Innsbruck: 4 September
Buchs: 4-7 September
Lots of pictures in this one! After Prague, we went by night train (and then some more day train) to Innsbruck, Austria, and spend a few hours there to decompress from train travel. The city is fairly small and located in the north Alps, and has hosted the Winter Olympics, Winter Paralympics, and the First Winter Youth Olympics. We weren't there for long enough to visit the Olympic park, but we could see it from a long way away! We took a funicular train partway up one of the mountains for a spectacular view of the city, and saw a few other landmarks as well.
 |
| Inside the Cathedral of St James. There's been a church on this spot since the 1100s, but the most recent one was built in the 1700s. The painting hanging above the altar is the Maria Hilf by Lucas Cranach the Elder, and is one of the most venerated images of Mary in all of Christendom. |
 |
| Panoramic view of Innsbruck from Hungerburg, reached by funicular. Not sure if you'll be able to see it, but some Olympic Park structures were visible from here. |
 |
| The famous Golden Roof (Goldenes Dachl), which was built for the wedding of an emperor in 1500. Wil took the picture specifically to show the contrast between Golden Roof and Golden Arches! |
After our few hours in Innsbruck we proceeded on to Buchs, in eastern Switzerland, where my cousins Radu and Ozana, and their kids Marc and Victor, live. I don't think there are words to describe this stunningly gorgeous region! Mountains all around, verdant pastures and small fields with all sorts of crops, crystal clear lakes and streams...Radu and Ozi even showed us where they sometimes get fresh milk and produce from the local farmers. I think it was my favorite location so far because I got to see family and I just felt so relaxed. We biked through the countryside and along the Rhine, which looks a lot like the big glacial rivers we saw in Alaska. I think we were quite near its source. We also took a drive through Liechtenstein, where Radu works, to see an old castle and a few cities, including the capital city Vaduz. Most importantly, Radu and Ozi introduced us to Ovomaltine, which comes in the form of a bar or a spread. It's like Nutella with Rice Krispies in it, and it is basically the most amazing thing ever. It's only available in Switzerland, so we're going to stock up before we leave!
 |
| Riding along the Rhine. |
 |
| Riding along the Rhine; on the right is Switzerland, on the left is Liechtenstein. This is just a small fraction of the beauty of the region. |
 |
| Radu, Marc, Ozana, and Victor! |
 |
| Chilling at a castle in Balzers, Liechtenstein. |
 |
| Many buildings in Switzerland have paintings on inner and outer walls. I tried to recreate this one. |
 |
| Church next to the castle at Balzers. |
 |
| Gutenberg Castle at Balzers! Apparently there was a settlement on this hill in Neolithic times, but the castle itself began as a medieval church and cemetery that eventually morphed into a castle in the 12th century. No one lives here now; the rulers of Liechtenstein live in a castle in the capital city, Vaduz. We drove through the city and saw the castle there too! |
 |
| Panoramic view of the area surrounding the castle. |
While in Buchs, we took a day trip to Zurich and Lucerne (Luzern in German). Zurich is a very global, financially important city. It was also the center of the Reformation in the 1500s, as opposed to Lucerne, which remained Catholic and lost some of its influence. Lucerne is definitely slower-paced but still bustling, and with much to see! I continue to be amazed at finding buildings in these cities that are four times as old as the United States.
 |
| Grossmunster, a large Protestant church in Zurich. The Reformation in Switzerland began here. |
 |
| Dexter Kong strikes again! |
 |
| Of all the stained glass I've seen in churches, this is my favorite (Fraumunster, Zurich). It's quite modern, and I just think it is beautiful! |
 |
| We climbed to a tall wall, and I took this picture of Lucern! |
 |
| Some of Switzerland's many painted walls. I think this was in Zurich, although I can't quite remember. If not, it's in Lucerne. |
 |
| Inside the Jesuit Church in Lucerne. The whole think is decorated in pink, white, and brown, and much of the important features are made of gorgeous pink marble. Wil did not care for the decor. |
 |
| Looking out at Lucerne from one of its famous covered bridges. |
 |
| Lucerne has preserved its old city walls with guard towers, so of course we climbed them. Here Dexter surveys his domain from the battlements. |
Comments
Post a Comment