Time to experience the salt mines! (Apparently quite a common activity in this area.) We drove about 45 minutes Northeast to the salt mines in Berchtesgaden, Germany. This particular salt mine has been in operation since 1517, and is still going strong.
Looking the Part
We suited up for our tour! Mandatory head-to-toe jumpers were divvied up and giggles ensued in our group. We were later glad we had them; it was a cool 50 degrees down in the mines.
Down We Go
We descended on a little mine train, and later got to travel further into the mine depths via two slides, both over 100 feet long! We whizzed down the long wooden slides squished together as a family. They were totally the highlight of the tour for the kids :) Sadly we have no pictures of the slide-apalooza because we were too cheap to pony up the 10 Euro to purchase them!
The tour itself was actually super interesting. We learned that in Berchtesgaden, the salt is extracted using a "wet mining" method. Freshwater is fed into the mountain, which creates a concentrate salt solution with over 25% salt content. This brine is extracted from the mines and ultimately comes to be the table salt we know. Berchtesgaden employs about 100 employees, half of whom work underground. It was crazy to think about the harsh, dangerous conditions people face(d) working down in these salt mines. Equally, we appreciated the ingenuity, engineering and precision involved in the salt mining trade. All in all, the salt mine tour & experience was a hit with our crowd :)
Quick Looksie at Königssee
Salt mine tour in the books, we headed over to nearby Schönau am Königssee for a quick bite to eat. Königssee Lake was a beautiful clear turquoise. Crowds were out in force that day (Summer Saturday), so we opted to skip going out on the lake and instead head back to Au for more local fun.
Group 1: Au Chapel Walk
Back in Au, we decided a mini hike along the local river was in order. About 30 minutes in, we decided to break up the group. Mira & I took the kids and headed leisurely back to the house. The trail we were on ended up taking us into town via beautiful back roads that we hadn't explored up until that point. It also took us past the local chapel which was equal parts incredibly old and charming.
The views along the way were stunning, but the *best* view was seeing Paige & Henry jaunt along ahead of us, the two of them in their own little world. God only knows what they were talking about, given the language barriers. But they trotted along, sticks in hand, side-by-side, have the best time. Little moments like that were a purely organic sign that they still shared a special bond, years later and countries apart. Pretty endearing to see.
Group 2: Gorge Search
Meanwhile the "big guys", Doug & Tobias, went off in search of a nearby gorge. A local hiking sign indicated it was about a 25 minute walk further, and off they went. Very ominous dark clouds followed them, but thankfully they made it home within minutes of the rain.
Gasthaus Antonia Repeat
Us adults agreed it was not a cooking-at-home kind of night; time to make the 100 meter trek back to Gasthaus Antonia for a delicious dinner :) Paige & Henry played a few rounds of chess while we waited for the food. We collectively took down another tasty kaiserschmarrn, easily our favorite Austrian dessert.
While paying for the check we peppered our waitress with a ton of questions, curious about life & running a business in a small Austrian town. Turns out her father was the founder & original chef. She has taken over operations and her two children often help her out, both in the front & back of the house. She explained long days (up before 6am to bake bread daily & in bed loooong after the dinner service & kitchen closes) and a schedule that means little to no days off in the year. Running a restaurant and guest house is no joke! She told us that in spite of all the hard work, how much she genuinely loves her job and enjoys getting to meet people from all over. We expressed our gratitude, complimented her on the delicious food and relayed that we hope our travels bring us back here in the future. Nightie night, Au!
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