And there are plenty of things I could tell you about it.
One of the big stuff I found here: a big part of my childhood. I was educated in a very authoritar German-Austrian style, with Austrian gastronomy and all we had home, back into my childhood, was made by our hands - so far it was possible in a big capital city. So, I didn't grew up in a countryside unfortunately, but my mother did everything was possible to spend about 4 up to 6 weeks every year in a countryside among high mountains. Mom, I miss you so much! And I love you so much! And I know, you know this now!
Many years ago I falled in love with a war spionage American movie: "Where the eagles dare" with Richard Burton, Clint Eastwood). The castle where the movie was taken back in 1968 fascinated me and I never knew where it is or what is its name. Today I had the privilege to be there for half a day!
Hohenwerfen Castle (German: Festung Hohenwerfen) is a medieval rock castle, situated on a 623 metres (2,044 ft) precipice overlooking the Austrian market town of Werfen in the Salzach valley, approximately 40 kilometres (25 mi) south of Salzburg. The fortress is surrounded by the Berchtesgaden Alps and the adjacent Tennen Mountains. Hohenwerfen is a "sister" of Hohensalzburg Castle, both built by the Archbishops of Salzburg ..... in the 11th century (!!!!!!!)
Starting from summer 2014, every time I drove from Vienna to Salzburg on highway A10, about 60 km before Salzburg on the left side I saw a marvellous castle situated in a very strategic and interesting way on a woody mountain. A very spectacular view depending the time of the year and the time of the day.
I tried once to take pictures of it while driving, but being alone in the car it is difficult and risky.
The only picture I succeded to do by myself is a pretty good one - mid of last April.
Later in May I found out the name of the castle and today it was the time to go there!
Beautiful. Impressive history of the place. Of couse, you get to see just a small part of the entire place, unfortunately. It was my first paid guided tour with other tourists and as I was late there, I took the tour at 12 o'clock. Unpleasant because too crowdy, so I plan to repeat the experience late in September this year.
From the parking place I took the forest road and in less than 15 minutes I already got the first eye contact with the amazing construction (3rd picture from the start of this article).
But few minutes before seeing the walls of the castle, I heared this master piece:
As usually in Austria, the way is well managed and full of information about the trees, about the general role of the forest and the importance to protect and keep it clean, about the beings living in the forest.
For the first time I read about not walking over the trees' roots, as walking over them hurts and damage the trees, so you are politely asked to follow the forest road instead to cut the curves.
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| a piece of art: handmade painted glas - situated in the forest |
What Wikipedia lets us know:
The fortification was built between 1075 and 1078 at the behest of Archbishop Gebhard of Salzburg during the Imperial Investiture Controversy, meant as a strategic bulwark atop a 155-metre (509 ft) high rock. Gebhard, an ally of Pope Gregory VII and the anti-king Rudolf of Rheinfelden, had three major castles extended to secure the route across the Eastern Alps along the Salzach river against the forces of King Henry IV of Germany: Hohenwerfen, Hohensalzburg and Petersberg Castle at Friesach in Carinthia. Nevertheless, King Henry had Gebhard expelled in 1077 and the archbishop could not return to Salzburg until 1086, only to die at Hohenwerfen two years later.
to be followed ....
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