In Waldeseinsamkeit

I knew that today was maybe the last time I had to do some serious hiking. Since my Liederabend programs takes place next weekend I can't do anything then. After a few days of cool, rainy weather (which we all loved) today turned warm and sunny. I finally invested in a Wanderkarte, a hiking map, of the Graz area. I planned my hike and set off by train early this morning. After traveling twenty-five minutes to the north I was in the town of Frohnleiten. (I have visited this charming little town before and posted some pics of it on this blog -- it is perhaps the prettiest town in the whole Steiermark.) The plan was to follow a marked trail up a nearby mountain, walk along the top, and back down further south where I could catch the train back from Peggau-Deutschfeistritz (now there's a very Austrian name for you!). On the way to the start of the trail I passed through the tiny village of Adriach and went by the local church. Mass must have just gotten out. Virtually every person was dressed in Austrian national costume, the ladies in their pretty dirndls and the men in Lederhosen and smart Tyrolean jackets. What a fine looking group of people they were! It was quite a strenuous hike until I reached the top of the mountain. Most of the trail was in deep forest but occasionally there were clearings which afforded panoramic views of the area. One photo shows Frohnleiten in the valley of the Mur (the same river that runs through Graz). Both the major train line north and the Autobahn to Vienna run through this narrow valley. It is surprising to find dairy farms at such high altitudes, but they have managed to create pasture land on the steepest slopes. On the way down I somehow got off the marked trail and ended up somewhere I didn't expect to be. With my trusty map I found my way and made it to the train, many extra kilometers later. It was another of those adventures one must expect hiking in unknown territory. I figure I must have walked at least 16-20 miles today. The day ended with a superb dinner with colleagues at a place called the Gasthof Jobstl (another very Austrian name), which sits on a hill overlooking our neighborhood and the mountains beyond.

Frohnleiten

Today I was a bad dog. The faculty was invited to hear and judge the contestants in the "Meistersinger" competition this weekend. Being selected for this is a high honor in the AIMS universe, it seems. Unfortunately, the process -- preliminaries, semi-finals and final round -- would take up many hours of both Saturday and Sunday. I had a long week of teaching and, to be frank, the last thing I wanted to hear was more singing. The forecast for today, Saturday, was for warm and sunny weather. After a week of rain I just couldn't resist an outing and skipped out on the competition. There are, after all, about 30 other people who will be listening to this.
Where to go? All of the Steiermark and beyond awaited me. I opted for a short trip to the town of Frohnleiten. It's an old town of medieval origins that had strategic importance guarding the only bridge north of Graz over the river Mur, the same river that flows through Graz. I made my way to the Hauptbanhof (main railway station) and took the half-hour train trip north. The Graz railway station is an ugly modern affair, not one of those grand old stations one finds in some other cities. When the bombs fell in WW II the train networks were prime targets, of course. There are mountains around Graz, but not high ones. Just north and west of the city they get bigger. Frohnleiten is a delightful, picturesque little burg nestled in the mountains, perched on a rise above the river. It consists mainly of a large main square adorned with lovely old buildings, some from the 16th century. The modern city fathers went a little too far in their modernizing of the square, in my opinion; it looks like a cross between a mall and a play area, something like Disneyland on the Mur. But it is still very pretty. It doesn't take long to see the town and the one Baroque church. There was a tourist info place and the nice young man there suggested some easier hikes in the area. I headed north to the next village of Rothleiten, then turned into a lovely side valley towards Gamsgraben (the map he gave me was very helpful). The first few kilometers paralleled the autobahn. Despite the impressive scenery, the rush of auto traffic was a downer. But once in the side valley it became truly pastoral. I could see where new houses were being built in the villages -- weekend homes? people commuting to Graz? Living in a side valley whose road is a dead end, with mountains and forests on all sides and a cheerful brook running through the middle of it would be a fine location for a house. Sign me up.

Local charm

An old house in the main square, covered with ivy and bedecked with flowers.

Frohnleiten

A view of the town perched on a hill above the river, taken from the bridge over the River Mur. The previous historic wooden bridge was taken out by flooding in 1938. It was reconstructed in concrete after that, but in a style fitting to the historic setting.

Der Hauptplatz, Frohnleiten

A view of the main square from the steps of the church, Our Lady of Baroque Overkill. The town has won awards for its displays of flowers in the town. I believe it -- its gorgeous!

Decor by Tammy Faye

This is an interior shot of the church in Frohnleiten. I would describe the style as 'Tammy Faye Baker Baroque'. Could they have crammed any more decoration into this place? It's stuffed to the rafters with frescos, statuary, gold doodads, etc. My reaction as I walked in the door was: Egads!! But for those who like Austrian Baroque, this is the real deal.