Servus! This week’s virtual vacation takes us to Austria, home of Mozart and the Sound of Music, the Viennese Waltz and the world’s largest ice cave…
Welcome back to part 2 of our Austrian adventure. So far, we’ve explored the sights and tastes of Vienna but now it’s time to go further afield. Today’s instalment includes paragliding over the Alps, exploring inside an ice cave and watching Marionettes perform Mozart but enough spoilers, just click on the links in the text to follow along in my virtual footsteps (or click here to catch up with part 1).
Join me now in Innsbruck where, as we walk towards the end of Herzog-Friedrichstrasse, we can see the famous Goldenes Dachl, or Golden Roof, an extravagantly decorated oriel stuck on the front of an otherwise ordinary building…
The oriel, which was designed as a royal box for the Emporer and his entourage to watch events that took place in the square below, was adorned with sculpted reliefs and murals and topped with a ‘golden roof’ (actually made up of 2,657 fire-gilded copper tiles). Inside, is a museum explaining the building’s history. Lets go inside the Goldenes Dachl museum now. While we’re here we can also check out some traditional Austrian shops and admire the beautiful architecture [using Google Streetview].
Just outside Innsbruck city centre is the Nordkette, widely considered the jewel of the Alps and part of Austria’s largest park, the Karwendel Nature Park. Here, we’re taking the Hugerburgbahn (the funicular) up to an alpine zoo at the top of the mountain. The funky, curvy stations were designed by British-Iraqi designer, Zaha Hadid, whose work I’ve already come across in Azerbaijan.
Next, let’s stretch our proverbial wings with a spot of Paragliding over the Alps at Nordketten, which is exhilarating even in the virtual world. The views over the mountains are breath-taking. Hold on tight!
Not far from here, is Tirolland, where we will find the Haus steht Kopf – a fully furnished house turned upside down (?!) and a little further away is Swarowski Crystal World where we can see the waterfall-spewing giant.
Next, we need to have our wits about us as we inch our way along the skywalk towards the stairway to nothingness at Dachstein Glacier in Styria. Here we can watch a unique live performance on this unconventional stage by Vienna-based electronic music composer and DJ, NHOAH. How long can you stand before your legs get too wobbly looking down through the glass-bottomed walkway at the terrifying drop below?
Whilst in the Alps, it would be rude not to have a little yodel, so for a special treat, I’ve arranged for us to have a brief but entertaining yodelling lesson with the real-life Maria von Trapp and Julie Andrews, before heading off for more exploring.
Hope you enjoyed that. Now, as promised, we’re off again for more exploring, this time to Eisriesenwelt or ‘The World of the Ice Giants’ in Werfen, Salzburg, to marvel at the natural ice sculptures lying hidden inside the world’s largest ice cave, which is a stonking 26 miles long! Melting snow from above the cave seeps down through cracks and crevices to create curtains of ice in the cave’s sub-freezing temperatures, even in summer, and what might look like stalactites are actually giant icicles. In the magnesium lights, they sparkle like eerie frozen chandeliers. Coming out from the cave, we’re suddenly confronted by stunning open vistas and a massive drop, which is a bit disorienting after being in that enclosed space.
After all that exploring, it’s time for a coffee and another slice of Sachertorte before heading to the town of Salzburg itself.
This is where we find one of the absolute highlights of our trip, the magical Hellbrunn Palace with its unique Wasserspiele Gardens commissioned by the mischievous Prince-Archbishop Markus Sittikus to play tricks on his poor unsuspecting guests. The fountains in the gardens would unexpectedly squirt water at them while he would always manage to remain dry. Will you be able to find his special safe spot to keep from getting wet? Let’s find out with a tour of the palace and gardens at Hellbrunn Palace.
Finally, we get to chill out with one of my absolute favourite things (I know what you’re thinking but no!) a full performance of the Marriage of Figaro by marionettes at the Salzburg Marionette Theatre. I really regretted not getting to see a show when I visited Salzburg many years ago, so now I’m really excited at the chance to see what I missed! Here’s presenting Mozart’s Marriage of Figaro.
What did you think? Who says puppets are just for kids? Narrated by Peter Ustinov and executed with such exquisite skill by the puppeteers, the whole thing, for me, was a sheer delight. I was glad of the English narration, though, as my Italian comprehension still isn’t quite robust enough for the intricate plot twists of Mozart’s operatic masterpiece! I found myself totally immersed in the action, captivated by the mesmerising movements of the marionettes who totally and unexpectedly came to life on the little stage. I was so totally transported that I actually forgot the characters on stage were really made of wood and manipulated by clever, nimble fingers from above, even when it came to the curtain calls and all the little figures bowed to the audience as their gods were finally revealed. Magic!
To get a better appreciation of the effort that goes into these productions, let’s take a quick sneaky peek behind the scenes. It’s astonishing to see the space above the stage is so cramped and dark and the physical demands of co-ordinating each and every action of the marionettes looks relentless. I love the artistry that has gone into making all the different puppets used in productions over the years.
It’s coming to the end of our Austrian tour and it feels like we’ve only just scratched the surface. People usually buy a souvenir at this point. A firm favourite is Mozartkugeln, which are chocolate balls filled with marzipan and wrapped in foil with a picture of Mozart on the front. They are presented in all sorts of ways and found all over Austria and there is even a whole shop dedicated to selling them. My souvenirs on this trip, however, are some cherished memories and some leftover Sachertorte to prolong the experience!
Thanks for joining me. It’s been great having you along for the ride. Until next time, Servus!
