№48 — Lichterfest
Even though I have spent almost every summer at the Traunsee, I have never attended the two most famous events on the lake shore. I was neither inclined to participate in the Märchennacht (fairy tale night) nor was I eager to join the thousands of people in Gmunden for the Lichterfest (festival of lights). This year, however, I got myself together, convinced my sister and off we went to join the festivities in Gmunden. Maybe the attendance of my girlfriend celebrating a friend’s bachelorparty was an additional incentive.
In addition, my sister was overselling me a local delicacy for the last year, namely the “manga 50-50"-burger. This patty of the burger is made out of 50% Mangalica pork, which is supposed to give it a unique and very tasty flavor. My family was selling restaurants and dishes to me before which usually ended in disappointment, so I was scepetic to say the least. But at least I had another reason to get up and go to Gmunden.
After paying the entrance fee and shifting through the masses of people, we finally made it to the desired place — the burger stand. You can rest assured that I immediately ordered and devoured the burger, which, to my great delight, was done within a few minutes. It completely met my expectations. The meat was juicy, the salad crunchy and the bun tasty. The sauces complimented the meat very well. Overall, I was very happy with my choice and my sister was glad, she did not promise too much beforehand.
With a local beer in our hands, we turned our attention towards the water, where the local water ski school was prepairing a show for the guests at dusk. The show was not particularly outstanding or interesting but at least it gave the visitors something to look at while waiting for the large fireworks as the highlight of the evening. With my primary objective of obtaining and consuming the burger already achieved, I relaxed and watched as the event unfolded right in front of us as we had a prime spot directly at the lakefront.
Once darkness completely engulfed the Traunsee the fireworks were set off to the tune of a variety of songs. I had little expectations towards the fireworks but I was pleasantly surprised. The show was great and I can definitely recommend going there.
