Preliminary: I booked this tour with Saga Tours out of the UK. Previously I had used that British company on a South African tour revolved around Cape Town, I enjoyed travel with Brits and I liked the accommodations provided. On this tour my lodging in Austria would be in a castle that had been used by Napoleon. Being a history buff I liked staying at historic sites.
Monday, May 24, 1999
I departed Minneapolis at 12:50 pm on a Delta flight to their hub in Atlanta, Georgia. My overnight flight on Delta to Munich took 9 hours and 15 minutes.
Tuesday, May 25
Our flight landed in Munich at 8:55 am . I picked up my luggage and passed through customs. My Saga guide was waiting for me with his Saga sign. He provided transportation to the 4 star City Hotel in Munich. The location near Karlsplatz was ideal for city walks.
Once checked in and unpacked, I walked over to Neuhauser Street, which is actually along pedestrian mall leading to Marienplatz. When I came to Frauenkirche, I stopped to admire it. The Frauenkirche was constructed from red brick in the late Gothic style within only 20 years. The building was designed very plainly, without rich Gothic ornaments.
The cathedral can hold around 20,000 people, and Catholic services are held regularly. The interior of the cathedral, which is among the largest hall churches in southern Germany, consists of three naves of equal height 102 ft. 20,000 available seats is surprising when one considers at end of the 15th Century the city only had about 13,000 inhabitants.
Not much further was Neues Rathaus on the Marienplatz
with its famous Glockenspiel.
Naturally I had to walk over to the Hofbrauhaus. Inside musicians were playing New Ulm style music for beer guzzlers.
On my way back to the hotel, I took time to view the St. Michaelskirche.
The church was built by William V, Duke of Bavaria between 1583 and 1597 as a spiritual center for the Counter Reformation.
My self-guided tour ended, I turned in for the night.
Wednesday, May 26
Breakfast was included at the hotel. Since we had until 1:30 pm before boarding the Saga bus for Austria, I made good use of the morning by walking back to Neuhauser Street. I stopped to watch the fountain at Karlsplatz. The fountain in the middle of the square was dedicated to humanist and cosmographer Sebastian Münster (1488-1552), who spent several years in a Franciscan monastery here in the early 16th century.
St. Peter’s Church interior. Oldest church in Munich.
The church housed the bones of some saint studded with jewels.
Downtown Munich Viktualienmark a colorful food market
and beer garden
We met our guide Brian and then boarded a bus that would take us to Austria. We drove past Bavarian farm houses that had the barns attached. Brian said that the barns were constructed that way to serve as an insulation buffer to the house from weather.
We arrived in Fieberbrunn, a beautiful city nestled in a valley. Fieberbrunn is a market town in Tyrol, Austria, in the Kitzbuhel district. It is located in the Kitzbuhel Alps. Fieberbrunn has a population of 4,180, and is the most populous municipality in the Pillersee Valley.
According to a legend, the fountain near its church, and later also the market town received the name Fieberbrunn (fever fountain) when Tyrollean Countess Margarete Maultasch was healed from fever after drinking from it. Previously the market town was named Pramau. The city and castle/hotel is located between Salzburg & Innsbruck (around Kitzbuhel).
Munich (Munchen) is on the upper left of this map. Kitzbuhel is in the center labeled with blue letters.
The Schloss Rosenegg where I stayed is an enchanting castle built by Baron Rosenberg in 1187.
A beautiful building, the hotel has retained a lot of original charm with castle turrets, suits of armor and coats of arms. It has seen many personalities over centuries including Grand Duchess Margaret Maultasch and Emperor Napoleon. Napoleon defeated the Austrians here in 1809 and took up residence in Rosenegg Castle. In
1398 the manor was lovingly restored and became the Castle Hotel. Although Castle Rosenegg meets the modern requirements of a hotel for the comforts of its guests, it still retains its unique charm. A river ran beside the hotel just outside my room. The water came from melting snow in the mountains.
That evening we had the first of our many excellent dinners. Music for the night was provided by an Austrian singer. The waitress in the foreground was from the local area and she was to serve as our daily waitress. I recorded the dinner and dessert on the video because they were just great.
We had an included breakfast -- more than adequate.
At 10 am the Saga group was taken on a guide led orientation with a walk around Fieberbrunn that took around two hours. She started with a tour of our castle. She explained how the castle is connected by an underground tunnel.
Then we hiked out into the beautiful countryside around the valley. One stop was at a horse farm with the house and barn connected. The architecture was very traditional Austrian with many attractive flower boxes
As our guide was talking, the owner of the farm came down the pathway bring along his cattle.
The picture lacks detail because it was copied
from a videotape.
We stopped for a schnapps break at a local residence. It was homemade and it was powerful. Schnapps is a kind of fruit brandy made from fermented fruits, which are distilled to alcohol levels often in excess of 40%, The original schnapps, translated from German to "a mouthful," was first made in Germany and is still consumed there regularly, as well as in Austria.
Our journey in Fieberbrunn included the Gottesdienste Kirche (lower right in picture).
At the conclusion of our long walk we were treated to apple strudel and hot chocolate
in the hotel courtyard.
In the afternoon we took a half day tour of Kitzbuhel. Kitzbuhel is a medieval city in Tyrol, situated along the River Kitzbühler Ache, Once inside the old walls, we encountered highly decorated buildings. The wars of the eighteenth and nineteenth century didn't reach the city, whereas some inhabitants participated in the Tyrollean rebellion against Napoleon. Kitzbuhel once more became part of Bavaria after the Treaty of Pressburg, but was reunited with Tyrol after the fall of Napoleon, at the Congress of Vienna.
St. Andrew’s Church seemed to dominate the City.
We were impressed with the Baroque interior (1435-1506),which has a lavishly Rococo chapel, the Rosakapelle, and the marvelously ornate tomb of the Kupferschmid family.
That evening we had an elaborate Schlosshein buffet dinner, with a tremendous varieties of vegetables and entrees, Music was provided by two harpists. The one harpist was an Eberhardt, the family that owns of the restaurant.
Friday, May 28th
Today the Saga group went to Salzburg on an optional all day tour. I had been there enough times to pass on it and stay in Fieberbrunn. I toured the castle some more and walked around the grounds. By chance I met the elder Eberhardt who presided over the management of the Castle. She was in her 80s. Her son (third generation of the family ownership) was the one who actually ran things. Like her son, she took great pride in the family castle.
In in the evening her son showed slides about Austria. Dinner was special for us and those returning from Salzburg.
Saturday, May 29th
After breakfast we assembled for an included cable car ride in Fieberbrunn. The view was fantastic as we ascended into heaven.
At the top of our lift was a beautiful lake. When there was not enough ice for skiing on the slopes, ice was made from this water.
Up on this elevated site we had cold beer compliments of fellow travelers, the Sterns.
When we returned to earth we walked from the lift station back to the hotel for a platter lunch in the courtyard.
Thus refreshed, we walked along a shady along rushing water of the river. foot path. We watched young people ass they kayaked on the rushing water. Poor quality picture because it came from the videotape.
This evening the owner (Eberhardt) led us on a torch light walk.
Everyone who stayed at the Castle, even children, were invited on the walk.
Everyone was given a candle to carry for our march around the estate.
The evening closed with a light and sound presentation on the history of Fieberbrunn. This was followed with a colorful display of fireworks.
Sunday, May 30
At 9 am we all loaded into white vans for an all day tour of Grossglockner Pass. On the way we reached Hochmais, an impressive vantage point to the valley ...
... and the imposing glaciers of the Ferleiten Valley.
As we continued on to higher ground, snow was piled along side the road. As we looked off to the left we could see a line-like roads running along the side of the mountain. This was the trail used by the Romans -- the Roman Road. People crossed the Hochtor almost two-thousand years before Christ.
At last we reached our lookout point (upper left in picture) for the main attraction. The Kaiser-Franz-Josefs-Höhe is named after the visit Kaiser Franz-Josef made here in 1856. Since that time, this place has been called the “Kaiser Franz Josef Höhe”. Nowadays, the “Kaiserstein mit Kaiserstatue” (“Emperor’s Stone with Emperor’s Statue“) serves as a reminder of this past visit. With the permission of the Emperor, the “Kaiser Franz Josef Haus” mountain lodge was built here in 1905.
We parked the van and gazed at the famous Grossglockner; at 3,798 m above sea level, it is Austria's highest mountain and the highest mountain in the Alps east of the Brenner Pass. It is one of the main tourist attractions in Austria and has over 1.2 million visitors every year; however, it is closed in the winter.
The Pasterze Glacier, at approximately 5.2 mi. in length, is the longest glacier in Austria and in the Eastern Alps. It lies within the Hohe Tauern mountain range in Carinthia, directly beneath Austria's highest mountain, the Grossglockner. The length of the glacier currently decreases about 33 ft each year. Its volume diminished by half since the first measurements in 1851.
All this sightseeing made me hungry so I stepped into the restaurant here and ordered a blueberry strudel.
And at the gift shop I picked up a Tyrollean Alp hat.
Our driver headed northward and we descended from the mountains to a quaint city on a lake called Zell and See (bottom of picture).
At Zell and See we were given time to to walk along the promenade and waterfront park.
Our walk took us past a swimming beach and we saw more than we expected -- beach ware was not quite like our swimming outfits back home.
The Town Square offered a nice resting place while we waited for our transportation back to the castle/hotel.
We continued north and then westward to Fieberbrunn (Kitzbuhel on map).
Back at the hotel we had fondue for dinner as a yodeler performed for us.
Monday, May 11
For the more adventurous an Alpine walk was offered. Those who participated earned badges of honor. I preferred the more sedate walk around Fieberbrunn with its flat pathways and wild flowers.
That evening we experienced an Austrian night with folk dance performances. In Austria, folk dances in general are known as Folkloretänze, i.e., "folklore dances," whereas the Austrian type of folk dance is known as Volkstanz (literally "folk dance").
The tasty dinner added to the wonderful evening.
Tuesday, June 1
This was a day set aside for a tour of Innsbruck. I had been here before, but the city is worth revisiting. We stopped to visit the
Basilica of Frau.
And the elaborately decorated interior
The Olympic Ski Jump
Statue of Andreas Hofer. Hofer began to secretly organize insurrection against Napoleon, visiting villagers and holding councils of war in local inns. Reputedly he was so much on the move that he signed his messages "Andreas Hofer, from where I am" and letters to him were addressed to "wherever he may be". At the same time other leaders organized their own forces elsewhere in the Alps. Hofer became a leader of a militia contingent in Passeier Valley.
The French announced a reward of 1500 guilders for his head. His neighbor Franz Raffl betrayed him and revealed his hiding place to the authorities. Napoleon's order: "Give him a fair trial and then shoot him." Later Napoleon claimed to Prince Meternich that Hofer was executed against his wishes. Andreas Hofer was executed by a firing squad in 1810. He refused a blindfold and gave money to a corporal in charge, telling him to "shoot straight". Hofer became a martyr in Germany and Austria and a rallying point against the power of Napoleon end of the 14th century.
The Imperial Palace or Hofburg was completed at the end of the 14th century. After that the building was reconstructed and extended several times. The main reconstruction was ordered by Maria Theresa in 18th century. In this time the palace acquired its nowadays Baroque and Rococo motifs. The building is flanked by graceful domed towers.
Close by was the Court Church. Emperor Maximilian's ornate black marble tomb is a fine example of German Renaissance sculpture and was intended to glorify the Holy Roman Empire. It is surrounded by 24 marble reliefs depicting his accomplishments, as well as 28 larger-than-life-size statues of his real and legendary ancestors, including King Arthur of England. Three of the statues are based on designs by Dürer. Tirol's national hero Andreas Hofer is also buried in the Hofkirche.
Helblinghaus was built in a gothic style in the 15th century. Later in 1730, the design of the structure was changed into a Baroque style which was festooned by Johann FischeHelblinghaus, Innsbruck is one of the most aesthetic buildings that one can come across while visiting Innsbruck. Helblinghaus is so attractive and magnificent that it is really hard to take one's eyes off from it.
Cathedral St. Jacob was rebuilt somewhere between 1717 and 1724 on the place of an earlier Gothic church, designed by Johann Jacob Herkommer. It is roofed with domes and has a rich baroque interior, part of which was executed by the Asam brothers. One of its major treasurers is the precious Madonna and Child on the main altar, painted by German master Lucas Cranach the Elder.
The Golden Roof (German: Goldenes Dachl) is a landmark in Innsbruck, Austria built in 1500. It was decorated with 2657 fire-gilded copper tiles for Maximillian I, Holy Roman Emperor. The reliefs on the balcony show coats of arms, symbols and other figures in his life.
We returned to Fieberbrunn in time to rest up before our Farewell Dinner. Nice Austrian feast with complimentary Austrian wine. We toasted Saga Travel for a wonderful travel experience.
After an early morning breakfast we walked out to the bus. The owner of the castle was personally loading our luggage into the hold of the bus. He waved to us as we pulled out of the parking lot. It did not take long before our arrival in Munich. We checked in at the City Hotel where we had previous stayed at the beginning of our “holiday.”
Since we still had time for Munich, I walked over to the Alte Pinakothek Art Museum to look at works of the European masters.
Leonardo da Vinci, “Virgin and Child”
Murillo's "Beggar Boys Eating Grapes and Melon"
Rembrandt van Rijn's "The Sacrifice of Isaac"
Lucas Cranach’s “Crucified Christ”
Thursday, June 3
In the early morning I took a Delta flight to Atlanta and then a flight to Minneapolis
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