilometer outside Traunkirchen there is a small side road right at the far end of the Franz…read moreJoseph Tunnel on the road toward Ebensee and Bad Ischl. This road runs right along the water's edge. It cannot be accessed driving toward Ebensee, so if that is your direction you must make a U turn at a safe place after exiting the tunnel. If you are coming from Ebensee, you enter the road to the right just before the tunnel. As it was explained to me by the town locals: A local artist commissioned by the Kaiser Franz Joseph to cast several bronze lions was eager to present his first one to him. Upon inspection, the Kaiser commented that the lion had no tounge. The artist was mortified and later committed suicide by jumping into the Traunsee (at the spit of land that the the tunnel now bypasses). The Kaiser felt so bad about this that he vowed never again to criticize someone who had prepared something for him. At this spot, the lion without a tounge now stands along with a plaque. The town of Traunkrichen hosts a wonderful little festival on October 26 to commemorate this event. Food, music and boat rides to the point!