The Raw Beauty of The Ötscher In Winter

In February I set off on my first mini road trip of 2018. The destination was Lackenhof am Ötscher in Austria. It is a small pre-alpine village in Lower Austria close to the boarder to Styria. In winter it is well-known for a small skiing resort, cross-country skiing, and hiking. Furthermore, it ended up in the newspaper due to a penis-shaped statue on top of the mountain - sadly, it is smaller than excepted and not easily accessible in the midst of winter. 

While the ice-scraper and the snow-chains had been packed, the chains weren't needed because the roads had been in good shape. Meanwhile, the ice-scraper that was needed on a number of occasions. This functioned as a reminder that winter is an unforgiving and beautiful bastard. 

The pictures that I took during the trip illustrate the merciless beauty along with the amazing scenery of the Ötscher and what beauty nature and winter can create when combined: 

A bit nippy - with no more than -7°C

The North facing side of the großen Ötscher in the morning.

On top of the kleinen Ötscher, the recently fallen snow and ice did not stop to create a white winter wonderland - changing the trees from green into white. 

The view into the valley, taken from the slopes on the kleinen Ötscher. 

The western side of the größen Ötscher - viewed from the kleinen Ötscher. 

On the way back, I decided against using the Autobahn and opted for the back roads of Styria instead. Those lead me onto empty roads with a stunning view of the a part of Austria that not many get to see: 

Already crossing from Lower Austria into Styria showed me, that this decision would pay off.

While the view is stunning, there are hardly any turn-outs and both hands are needed to navigate the car safely. 

This is my favourite shot of the whole trip. A beautiful road to drive on with the view onto the Rax.

Lackenhof and the Ötscher are a beautiful area: not only does it gift you with an astonishing view, the back roads provide you with the same while being fun  roads to drive on.

I loved it in winter, and can imagine that it would be quite a lot of fun in summer too - as there are mountain biking trails, hiking routes and accessible penis-shaped statues. I'd love to get another chance to report back on the Ötscher in summer!