It’s raining in Vienna, raining like it hasn’t rained in months. It doesn’t bother me too much though, I like being at home, nice and cozy, with my magazines and my laptop (TGFI - thank god for internet). It is a good time to reflect upon past adventures, look at pictures…and write another trip report.

Sure, we have all heard about the famous Austrian towns: Vienna, Salzburg, Innsbruck, Graz. But how many tourist guides talk about Steyr? Certainly not the ones I had when I first moved to Austria. But no matter, that’s what local friends are for: to open your eyes to places beyond the tourist paths.

Our first trip to Steyr happened by chance. We were invited to see an open air production of the Magic Flute. Just like with any other trip, we went to the respective websites, liked what we saw, reserved a hotel room for the weekend, and off we went. Steyr is only a couple of hours drive from Vienna, in Upper Austria. You can also get there by train, the connections are very good. We have done both. Having a car gives you more flexibility to explore the surroundings, like the Kalkalpen National Park, or Austria’s oldest narrow track railway, but if you have limited time and only want to explore this romantic city, the train is stress free and comfortable.

Steyr can be a day trip or a weekend trip. A day is enough for the town itself, a beautiful, amazingly well preserved medieval fairy tale setting. In summer, stroll through the old downtown (it’s all a pedestrian zone), hike up to Schloss Lamberg, take a romantic moonlight walking tour, or just relax in a sidewalk cafe. If it’s too hot and the weekend shopping is buzzing in your ears, just walk into one of the beautiful churches, like St.Michael, and feel the stillness all around you. And if all this walking they do in Europe has got you worn out, here is a fun sightseeing way at your own speed: the Steyr Segway tour. This bike-scooter hybrid is noiseless and gets you into any narrow alley with no effort on your part.

No matter how you choose to explore the town, you hardly need a map. You can explore every secret little cobblestone street, cross the Enns river into the other historical part of town, get lured from one antiquities shop to another boutique, and you will still find yourself back where you started, without even having to think. That, to me, is the real beauty of exploring old European towns. That’s when I put all city maps and guides aside, and let my instinct lead me: i enter a hidden backyard only to find a beautiful fountain seconds later, after taking a turn into a narrow alley it opens up surprisingly into a large plaza where I find the perfect cafe, later on, after another spontaneous turn, I find the loveliest shops, just tucked away under historical archways…This is how I explore. It is a tried method, and it has never failed me, whether in Paris or Vienna or Steyr. After all, there is no place more safe to be adventurous than a European town.

Steyr is also famous for another reason: the Christkindl (baby Jesus) chapel. Just like other pilgrimage places in Austria, this little chapel also has its story. Long ago, in the 17th century, a tiny baby Jesus wax doll was said to have healed a little girl. More miracles followed. What started in the hollow of a tree was soon turned into a chapel to protect the precious 4 inch figurine. Thousands of Christians come every year, at Christmas time especially, to seek comfort and healing in the little chapel. Once comforted, a pilgrim will head merrily to the Christkindl post office, where letters to the Christkind can be mailed, which is the Austrian equivalent to sending a letter to Santa. We have only been to the chapel in summer, and it was quiet, thankfully. But I can easily picture the chapel in winter, a very magical place for all pilgrims big and small.

We went back to Steyr every year since that first time. We will be going this summer again, this time for a musical production of Les Miserables. We’ll probably be staying at the Merkinger farm again, it was very relaxing last time. There are some very nice hotels and bed & breakfast inns in town, but they tend to be pricey during the Steyr music festival. So we prefer this comfy farm, only 2 miles from the city, where we can get a good night sleep and the breakfast is truly plentiful, and the kids can pet the family cat. Even though I now know every little street in Steyr, I don’t think I will ever tire of this romantic piece of Austrian history.