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It’s April 22 and an early morning train out of Melk with transfers at Amstetten Noe and Saint Valentin brings me to Enns, Austria, population just over 12,000. I’m told it is the oldest town in Austria, founded in the 800’s and a charter municipality in 1212, more than 500 years before the overnight stay of Archduchess Maria Antonia.

My lodging for the night was the Enns Sleep Self Check-In. When I arrived at my hotel around noon, there was no one there. I knew ahead of my arrival that the hotel was advertised as “self check-in” but I didn’t fully grasp that there would be no one on site. (Side note: I soon learned that many small hotels and inns in Europe operate as self check-ins.)

This establishment is a gasthaus, typically found in small towns providing a restaurant and hotel rooms. So why was no one here? I did have my PIN number provided by the hotel in an earlier email. I found the lockbox on the side of the building which opened with my code and I found my room key. But how do I access the building?

A call with the owner explained why no one was there. It was Wednesday and the restaurant and biergarten were closed. The key to my room opened the door to the hotel/restaurant as well and I was given a phone tutorial on how to use the key for each separate door. OK.

After entering the large, quiet building, I made my way up a sturdy staircase and successfully used the key to open my room. It was a very nice room with an up-to-date bathroom. Still, I am the only person in this cavernous, 19th century building.

Exploring Enns

With my rolling backpack secured in the room, my hiking poles and I made our way out the door and up the hill to find Schloss Ennsegg, the castle where the Archduchess spent her night in Enns. The castle has been here since the 1500’s, built on the foundation of earlier buildings. Today, it hosts weddings, concerts and a variety of events. As I wandered the grounds, I saw a group of children, instruments in hand entering a practice room. One more generation added to the many who have studied, worshipped and lived in these buildings and grounds.

The park area surrounding Schloss Ennsegg is quite large, with walking trails and several overlooks of the River Enns.

After my self-tour of the castle, I walked through a series of narrow streets and found myself arriving at the town square

where the other well-known attraction can be found, the Stadtturm or Clock Tower.

That tower has been around since the 1500’s and has served many purposes. It is open to visitors ready to pay a small fee to climb the 157 steps. For years, a watchman lived in the tower. Now that living space has been developed as a single hotel room.

After a late afternoon lunch which included the traditional curry sausage sandwich, I began my slow hike back down the hill to my lodging, taking time to meander a bit on the bike trail that is part of this stretch of road.

Lodging is Part of the Journey

Successfully unlocking the hotel/restaurant door, I took in my surrounding in the waining light of day. I was aware of another guest that evening, but he accessed a separate building through a different door. So, it’s just me.

I’m a person who travels solo frequently and love my alone time. But being in a lodging with a restaurant below me and no one else in the building, it was a bit eerie. What to do but turn off the light and see what the night and the morning bring.

I slept comfortably through the night in what felt like an oversized hermitage. At 7:15 a.m., lights were on downstairs, I could see staff setting chairs and tables outside in the biergarten. I was greeted warmly and asked how I would like my eggs. I was the only person at breakfast, the other traveler checking out and declining breakfast.

And how did Maria Antonia do, spending her night in Schloss Ennsegg? A fictionalized (although well-researched) account written by Kathryn Laskey says her room was cold and uncomfortable in the drafty old castle. Oh, well. We both had a memorable stay in Enns.

Tomorrow, it’s off to Lambach Abbey.