Running in Austria and Liechtenstein
Posted on 13. Aug, 2008 by Brad in Training
I was in Austria and Switzerland last week for work and managed to sneak in a quick 5-mile run one evening. I started from my hotel in Feldkirch and originally hoped to run on some trails. But after a few mishaps which included almost losing my balance and sliding about 30 feet down a steep hill, I decided a run along the sidewalk would be just fine!
View from hotel room in Feldkirch, Austria–there was a gravel path to the right of the highway
From my hotel I crossed the river and onto what seemed like a jeep road trail. I followed this for just a short while and it quickly dumped me out into an open are where a guy was playing fetch with his dog. I continued on a head along the now gravel road until I saw a dirt trail heading up into the woods.
River running through Feldkirch, Austria
The incline here was just enough to get my leg muscles pumping and I was feeling good. Though it was near dusk, I didn’t figure I’d be out long or have trouble finding my way, plus I didn’t pack my headlamp for the trip anyway. Soon I found the trail winding back on itself and I was nearing the top of a bluff where I found a collection of coins arranged in a star pattern (about 4 feet in diameter) and a few empty beer bottles on a bench. Odd, but I kept going. On the downhill, I noticed that my road shoes were severely lacking traction on the soft ground. I started to slip when I noticed I was quickly sliding towards what I thought was a tree. As I got closer (it was somewhat dark in the wooded area), I realized it was actually a large cross with the Christ figure on it! I regrouped and spotted a steep path that would take me back out of these woods since the trail didn’t seem to be going anywhere. However, I was about to be going somewhere fast … I slipped and lunged forward and had to take some huge downhill strides to keep from falling.
At this point I decided it was best to just stick to a known route. I wandered along a bike path that dumped me into a construction site and then through it out onto the main road. I headed towards Liechtenstein and out of Feldkirch at this point.
Along the way I passed several shopkeepers and restaurant owners closing up for the night. Traffic was pretty light and I was running on the sidewalk going into traffic. The speed limit was usually around 30mph so cars weren’t going that fast anyway. The road was always a gentle uphill or downhill, with more seeming like up on my way out.
As I got further out of town, I realized that I was getting close to the Liechtenstein border but I wasn’t ready to turn around yet. I noticed that a couple of bikes were simply crossing so I figured it wouldn’t be an issue for a runner to go across. I continued on my jog without being stopped or yelled at so I assumed things were okay. I must have kept going for about 10 more minutes before deciding it was getting late and that I’d probably logged at least 2.5 miles and could turn back and get in a good 5-6 mile run.
On my way back, I turned off the main road and went up a big inclined road I’d spotted to add a few extra “hills”. They weren’t really that substantial but surely better than all flat. Just behind all this, though, there are some seriously steep cliffs on the mountains–completely impossible to run!
Mountains near Schaan, Liechtenstein
The return journey was very quiet and peaceful with even less traffic than before. I passed a few people on the sidewalk who were out for an evening walk. I made sure I was holding a good pace going back up the gentle inclines of the road. As I got closer into Feldkirch, I decided to run back to the hotel on a little different route and avoid the construction site and the woods on the other side of the river. With dim lighting, though, I had to be careful of cracks in the sidewalk and places where it dropped off to the ground to be sure I didn’t trip and fall.
Houses and shops in Feldkirch, Austria
This was a really nice evening run with a ton of scenery. Though it was more of a road run, I still enjoyed the route and definitely liked the much cooler temperatures.
Ken
Aug 14th, 2008
Great photos, Brad. Somehow Austria has not made it onto my wish list of places to run, but maybe it should be.
Have a safe trip back.