Austria

Austria is a small country, well known for its music, art, food and of course the Alps.  During the 650 year reign of the Habsburg family, Austria was a powerful country of 50 million people.  Nowadays, since the fall of the monarchy in 1918, Austria is a democratic country of 8 million.  Everywhere you go, you are reminded of the former glory days of the Habsburgs; in particular Maria Theresa, who ruled for 40 years in the 1700’s and gave birth to 16 children in 19 years.  She increased her power throughout Europe, not by going to war, but by marrying off many of her children to her neighbours, most famously her daughter Marie Antoinette.

Yesterday we visited the beautiful city of Saltzburg, the birthplace of Mozart and the setting for “The Sound of Music”.

Following the footsteps of Julie Andrews and the von Trapp children, we pranced through the grandiose Mirabell Gardens, 

past Saltzburg castle towering over the city and through streets where merchants have been selling their wares for over a thousand years.

In the Middle Ages, when the majority of the population could not read, shop signs were pictures indicating what specialities were inside.

Modern merchants in this cute street have kept with the centuries old trend.

 

The Benedictine Monastery at Melk is not only a sight to behold, it is a place of beautiful baroque architecture, wisdom, knowledge and serenity.  For over one thousand years the monks have resided, studied and taught here, believing that wisdom is gained by listening, studying and embracing change.  Many of the elaborate monastery rooms were Maria Theresa's quarters, which she used only four or five times throughout her 40 year reign.  Today over 900 students, aged between 10 and 17 years, are proud to attend school here.

Entering the church, the feelings of beauty and spirituality are overwhelming. 

The Danube’s Wachau Valley, like the Rhine Gorge, is littered with medieval castles on hilltops surrounded by grape vines and picturesque villages.  Unlike the Rhine Gorge however, most of these castles today are in ruins, never being rebuilt after the Ottoman Turks destroyed them.

My adventurous spirit took over when I spied this ruined castle on the hilltop in the charming village of Durnstein and compelled me to climb the treacherous path to the top. 

My reward, apart from the sense of achievement, was the most magnificent view of the Wachau Valley and the magical Danube River.

In Vienna, we discovered these brightly coloured houses utilising recycled materials decorated by the Austrian artist, Hundertwasser

and hundreds of shops selling prints by another Austrian artist, Gustav Klimt.

We're just about to head off now to a Mozart and Strauss concert at the Golden Hall in Vienna which, after all those years practicing their compositions on the piano, I'm sure I will thoroughly enjoy!