Travelrific® Travel Journal
Picture postcards in prose.™ Check out the blogroll on the front page for official merchandise and other resources!Archive for austria
Beasts in Salzburg
By Linda Tancs
Forget coal in the stocking. In some countries, like Austria, there’s something much more fearsome awaiting children who’ve been more naughty than nice. Coinciding with St. Nicholas Day on December 6, Salzburg celebrates Krampus parades in late November and early December. The Krampus is a legendary creature sporting a hand-carved wooden mask, shaggy pelts and heavy bells. The typical beast is a costumed young man, who roams the streets and scares children who look like they’ve misbehaved. It’s all in good fun, of course, a centuries-old folk custom that has even made its way to America via New Orleans.
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The Friendly Alien in Austria
By Linda Tancs
Contemporary art may feel alien to some, but maybe Kunsthaus Graz will change your mind. It’s become a cultural landmark in Graz, Austria, its architecture being dubbed “the friendly alien” by none other than one of its designers. It’s also been viewed as a whale, a hippo and a sea slug. And that’s just the building’s exterior. Your senses will likely be challenged on the inside as well, with installations exploring the intersection of art and design and the use of photography to create illusion. If you’d like it all deciphered for you, then take the guided tour generally offered each Sunday.
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To limit the spread of COVID-19, attractions may be closed or have partial closures. Please keep those affected by the virus in your thoughts and be sure to follow the safety practices advocated by the Centers for Disease Control. Stay safe, and be well.
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The Big Cheese in Austria
By Linda Tancs
Vorarlberg may be one of Austria’s smallest regions, but what it lacks in size it makes up for in cheese. That’s quite evident along the Bregenzerwald Cheese Road, an area linking 17 valley dairies and 90 alpine farmsteads. You can experience the cheese producers’ work in all its stages and have a hand in it yourself at the Metzler dairy school in the delightful town of Egg, site of the smallest private brewery in Vorarlberg. If you plan on tasting your way through the cheesemongers’ handiwork, then pace yourself. There are over 60 varieties in Bregenzerwald. Go now and experience the Bregenz Festival in the capital city, an annual event from mid-July to mid-August featuring opera, theater performances and orchestra concerts.
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To limit the spread of COVID-19, attractions may be closed or have partial closures. Please keep those affected by the virus in your thoughts and be sure to follow the safety practices advocated by the Centers for Disease Control. Stay safe, and be well.
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Austria’s Salt Empire
By Linda Tancs
Hallstatt is a medieval village on Lake Hallstatt’s western shore in Austria’s mountainous Salzkammergut region. Salzkammergut means “domain of salt,” an apt description for the ancient salt mine dominating the area. Of 40 miles of tunnels, about 14 miles are walkable. Three tiers are currently mined by nearly 40 employees today. A funicular railway connects to the mine as well as to Skywalk Hallstatt viewing platform, where the town and its majestic landscape unfurl before your eyes on an observation deck some 1,200 feet above the rooftops.
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As coronavirus proceeds, it is likely that the vast majority of us will be limited in our travels. But this, too, shall pass. Our love for travel remains, so Travelrific will continue offering travel inspiration in this medium. Please keep those affected by the virus in your thoughts and be sure to follow the safety practices advocated by the Centers for Disease Control. Stay safe, and be well.
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The Heart of Skiing in Austria
By Linda Tancs
Some say that Lech is the heart of skiing in Austria. That’s a fair statement, as is the fact that it attracts blue bloods galore. The ritzy resort in the Arlberg region no doubt earns its chops as the cradle of Alpine skiing thanks to 190 miles of ski runs and over 124 miles of high Alpine powder runs, an area teeming with enough snow to guarantee a season from November to April. The free local and ski buses provide convenient transport, along with 88 cable cars and lifts. The most popular ski track is the White Ring (Der Weisse Ring), where the legends have trained, but you’ll find tracks for all ages and performance levels. Off the pistes why not visit Skyspace Lech, a futuristic-looking dome built into the landscape that provides an interesting convergence of light, sky and earth.
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Playing with Vegetables in Austria
By Linda Tancs
Your mother no doubt encouraged you to eat your veggies, not play with them. Turns out playing with them is a good idea. Just ask the members of Vienna’s Vegetable Orchestra. A unique Austrian ensemble, they’ve been creating sounds from vegetables since the 1990s, playing concerts around the globe. Now there’s some food for thought.
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The World of Ice Giants
By Linda Tancs
Just a small town in the northern part of Salzburg′s Pongau area, Werfen, Austria, has a big claim to fame—home of the world’s largest ice caves, a labyrinth reaching for almost 25 miles. The World of Ice Giants ( Eisriesenwelt) is known as a dynamic ice cave, allowing for a chimney-like flow of air as the cave galleries and fissures form a link from lower entrances to higher openings, a process begun about 100 million years ago. The seasonal changes in outside air temperature result in amazing ice sculptures in the interior of the limestone caves, particularly when water entering the rock fissures in the spring drips into the cooler areas. Open from May to October, the cave tours begin directly at the cave entrance, which offers panoramic views of the Salzach valley in good weather. Dress for freezing temperatures inside the caves, even in summer.
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From Tyrol to Italy
By Linda Tancs
From Austria’s highest peak (Grossglockner) to the Adriatic Sea, the Alpe-Adria Trail is a 466-mile trek winding its way through Austria, Slovenia and Italy. Signposted throughout, the trail is divided into a series of stages, each taking about six hours to walk. The hiking season begins in April and ends in October, the whole stretch taking up to six weeks. If you go now, you’ll likely see snow lingering on the high passes in Carinthia and Slovenia.
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The James Bond Experience
By Linda Tancs
The latest James Bond Museum is evocative of an action scene from the film franchise, considering that it’s carved into a snowy mountain summit in Austria and reachable only by gondola from Sölden. The locale is a fitting tribute to Ian Fleming, the spy novelist who inspired the film series. He moved from England to Austria to study languages, a move that inspired his literary career. The museum site also played host to the 2015 film Spectre, starring Daniel Craig as Bond. In addition to a screening room, the facility has nine themed galleries featuring aspects of filmmaking, such as title sequences, music, special effects, stunts, spy gadgets and cars.
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Body Art in Austria
By Linda Tancs
Special effects bodypainting is just one of the championship categories at the annual World Bodypainting Festival in Klagenfurt, Austria. Taking place this year from July 8 to July 14, the earlier dates comprise 50 workshops in bodypainting, facepainting, make-up and special effects. The main days from the 12th to the 14th feature art, street food, judging and music. Now in its 21st season, prepare to be awed.
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