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