You only see what you know (Goethe)
An interesting detail seen at a celebration for miners in Leoben. The miners are wearing a so called ‘Arschleder’ (German), also known as breech leather or miner’s apron. It served to keep the seat of the trousers from wearing out when sliding down to the tunnels as well as keeping out the cold and moisture when sitting.
Part of a rainbow caught on a train journey north of Graz. The photo was taken through dirty windows, the train was at high-speed and probably most of the camera settings were wrong. I didn’t edit the photo though in order to show how intense the colours of the rainbow were.
The Starcke Haus stands on a rock named Schloßberg in the middle of Graz. The German actor Gustav Starcke (1848-1921) lived here for many years and wrote some poems about the Schloßberg. Today, it houses a restaurant where one can have a fine meal with a view of Graz.
Oberkapfenberg Castle (Burg Oberkapfenberg) is located high over Kapfenberg, a place in the Austrian state of Styria (Steiermark). The castle was first mentioned in 1173 as Burg Chaffenberch. Today it is a venue for a big medieval festival every year. This photo was taken on a train journey from Graz to Vienna.
Sundial at Obermurau Castle (Schloss Obermurau) in Murau, a city in the Austrian state of Styria. The Renaissance castle was built in the years 1628 – 1643.
On a train journey from Graz to Gmunden, I took this photo of Strechau Castle (Burg Strechau). It is considered the second-largest castle in Styria. Inside, it offers a collection of classic automobiles.
The museum exhibits in a former locomotive hall the history of the Südbahn Railway (Vienna-Trieste) with an emphasis on the route over the Semmering Pass (Semmering Railway). In a second locomotive shed a numerous collection of draisines is gathered. [German]
An electric locomotive built in 1925/26. The nickname of this class of locomotives is ‘Austrian Crocodile’. These locomotives used to drive heavy trains along the mountain routes of Austria.
The Murinsel in Graz is an artificial floating platform in the middle of the Mur river. US artist Vito Acconci designed this sort of island in 2003. Two footbridges connect the platform with both banks of the river. Inside the dome, people in a café have a good time watching canoeists driving along the river. [German]
On a train journey through Styria I took this photo through the windows of a local train.
At Riegersburg Castle, I saw this sign pointing to an entrance (Eingang) for witches (Hexen) reserved for witches. Joking apart, it was the entrance to a detailed exhibition about the history of witch-hunting in the Austrian region of Styria.
I took this photo of Riegersburg Castle (Riegersburg) from a distant hill. The castle is considered one of the largest fortresses in the Austrian state of Styria. Inside, it offers an excellent exhibition about the history of witch-hunting.