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
Pharmacies Signs

Pharmacy house sign in Knittelfeld

Two lions in a pharmacy house sign

This house sign was created by two Italian migrant workers and renewed in 1957 by Alfred Kala. You can see it at the town pharmacy in Knittelfeld. I love the combination of lions with a mortar and pestle. The lions look a bit weird anyway. The lions, however, do not look particularly trustworthy for their job as a pharmacist.

Categories
Public Clocks

Lössl-Uhr in Bad Aussee

Lössl-Clock in Bad Aussee, Austria

The Lössl-Uhr (Lössl-Clock) is a technical gem in Bad Aussee. The public clock designed by Friedrich von Lössl was originally powered by changes in atmospheric pressure and temperature.

Categories
Coat of Arms

Emblem of Bad Aussee

Emblem of Bad Aussee, Austria

The emblem of Bad Aussee is showing two vats for transporting salt (German: ‘Kufen’) and a char (German: ‘Saibling’). The vats refer to the salt production in Bad Aussee. The char is a tasty food fish which is featured by the Austrian ‘Genussregion Ausseerland Seesaibling’.

Categories
Signs

Shop signs in Bad Aussee

Shop sign of a shoemaker in Bad Aussee, Austria

Shop sign of a shoemaker ([German]: Schuster) seen in Bad Aussee, Austria. I wonder what is the meaning of the arrow?

Categories
Festivals

Group Décor Sonore in Graz

Décor Sonore playing a traffic sign in Graz, Austria

At the beginning of the festival La Strada, I watched the French group Décor Sonore playing in the streets of the city using handrails, barriers, traffic signs and even balcony rails as instruments. By the way, the German word for beginning is ‘Anfang’.

Categories
Castles Railviews

Dürnstein Castle in Styria

Burgruine Dürnstein in Styria, Austria

Dürnstein Castle (Burgruine Dürnstein) was first mentioned as castrum Dierenstein in 1144. The castle is placed right at the border between Styria and Carinthia. I took this photo while riding a train between Friesach and Unzmarkt. One can see the catenary of the railroad on the left side of the picture.

Categories
Castles

Maßenburg in Leoben

Maßenburg in Leoben, Austria

The Maßenburg is a castle ruin on a hill high over Leoben. It was probably first built in the 13th century. Today hikers have there a great view of Leoben from a viewing tower built on the ruins of a former watch tower.

Categories
Cuisine

Pumpkin seed oil tasting in Graz

Pumpkin seed oil degustation in Graz, Austria

During summer 2013 the organization Steirisches Kürbiskernöl g.g.A. (Styrian Pumpkin Seed Oil P.D.O.) offers a tasting for pumpkin seed oil in a traditional restaurant of Graz. Opposite to other tastings of products this event doesn’t present different types of pumpkin seed oil for selling but explain the difference between Styrian pumpkin seed oil and other oils from abroad.

Categories
Castles

Grazer Burg in Graz

Grazer Burg in Graz, Austria

The construction of the Grazer Burg (Graz Castle) started in 1438 by Duke Friedrich V. The photo above was taken from the Burggarten, a hidden park just outside the old walls of Graz.

Categories
Aviation

North American B-25J Mitchell in Zeltweg

North American B-25J Mitchell in Zeltweg, Austria

At the air show Airpower in Zeltweg, I took this photo of a North American B-25J Mitchell. This plane was built in 1945. Today one can see it at the Hangar-7 in Salzburg or while performances of ‘The Flying Bulls’.

Categories
Churches

Walpurgiskirche in Sankt Michael

Walpurgiskirche in Sankt Michael in Obersteiermark, Austria

On a train journey from Leoben to Knittelfeld, I pass this church. The building looks gothic. Is it worth a visit?