Austria is not a natural home for elephants, leaving aside prehistoric ages. Nevertheless, you often find their depictions on old facades. For example, this inn in Scheibbs has been known as “Zum Schwarzen Elefanten” (Black Elephant Inn) since 1541.
Tag: Austria
A pair of griffins in Vienna
Though I don’t believe in fabulous creatures, I always love to see depictions of them. I found this pair of griffins guarding a bollard in front of a building on the historicizing Wiener Ringstraße (Vienna Ring Road).
Mozartsteg in Salzburg
The Mozartsteg in Salzburg is a footbridge named after Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The Art Nouveau-style bridge saw its completion in 1903. At that time, pedestrians had to pay a toll for using this privately owned construction.
Goose Girl Fountain in Vienna
The Goose Girl Fountain (Gänsemädchenbrunnen) displays a girl with three geese. Its creator was the Czech sculptor Antonín Pavel Wagner. The fowls refer to the first site of the fountain, which was the former poultry market of the city.
Cellar cat in Poysdorf
In the Austrian region of Weinviertel, you often see the model of a cat. This symbol is known as a cellar cat (Kellerkatze). Local people believe a cat living in a wine vault will always rest on the barrel with the best wine.
Mirabell Palace in Salzburg
Mirabell Palace (Schloss Mirabell) is known for its marble hall as a wedding location. Besides that, its garden offers a magnificent view of the Hohensalzburg Fortress and surprises with several magical sculptures.
House No. 1379 in Vienna
The first official numbering of houses in Vienna was ordered by Maria Theresa in 1770. Following this order, the house numbers were given successively as the houses were built. No street names but numbers from 1 to nonterminating.
Bruck Castle in Lienz
The Counts of Gorizia built Bruck Castle (Schloss Bruck) in the 13th century. The creator of the frescoes in the worth-seeing chapel was the late Gothic artist Simon von Taisten. At the museum, you find monumental paintings by Albin Egger-Lienz. [German]
Struggling Oryxes in Salzburg
I came across these two struggling oryxes while walking through the Salzburg Zoo. I loved the symmetry of their horns in the depicted situation. You find the Salzburg Zoo next to a big rock. That way, guests see the animals in a rugged setting.
Domitian Statue in Millstatt
While walking around Lake Millstatt in the Austrian state of Carinthia, this sculpture of a vigorous man caught my attention. It represented Prince Domitian of Carantania, who became famous for throwing 1,000 pagan statues into the lake.
Electric Loco Class 1099 in Mariazell
The electric locomotive Class 1099 was produced in 1910-1914 for the particular needs of the narrow-gauge Mariazell Railway. There, they were in operation for regular schedules until 2013.
‘Gherkins’ by Erwin Wurm
Salzburg is a very traditional city. Nevertheless, you see a lot of contemporary art in the streets. E.g. the “Gurken” (Gherkins) created by the Austrian artist Erwin Wurm. I like this piece of public art as the pickles seem to have some personality.