11 Dec 2011

Hallstatt

Hallstatt.

Hallstatt, Upper Austria is a village in the Salzkammergut, a region in Austria. It is located near the Hallstätter See (a lake). Hallstatt is historically known for its production of salt from the local salt mines. – wikipedia

6 Feb 2010

Salzburg

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Untersberg mountain.

The Untersberg is a mountain massif of the Berchtesgaden Alps, between Berchtesgaden, Germany and Salzburg, Austria. It straddles the border.

The mountain is popular with tourists due to its proximity to the city of Salzburg: less than 16 km (10 mi) to the north and within easy reach by bus. Trails lead to the top, but most people use the cable car that lifts passengers over 1300m to the Geiereck peak. – wikipedia

3 Jan 2010

Vienna

Hofburg Imperial Palace.

Hofburg Imperial Palace
is a palace in Vienna, Austria, which has housed some of the most powerful people in Austrian history, including the Habsburg dynasty, rulers of the Austro-Hungarian empire. It currently serves as the official residence of the President of Austria. It was the Habsburg's principal winter residence, while Schönbrunn Palace was their preferred summer residence. – Wikipedia

15 Aug 2009

Vienna

Horse and carriage rides in Vienna.

"Vienna (German: Wien) is the capital of the Republic of Austria and also one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is host to many major international organizations such as the United Nations and OPEC. Vienna lies in the east of Austria and is close to the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary.

Vienna is well known for Wiener Schnitzel, a cutlet of veal that is pounded flat, coated in flour, egg and breadcrumbs, and fried in clarified butter. It is available in almost every restaurant that serves Viennese cuisine. Other examples of Viennese cuisine include Tafelspitz (very lean boiled beef), which is traditionally served with Geröstete Erdäpfel (boiled potatoes mashed with a fork and subsequently fried) and horseradish sauce, Apfelkren (a mixture of horseradish, cream and apple) and Schnittlauchsauce (a chives sauce made with mayonnaise and old bread). Vienna has a long tradition of cakes and desserts. These include Apfelstrudel (hot apple strudel), Palatschinken (sweet pancakes), and Knödel (dumplings) often filled with fruit such as apricots (Marillenknödel). Sachertorte, a dry chocolate cake with apricot jam from the Sacher Hotel, is world famous." – Wikipedia

26 Jul 2009

Salzburg

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Cafe Tomaselli.

"Founded in 1705, Café Tomaselli, which is located on the Alter Markt just a few steps away from the Salzburg Cathedral and the famous Getreidegasse, is Austria’s oldest “Viennese coffee house”. The Tomaselli continues to be a stylish representative of a 300-year-old Austrian coffee-house tradition. Now, as ever, a popular gathering place for an array of illustrious personalities, where such prominent figures as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Hugo von Hofmannsthal, Max Reinhardt and Herbert von Karajan, were regularly to be seen. Splendid inlayed wood paneling decorates the walls, marble tables, silver trays, classic newspaper stands, Tuxedo-clad waiters and “kitchen maids” transport 21st-century guests back into “the good old days”. Highly recommended in summer, in addition to the every-popular balcony, is the “Kiosk”, built in 1860, a wonderfully atmospheric coffee-house garden with shady chestnut trees." – salzburg.info

18 Jul 2009

Salzburg

Hellbrunn Palace.

"Hellbrunn Palace (German: Schloss Hellbrunn) is an early Baroque villa of palatial size, near Morzg, a southern district of the city of Salzburg, Austria. It was built in 1613-19 by Markus Sittikus von Hohenems, Prince-Archbishop of Salzburg, and named for the "clear spring" that supplied it. Hellbrunn was only meant for use as a day residence in summer, as the Archbishop usually returned to Salzburg in the evening. Therefore, there is no bedroom in Hellbrunn.

The schloss is also famous for its jeux d'eau ("watergames") in the grounds, which are a popular tourist attraction in the summer months. These games were conceived by Markus Sittikus, a man with a keen sense of humour, as a series of practical jokes to be performed on guests. Notable features include stone seats around a stone dining table through which a water conduit sprays water into the seat of the guests when the mechanism is activated. However, one seat lacks a conduit: that of the Archbishop. Other features are a mechanical, water-operated and music-playing theatre built in 1750 showing various professions at work, a grotto and a crown being pushed up and down by a jet of water, symbolising the rise and fall of power. It should be noted that at all of these games there is always a spot which is never wet: that where the Archbishop stood or sat, which is today occupied by the tour guide." – Wikipedia

18 Jul 2009

St. Gilgen

St. Gilgen.

"St. Gilgen is a picturesque village by the Wolfgangsee in the Austrian state of Salzburg, in the "Salzkammergut" region." – Wikipedia

24 Jun 2009

Innsbruck

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Ornate decoration on a building in Innsbruck.

"Innsbruck is the capital city of the federal state of Tyrol in western Austria." – Wikipedia

12 May 2009

Salzburg

Salzburg Cathedral.

"The Salzburg Cathedral (German: Salzburger Dom) is a 17th century baroque cathedral of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Salzburg in the city of Salzburg, dedicated to Saint Rupert of Salzburg. It is the site of Mozart's baptism." – Wikipedia

8 May 2009

Vienna

Museum of Art History.

"The Kunsthistorisches Museum (English: "Museum of Art History", also often referred to as the "Museum of Fine Arts") in Vienna, housed in its festive palatial building on Ringstraße, crowned with an octagonal dome, is one of the premier museums of fine arts and decorative arts in the world.

It was opened in 1891 at the same time as the Naturhistorisches Museum, by Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria-Hungary. The two museums have identical exteriors and face each other across Maria-Theresien-Platz. Both buildings were built between 1872 and 1891 according to plans drawn up by Gottfried Semper and Karl Freiherr von Hasenauer.

The two Ringstraße museums were commissioned by the Emperor in order to find a suitable shelter for the Habsburgs' formidable art collection and to make it accessible to the general public. The façade was built of sandstone. The building is rectangular in shape, and topped with a dome that is 60 meters high. The inside of the building is lavishly decorated with marble, stucco ornamentations, gold-leaf, and paintings, making it a spectacular work of art in its own right." – Wikipedia

Jason Jose's Posterous

16 years of travels in Europe, a few non-European countries, and still going. Random photos taken over the years with some commentary and background info. Thanks Rick Steves!

Interested in art or design? Check out my other blog.
http://faithistorment.blogspot.com/