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