Austria without the hype. Expect beauty, innovation and plenty of tradition, whatever the locals say.
I arrived in Schwarzenberg.
Schwarzenberg stands, indeed stands out, among the fresh mountains of the Bregenzerwald region in western Austria. The stone tower of the church faces a dancing pavilion, while two traditional guest houses look on. Their facades, like most around here, consist of stained wood layered like fish scales – or schindel as Irmtraud tells me.
“Bregenzerwald is my home,” she says. “And I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. People here – our young people – they leave to study or for work but they always come back. They always come home.”
By now, the mourners have gone and wedding guests begin to gather in front of the pavilion. The women wear juppe, embroidered aprons and bodices over long black skirts, accompanied by bright white blouses. It is, as Irmtraud tells me, the oldest traditional dress in Europe that’s still actually worn. I get a closer look at the juppe in the museum next to Angelika Kauffman’s paintings, where gold stitching and blue ribbon march across velvet, cotton and centuries of needlecraft.
Not that Schwarzenberg, or even the Bregenzerwald region as a whole, is all about tradition, no matter how many heart-shaped carvings and lace-trimmed pillows snuggle between wood shavings and low ceilings.
“We are not Tirol,” says Irmtraud.
In the village of Au, Andrea agrees. “Bregenzerwald prides itself on its innovation. You can see it everywhere, from the architecture to the gastronomy.”
She’s talking about the KäseStrasse, the cheese route that circles through artisanal shops, along the smooth but winding mountain roads and into the cooperative cellar near Lingenau. Rows of amber discs glow behind a pane of glass, while a woman slices cheese with a viciously large knife.
“Would you like a taste?”
The knife tells me I can’t refuse. Bregenzerwald Alpine cheese has a tough, sweet – yet salty – taste. Farmers here, like many elsewhere, have struggled to make a living the old-fashioned way. So, in typical Bregenzerwald fashion, they improvised, expanding into different types of cheese, gourmet tastings, tours, and in the case of one farmer, using cheese to create beauty products.
In the small town of Au, the Krone Hotel combines evening dinner with organ recitals at the church next door or live zither performances inside. The picturesque town of Bezau, with narrow streets and a church almost overbearingly perfect, has made a name for itself with its award-winning wellness hotels.
Modern art embraces the mountains in the form of 100 statues of Antony Gormley. Each one stands proud 2039 metres above sea level. Each one attracts attention from snow, hikers and inquisitive cows.
Yet for all the focus on the future and innovation, those cows, snowy mountains, wild orchids and alpine air dominate life here as much now as they did thousands of years ago. That’s why it’s such an interesting place to visit.
Back in Schwarzenberg, I’m warming up inside. As it happens, both the funeral and wedding parties have chosen the same cosy guesthouse, giving me plenty of chances to see the juppe in action.
It’s time to agree with Irmtraud. It’s not just for tourists, this is the real thing.
More on Abigail’s adventures in Austria you will find on her blog.
Abigail King is a freelance writer and photographer who swapped a career as a doctor for a life on the road. She has circled the globe twice, camped in the snows of Kilimanjaro and Patagonia and tracked down tigers, turtles and panda bears. She’s then had a hot shower and embraced the city life of New York, Rio, Paris and Tokyo.
original on treasures.austria.info
I arrived in Schwarzenberg.
Schwarzenberg stands, indeed stands out, among the fresh mountains of the Bregenzerwald region in western Austria. The stone tower of the church faces a dancing pavilion, while two traditional guest houses look on. Their facades, like most around here, consist of stained wood layered like fish scales – or schindel as Irmtraud tells me.
“Bregenzerwald is my home,” she says. “And I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. People here – our young people – they leave to study or for work but they always come back. They always come home.”
By now, the mourners have gone and wedding guests begin to gather in front of the pavilion. The women wear juppe, embroidered aprons and bodices over long black skirts, accompanied by bright white blouses. It is, as Irmtraud tells me, the oldest traditional dress in Europe that’s still actually worn. I get a closer look at the juppe in the museum next to Angelika Kauffman’s paintings, where gold stitching and blue ribbon march across velvet, cotton and centuries of needlecraft.
Not that Schwarzenberg, or even the Bregenzerwald region as a whole, is all about tradition, no matter how many heart-shaped carvings and lace-trimmed pillows snuggle between wood shavings and low ceilings.
“We are not Tirol,” says Irmtraud.
In the village of Au, Andrea agrees. “Bregenzerwald prides itself on its innovation. You can see it everywhere, from the architecture to the gastronomy.”
She’s talking about the KäseStrasse, the cheese route that circles through artisanal shops, along the smooth but winding mountain roads and into the cooperative cellar near Lingenau. Rows of amber discs glow behind a pane of glass, while a woman slices cheese with a viciously large knife.
“Would you like a taste?”
The knife tells me I can’t refuse. Bregenzerwald Alpine cheese has a tough, sweet – yet salty – taste. Farmers here, like many elsewhere, have struggled to make a living the old-fashioned way. So, in typical Bregenzerwald fashion, they improvised, expanding into different types of cheese, gourmet tastings, tours, and in the case of one farmer, using cheese to create beauty products.
In the small town of Au, the Krone Hotel combines evening dinner with organ recitals at the church next door or live zither performances inside. The picturesque town of Bezau, with narrow streets and a church almost overbearingly perfect, has made a name for itself with its award-winning wellness hotels.
Modern art embraces the mountains in the form of 100 statues of Antony Gormley. Each one stands proud 2039 metres above sea level. Each one attracts attention from snow, hikers and inquisitive cows.
Yet for all the focus on the future and innovation, those cows, snowy mountains, wild orchids and alpine air dominate life here as much now as they did thousands of years ago. That’s why it’s such an interesting place to visit.
Back in Schwarzenberg, I’m warming up inside. As it happens, both the funeral and wedding parties have chosen the same cosy guesthouse, giving me plenty of chances to see the juppe in action.
It’s time to agree with Irmtraud. It’s not just for tourists, this is the real thing.
More on Abigail’s adventures in Austria you will find on her blog.
Abigail King is a freelance writer and photographer who swapped a career as a doctor for a life on the road. She has circled the globe twice, camped in the snows of Kilimanjaro and Patagonia and tracked down tigers, turtles and panda bears. She’s then had a hot shower and embraced the city life of New York, Rio, Paris and Tokyo.
original on treasures.austria.info
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