Exploring Austria

I. Styria : the green heart of Austria

Vienna is a sight for sore eyes. The alluring artifacts  and the exquisite buildings from the medieval times, the posh oprah house known worldwide, the trendy branded stores and malls all in vogue and the  happy go lucky nonchalant people are to be reckoned with in Vienna. Being brought up in a countryside, i prefer less of glitz and sophisticated city life. Styria, an another provine in Austria is I would say the green heart of Austria. It is a quintessential  place etched against the breath taking alp mountains which will make you go weak at the knees :) You get instantly  connected with the beauty of nature and get infinitely rejuvenated and find reserves of strength and healing power. The mountains laden with carpets of wildflowers, hoards of deers sauntering along the undulating moutain, unpolluted river meandering gently through the meadows and the crisp clean air retains an aura of heavenly divinity.

 

Styria is the second largest of the nine Austrian federated provinces and shares its border with Slovenia,Salzburg,Burgenland and Carinthia.It was developed culturally and economically under the Archduke John, a member of Habsburg dynasty and an Austrian field marshal between 1809 and 1859.And later after the world war I, the province was divided into 2 parts ( the upper and lower styria).Styria is also home to about 150 clean tech companies and is pegged as a  top location worldwide for clean tech innovators specialized in energy and environmental engineering for developing world level green tech valley.

It is this place  where I had my first encounter in learning the wonders of wildlife camera trap survey. The cutting edge technology used in trapping the animals with the help of infrared sensors bowled me. I remember running around with my supervisor like an excited kid in scouring deer pellets as well:) 

The other wonders of styria includes the green lake of Styria which has been comprehended in the `list of places to visit before you die`. The emerald colored lake is  besieged by the mountains and forests which is so picturesque.  The lake is actually a spectacular park filled with diverse flora and during winter season  people come to amble around the park. In summer the the park is filled with water upto 10-12 meters from the melting glaciers. It is a delight for the divers to behold the breathtaking meadows along the edge zone of the lake and you can see the benches and the bridge inside the lake. Glistening and sparkling in the weave of dewdrops and sunset, the emerald lake is the jewel of Styria.

`Climb the mountains and get their good tidings.Nature´s peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into the tree.The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy,while cares will drop off like autumn leaves`   -    John Muir