| After yesterday's exciting outing to Graz we | | | | market area and hiked up just a few meters to |
| were planning an even bigger outing today: an | | | | the summit area of Monte Lussari from where |
| excursion to the so-called "Drei-Länderecke", | | | | we had a beautiful 360 degree of the surrounding |
| an area where Austria, Italy and Slovenia come | | | | mountains. |
| together. So we left early in the morning to drive | | | | Lunch time had arrived and we decided to sit |
| from my home province of Styria along the A2 | | | | down on one of the balconies looking southwards |
| Highway to the Austrian province of Carinthia. The | | | | into the Italian Alps. On this gorgeous clear day |
| drive across the mountains of Western Styria is | | | | the view was astounding, and our appetite was |
| extremely scenic and the pleasant panoramas | | | | stimulated by the crisp Alpine air. We each |
| continued into the picturesque province of | | | | ordered a dish called "Tris" which consisted of |
| Carinthia ("Kärnten" in German). | | | | three types of pasta and also featured porcini |
| The province of Carinthia is the southernmost | | | | mushrooms and a local sheep cheese. The |
| Austrian province; it is close to 280 km long, but | | | | imposing mountain in our view was the Cima di |
| in some areas only 45 to 50 km wide. The | | | | Cacciatore (Hunter's Mountain). Neither one of us |
| western part of the province is characterized by | | | | could finish this hearty lunch and we decided to |
| the Austrian High Alps while the eastern part | | | | walk it off a bit with another walk in the summit |
| features wider valleys and medium-altitude | | | | area before we took the cable car down into the |
| mountains. Carinthia is an extremely popular | | | | valley. |
| tourist destination, in particular the scenic lakes | | | | We drove back to Tarvisio where we stopped |
| (e.g. Wörthersee, Ossiacher See, | | | | for about an hour and checked out the local |
| Millstätter See, Weißensee and many | | | | market. Tarvisio is the main town in the Val |
| others) are a huge tourist draw in the summer, | | | | Canale area of Italy, a very unique region since it |
| and in winter this province features several | | | | is the only area where Europe's major language |
| excellent ski areas for Alpine skiing enthusiasts. | | | | families, the Germanic, Slavic and |
| Our destination for today was a mountain called | | | | Romance-language speakers, meet, a unique |
| "Mangart" which is located in Slovenia and at 2679 | | | | constellation. Tarvisio itself used to be part of |
| m the fourth-highest peak of the Julian Alps. This | | | | Austria-Hungary until 1918 and the town used to |
| part of the Alps extends from north-eastern Italy | | | | be mostly German-speaking. For many years it |
| into Slovenia and was named after Julius Cesar. | | | | was an important market town and benefited |
| The predominant mineral in this area is limestone | | | | from the border traffic with Austria and the |
| which features many prominent and jagged | | | | former Yugoslavia, and respectively today's |
| mountain peaks. | | | | Slovenia. Even today there is still a significant |
| The Mangart mountain is most easily reached | | | | amount of shopping activity going on on |
| from the Italian side, so we crossed the | | | | weekends. |
| Austrian-Italian border at Thörl-Maglern. | | | | As the afternoon was rapidly coming to a close |
| Because Austria and Italy are both EU member | | | | we decided to start our drive back to the eastern |
| countries, we did not even have to show our | | | | part of Austria which would take about three |
| passports any more and continued into the border | | | | hours. Near the Carinthian city of Klagenfurt we |
| town of Tarvisio and turned left into a mountain | | | | happened upon a traffic jam on the highway and |
| river valley that would take us to our destination. | | | | the constant stop and go action brought our car |
| Our drive took us through quaint mountain villages | | | | close to overheating again. As we started to |
| that seemed rather remote and secluded, and | | | | ascend the mountain chain between Carinthia and |
| less than half an hour from Tarvis we reached | | | | Styria, we drove onto a parking lot where we let |
| the beautiful "Predil Lake", a gorgeous lake with | | | | the vehicle cool down again to make sure we'd be |
| green and turquoise waters that is surrounded by | | | | able to get across the mountains. Finally in the late |
| an imposing mountain panorama. We stopped for | | | | afternoon we had reached our home town of |
| a brief picture break and continued our ascent up | | | | Weiz and my brother and sister-in-law were |
| the Julian Alps past various switchbacks and | | | | looking forward to resting and relaxing after a |
| leftover fortifications dating back to World War I. | | | | somewhat stressful drive. |
| Many mountains in this area were actually scenes | | | | Well, I had had a bit of a snooze in the car, so I |
| of the mountain warfare that characterized the | | | | was ready to keep exploring. I hopped into my |
| First World War. Major military operations took | | | | rental car and decided to continue with some local |
| place in this area right in the high mountains | | | | explorations. I drove through the picturesque Weiz |
| between the middle of 1915 and late 1917 and | | | | Gorge along the Weiz River into the mountain |
| more than 300,000 Austro-Hungarian and Italian | | | | highlands that frame my hometown. I drove up |
| soldiers perished in these battles. | | | | into the region of Sommeralm which is a |
| Finally we reached the Italian-Slovenian border and | | | | landscape characterized by high-altitude alpine |
| we still had to present our passports. We | | | | meadows, located at about 1200 m. Most of the |
| continued further up on the flanks of the Mangart | | | | area is above the tree-line and cows graze freely |
| Mountain, but our vehicle started to overheat. My | | | | on wide open spaces. I watched a local farmer |
| brother stopped and opened the hood, and we | | | | feed the cows and continued driving along the |
| started to conclude that the engine cooling fan | | | | narrow road that connects the Sommeralm with |
| was not working. As a result, we would be unable | | | | the adjacent region of Teichalm (the word "Alm" |
| to continue climbing up the steep roads and had | | | | refers to "Alpine meadow or pasture".) |
| to turn around and head back into the valley. | | | | Some years ago seven small local municipalities |
| All of us were a little disappointed since we were | | | | came together to form a region called |
| not able to reach our mountain destination, but | | | | "Almenland", a designated natural park region that |
| we were quick on our feet and decided to think | | | | offers opportunities for hiking, biking, skiing as well |
| of an alternate location to visit. My brother | | | | as wonderful mountain vistas. Several restaurants |
| suggested to head back to the Tarvisio area in | | | | and bed and breakfasts provide opportunities for |
| Italy and to take the cable car up Monte San | | | | hearty Austrian dining and accommodation, and a |
| Lussari. Since the road was either downhill or | | | | small local lake features pedal boats. I parked my |
| even, our vehicle was able to cool down and we | | | | car at the "Teichwirt", a large local restaurant, and |
| were able to continue our trip on fairly flat terrain. | | | | started my walk around the lake. |
| South of Tarvisio we drove through the village of | | | | At the southern end of the lake is an over-sized |
| Camporosso whose name is said to go back to | | | | statue of an Alpine ox, a symbol of the |
| red toads that were said to populate the area. | | | | successful local free-grazing cattle operations that |
| We stopped at the base station of the Monte | | | | sell their products to numerous restaurants in the |
| Lussari cable car and then the three of us took a | | | | region. Every summer more than 4000 Alpine |
| ride up in one of the 91 cabins. We were able to | | | | oxen graze in this area and apparently the meat |
| take my brother's dog with us and enjoyed the | | | | that they produce is the most popular brand in all |
| eleven minute long ride up the mountain. As we | | | | of Austria. |
| ascended the mountain vistas got more | | | | I walked past the very rustic restaurant and local |
| impressive. | | | | entertainment centre called the |
| We exited at the top and I was surprised to see | | | | "Latschenhütte", a place that features Alpine |
| a tiny mountain village on top of the mountain | | | | disco parties every Tuesday and "Over-30" |
| which actually has been a popular pilgrimage | | | | parties every Friday. Typical Styrian live music is |
| destination for more than 600 years. Legends say | | | | also offered regularly and this complex of wooden |
| that in 1360 a shepherd was looking for stray | | | | structures is a popular entertainment destination |
| sheep and found them, kneeling next to a shrub | | | | for people from the surrounding region. Just next |
| and when he came closer, he saw that there was | | | | to it I stopped to watch a group of grazing cows |
| a wooden image of Mother Mary with Baby Jesus. | | | | and was entertained by a duo of bovine |
| He picked up the wooden image and took it down | | | | creatures that were "horsing around" (or should it |
| to the village to give it to the parish priest. But | | | | be "cowing around"?) with one another. They |
| the next day the image was on the mountain | | | | were snuggling up to one another, occasionally |
| again, surrounded by kneeling sheep. This | | | | one tried to jump the other and all around they |
| miraculous event repeated itself for the third time | | | | seemed to have a good time. |
| and then a senior church official issued the | | | | The sun was now setting and the air was getting |
| instruction to build a chapel at the location where | | | | cool, so I started my drive home past the |
| the image was found. | | | | mountain villages of Fladnitz and Passail, two |
| Several buildings surround this chapel, and almost | | | | major villages in the Passail Basin, a high-altitude |
| all of them house either restaurants or retail | | | | plateau that is framed on all sides by |
| stores where you can pick up souvenirs and | | | | mountaineous terrain. I definitely had had a full day |
| religious trinkets. Several restaurants feature | | | | today and was looking forward to new |
| outdoor patios or balconies that provide an | | | | adventures tomorrow. |
| unforgettable view. We walked through the small | | | | |