Höch Caste (Schloss Höch), first mentioned in the 11th century, offers a nice view over the Flachau area. Inside there is a big salon with a splendid decoration made of wood. Owned by a shareholder of a pit (‘Gewerke‘) for a long time it serves as a venue for cultural events now.
Tag: Pongau
Creative Sculpture in Altenmarkt/Pongau
While walking along the venues of the festival Natura.Kreativ in Altenmarkt I came across a class in creative sculpture ran by artist Walter Puchmayr. Participants were told how to create artworks by combining driftwood, stones and metal in a creative way.
Sundial in Altenmarkt/Pongau
Sundial at the Dechantskirche in Altenmarkt. The figure represents a Madonna for which the church is famous for. One can see a copy of this statue at one of the side altars in the church.
Voice training at the Reitlehenalm
My first visit to the Natura.Kreativ led me to the Reitlehenalm, an alpine pasture near Altenmarkt im Pongau. Right in the middle of the hills, a class in voice training took place. The teacher was Annelie Leuthäuser, an experienced theatre and concert singer.
Sigmund Freud and room N°18
Before I arrived at Villa Excelsior in Bad Gastein I had already read about one of its most famous guests: Sigmund Freud. He spent several summer holidays here. The audio guide talking about sights in Bad Gastein also told me it was here where Mr. Freud was putting down his thoughts about Eros and Thanatos.
A hotel with a chapel in Bad Gastein
Big surprise. The hotel which was used as a home for prelates in earlier times offers a chapel on one of its floors. I was very impressed by the light inside the chapel which was determined by the design of the windows.
Villa Excelsior in Bad Gastein
Villa Excelsior has already hosted famous guests. For example Sigmund Freud spent several summer holidays here. My tour guide told me it was here where the Austrian neurologist was thinking about the concept of Eros and Thanatos.
Hotel Klammstein in Dorfgastein
The hotel is situated next to a biking route at the northern beginning of the Gastein Valley. The place is fine as starting point for biking, hiking, skiing and collecting mushrooms. Actually I had a delicious mushroom dish while staying at the hotel.
Magic lamp in Hotel Klammstein
At my hotel in Dorfgastein I had a fun bedside lamp. One can turn on and off the light just by touching anywhere at the metal. Any ideas how this works?
Tunnel for bikers and walkers only
On a hiking tour near Klammstein, I come across an interesting place. Below Klammstein Castle (Burg Klammstein) there is a tunnel for bikers and walkers only. The structure is part of a cycle route along the Gastein Valley (Gasteinertal).
Klammstein Castle near Dorfgastein
On my train journeys through Austria I often pass Klammstein Castle (Burg Klammstein) which seems to block the Gastein Valley (Gasteinertal) in the north. In earlier times it was used as toll station. Today it accommodates a museum about the history of the castle and the valley.
Mushroom dish in Klammstein
One reason to visit the restaurant of Hotel Klammstein was the ‘Pfandlwoche’. In this period the restaurant offered especially dishes served in pans (‘Pfandl’). I had a pan with mushrooms and dumplings. The owner of the restaurant told me the mushrooms were collected in the woods around the hotel.