DELIGHTFUL AUSTRIA

GREIN, AUSTRIA

Approaching Grein we biked over part of the old horse path where decades ago horses trod pulling barges up and down the river. That was a first.

Grein is a picturesque little village providing wonderful Kodak moments.

          Our 700-year old hotel had been in the same family since 1912 and was furnished with antiques. The hotel was small but completely modernized. Across the street from the hotel was a bike shop and I didn’t waste any time getting there to buy a sheepskin seat cover for my bike. I hoped it would provide some relief. Unbelievably this had seemed like a pretty easy 40-mile day. Maybe it was the strudel.

          The village of Grein, established in 1147, presently had a population of 3000. The town hall, built in 1563, is still in use. Over a century ago the townspeople elected to move the cemetery out of town, as they wanted a more traditional church plaza.

            At this point the Danube is narrow with many rock outcroppings. In years past it was not uncommon for ships to run aground here and of course there is a legend about a beautiful mermaid sitting on the rocks distracting the ship’s crew. (I’ve heard a similar story several times in different places, but---) By the 12^th and 13^th centuries shipping had increased so much that piloting of ships became a booming business. In addition to the rock outcroppings large swells and dangerous whirlpools added to the danger. In 1489 the piloting business was taken over by two brothers who were friends with Fredric II. Fredric gave the village permission to incorporate in 1491.In 1847 the first steamboat started a new era of shipping.

          In the 1950s the stone outcroppings in the S curve of the river were blown up to provide safer shipping. Locks and an electrical generating plant were built in 1958.

            Immediately after breakfast the next morning we took a walking field trip to the castle high on the hill; the view of the river and countryside from the top was spectacular. The castle is still occupied by the prince who owns it. In 1489, 500 volunteers who were indebted to the king spent five years building the castle. The present prince likes to bowl so he had a special building erected to house a bowling alley and entertainment room. If one did not know the history one could speculate for a long time on the purpose of such an odd shaped building.

            During WW II the city was over-run by Russians who occupied the castle. They destroyed many of the furnishings and removed even more. The castle has been only partially restored.

            In 1642 a fire destroyed 73 of the 83 homes in Grein plus the church tower. The owner of the restaurant was found responsible for the fire and had to pay all damages.

             The most recent flood, in 1991, flooded all the waterfront homes where water reached ceiling level. All had been restored. It’s a charming small Austrian village.

SLOVIKIA

              Bratislava

The first time I rode by Slovakia on the way to Budapest  I remember seeing a lot of communist-era concrete apartments in the distance . They really are ugly, but they did provide quick housing for a lot of people. Now 65 years later they are deteriorating and hopefully will be torn down and replaced with something more pleasing to the eye. I also remember seeing acres and acres of sunflowers. That was a pretty sight.

Slovakia became an independent nation in 1993 after the ‘velvet divorce’ which separated the Czech Republic and Slovakia from Czechoslovakia which itself only came into being in 1918 after WW I. Bratislava is one of the youngest capitals in Europe and few people know that during the10^th century when it was called Pressburg or Pozsony  it was one of the most important cities in the Austro-Hungarian Empire.  A newcomer on the European map Slovakia is one of ten young democracies. A member of the European Union, it went on the Euro (€) in  2009. Bratislava,  the capital of Slovakia,  has a history that goes back to Celtic and Roman times.

Slovakia is a country of natural beauty with nine national parks, over 100 medieval castles, many historic towns, 150 castle ruins and unique structures and churches. More than 4000 caves are registered in the country, but only a dozen of them are open to the public.

It seems every city along the Danube was in the crossroad of the east-west trade route. Although Celts, Romans and Slavs have inhabited the area, the golden era was during the reign of Maria Teresa. She was crowned queen in Pressburg, as were ten other kings over a period of 300 years.

The country now is taxing consumption rather than income with a 19% VAT tax which actually increased the tax coffers. The gross national product increased 8% in 1996 and continues to rise. In 2000 the unemployment rate was 21 %, by 1997 nationwide it was 9% and in the capital city only 2%.

I fell in love with Bratislava during my first happen-chance visit, so I jumped on the chance to visit the quaint city again three years later. The second time I indulged in a rich chocolate dessert, saw new and different parts of the city and had great fun in photographing some of the city’s whimsical statuary.      

I also learned that the Maximilian Fountain was built in 1572 in the Austrian stone workshop of Andreas Lutringer, with a financial contribution from Hungary's King Maximilian II. However, it is better known as Roland’s Fountain. It consists of a massive 9-meter  diameter circular tank that houses  a 10.5-meter-high column topped by a statue of a knight in armor. Many believe the statue represents the knight Roland, a legendary defender of the city's rights. Others consider the  statue  to be Maximilian II.

To this day, a legend still attaches to the fountain. The knight normally stands with his face turned towards the town hall. However, once a year, precisely at the stroke of midnight at New Year, he turns and bows in the direction of the former town hall, honoring the twelve councilors who in the past gave their lives in order to save the city. He is also rumored to come to life on Good Friday when he moves in broad daylight from his pedestal and waves his sword, Durandal, in all four directions, to show the town that it still enjoys his protection. However, it is said that when he does so he can be seen only by a born-and-bred citizen of Bratislava, one with a pure heart who has never harmed anyone. Aren't legends fun?