Mariazell

I went on a bus trip with 3 girlfriends to Mariazell, an alpine town in Steiermark (Styria). Part of the trip included a train journey through beautiful mountainous countryside with early autumn colour. The town is known for its winter sports, its Lebkuchen but mostly as a pilgrim destination. The bus picked us up from the station and took us to the centre of town where we took a cable car up the ski area. The Blip shows the view we had from the restaurant where we had lunch.
The interior of Mariazell Basilica is quite magnificent and a pilgrim party approached as we were leaving the church - see extras.
We had to buy some Lebkuchen before heading off with the bus to a Heuriger (a tavern where the new wine is served and the food is all home made) for an early dinner before heading home. We had a lovely day - worth the 4am wake up call.