Today's Flowers - Late Autumn Flowers

September in Austria was very warm this year, up to 25° C /77° F!
And the weather will be warm also next week!

And the gardens in Vienna are still full of colourful flowers!

See flowers all around the globe here!

Eisriesenwelt

The Eisriesenwelt is the largest system of ice caves on our planet.

At the end of the nineteenth century the caves were only known to hunters and poachers.
Only in the 1920's the first primitive climbing routes were established up to the cave and onwards into the interior.
In 1955 a cable-car provided an alternative to the steepest part of the climb (1084 m - 1586m).
The Eisriesenwelt is owned by the National Austrian Forestry Commission.

We visited the cave last summer when we spent two weeks in Austria's beautiful Salzkammergut.

The mouth of the cave is high up in Tennengebirge.

The labyrinth of caves is over 40 km long! We walked about 2 hours!

The next two pictures are borrowed from Eisriesenwelt's homepage.

Here you get an impression of the gigantic ice formations and the large number of steps leading through the cave.

Click on the photo above to see more phantastic pictures on Eisriesenwelt's homepage!
There is also information on the ice in the caves and the cave formation.

From the entrance you can enjoy exciting panoramic views of the Salzach valley when the weather is good.

This is the way down to the cable car station and the Salzach valley.

Reminiscences of a perfect summer hiking tour

If you want to hike through Austria's lovely Alpenvorland
on a perfect summer day
then click HERE:

Rax Alpe and Edelweiß

This is a little foretaste of a hikingtour to Rax Alpe,
a mountain not far from Vienna.

If you want to see the complete hiking tour and want to know where the Edelweiß grows,
please follow this link:
DER LUSTIGE WANDERSCHUH

The Vienna Giant Ferris Wheel

The Vienna Giant Ferris Wheel was built in 1897.

It is still the main attraction for families visiting the
Vienna Prater on Sundays.

The Ferris Wheel stands in the middle of a large
amusement park,
the "Wurstelprater".

And the large amusement park is in the middle of a large area composed of meadows, floodplain forests and backwaters of the river Danube, "The Green Prater".

Below you see "Prater Hauptallee", the main alley, 3 miles long and lined by chestnut trees,
not open for motorized traffic!

the starting point of this week's
TRIP OF THE VIENNA SKYWALKERS!

Ferris designed and built the first 264 foot (80 m) wheel for the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago, Illinois in 1893. The wheel was intended as a rival to the Eiffel Tower, the centerpiece of the 1889 Paris exhibition (Wikipedia).

Sky Watch Friday No. 1 - Up In The Sky

We took these photos last summer in the Salzkammergut, a region in Austria which is very green, with mountains and lakes, and where the nights are fresher than in the city of Vienna.

Despite the heat, we made little trips in our neighbourhood like this one on top of Schafberg with its breathtaking view over the lakes.

Not only birds were in the sky!

Click on the images to enlarge!

I have made two series of SKY WATCH FRIDAY this time, No. 1 and No.2

Alpine Choughs - Alpendohlen

Schafberg
Wolfgangsee, Salzkammergut
Austria

Sky Watch Friday No. 2 is below!

Looking for a golden dome

Like a tourist, I walk through the city I live in.

I search for a castle with a golden dome.

As usual, I start my tour at St. Stephen's.

No dome on top of St. Stephen's.

Fin de siècle - no domes.

The fin de siècle-girl is most beautiful.
But no dome!

A golden dome!
It's Prague, not Vienna.

I see a reflection of a dome in a glass facade!

Copper-green.
Michaelertor, Kohlmarkt.

I walk along Graben - only copper!

I don't forget about the birds.
The doves in Vienna are no less impertinent than anywhere else around the globe!

Next dome - copper.
St. Peter's.

Ah, St. Stephen's again.

If I were on top of the tower like these visitors,
I'd have a better overview to find my golden dome...

I walk down Rotenturmstraße to Donaukanal.

Of course, it's copper again,
but this time with a nice guy on top!

This is the Greek church in Vienna, reminding me of a golden castle.

I cross the Donaukanal and look back to the heart of the city.

The Donaukanal was rediscovered shortly
and so we have sand there - Adria style - and all kinds of ships with restaurants and beach pubs, you see?

But very nice! And lots of graffiti! Mega cool!

Could not find the golden dome this time,

but I keep searching! ;-)