You only see what you know (Goethe)
Three periods of architecture are grouped in one photo. In the foreground, one can see the decoration of a park near the Augarten porcelain manufacturer. In the background, you recognize an air defence tower of World War II and the chimney of a garbage incineration plant designed by Friedensreich Hundertwasser.
Tonight I am a guest at the Hotel am Konzerthaus invited by 50plus Hotels Österreich. The hotel is very special, it is decorated in the style of Jugendstil (Art Nouveau) and all rooms are filled with reproductions of that period. So I got inspired to have a small walk through Vienna visiting some venues showing works by Klimt.
The bronze sculpture ‘Hill Arches’ was designed by Henry Moore in 1973. It stands in a water basin in front of the Baroque Karlskirche in Vienna. Some criticize the contrast between classical and modern. Me, I enjoy the artfully curved lines in both works. [German]
This Peter Rosegger monument stands in Kapfenberg. He became famous as a regional writer. The inscription mentions him as a poet of the forest (Waldpoet), which refers to the fact that he grew up in the nearby woodland and wrote much about life there.
In Austria, many trains have unique names. Today I came across an interesting one: Chris Lohner. She is that lady whose voice one can hear at the recorded announcements of the railway stations and on the Railjets.
Do you know this phenomenon: You can only spot things you know they are around you – If you don’t know their existence you’ll overlook them. After many years leaving my train at railway station Meidling the sound of church bells made me aware there is a church next to me. Well, do you see the church?
View of the main square (Hauptplatz) of Graz taken from the balcony of the city hall. The clock tower (Uhrturm) on top of the hill is the landmark of the city. The monument in the middle of the place is about Archduke John of Austria (Erzherzog Johann) who was a big modernizer for the city and the state of Styria.
I took this photo while climbing up to a gallery located in the fifth store of an old building in the centre of Graz. One can find these lovely inner yards especially at the 1st district of the city. Some of them are open for public.
View from the terrace of the Gallery Remixx in Graz. The church on the left side is the Cathedral (Dom) of Graz, the three spires on the right side belong to the Katharinenkirche and the mausoleum of Emperor Friedrich II.
An unusual view of the Austrian parliament taken from a rooftop café at the 25hours Hotel in Vienna. The church (Minoritenkirche) in the middle of the photo houses an amazing mosaic: A replica of Leonardo da Vinci’s ‘Last Supper’.
In the station of Volkstheater, you find a 360 m² glass mosaic providing the passengers with a dose of public art. It was made to designs by the artist Anton Lehmden in 1991. He is considered a member of the Vienna School of Fantastic Realism. [German]
I took this photo on a train journey from Vienna to Linz. The church located in Lanzendorf (Böheimkirchen) was first mentioned in 1248. Interesting detail: The tower is tilted. I am also impressed by the fact that one can still see this pretty old church on a free field next to a high speed railroad.