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Grundlsee im Salzkammergut, Steiermark

This video clip was taken on July 31, 2007 during my trip to Austria, my home country. First I did some discoveries in my home town of Weiz: I explored the famous pilgrimage church called Weizbergkirche which was built in late baroque style and consecrated in 1776. What astounded me was the size and beauty of this church, considering that it serves a city of barely more than 9000 people. Then I moved on to another architectural gem in the Weiz area: Schloss Thannhausen or Thannhausen Castle was built in the 1500s and features a gorgeous Renaissance courtyard with three levels of arcades and is still often used for concerts and special events. After an interesting drive through the Weizklamm (Weiz Gorge) on a main road framed by vertical limestone cliffs that is so narrow that often it doesn't accommodate two cars side by side I arrived in the mountain village of St. Kathrein am Offenegg, a popular tourism destination with a beautiful view of the surrounding mountains. Then I explored another touristic highlight of the Weiz area: the "Katerloch", one of the largest limestone caves in Austria with a wide variety of dripstones, many of which are reminiscent of animals, human beings and other identifiable objects. The highlight of this cave is the so-called "Seenparadies", the "Lake Paradise", an underground lake located 135 metres below the cave entrance. I had a chance to interview the operator of the cave after visiting this underground wonderland and learning about the interesting history of this cave. I am actually a travel writer who loves to explore international destinations as well as my chosen home town of Toronto. On Youtube you will find hundreds of video clips from a wide variety of destinations. Feel free to check out some of my 700+ articles and interviews on http// www.travelandtransitions.com .My personal travel stories are located at http://www.travelandtransitions.com/stor- ies_photos.htm and my Austrian travel articles will be published in the next few weeks. Also, my FREE travel ebooks containing stories from my trips to destinations such as Sicily, Havana, Mexico City, New York City, Chicago, Florida, Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa, Vancouver, Halifax and many others are available right now at http://www.travelandtransitions.com/eboo- ks.html .

Panorama beelden vanaf Hohen Veitsch (1981mm, Steiermark, Mürztal)

This video clip was taken on July 28, 2007 during my trip to Austria , my home country. First my brother, sister-in-law and I visited the weekly Saturday market in the city of Gleisdorf which shows all sorts of colourful products and characters. Then we drove to Weiz, 15 minutes away, where I examined the main square and also visited the stands of the farmer's market. In the afternoon I went hiking in a river valley called "die kleine Raabklamm" (small Raab gorge) and later I went on a country drive to a mining town called Arzberg, in the Austrian pre-Alpine area. This was on a trip back home to my birth country and the town that I was born in, all at the occasion of my brother's 50th birthday. I am actually a travel writer who loves to explore international destinations as well as my chosen home town of Toronto . On Youtube you will find hundreds of video clips from a wide variety of destinations. Feel free to check out some of my 700+ articles and interviews on http// www.travelandtransitions.com .My personal travel stories are located at http://www.travelandtransitions.com/stor- ies_photos.htm and my Austrian travel articles will be published in the next few weeks. Also, my FREE travel ebooks containing stories from my trips to destinations such as Sicily, Havana, Mexico City, New York City, Chicago, Florida, Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa, Vancouver, Halifax and many others are available right now at http://www.travelandtransitions.com/eboo- ks.html .

Discoveries of Austria -- Treasures of Eastern Styria This video clip was taken on August 4, 2007 during my explorations of my home town of Weiz in the province of Styria in the country of Austria. I began with the Taborkirche in my home town which dates all the way back to the 1100s and is named after England's Thomas Beckett, the Archbishop of Canterbury. Roman gravestones, about 2 millenia old, are built into the church's walls. Then I had a reunion with two of my friends from high school and we proceeded to have a nice walk and a very tasty Austrian lunch. Then my friends Klaudia, Doris and I started our hike up the Schöckel mountain, the highest mountain in the area surrounding my home town. Aided by our trusted Nordic Walking sticks we climbed the steepest part of the mountain and enjoyed the gorgeous 360 degree view from the summit area. My friend Doris even sprang for a round of summer tobogganing and sent me on my high-speed way in a tiny sled on rails. A rather exhilarating experience I might add. We then had a look at my friend's newly built backyard pond and got ready for another Austrian gourmet dinner cooked by my brother who is an expert chef. I am actually a travel writer who loves to explore international destinations as well as my chosen home town of Toronto. On Youtube you will find hundreds of video clips from a wide variety of destinations. Feel free to check out some of my 700+ articles and interviews on http// www.travelandtransitions.com .My personal travel stories are located at http://www.travelandtransitions.com/stor- ies_photos.htm and my Austrian travel articles will be published in the next few weeks. Also, my FREE travel ebooks containing stories from my trips to destinations such as Sicily, Havana, Mexico City, New York City, Chicago, Florida, Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa, Vancouver, Halifax and many others are available right now at http://www.travelandtransitions.com/eboo- ks.html (more).

Südoststeiermark: Many small wine-growing communities scattered throughout the Süd-Oststeiermark (South-East Styria) reflect the typicity of this wine-growing area. They are situated primarily on the slopes of extinct volcanoes, which characterise the landscape. Here, 1,300 hectares of vineyards are cultivated - all located around Klöch, St. Anna am Aigen and Straden. One grape variety has a special flair: the very aromatic Traminer; and it is sold mainly in the Buschenschanks, the small taverns in which wine-growers sell their own wines, often only for a limited period during the year. Südsteiermark: The Südsteiermark (South Styria) has fragrant, fresh wines made from Sauvignon Blanc grapes - which are characteristic of the area. However, the 1,950 hectares of vineyards here offer sufficient space to grow a wide variety of grapes, including Welschriesling, Morillon, Muskateller and Traminer. Although this is one of the most picturesque wine regions, wine-growing is indeed hard work in the Südsteiermark, due to its extremely steep vineyard slopes. Weststeiermark: In the Weststeiermark (West Styria) there are only 450 hectares of vineyards. But from these, wine-growers and their families create an astounding diversity of wines: the racy Schilcher, with its pronounced, fresh acidity; also, robust, tannic red wines, as well as elegant and charming sparkling wines. Yet all this stems from just one grape: the Blauer Wildbacher. Even though the origins of this grape are unknown, it has a very bright and successful future ahead.

This video clip was taken on August 5, 2007 during a country excursion from my Austrian home town of Weiz. My brother and sister-in-law took me to one of the major sights in the area: the Riegersburg, a medieval fortress built originally in the 11th century on the basaltic rock of a former volcano. 11 bastions, 6 gates and 2 moats protect this fortress which was built in the border area of the Austrian empire to protect against invaders from the east which included Magyars and Turks. During the 17th century the castle' history was enriched by two legendary female protagonists: the artistocratic Freifrau Katharina Elisabeth von Galler who expanded the castle, and her servant, the "flower witch" (Blumenhexe) Katharina Paldauf who was accused of being a witch for her ability to grow roses in winter and burned on the stake. After a brief stroll through the town of Riegersburg we drove the Castle of Kapfenstein, also located on a former volcano, where we had a delicious lunch in the castle outdoor patio which provided a magnificent view of the surround Styrian and Slovenian mountains and hills. Then I had a brief adventure on a motor scooter and got ready for my last evening in Austria, ready to say goodbye to my home town and the province of Styria -- the Green Heart of Austria. I am actually a travel writer who loves to explore international destinations as well as my chosen home town of Toronto. On Youtube you will find hundreds of video clips from a wide variety of destinations. Feel free to check out some of my 700+ articles and interviews on http// www.travelandtransitions.com .My personal travel stories are located at http://www.travelandtransitions.com/stor- ies_photos.htm and my Austrian travel articles will be published in the next few weeks. Also, my FREE travel ebooks containing stories from my trips to destinations such as Sicily, Havana, Mexico City, New York City, Chicago, Florida, Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa, Vancouver, Halifax and many others are available right now at http://www.travelandtransitions.com/eboo- ks.html (more).

On my last full day (May 7, 2008) in my home region of Styria my brother and I decided to go on a country driving tour. We took the A2 Highway and continued west past the provincial capital of Graz to the region of Western Styria. Our first stop was Schloss Stainz, a former monastery of Augustine monks with a history dating back to the 13th century. We continued on to the district capital of Deutschlandsberg, where we visited the Castle of Lonsperch, located on a rocky promontory over the River Lassnitz and providing a perfect vantage point to overlook the rolling vineyards of Western Styria. This entire area was first settled through the Late Neolithic, and the castle was first mentioned in local records in the 12th century. Our driving tour continued through the gently rolling hills of the Styrian Wine Route whose southern portion hugs the Slovenian border. Kitzeck, a quaint local village, is one of the highest altitude winegrowing villages in all of Europe. I had a chance to climb the 6-story lookout tower called Kreuzbergwarte and got a perfect 360 degree of the picturesque countryside. We also stopped at the historic Castle of Seggau, a 12th century castle that has been turned into a spiffy seminar hotel. From here we drove to the historic border town of Bad Radkersburg, located on the River Mur which forms the boundary here between Austria and Slovenia. Bad Radkersburg is situated in an area of ancient volcanism, and abundant thermal springs have turned the area into a hotbed of spa tourism. The core of the town dates back to the 13th century and the town, being located in a border area, has long been surrounded by a protective wall and is one of the most picturesque cities in southeastern Austria.

Bijzondere architectuur in Bad Blumau