Another aspect of Christmas in Europe is that of voyages of discovery for the delegations. And in Austria there is no shortage of destinations. From Bad Ischl, an obvious place to visit was Salzburg, capital of the Salzkammergut region. VISIT TO SALZBURG
On Tuesday December 7th two coaches made their way to Salzburg for the excursion, which, it must be said, was somewhat spoilt by the mist which covered the city. Nevertheless the participants took time to discover the magnificent view from the walls of the fortress over the church towers and roofs of the city, or the house where Mozart was born, the streets of the old town listed by UNESCO as a heritage site, the beautifully laid-out public gardens, the Christmas market, etc. Such a visit was a must, and everyone was most impressed by it.
(Photos Bernard Vergier)
KAISER'S VILLA
The Kaiservilla, which is nearer than Salzburg being in the middle of Bad Ischl, was the summer residence of the emperor Franz-Joseph and his wife the empress Elisabeth (Sisi) – and this was another discovery. Indeed it was under the well-informed guidance of the great-grandson of the imperial couple, arch-duke Markus von Habsburg und Lothringen, (known locally as Mr Markus Habsburg) that the handful of visitors was able to imbue themselves with the splendour of the Austro-Hungarian imperial court. They showed astonishment at the sight of the numerous hunting trophies attributed to the illustrious emperor, reverence at the sight of the desk a which this same emperor declared war on Serbia a month after the Sarajevo assassination in 1914, and deep interest as they listened to the explanations of their illustrious guide recounting this page of the history not only of his family but also of Austria and its satellite states of the period. Thank you, Sir, for this visit.
On the monumental staircase the Arch-dule Markus von
Habsburg-Lothringen recounts to his visitors the history of
his family and of his country
On the monumental staircase the Arch-dule Markus von
Habsburg-Lothringen recounts to his visitors the history of
his family and of his country
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