| My brother and sister-in-law had taken
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| | Nordic walking poles. Several restaurants
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| the next day off and we were planning an
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| | offer refreshments and hearty Austrian
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| excursion further afield: our destination
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| | food at the summit area, and high-speed
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| was a mountain peak called Mangart in
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| | excitement is provided by the summer
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| Slovenia, located about a three-hour
| |
| | tobogganing track that runs down the
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| drive from my home town. The beauty of
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| | mountain, a nice adrenaline kick I just
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| Central Europe is its diversity of
| |
| | had to experience. After our hike back
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| landscapes and its small distances, and
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| | down we stopped off at Doris' house, a
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| in just a few hours of driving through
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| | beautiful property in the countryside,
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| the Austrian province of Carinthia we
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| | that features a brand new pond and large
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| arrived in Val Canale, an area where
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| | garden. Doris even equipped us with
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| Austria, Italy and Slovenia meet.
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| | delicious freshly picked peaches from her
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| Incidentally this is also the only area
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| | father's orchards. Klaudia and I headed
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| where the Germanic, Romance and Slavic
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| | back to Weiz and an hour later we met up
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| language families come together right
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| | again for a backyard barbeque at my
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| next to one another. We passed by the
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| | brother's place. Klaudia's entire family,
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| picturesque Predil Lake and continued our
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| | her sister Andrea with daughters Nina and
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| climb into the high mountains and crossed
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| | Katja as well as the two grandparents
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| the Italian border into Slovenia. But as
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| | joined us for a delicious dinner that
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| it can be with the best laid plans of
| |
| | showcased my brother's culinary skills in
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| mice and men, our hiking trip to the
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| | a multi-course feast. My last full day in
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| Mangart Mountain was not to be: our car
| |
| | Austria had arrived and Ewald and
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| overheated and there was no way we were
| |
| | Anneliese had planned a special outing:
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| going to make it any further. We had to
| |
| | an excursion to one of Austria's most
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| stop, let the car cool down and turn
| |
| | famous fortresses - the Riegersburg. In
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| around to go back down the mountain.
| |
| | existence for more than 850 years and
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| Fortunately, our disappointment did not
| |
| | located in the border region of the old
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| last long since we came up with an
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| | Austro-Hungarian Empire, this impressive
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| alternate plan: we took the cable car up
| |
| | fortification has withstood many attacks
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| to Monte Lussari whose summit area
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| | from the east and was never conquered. It
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| features a tiny mountain village with a
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| | has often been referred to as the
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| small pilgrimage church. An absolutely
| |
| | "strongest fortification of
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| stunning 360 degree mountain vista opens
| |
| | Christianity", having successfully
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| up from the top of this mountain and we
| |
| | defended repeated attacks by Turks and
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| enjoyed a hearty lunch on the balcony of
| |
| | Magyars. With its numerous fortified
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| a rustic restaurant, taking in the
| |
| | gates, its unique location on an extinct
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| phenomenal Alpine panorama. On our way
| |
| | volcanic cone, its extensive defensive
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| home we stopped in the town of Tarvisio,
| |
| | walls, wooden drawbridges and moats, the
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| a border town that has benefited for a
| |
| | Riegersburg is an authentic medieval
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| long time from the traffic between
| |
| | fortress that has seen architectural
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| Austria, Slovenia and Italy. We stopped
| |
| | additions from the Renaissance and
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| at the market, my brother picked up a few
| |
| | Baroque eras. An exhibition in the
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| Italian delicatessen and we enjoyed our
| |
| | fortress explains the historic era of the
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| stroll through town. After our return in
| |
| | 16th and 17th century and sheds light on
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| the late afternoon I embarked on a little
| |
| | feudalism as well as two fascinating
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| local excursion and drove to the Teichalm
| |
| | female characters who inhabited this
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| - Sommeralm area close to my home town.
| |
| | fortress more than four centuries ago:
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| This region is now marketed as the
| |
| | Baroness von Galler and the "flower
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| "Almenland', which literally means
| |
| | witch" Katharina Paldauf. Our East
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| "Alpine meadow country". The Tourism
| |
| | Styrian tour continued through volcano
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| Region Sommeralm -Teichalm represents the
| |
| | country with a drive to Schloss
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| largest contiguous high-altitude alpine
| |
| | Kapfenstein, another medieval fortress
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| meadow area in Europe. It features a
| |
| | that has been expanded into a castle and
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| lake, many hiking trails, ski lifts and
| |
| | today holds an upscale restaurant and
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| phenomenal views into the surrounding
| |
| | hotel. This castle is also located on the
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| countryside. In addition, the area is
| |
| | extinct cone of a former volcano. We
|
| used as grazing pastures for hundreds of
| |
| | enjoyed a tasty lunch in the outdoor
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| Alpine oxen, animals whose tender and
| |
| | patio of the castle, against the gorgeous
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| tasty meat is prized highly by chefs and
| |
| | backdrop of the distant Carinthian and
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| restaurant owners throughout the entire
| |
| | Slovenian Mountains. My last evening in
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| area. Poor weather returned on Friday, so
| |
| | Austria was capped off with a visit to
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| I spent a quiet day making visits to
| |
| | our friends Luis and Isabella, and all
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| acquaintances and doing errands. The
| |
| | five of us enjoyed the late evening sun
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| highlight of the day was a classical
| |
| | in their beautiful backyard. Luis even
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| concert organized by the local Weiz Lions
| |
| | took me on a little motor scooter
|
| Club: a charity concert and fundraiser
| |
| | adventure around town. Back at Ewald's
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| that featured musicians and an orchestra
| |
| | place we spent a few more hours
|
| from AIMS, the American Institute of
| |
| | reminiscing until I had to pack my bags
|
| Musical Studies, a Graz-based
| |
| | for my departure to the airport in Vienna
|
| organization that offers intense summer
| |
| | Monday morning. These nine days have been
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| vocal, piano and music programs to
| |
| | one of the most wonderful travel
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| international students, most of whom come
| |
| | experiences in my life. They were greatly
|
| from the United States. We listened to
| |
| | enhanced by my connections with family
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| pieces by Mozart, Strauss and Verdi and
| |
| | and friends, but in addition, my eyes
|
| were thoroughly impressed by the young
| |
| | were truly opened to travel opportunities
|
| sopranos, tenors and musicians who put on
| |
| | in my birth region of Austria. Styria,
|
| an outstanding performance. The event
| |
| | with its medieval cities, imposing
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| even raised 15,000 Euros for the local
| |
| | churches, monasteries and fortresses
|
| charity. I interviewed several of the
| |
| | offers a great variety of destinations to
|
| young music students after the concert
| |
| | history and architecture lovers. Music,
|
| and they were thoroughly enjoying their
| |
| | visual and performing arts are ever
|
| international exchange program and sure
| |
| | present, even in small communities.
|
| to return home with memories of a
| |
| | Outdoor lovers will find a whole
|
| lifetime. Finally, the sun had returned
| |
| | smorgasbord of activities, from hiking to
|
| and my second last day in Austria was
| |
| | mountain biking, skiing, horseback
|
| going to be gorgeous. My second photo
| |
| | riding, mountaineering, hang-gliding,
|
| safari through my home town resulted in
| |
| | river rafting and many other varied
|
| several encounters with acquaintances
| |
| | pastimes. The diverse landscapes
|
| whom I had not seen for more than 20
| |
| | featuring fertile plains, rolling hills
|
| years. Old memories were stirred up even
| |
| | full of orchards and vineyards, high
|
| more when I connected with my school
| |
| | Alpine peaks and meadows, pristine rivers
|
| friends Klaudia and Doris. During our
| |
| | and scenic lakes enchant at every corner.
|
| walk up to the local Weizberg we also had
| |
| | And food, wine and beer lovers will
|
| a celebrity connection: Arnold
| |
| | definitely enjoy the diverse culinary
|
| Schwarzenegger's mother, father and
| |
| | offerings. In addition, Styria offers
|
| brother are buried in the Weiz cemetery.
| |
| | affordable prices and great value to
|
| His parents lived in this town for many
| |
| | international travelers. I realized my
|
| years, and his father was a local police
| |
| | birth region is right up there at the top
|
| officer. Of course we reminisced about
| |
| | of any destinations I have visited in the
|
| our high school adventures and after a
| |
| | last few years. This trip truly opened my
|
| scrumptious garden lunch we went to go
| |
| | eyes to the astounding beauty and variety
|
| hiking on the nearby Schöckel mountain.
| |
| | of the area where I was born, and even
|
| The Schöckel is the largest mountain in
| |
| | though Styria might not be as well known
|
| the region around Weiz and provides a
| |
| | as other regions of Austria, my nine days
|
| phenomenal 360 degree panorama over the
| |
| | back home were far too short and I
|
| entire region. Southerly views extend
| |
| | already have a whole list of things to do
|
| into the Slovenian and Hungarian plains,
| |
| | and see next time I am over in the old
|
| and northerly vistas feature the high
| |
| | country.
|
| Alpine peaks of Northern Styria. To the
| |
| | Susanne Pacher is the publisher of a web
|
| east and to the west the scenic Styrian
| |
| | portal for unconventional travel &
|
| hill country opens up. The three of us
| |
| | cross-cultural connections. Check out our
|
| climbed up the steepest portion of the
| |
| | FREE ebooks about travel.
|
| mountain, securely equipped with our
| |
| |
|
