Friday was by far my favorite day of the entire trip. We used our free day to travel to Salzburg, and honestly, I was excited just to experience another country regardless of what we ended up doing there. Erin suggested hiking part of the Sound of Music trail, and since I love hiking and being outdoors, I decided to split off with a smaller group to do the hike instead of spending the entire day exploring the city.
Once we arrived in Salzburg, we stopped at a small bakery and café where I got a matcha and a sandwich before continuing to explore the city. After that, we walked through the beautiful Mirabell Palace and the Mirabell Gardens. Between the flowers, fountains, and mountain views in the background, the entire area felt incredibly peaceful and picturesque.
A group of seven of us then took another train ride out to Werfen, and the views during the ride honestly did not even look real. About halfway through the train ride, everyone got quiet because we were so focused on looking out the windows at the mountains and tiny towns we passed. Once we stepped off the train in Werfen, I was completely blown away by how scenic everything looked.
Before starting the hike, we stopped at a small market to grab water and snacks. We had originally been told the hike would be pretty relaxed and mostly paved, so none of us were dressed for a difficult hike at all. Very quickly, however, we realized the hike was much more uphill and aggressive than we expected. Even though it was challenging at times, the views made the experience completely worth it.
The part I was most excited for during the hike was seeing the cows at the overlook point. Once we finally reached the top and saw them wandering around near the mountains, I immediately knew I made the right choice by doing the hike. Seeing the cows surrounded by the Alps honestly felt unreal, and I even got close enough to touch one. We spent a while taking pictures, enjoying the scenery, and appreciating how peaceful everything felt. Out of the entire trip, this was probably the moment where I felt the most relaxed and connected to my surroundings.
One thing I realized during this experience was how much I enjoy traveling in smaller groups. Spending the day hiking with a smaller group felt much more calm and personal, and I think it allowed me to appreciate the experience even more.
After heading back to Augsburg, we spent our final night of the program saying goodbye to the German students and spending time together as a group one last time. It honestly felt bittersweet realizing how quickly the trip had gone by and how many memories we had made in such a short amount of time.
