| Inspired from my cave adventure yesterday, I | | | | American "restaurant". A Gasthaus (literally |
| met my friends Andrea and Herbert early this | | | | translated: "guest house") will usually serve |
| morning to go on a hike through the Raabklamm | | | | solid traditional Austrian food; frequently |
| (Raab River Gorge), which is surrounded by | | | | it will also feature an outdoor patio since |
| limestone mountains that hold more than 700 | | | | eating in the fresh air is very popular in |
| caves, including the famous Katerloch and the | | | | Austria; and many Gasthäuser also offer |
| Grasshöhle, two publicly accessible caves | | | | overnight accommodation with breakfast. |
| and major tourist attractions in the Weiz | | | | |
| area. | | | | This is indeed the case with Gasthaus |
| | | | Reisinger which does not only offer Austrian |
| Again, we drove through the rolling hills of | | | | cuisine and a beautiful patio, but also |
| Göttelsberg, Haselbach, Leska and | | | | functions as a bed and breakfast, mostly for |
| Dürntal to park our car near an entrance | | | | guests from places like Vienna or other more |
| point of the Raab Gorge. Andrea had given me | | | | urban parts of Austria and Germany. I sat |
| a couple of Nordic Walking poles which I was | | | | down to admire the lengthy menu and decided |
| about to try out for the first time. Nordic | | | | on two local specialties: a "Fritattensuppe" |
| Walking, also referred to as "pole walking" | | | | (pancake strip soup), an item that I always |
| or "fitness walking" is a sport that consists | | | | have to eat several times when I am back |
| of walking with modified ski poles. | | | | home, as well as a "Mulbratlbrot" - a piece |
| Originally popular in Finland and | | | | of Austrian rye bread, covered with a thin |
| Scandinavia, Nordic Walking has become | | | | layer of butter and thin slices of a special |
| extremely popular throughout Europe, although | | | | tender cut of smoked pork, topped with |
| it hasn't quite caught on yet in North | | | | horseradish. |
| America. | | | | |
| | | | Rye bread covered by a variety of different |
| I was initially a little skeptical about the | | | | cold cuts or smoked meats is a typical |
| concept, but once I tried the walking poles, | | | | in-between meal in Austria, and they are also |
| I realized that walking uphill and downhill | | | | a popular snack for hikers and visitors of a |
| both became a lot easier since the poles | | | | "Buschenschank" (a restaurant serving rustic |
| provide additional support and balance. And | | | | local foods owned and operated by a local |
| the continuous arm motion burns up to 40% | | | | wine farmer). On this perfect day the sun was |
| more calories than walking alone and | | | | shining down and I thoroughly enjoyed the |
| facilitates quicker movement, even on flat | | | | peaceful and serene rolling hills of Eastern |
| terrain. The additional benefit of Nordic | | | | Styria. Once again I realized that the area I |
| walking is that a portion of one's weight is | | | | grew up in was a truly beautiful neck of the |
| distributed to the poles, which reduces the | | | | woods. The owner of the restaurant, Mr. |
| pressure on the back as well as the knee and | | | | Reisinger, brought me my meal and we started |
| hip joints. | | | | chatting a bit about the fact that I was |
| | | | actually a local who had emigrated to Canada |
| Now convinced of the benefits of pole | | | | more than 20 years ago. He on the other hand |
| walking, we started our descent into the Raab | | | | used to work full-time in maintainence in a |
| River Valley on a first gently, then steeply | | | | local wood processing plant until a few years |
| sloping forest path. The Raabklamm is | | | | ago when his elderly parents started to |
| Austria's longest gorge and divided into the | | | | require full-time care. Since that time he |
| "Grosse Raabklamm" (large Raab Gorge) with a | | | | has been running his hospitality |
| length of about 10 km, and the "Kleine | | | | establishment full-time together with his |
| Raabklamm" (small Raab Gorge, about 7 km | | | | wife and children, a typical Austrian |
| long). We were headed straight towards the | | | | family-based business. |
| Grosse Raabklamm which is the wilder of the | | | | |
| two stretches, characterized by vertical | | | | The meal was delicious and after picking up |
| limestone cliffs, wooden bridges, suspension | | | | an icecream for dessert I was perfectly |
| bridges, walks beside the river as well as | | | | prepared for my next destination: Graz, the |
| sections of the trail that veer away from the | | | | capital of Styria and the second-largest city |
| water and take you along an elevated section | | | | in Austria. Just minutes from the restaurant |
| of the slopes. I had already explored the | | | | I stopped my car to have a look back at these |
| Kleine Raabklamm earlier last Saturday with | | | | rolling hills, one of my favourite areas when |
| my sister-in-law Anneliese. | | | | I grew up, and to chat with some cows that |
| | | | were lounging around a large pasture. |
| The Raabklamm itself has remained very | | | | |
| natural and undeveloped and is home to a very | | | | Much of Austria's cattle industry is still |
| diverse group of animals such as foxes, | | | | based on free-range methods, and adds a |
| badgers as well as moufflons, a species of | | | | significant contribution to the country's |
| wild sheep that is also referred to as "goat | | | | economy. Roughly 80,000 cattle farms own |
| antelopes". Amphibians such as fire | | | | about 2.1 million cattle, of which about |
| salamanders and a diverse selection of | | | | 800,000 are dairy cows. Only 5.5% of Austrian |
| predatory birds have contributed to the | | | | cattle farms have more than 100 animals, and |
| Raabklamm's designation as a protected | | | | the small size of the farms ensures a close |
| "Natura 2000" area, a Europe-wide nature | | | | connection between the farmer and his/her |
| conservation area. Plant life along the steep | | | | animals. These cows were obviously enjoying |
| limestone cliffs also includes remainders of | | | | their carefree lifestyle and their |
| ancient pine forests and a variety of alpine | | | | unrestricted ability to roam on the hilly |
| plants. | | | | pastures. |
| | | | |
| We only covered a section of the entire | | | | I continued my drive along 25 km of rolling |
| Grosse Raabklamm and occasionally hiked next | | | | country roads into Styria's largest urban |
| to the river, and at other times we hiked | | | | centre. With a population of about 250,000 |
| away from the river along the slopes of the | | | | Graz is the second largest city in Austria. |
| gorge. My friend Herbert used a couple of the | | | | Although it is a significant regional and |
| suspension bridges to demonstrate the laws of | | | | industrial centre, Graz is not as well known |
| physics and started shaking the contraption | | | | as smaller cities like Salzburg and |
| while Andrea and I were walking across. | | | | Innsbruck. Due to its impeccably maintained |
| Fortunately the suspension bridges are quite | | | | architectural heritage, Graz was declared a |
| sturdy and all the trails and ladders are | | | | UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999, and |
| well-maintained. After an hour and a half of | | | | became the European Cultural Capital in 2003. |
| hiking we arrived at the hydro dam that is | | | | Its name is derived from the Slovenian term |
| part of the local hydro electricity | | | | "Gradec" which literally means "little |
| generating system. This area of Austria was | | | | fortress". |
| electrified in the late 1800s, primarly at | | | | |
| the initiative of local electricity pioneer | | | | At the eastern entrance of the city there is |
| Franz Pichler.To this day hydro-electric | | | | a suburban area called Mariatrost which is |
| power delivers about two thirds of all | | | | crowned by the large pilgrimage church of |
| electricity used in Austria and my home town | | | | Mariatrost. I stopped at the top of the |
| of Weiz was one of the centres of early hydro | | | | Purberg hill, parked my car and walked past a |
| power generation. | | | | large restaurant to the front of the church. |
| | | | The Basilica of Mariatrost (Maria |
| After admiring some fairly ancient looking | | | | Consolation) was built between 1714 and 1724 |
| hydro generating equipment we hiked back up | | | | in baroque style. |
| to the local country road and drove back in | | | | |
| my car, which we had parked earlier, to our | | | | The ceiling frescoes in the interior of the |
| point of origin. Andrea and Herbert had to | | | | church are particularly noteworthy. Two |
| leave and I was planning to continue my | | | | massive 61 m high towers anchor the church |
| excursion to Graz, the provincial capital. | | | | and cupola at the eastern end of the |
| But before that I had to nurture my appetite, | | | | structure and can be seen from far away. The |
| and I was just a minute away from a | | | | front of the church is accessed through a set |
| well-known local restaurant whose Austrian | | | | of stairs called the Angelus Steps. To this |
| delicacies were certain to hit the spot. | | | | day the Basilica of Mariatrost is the second |
| Gasthaus Reisinger is one of the restaurants | | | | most important pilgrimage church (after |
| located next to the Raabklamm. Actually the | | | | Mariazell) in the Austrian province of |
| Austrian concept of "Gasthaus" is a good deal | | | | Styria. |
| more rustic and down-to-earth than the North | | | | |