I wasn't in Austria long before it was explained to me that Austrian culture has the efficiency of northern Europe and the warmth of the south.
That they are like the Germans in that they tend to obey rules for efficiency but also like the Italians who will break them for expediency.
It was my taxi driver who explained this to me by pointing out the rules of the road and how they are typically followed and how, at other times, Austrians support each other as they break them.
I checked on this with my Austrian friend, Elena, also known as Creative Elena. She got a great kick out of it and agreed:
“We get our plans done, but are much more relaxed (us in the wine region) and rebellious (them Tyroleans) about it all … hahaha !!!”
I was in Tyrol.
In beautiful Kitzbühel, to be exact.
Autumn in Kitzbühel
I was in Kitzbühel for The Social Travel Summit which I help organize each year. As such, I didn't have a lot of time to explore the town but, one afternoon, I headed out for a stroll. Even with the weather being a bit overcast, it was spectacular. Kitzbühel is best known as a ski resort town and for the Hahnenkamm Races (including downhill, slalom, and Super-G) held there annually. But it has become a year-round destination with outdoor sports of all kinds. And there's also the town itself which dates back to the middle ages. Kitzbühel is the complete package.
Here's my wander in photos.
I was staying in the beautiful Hotel A-ROSA, a resort with golf course, just a short walk outside of Kitzbühel.
The town is located on the Kitzbüheler Ache river.
Kitzbuehel dates back to the middle ages.
The centre of town is for pedestrians with the exception of a wagon ride tour for visitors.
The cemetery at Church of St. Andreas revealed a lot about the town and values of its inhabitants. The mountains and Catholic religion figured large into the inscriptions and design of the headstones.
This is the grave of Peter Aufschnaiter (2 November 1899 – 12 October 1973), a Tyrolean mountaineer, agricultural scientist, geographer, and cartographer. His experiences with fellow climber Heinrich Harrer during World War II were depicted in the 1997 film Seven Years in Tibet.
A small canal through the town.
The town is nestled in the valley with easy access to ski slopes which you can see in the background.
A short hike up and you get a beautiful view of the town in the valley.