Tyrol (Austria) -- Description and travel; Tyrol (Austria) -- History
The Gaisberg is ascended from the little village of Parsch, reached by
tram from the city. The railway takes one through beautiful scenery in
about an hour to the summit of the mountain, which is so favourite an
excursion with the well-to-do Salzburgers, and from which such a
beautiful prospect is spread out at one's feet. To the north one can
catch glimpses of the undulating foreground of the Alps and shining
lakes; whilst Salzburg now more than 4000 feet below looks almost
insignificant, and like a toy town set in the midst of a green plain
through which winds a thin, silver line, the Salzach. In the far
distance is the magnificent range of the Alps, in which stand the
Watzmann, 9050 feet; the Dachstein, 9990 feet, with its rocky
pinnacles catching the sunshine, and its glaciers and snow-fields
gleaming white, whilst in the further distance through the deep-cut
gap formed by the Lueg Pass one sees the fields of eternal snow on the
Hohen Tauern glinting at one, and on a quite clear day one can catch
glimpses of the white peaks of the Grossglockner, 12,660 feet and the
Wiesbachhorn, 11,900 feet, across the desolate-looking Steinerne Meer.
The prospect has been compared, but somewhat loosely we think, to that
from the Rigi. But, whether we think it finer or less fine, we can
agree that in one respect the view and interest of the scene is not
exceeded by its Swiss rival--the wonderful changes of light and shade
which come and go over the landscape between the hours of sunrise and
sunset, during which Nature seems to work with a brush full of the
most delicate colours and uses them as no human artist could hope to
do.
From the Kapuzingerberg, which is only half the height of the
Gaisberg, the view is not so extensive, but it is well worth climbing
to see. On the way up one obtains most beautiful peeps of the city
from two distinct points; whilst from the summit one gets a panorama
which will satisfy all save those who have made the Gaisberg ascent
first. The way up is, after a long flight of steps about two hundred
in number, through a most delightful beech wood, where one is tempted
often to stop to rest or to admire some vista of the valley or town
seen through a framework of feathery, green branches. There are, too,
on the Kapuzingerberg several interesting buildings. The first to be
reached is the Church of the Capuchin Monastery built in the last year
of the sixteenth century by Archbishop Wolf Dietrich. A beautiful old
garden is attached to the Monastery, from which one has a fine
prospect of the town and surroundings. Alas! it is only open to men,
and thus by monkish custom women are shut out of one more "earthly
paradise."
[Sidenote: THE MOZART MEMORIAL]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account