Categories
Photos

Attractions of Vienna

Vienna Attractions

In this post, I’d like to show you several attractions in Vienna off the beaten track. Let’s start with this sculpture. The owl is a decoration created by the Swiss artist and architect Bruno Weber. We find it on the wall of the Vienna University of Technology Library.

Categories
Sundials

Sundials in Austria

Sundial in Mistelbach, Austria

After leaving the railway station Mistelbach/Stadt I came across one of my first sundials in Austria. The piece placed on a private home in Lower Austria shows local agricultural products like corn and grapes. The German phrase ‘’Nuetz die Zeit!’ reminds people to use their time carefully.

Categories
Monuments

William Shakespeare in Weimar

Monument to William Shakespeare in Weimar 20180504

On my walk through Ilm Park (Park an der Ilm), I come across this monument to William Shakespeare. What a surprise. I did know that Weimar is known for Goethe, Schiller, and Herder. What is the link to Shakespeare? In fact, Goethe played an important role in this question.

Categories
Manhole Covers

Manhole cover in Berlin

Manhole cover in Berlin, Germany

This manhole cover displays the main sights of Berlin. The buildings shown starting from the bottom in a clockwise direction: Brandenburg Gate, Television Tower, Reichstag Building, Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church, Olympiastadion, Federal Chancellery Building, Victory Column.

Categories
House signs

Crescent with a face in Graz

A house sign with moon showing a face

This house sign in a lane in Graz depicts a bird as well as a star and crescent combination. If you look carefully you’ll see the moon is showing a face. This sign is located on a 17th-century portal at the address Schmiedgasse 20 in Graz.

Categories
Sculptures

Centurione I (1987) in Bamberg

Centurione I by Igor Mitoraj in Bamberg, Germany

This sculpture was created in 1987 by Polish artist Igor Mitoraj. It is located near the Old Town Hall on the Lower Bridge in Bamberg. In the background, you see Michelsberg Abbey, which is currently being renovated.

Categories
Architecture

Horse’s head in Coburg

Horse's head at the former riding hall of Coburg, GermanyThe Coburg Riding Hall (Coburger Reiterhalle) is in the immediate vicinity of Ehrenburg Palace (Schloss Ehrenburg). It was built in 1852 according to the plans of master builder Georg Konrad Rothbart. The sculptural horse’s head in the tondo directly above the pointed arch portal was created by Theodor Behrens.

Categories
Coat of Arms Manhole Covers

Manhole Cover in Coburg

Manhole cover in Coburg, Germany

The manhole covers in Coburg show the city arms. They display the head of Saint Maurice, the patron of the city. According to legend, Saint Maurice died as leader of the Theban Legion a martyr’s death in the 3rd century. In general, this depiction of him is known as Coburger Mohr (Coburg Moor).

Categories
Accommodations Castles Railviews

Finstergrün Castle in Lungau

Finstergrün Castle in Ramingstein, Austria

On a trip with the Styrian railway in the Lungau we pass this castle high above the town Ramingstein. It looks medieval but well preserved. We wonder if it is still inhabited?

Categories
Sundials

Sundial in Tamsweg

Sundial at the parish church of Tamsweg, Austria

This sundial, located at the parish church of Tamsweg depicts James, son of Zebedee (Jakobus der Ältere) who is the patron of this church. Tamsweg is the largest town of the Lungau region in the Austrian state of Salzburg.

Categories
Signs

Sator square in Golling

Sator square in Golling an der Salzach, Austria

A sator square seen on a facade in Golling an der Salzach. The sator square, also known as rotas square, is a word square containing a five-word Latin palindrome. The oldest datable representation of a sator square was found in Pompeii.

Categories
Coat of Arms

Coat of arms of Fuschl am See

Coat of arms of Fuschl am See, Austria

The coat of arms of the Fuschl am See displays two trees and a fish. The place in the Austrian region of Flachau is known for a lake which provided the court of the Archbishops in Salzburg with fresh fish. This pic was taken on board of a Zille, a special type of boat, which is in operation on this lake.