Austria Archives - Page 22 of 26

I admit that I a fascinated by Russia and Russian culture. Neil knows it far better than I, but I’ve been trying to read as much as I can fit in about the country. I just recently added Warren Beatty’s Reds to my Netflix cue. (I know, can you believe I haven’t seen this yet?). The recent intrigue over radioactive sushi, the growing power of former KGB spook Vladamir Putin, the influence of oil and resource wealth in the country…it all adds up to a modern day Sopranos with an accent. Well, it seems some folks are tired of the Russians.

Take a look at this story from the UK’s Telegraph about how the ski resort of Kitzbühel recently imposed a cap of 10 percent on the number of Russians it allows to stay at the resort. Who in the world was counting them and what criteria were they using? Well, according to the piece the locals claim the Russians are “loud and brash nouveaux riches who lower the tone of the resort”. Ah, I guess there aren’t enough Americans going to Kitzbühel these days. My guess is the cap would be set to 5 percent.

Salzburg’s Easter Festival. Get Cultured

by Jamie Rhein on Mar 28, 2007

If you’ve ever been to Salzburg, Austria, perhaps the mountains come to mind. After all, this is where Julie Andrews as Maria ran up over the hill with her arms flung wide. The tradition of music in this city continues to flourish since the time before Amadeus Mozart first licked his fingers across a keyboard when playing and composing for the royal courts.

These days, music is still a huge force in this gorgeous city. One time of the year to catch the best of the best in the Baroque tradition is for the Salzburg Easter Festival (Osterfestspiele Salzburg) that starts this Saturday. It always starts on the Saturday before Palm Sunday so you can keep this in mind for next year or the year after that or the year after that. The schedule is actually set through 2010 so you can plan ahead. Starting this year is the production of Wagner’s opera “Ring der Nibelungen.” The festival also has music performances by the Berlin Philharmonic orchestra.

This festival is not a street fair, drop-in variety exactly, but seems to be a who’s who in the world of high brow culture. If you want to feel like you’re among them, this is the place. If you do head to Salzburg any time soon, try a Mozart ball chocolate. They are marzipan on the inside and chocolate on the outside. You’ll know what I’m talking about. Mozart is stamped on the paper covering and they’re sold everywhere. Since Salzburg has several festivals throughout the year, there is something for everybody.

Rent a Country For Your Next Company Event

by Justin Glow on Mar 23, 2007

Sick of the boring company picnics at your local park? Try renting an entire country.

Along with a hand full of small villages in Austria and Germany, Liechtenstein — a small, landlocked country between Switzerland and Austria — can be rented from RentaVillage.com. Aimed at luring in large corporations, the company promises to “turn your events into an unforgettable experience.”

How do you even go about putting an entire country up for rent? Does the public get to vote on it? I don’t know that I’d want my entire country over run by Google or Sprint or whoever for an entire weekend.

Vienna: Leaning Away from Mozart

by Neil Woodburn on Mar 10, 2007

Vienna has almost always been synonymous with culture. Merely mentioning the Austrian capital evokes thoughts of Mozart, Strauss, and countless other composers, artists and performers. Highbrow culture is the heart of Vienna and it always will be.

There is a more cutting edge slowly emerging, however. Last summer I cruised through the Museum Quarter and found it packed with hip college students, funky art, avant-garde film fests, and concerts that would make Mozart roll over in his unmarked, communal grave.

The LA Times has taken note of Vienna’s new direction as well. Vienna from a New Angle, goes in search of the hip underbelly of Austria’s non-traditional arts scene. Take, for example the Jugendstiltheater. This former psychiatric hospital was where the Nazis performed medical experiments on unwilling “patients.” Today, the site is a venue for unorthodox dance, theater, and musical performances.

Vienna will probably never shake its reputation for classical music and fine art, but at least now there seems to be an outlet for those who wish to express their creativity in less Mozart ways.

Valentine’s Idea: Visit Valentine

by Willy Volk on Feb 7, 2007

Believe it or not, there are actually a number of cities named Valentine. For example:

Valentine, Nebraska (“America’s Heart City”) is home to the Valentine National Wildlife Refuge. According to the website, the Heart City plans to host a Valentine’s Day event, although — like shy suitors — they haven’t expressed their feelings about it yet. In 2005, the town hosted a chili cook-off.
Right off Purple Heart Trail, there’s a Valentine, Arizona. Generally speaking, though, unless you’re a bit of an adventurer, I doubt this is where you’ll be spending your special day.
Only a few hundred people live in the west Texas town of Valentine.
There’s a Valentine Village in New Mexico.
Upper Austria seems to dislike the fact that it has a small village called Valentine.
France boasts Saint-Valentin — “The Lovers Village” — which also has a Garden of Lovers. Not surprisingly, thousands of couples marry in this village of 258 permanent residents each year.