Car camping in Lechtal

It's the first week of May, and we are received properly into spring, temperatures perfect for a hiking trip. There is only one problem, I did't plan for anything.

Hotels are to expensive, should I go camping instead? no, I don't really have a proper set to sleep. 

But then there it is: car camping, it has been a while since I didn't use my van and the sleeping set, mostly because last time I had a terrible night sleep, but the urge to go out is more strong, so I pack my bed into my car and all the other accessories for a proper car camping trip. 

After reviewing a lot of possible places I am drawn to the Lechtal in Austria, the course of a wild river through a beautiful valley with not so dificult peaks, looks perfect. 

I arrive late in the afternoon, my first glance to the valley already convinces me this is the perfect long weekend to open the spring season. The valley holds various little towns on the course of the river Lech. You can see without testing it that the water of this river must be freezing, the water is an ice blue, running fast through multiple meanders made of big stones.  It is truly wild, there are no barriers stoping the course of this river, it dances its way along the landscape, drawing beautiful serpent like curves. 

My plan for the first night was to sleep in wherever place I find a long the first stop, but the good places have forbidden signals for camping, people on the park4night app say it is to risky to sleep in any of the spots. I can't afford a fine so I look for a camping, but it is very late and the odds are against me, finding a free pitch this sudden is almost imposible.

I try a camping, I go there and try to contact the reception but apparently nobody's there. when I am about to leave someone knocks the window of the reception to call my attention, the man of the reception lets me in. 

He says he has no proper pitch but he can accommodate me in front of a caravan, I accept, the ground where I park has no grass but is no problem, I am happy because I found a quiet place to sleep without worrying about police.

This camping is near the mountains so the views are amazing and the treks are near. 

Next day I head first to buy my breakfast at a local supermarket, and I go also with another purpose, I need a mattress topper for my van mattress because it is destroying my shoulders. I found a pretty decent one, but I am a little bit skeptical about the benefits of it. 

I have a good breakfast, I load my backpack and head to the first trail. It is a three hour round hike around the river and climbing to a small mountain to see the view of the valley, popular hiking spot, but I only encounter a couple of locals walking casually their dogs. 

The hike feels good, the photos that I take are amazing and I head on to the next camping spot, this time I had the good idea of making a reservation first hour in the morning. 

If I thought that the first camping was cool, this one is even better, it is near a huge lake, 1000 meters above sea level surrounded by snowy mountains.

Next morning I plan another small hike, but first I want to visit some very touristy spot on the way, a hanging bridge and an old castle. the place is as touristy as it can be, but the view from the top of the mountain and the bridge are quite worth it. Soon I will know  I was not going to have more luck for the rest of this journey: while I make my way down I realize that I have an increasing acute pain in the back of my knee, probably from the day before while I was descending a steep hill and  I almost fell while losing control of my grip in the rocky terrain. so I head back to the camping place and take a cold bath in the lake to see if the cold can make my knee fell better. 

Next day I decide I will take things easy, maybe go first on a small walk around the lake to see how I am feeling, but as soon as I go further than 1 km I see that my knee is still very delicate, so maybe is best to chill on the lake. 

The theory was perfect, enjoy the rest of the day reading and sunbathing, but the sun is gone and annoying wind is lifting. So I decide to go to the next big city to make a little bit of tourism, that city is Füssen, and at least there the sun has come to a little visit during the afternoon. The center is packed with tourist that are visiting the castle of Neuschwanstein, or the ¨Disney castle¨ due to its resemblance with the fantasy one.  It is not to late when I decide I am fed up with the crowds and head back, only to see that in the camping the sun has not made an appearance and everything indicates that it is going to rain. 

That night feels better at least, the topper its making its thing, and I can rest for the first time in a camper van. Rain pours during the night and a big storm flies over us. Not sounding good for tomorrow. 

Next day is coming home day, the weather its not going to improve and at this point I think I will be better back at home, where at least I can cook a proper meal and watch a movie while the weather is so bad.