Austria

by Walter M. Weiss, Martin Siepmann (Photographer)

Between Lake Constance and Lake Neusiedler, in the middle of the Bregenz Forest and the Vienna Woods, this guide conveys the magnificent, enthralling, and beautiful scenery of Austria. Lofty peaks, deep-cut valleys, crystal-clear lakes, and lush mountain pastures grace this collection of images, along with the lazy meanderings of the Danube, gently rolling hills, terraces of vines, and the Pannonian Plain. Relating the country’s grand history, medieval strongholds, baroque palaces, churches, and monasteries are depicted as well as Jugendstil edifices and fantastical contemporary architecture, bearing witness to the cultural diversity of this Alpine republic. The Salzburg Festspiele, the Vienna Boys' Choir, and the waltz plus a vast collection of major works of art are reviewed, forming only a small part of Austria's rich artistic heritage. The charm and comfort of the imperial and royal age of the Habsburgs is captured, having been preserved in many a wine tavern, pub, and coffee house. Idyllic mountain village traditions are illustrated in local costume parades and the celebration of joyous festivals. This travel companion also features the age-old dynasty of the Habsburgs, the musical city of Vienna, the baroque monasteries of the Danube, the mountains of the Hohe Tauern, the culinary delights of Austria, and the country's many achievements in contemporary architecture.

Genres: Travel, Photography

224 pages, Hardcover

First published June 30, 2004

About the author

Walter M. Weiss, born 1961 in Vienna, Austria, read history, journalism and political science at Vienna university. Editor-in-Chief of several publications, he has travelled extensively worldwide, especially in North Africa, as well as the Middle East. He has been a freelance author since 1993, specialising in the subject of Islamic countries, Central European arts and culture and, more recently, in (South-)East Asia. His work has been published among others by GEO, Die Zeit, Merian, Neue Zürcher Zeitung and Weltwoche. Amongst the approx. 80 books, he has published so far, are Crash Course Islam, Der Basar / The bazaar (1994/1998), books about Austria, Egypt, Morocco, United Arab Emirates and Oman resp. about Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart as well as, in German, books on Bhutan, Burma, China, Vietnam, Syria, Morocco, Egypt, Iran, Jordan, Vienna, Venice, Prague, Salzburg, Beijing, Shanghai and many others.


Since 2009 he is also regularly accompanying select tourist groups as a lecturer through Iran and Morocco.


He currently lives in Vienna.

Reviews

[HornFan2 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the 2006 edition, that was in English and was a book on my mom's coffee table. I found it quite interesting, like the history of the Country, they break it down to the different areas of Austria, the photographs are really nice and that the legendary cult of the coffee house can be linked to Vienna, with it's many historical coffee houses.