Within 24 hours, Vienna and its surrounding was covered in 50cm of white powder. A true paradise for snow lovers and a pain in the butt for everyone else. For me, this only meant one thing: it was time for some hardcore cross-country-skiing!

So I packed my gear and was on my wait out to the Vienna Woods, where you’ll find lots of cross-country skiing slopes. Through to the temperature change the area was totally in fog and the ice crystals on the vegetation brought a real surreal look. It was almost a spooky atmosphere while skiing through the Vienna Woods because such weather phenomenon only occurs very seldom; the whole forest was covered with ice crystals. Everything was frozen, but still very fragile. The right temperature produced ice crystals on all the vegetation and it really looked like a winter wonderland…

Ice Crystals in the Vienna Woods, Austria.

Ice Crystals in the Vienna Woods, Austria.

Ice Crystals in the Vienna Woods, Austria.

Ice Crystals in the Vienna Woods, Austria.

Ice Crystals in the Vienna Woods, Austria.

Cross-Country-Skiing in the Vienna Woods, Austria.

Ice Crystals in the Vienna Woods, Austria.

Me shooting among Giants in the Vienna Woods, Austria.

Since I know that many of you are still waiting for a real winter, I wanted to post a couple of winter wonderland photos of the landscape around Vienna. Enjoy and daydream. I’m sure we’ll have a tough January & February…

The Vienna Woods can turn into a real winter wonderland.

Hard rime can only be seen very rarely around Vienna. It’s a white ice that forms when the water droplets in fog freeze to the outer surfaces of objects. It is often seen on trees atop mountains and ridges in winter, when low-hanging clouds cause freezing fog.

The peaks and mountain passes of the Eastern Alps are lower compared to the Western Alps, while the range itself is broader and less arched.

The Erlaufsee is only about 1 1/2 hours away from Vienna and therefore popular for day-trippers.

I love the atmosphere in the Vienna Woods that comes with snow.

Eisenerz is a market place and old mining town in the Austrian state of Styria.

Winter landscape in the Alps in Lower Austria.

Frosty times during winter in the Vienna Woods around the capital city.

1.) Tell us a little bit about yourself and how your passion for travelling started.

Today I am in my mid 50s and in my point of view in better shape than I was with 20. I’ve been to about 65-70 countries. One life is not enough to visit all of them but I think I’ve done pretty well so far ;) As of now, I get more curious and more bulletproof, cause really … what can happen? The most important thing is to stay healthy, everything else is somehow replaceable.

Travelling in the 70s (this was in Venice, Italy).

My travelling started with reading the books that I got for my birthday, Christmas or any other important reason. For example Hans Hass and his stories, Herbert Tichy and his journeys to Tibet, Nepal and Himalayas, the conquering of the Himalaya by Sir Edmund Hillary. All this formed a vague desire of far away countries at a very early age. Far away in those days meant (for my parents at least) Italy or Greece. My first hitch-hike trip to Italy with was at the age of 16. It was a big thing for me because my parents thought that I was going to a friend in the Austrian Alps. There was no mobile phone and no connections for 4 weeks so it was easy to lie. I came back in one piece and after telling them about all my experiences … well, jaws dropped but they were proud as well. So that was just the beginning of a travel-love affair which lasted until today.

2.) Where is home?

A house in the Viennese woods in Austria.

3.) How did you get there? Have you lived there all your life, moved there because of College or just fell in love with the city/town on one of your trips?

I grew up in Upper Austria but moved back to Vienna when I started fashion school. I’ve been living here since I was 16 and though my desire for all the countries far away started at an early age, Vienna is written in my birth certificate and most probably will also be there in my death certificate (unless I am a victim of a plane crash in Africa, a typhoon in Mindanao or a random drive by shooting in Mexico).

At fashion school in Vienna.

4.) What does your living situation look like? Give us a brief description (city or countryside, apartment or house, messy or neat-freak, roomies, pets, plants etc.)

My home is a house with a big garden in the Vienna woods. It’s really nice to have fresh air and trees within a couple of meters. My house is well equipped with all kinds of souvenirs and must-haves from these 65-75 different countries. It all needs a lot of maintenance though and the trees in the garden produce a lot of leaves every autumn. After work or after returning home from a journey it’s almost like stepping into a cocoon ;)

Home Sweet Home in the Vienna Woods.

I have a green finger and therefore I love plants. Everything grows really well and some people tend to call my house a jungle ;) Also a couple of exotic parrots, chicken (for the eggs) and a cat share my four walls. A dog is high on my list as well since I’ve always had one.

I am very organized because I hate messy surroundings. I am a regular at flea markets because there you’ll most probably find the stuff that you didn’t know you always wanted.

5.) What’s your favorite spot in your apartment or house & why?

My favorite spot is clearly the garden in summer, and otherwise the kitchen. I prefer the kitchen to the living room or all the other rooms. I have a rather Spartan chair with the coffee machine behind is and that’s what I call “gemütlich” (means cozy in German)!

6.) Do you prefer books or movies (plus what’s your favorite one)?

Books, even though I enjoy going to the movies to see independent films. I’m definitely not a Hollywood Blockbuster fan.

7.) Where & how do you write your blog articles? Do you start with a rough draft or get right to it?

I write my posts on my laptop in my working room and I always hope to get right through with the entire article but I’m often interrupted by things that have to be done, like watering the plants, feeding the chicken or I just get hungry and then have to cook something.

8.) What does a perfect day in your hometown look like? What season is it? Are you inside or outdoors? Do you hang out with friends or family?

A perfect day means that everything is done, everything paid, a ticket to somewhere in the world is booked and it’s time to go out to do whatever. I prefer being outdoors of course; walking in the forest or gardening. But if it’s raining I like going to the movies or hanging out with my small family & good friends.

9.) Name three spots in your hometown, which you’d probably not find in a guidebook but you could recommend to travellers. Tell us what’s special about them.

1.) Vienna might not be as flashy as other capital cities, but a sunny afternoon at a “Heurigen” to let the week pass by is great. Here are some really good “Heurigen”

• Heuriger Hirt (Eiserne Handgasse 1190 Vienna): During winter it transforms into a sort of mountain hut with “Jagatee” & “Punsch”. You’ll really feel like being back in the 60s because it’s furnished like thaz.
• Heuriger Sirbu (at the end of Kahlenbergerstrasse, 1190 Vienna): Really nice “Heuriger” which is right at the foot of Kahlenberg in Vienna.
• Heurigenschenke zur Wildsau (Slatingasse 22, 1130 Vienna, near the Lainzer Tiergarten): A great place with self service & a wonderful view.

2.) Another great area for restaurants is the “Brunnenmarkt-Yppenplatz” in the 16th district. Brunnenmarkt is Europe’s longest street market (with 50 40-50 stands on weekdays & up to 130 on the weekend) and at some points you’ll feel like walking trough an oriental Bazaar. It’s a real cultural meeting point.

3.) I can also recommend a pedal boat trip on the “Alte Donau”. It’s a great way to spend a hot afternoon at any given hot day in Vienna. Just cross the River Danube at “Reichsbrücke”, continue for a few 100 meters and then you’ll see are all the boat rental stalls.

10.) What’s your favorite local dish (if you have one in your country/town, please tell us which one)? Can you cook it & what are the main ingredients?

Hmmm…I love good food, whatever it is. I was born before all these cooking TV shows started and we had cooking class in high school, and of course we learned how to make the typical Austria dish “Wiener Schnitzl”. I like it but it’s not my favorite. I prefer the Asian cuisine ;)

11.) How much does 1 liter (or one gallon) of milk and petrol cost today?

The cheapest milk costs 0.79 € & cheapest petrol costs about 1.37 €.

12.) Where are you right now, on which device to you answer this questionnaire and what shoes are you wearing (if possible please add a picture)?

Sitting at home and answering this questionnaire on my 6 year old laptop. The shoes I’m wearing (due to the weather condition) are UGG boots.

13.) Last but not least: What does “home” mean to you?

”Home is where you’re happy”, as Willie Nelson sings in his famous song!

Want to be a part of this series?

If you want to be a part of our series, just go to the “Home Sweet Home” article and download the appropriate questionnaire. We’d really like to read your stories :)

Participants so far:

#1: Ulli Maier
#2: Nisa Maier
#3: Shvyia Nath
#4: Rika Huang
#5: Yvonne Zagermann
#6: Dario Endara
#7: Frankie Thompson
#8: Roy van den Bos
#9: Monica Stott
#10: Doris Neubauer
#11: Amanda Slavinsky
#12: Edna
#13: Casper Oppenhuis de Jong
#14: Ashley Abroad
#15: Inma Gregorio

Most clips are filmed hand-held – next time we’ll definitely use a tripod. We didn’t use any filter or colour correction, this video is pure nature ;) Hopefully you’ll enjoy it. It was heaps of fun filming & editing and for our first try (so don’t laugh) it didn’t turn out too bad…

Filming & Photography: Nisa Maier (Canon EOS 5D Mark II)
Editing: Ines Gamler
Music: The Naughty Step – Malhamdale

The Falkensteinerhütte is about 25 minutes (driving) West of Vienna. Built in 1920, it is one of the oldest buildings in the “Schöpfl” area. Until this day, not that much has changed (except the obvious); it’s still furnished in a rustic way and the kitchen offers good (typical Austrian) comfort food. The heating consists of a wood-fired oven & there’s no internet connection. It’s a spot of which (nowadays) not many people know of and therefore not overrun (which is a good thing for us but bad for business). Back in the old days it was a well visited place but this changed in the last two decades. The owner told us that 20 years ago visitors from all over Austria & Germany came to the “Schöpfl” area to harvest mushrooms, or that families came in flocks to enjoy a nice day-trip. I guess today kids (and their parents) rather sit in front of the computer or TV than to take a nice str0ll outside…

So how come we knew about this secret getaway? Well, the Falkensteinerhütte used to be our weekend spot. From the ages of 7-10 we (& heaps of family friends) were there almost every month or so. Until one cold fall day (must have been in 1999 or 2000) when we arrived there and stood in front of closed doors. It really hit us hard that the Falkensteinerhütte had to lock its doors for good…

Since only June of this year, the Falkensteinerhütte re-opened and of course we had to check it out! It was almost like a trip back in time when we walked those 20 minutes through the forest. I could see myself & my friends fooling around while our parents were happy that we were occupied ;)

So if you’re looking for nature, tranquillity and an idea for your next weekend trip, the Falkensteinerhütte is the right spot for you!

Falkensteinerhütte Facts.

• Sea level: 642m
• Address: Schlottleiten 299, A-3033 Altlengbach
• How to get there: (There are a couple of ways but this one’s the fastest) Highway A21 “Wiener Außenring Autobahn” until the exit “Klausen-Leopoldsdorf”. From there the signs will lead you to “Gasthof Burda”. Park your car there and start walking. After 20-30 minutes you’ll arrive at the Falkensteinerhütte.
• Opening hours: Saturday, Sunday and holidays
• Other infos: Accommodation (mattresses) for 22 people – call in advance if you’re planning an overnight stay.

The drive up to the point where you start walking to the Falkensteiner Hütte is already worth a visit.

To get to the Falkensteiner Hütte you have to walk through the Viennese woods.

On your way to the Falkeinsteiner Hütte you’ll also pass a wonderful clearing.

And if you’re not in a rush to get to the Falkensteiner Hütte, there’s always time to fool around a bit.

Wonderful huge trees will guide you towards the Falkeinsteiner Hütte.

Just before you reach the Falkensteiner Hütte, you’ll pass by this beautiful new wall.

And after a approx. 20 minute walk, the Falkensteiner Hütte emerges.

Walking through the Viennese woods is really relaxing.

On the way back home, we decided to skip the highway and took the scenic tour.

• Lainzer Tiergarten & Hermesvilla: The Lainzer Tiergarten used to be a hunting ground for the Habsburger. Today it’s a famous and well visited place for delightful excursions. What’s really lovely about this place is that your trip can either be topped with a yummy lunch/coffee at the café or a visit to the museum in the Hermesvilla (or both of course). Emperor Franz Josef I gave this chalet to his wife Empress Elisabeth (better known as “Sisi”) because she was a huge nature fan and wanted a place for her own. Not bad huh?
• A walk in the Viennese Woods: I’m also a big nature fan and since I’m lucky (to also have a huge chalet … haha) to live near the Viennese Woods, a walk through this colorful setting is one of my favourite autumn activities.

With free entrance and up to 500.000 visitors each year, the Lainzer Tiergarten is a famous excursion destination for runners, walkers and families.

If you’re lucky, boars or deers will pass you way while walking through the Lainzer Tiergarten. Today it’s home to about 900 wild boars, 220 fallow deer, approx. 700 mouflons, and 90 red deer.

I usually start my walk at the Lainzer Tor to the Hermesvilla. From here, you can continue up to the Hubertuswarte and Hirschgstemm, and from there to Pulverstampftor. The walk is about 10 km in long (2 – 2.5 hours) and a bit hilly.

The Lainzer Tiergarten was first created by Emperor Ferdinand I in 1561, when the area was fenced off by a wooden fence, to allow for a private hunting ground.

In 1781, the wooden fence was replaced by a stone wall. After the fall of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the hunting grounds became a public nature preserve, and have remained so ever since, with the exception of the time period of 1940 to 1955, when the entire grounds were closed.

Amanita muscaria, commonly known as the fly agaric is a highly poisonous mushroom found all over the Vienna woods.

Walking through the Vienna woods will give you heaps of amazing photo opportunities.

Autumn at the Lainzer Tiergarten in Vienna, Austria.

We live in a little village just outside of western Vienna and are very lucky to have the Viennese woods right in front of our doorstep.

The farmers around Vienna are preparing the fields for winter…

…while the cows enjoy the last sun-rays.

As summer ends and autumn comes, the days get shorter and shorter. This is how the trees “know” to begin getting ready for winter. They begin to shut down their food-making factories. The green chlorophyll disappears from the leaves. And this is why leaves change their colour.

I work in the beautiful city of Vienna and since Austria is a small country, distances are easily overcome. Getting out of the city is simple and shouldn’t take longer than 30 minutes. I love being out in the country, especially since I grew up there…we live in a small village in the west of the capital city and the Vienna woods are right at our doorstep. A pure (Austrian) paradise!

Here are just a couple of impressions why I love being a “country-girl”:

The Green Lake (German: Grüner See) is located in Syria and is surrounded by the Hochschwab mountains and forests. The name comes from its emerald-green water. The clean and clear water comes from the snowmelt from the karst mountains. In recent year the lake has become a popular place for tourists and divers.

The Vienna basin and the Austrian sections of the Carpathian plains in the East are areas that feature green hills and plains, fields, wine regions, idyllic rivers and lakes as well as wide open steppe.

In the West os Austria, almost two thirds of the country is covered by high- and medium Alpine mountain regions with spectacular mountain ranges and majestic glaciers. Almost one half of the mountains are covered by forest.

The landscape around the Danube river northwest of Vienna (the area near Tulln) consists of forest and meadow land.

This place is in the heart of Upper Austria – the “breadbasket of Austria”. Some farmers rent out holiday apartments, so if you are ready for a quiet peaceful stopover for a few days, this is the area to go to. Taken near Wels.

The Vienna Woods are a 45 km long and approx. 30 km wide range of hills and a popular recreation area for the Viennese.

The landscape around Austrias highest mountain – the Grossglockner.

A mountain rising out of the forest in the Salzkammergut around Grundlsee in Salzburg.

During summer, cattle is driven up in the mountains where the lawns are fresh and the animals can stay outside all the time until autumn. As soon as snow arrives they’re back in the stables until next year. Taken in Hochreit, Göstling.

Hidden in the mountains there are little huts for hunters, forest maintenance as well as for tourists who rent these places to get away from it all for a few days. Taken in Hochreit, Göstling.

Horses enjoy the rich fields around the Vienna Woods.

This is just 20 minutes outside of Western Vienna. Rolling hills and fertile soil halted by large forests make the area a perfect getaway for a weekend not far from the bustling city.