Salzburg – Day 2: The Dragon Wall
SALZBURG
Day 2: The Dragon Wall
March 13, 2024
In a fit of urban angst, I had decided the previous day to stop by an adventure shop and buy myself a trekking outfit – including some new boots.
Not having planned for any excursions, I hadn’t brought any hiking clothes with me. Stuck in another city – despite how beautiful it really was – I found myself yearning for the great outdoors. On an impulsive whim, I asked Amelia for suggestions regarding hiking near Salzburg, to which she replied that there was a nice hike I could do as a day trip – Drachenwand, also known as the Dragon Wall.
Whilst the peak itself would require alpine experience and a proper head for heights, a trail around the limestone giant could suffice for anyone craving just a little bit of adventure – and that’s exactly what I was after.
Red Bull Trauma by the Lake
And so, early in the morning, I found myself on a bus that would take me to Fuschl am See, a town at the foot of the surrounding mountains and close to the Drachenwand area.
At the final bus stop, I found myself face to face with an impressive modern building beside a verdant lake, a herd of metallic bulls stampeding in front of it. Turns out, this was the Red Bull Global Headquarters. Cool, cool. Not that I’m a fan, though. The first time I ever got piss drunk was on Vodka-Red Bull, and I’m still scarred. Just one whiff of the vile substance and I’m automatically taken back to that night, lying plastered on the floor while the police rang my parents to come and pick me up. Iconic, huh? That said, I am a huge fan of the Red Bull page and their crazy sporting antics.
Impressed by the building but not by its product, I made my way to Lake Fuschl. There, I lay by its banks – the dark green water surrounded by the brown, pebbly shore and the bare trees slowly coming to life at the foot of the mountain I’d be climbing. I felt so much at peace. I really did need this. It had been so long since my last trek up a mountain – almost too long. It had been almost a year since I was trekking in Patagonia. And though this came nowhere close to the landscapes I had got used to over there, it would have to do.
I wondered, as I sat there, if that was how it was gonna be from there on – always comparing one thing to another. Guess that’s the price you pay when you’ve been to paradise already, huh? Fully aware of my own privilege, I contented myself with the beautiful scene that lay in front of me.
Moving On in Europe
Aah, to be out and alone in nature, surrounded only by my solitude and the light crunch of dry leaves as I stepped on them. God, I missed this.
In a way, I felt as if I were doing this for the first time. My first and only hike in Europe had been up Montserrat, near Barcelona, on my first trip ever – and even then, it had been an unplanned mess of a hike where we stopped and turned back halfway up, unaware of how long it would take us to get to the top. Coming back from my gap year, I’d sworn I’d do Europe differently. That I didn’t need to cross the entire world for some decent trekking – that I had incredible wonders of nature right at my doorstep. The Alps, the Pyrenees, the Balkans… There was much to see, so much to do, so much to explore – yet, all those years, I had neglected all of it.
If I’m being sentimental, there was also the fact that I was now wearing brand-new clothes. I had ditched my North Face apparel for Jack Wolfskin, having left everything else behind. Not to mention, Blister was somewhere crying, having now been replaced by Blister 2.0. I had travelled all across Latin America with those clothes and, as worn out as they were, I still felt as if I were cheating on them. That said, I can’t quite say I didn’t like the upgrade. For the first time, I felt like I was dressed up like a proper mainland European – unafraid of showing off some colours instead of the usual earthy tones. And so, wearing new clothes, I embarked on a new adventure.
Hiking the Dragon Wall
Once at the trailhead, the path took a steady uphill climb – all the while surrounded by oaks and pines, the ground covered in dry leaves, with the occasional early flower giving a splash of colour every now and then. The grey, overcast sky complemented the scene perfectly. It was quiet, serene, tranquil.
I walked on mindlessly and without a care in the world, occasionally encountering a stream or a pond where I’d stop to see if I could spot some wildlife. Save for butterflies, lizards and a few robins, it seemed as if I were completely alone. It was simply perfect.
Until I got to a point where the path closed, that is. Some trees had been felled for one reason or another, and I couldn’t quite find the way forward. I tried to climb the bare mountainside, but when it turned into proper bouldering, I decided not to risk it and made my way back down.
After carefully retracing my steps, I found a sign pointing towards a diversion – with the path I had initially taken having been closed indefinitely. Now on the correct one, I could finally proceed to the end of the trail – a viewpoint offering a fantastic vista of the Drachenwand peak and Lake Mondsee below, with a few other lakes visible in the distance.
Much like I had got used to back in Patagonia, I stopped here for my long-awaited apple break. I swear, there’s nothing like a good apple after a good hike – especially with a stunning view like this.
A Slightly Sus Evening
After making my way down and taking the bus back to Salzburg, I stopped for a late lunch and headed back to my hotel room for some rest.
With the entire evening to myself and no plans whatsoever, I decided to do something quite unlike me. Right in front of my hotel happened to be a gay club – something I’m not usually one to frequent. But ever since I had noticed it, I’d been tempted to go in. And so, I decided to just go for it.
It seemed a bit shady, or, as the kids these days would call it, a little bit sus. To get through the black metal door, I had to ring a bell, prompting this beefy, middle-aged guy to let me in. Inside, along the bar, were two guys having a drink and discussing one thing or another – unaware that they had new company. I assumed they were akin to residents there, judging by the way they spoke to the barman – a young lad in his early twenties named Seby.
I sparked up a conversation with him – mostly cause I didn’t really know what was expected of me in such a setting. We did the whole thing where I explained everything about Malta, and he told me all about his life in Innsbruck, how he aspired to study international relations in Vienna and how he was working there in order to pay his bills.
After a couple of drinks, he told me there was a dark room in the basement if I wanted to explore the club a little further. Slightly tipsy and very intrigued, I made my way downstairs, not knowing what to expect. Well, it went just as expected. It was good fun, not gonna lie…