. Gerhard the king of cool November 13, 2008 - 5:53AM  Austria's Treehouse Lodge is cheap but not nasty, writes Guy Wilkinson. As the single-carriage train winds its way further into the Austrian hills, I'm beginning to seriously wonder what I've gotten myself into. Having just switched trains from Salzburg, I'm now passing through a series of tiny villages I'd previously believed existed only on the back of expensive chocolate boxes. Cows with bells draped around their necks mooch around green fields furnished only by the occasional fairytale-type house. It's absolutely stunning but I must admit to having a few concerns. First, just how remote is this place? And second, to what extent can I trust advice given by of a group of strangers I'd shared a beer with only a few nights before? The Treehouse Lodge professes to be a backpacker/B&B hotel. Situated 100 kilometres from Salzburg and 70 kilometres from Linz in the little-known village of Gruenau im Almtal, I've been told it's something of a hidden gem. This is all well and good but, at the age of 30, I don't mind admitting that the prospect of a backpackers' can sometimes provoke an involuntary shudder. My fears are far from alleviated when I meet the proprietor, Gerhard, at Gruenau station. Dressed in an FBI (Female Body Inspector) T-shirt topped off with sandals and white socks, he resembles a character from a bad sitcom. "So Guy, how long vill you be staying vis us?" he asks. "Er ... a couple of nights?" I venture uncertainly. "OK; so you vill let us spoil you a-leedle, and vee see about zis, huh?" he beams, ushering me towards the shuttle bus. © TreeHousehotel.net 2012