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| Burg Hochosterwitz |
Day 19 (Tuesday, September 23rd 2008)
Today was my last day in Slovenia. After eating breakfast and checking out of the hotel, I began the drive north towards Austria. As was the case with all of my prior entrances into new countries, no passport check was completed at the border. It seems as though there is a similar agreement between countries in Europe as there is in the States; they just welcome and wave you on in!
It was raining in Lake Bled, but by the time I got to Klagenfurt, Austria the rain had stopped and the sun was trying to come out. Klagenfurt is the provincial capital of the Carinthia, which encompasses the southern region of Austria. The town is of medium size in terms of population (about 90,000) and offers visitors many beautiful squares and colorful architecture to look at.
After driving into the center of town, I parked in a garage located underneath
Neuer Platz, which was the central square of Klagenfurt. Within the square was located the
Dragon Fountain (Lindwurm), considered to be the emblem of the city.
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| Klagenfurt's Neuer Platz |
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| Klagenfurt's Neuer Platz |
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| Klagenfurt's Neuer Platz |
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| Dragon Fountain in Klagenfurt. |
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| Klagenfurt's Neuer Platz |
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| Klagenfurt's Neuer Platz |
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| Klagenfurt |
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| Klagenfurt |
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| Klagenfurt |
Next I visited Landhaus, a small courtyard that is home to the provincial government. From the courtyard, I walked to a church located at the end of Alter Platz called Stadthauptpfarrkirche St Egid. The church was nothing spectacular or memorable inside, but I did climb the tower and was rewarded with awesome views of Klagenfurt and the surrounding countryside.
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| Landhaus Courtyard |
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| Landhaus Courtyard |
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| St. Egid of Klagenfurt |
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| St. Egid of Klagenfurt |
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| View from St. Egid of Klagenfurt. |
After the climb I walked down Alter Platz, one of the main thoroughfares of Klagenfurt, and was surprised to see the variety of colors that were used to paint each of the baroque buildings. I can only guess that, because the town is located near the border of Italy, it has many Italian influences including its colorful architecture.
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| Klagenfurt |
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| Klagenfurt |
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| Klagenfurt |
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| Klagenfurt |
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| Klagenfurt |
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| Klagenfurt |
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| Klagenfurt |
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| Klagenfurt |
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| Klagenfurt |
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| Klagenfurt |
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| Klagenfurt |
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| Klagenfurt |
From the center of town, I drove about five minutes to reach
Europapark, which is a vast park space located on the shores of Lake Worthersee. Within the park, I decided to visit
Minimundus, a park filled with miniature replicas of famous buildings and structures from all over the world. Each of the models has been meticulously designed, ensuring that every detail of each building is not missed. Some of my favorites included replicas of Neuschwanstein, a castle in Germany, the Taj Mahal from India, Sagrada FamÃlia from Barcelona, Chateau de Chenonceau from the Loire Valley in France, and the massive model of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. During the visit, I learned that I was able to make the replicas look more realistic if I got as close as I possibly could to the ground to take the photo (i.e. laying on the ground)! The entrance fee to the park was fairly steep (12 Euros/$18 USD) but I understood and appreciated the high cost when I saw all of the work that went into creating each replica. While I thoroughly enjoyed my time here, I imagine that children would have even more fun, making it a perfect choice for families.
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| Minimundus |
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| Minimundus |
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| Minimundus |
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| Minimundus |
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| Minimundus |
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| Minimundus |
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| Minimundus |
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| Minimundus |
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| Minimundus |
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| Minimundus |
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| Minimundus |
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| Minimundus |
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| Minimundus |
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| Minimundus |
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| Minimundus |
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| Minimundus |
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| Minimundus |
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| Minimundus |
After visiting the park, I drove out of Klagenfurt to the castle fortress of
Burg Hochosterwitz, which was dramatically perched on top of a hill. The complex was built in the late 16th century to protect its inhibitors from Turkish invaders. Visitors have two options for accessing the castle; you can either hike all the way to the top (which is at a steep incline) or you can pay a five Euro fee in addition to your entrance fee to ride a glass funicular to the top. I chose the second option as I figured it would add to the experience (and save my thighs from pain)! As I walked into the compartment of the funicular, it began to sway slightly from side to side if anyone moved, even slightly. The track that the funicular itself rode on seemed to have seen better days and did not feel as safe as it should have. Needless to say, I was happy to walk off the compartment as soon as it reached the top. The castle itself was not as interesting as I thought it would have been, but I guess it’s really the location and view that make the sight most impressive. The view of the surrounding valley and towns from the top was truly incredible; all you could see beyond you was lush green fields, sporadic small villages, with the mountains providing a beautiful backdrop. I also toured a small museum within the castle that allowed entrance into a few of the rooms. None of the explanations were listed in English, but they had lots of interesting medieval armor and paintings to view.
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| Burg Hochosterwitz |
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| Burg Hochosterwitz |
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| Burg Hochosterwitz |
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| Burg Hochosterwitz |
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| Burg Hochosterwitz |
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| View from Burg Hochosterwitz. |
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| Burg Hochosterwitz |
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| View from Burg Hochosterwitz. |
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| View from Burg Hochosterwitz. |
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| View from Burg Hochosterwitz. |
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| Burg Hochosterwitz |
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| Burg Hochosterwitz |
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| Burg Hochosterwitz |
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| View from Burg Hochosterwitz |
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| Burg Hochosterwitz |
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| Burg Hochosterwitz |
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| Funicular at Burg Hochosterwitz. |
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| Burg Hochosterwitz |
From the castle, I drove about ten minutes to the town of
St. Veit an der Glan. The city was small, but featured a beautifully restored old town with a friendly, pedestrian only main square (Hauptplatz) that contained fountains and lots of pretty architecture. I walked around the town for about 20 minutes and then began the drive back to Klagenfurt, where I sadly and reluctantly dropped my rental car off. I had such an enjoyable time with my little car. I love the sense of freedom a rental car gives you when traveling. It allows you to get off the beaten path and see things you wouldn't otherwise have been able to see. Since I had my Garmin navigator with me, the experience was filled with so much less stress than with my prior car rentals. I've begun to realize that I truly prefer renting a car and exploring the countryside more so than visiting a large city. Don’t get me wrong; I love big cities, but I just feel more comfortable and seem to have happier and more enjoyable experiences when visiting small towns and rural areas of a country.
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| St. Veit an der Glan |
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| St. Veit an der Glan |
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| St. Veit an der Glan |
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| St. Veit an der Glan |
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| St. Veit an der Glan |
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| St. Veit an der Glan |
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| St. Veit an der Glan |
From the rental car office,I took a taxi ride to the train station in Klagenfurt where I took a 3.5 hour train ride to Vienna, finally arriving around 22:00.
Up next: Vienna, Melk, and Krems
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