Mobile Edit: Tyrol in White
Impressions of winter in the Austrian region of Tyrol. This time around I didn’t use my usual equipment (Canon DSLR) but an iPhone X and edited on the go.
Viewing Austria
Impressions from a journey trough the alpine country of Austria in October 2018.
Austria in Fall
When traveling to Austria in October, there is a particular mood setting over the country. The heat of summer is over, and nature is beginning to prepare for a more harsh season. Still, the weather can be lovely with blue skies and a milder, gentler sun. The leaves start to fall, and brown and yellow colors fall over the landscape. Autumn is here, and it is the perfect time for a walk in the hills.
Fortress of the Working Class: Karl-Marx-Hof
About a year ago, I published a series about famous Viennese communal apartment blocks called “Gemeindebau.” I photographed the “Rabenhof”, i.e., raven court, in the 3rd district the last time. Today, I want to introduce one of the most famous “Gemeindebauten,” the Karl-Marx-Hof in the north of Vienna, named after the father of communism himself. The large building complex was constructed in the 1930s when Vienna was known as a red city due to the leftwing government in the town hall. The Karl-Marx-Hof was designed and built by a student of the famous Austrian architect Otto Wagner, Karl Ehn, and stretches over a length of more than 1 km. Along the way, there are four tramway stations. The building has a kindergarten, parks, and community centers. In the short civil war in 1934, many socialists barricaded themselves in the sizeable fortress-like building and fought against the right-wing troops. Luckily, there were no deaths. Today, life is relatively quiet here, and the Karl-Marx-Hof is a peaceful fortress of the working class.
Wintertime in Austria
Winters are not precisely what they used to be in Austria, the climate change doesn’t stop at the Alps, unfortunately. As a kid I remember a lot of snow in Vienna, nowadays we don’t see barely any white in the cold season. But of course, Austria is more than just Vienna, and the conditions largely depend on altitude and location. The following pictures were shot mainly in Western Austria, Tyrol, and Vorarlberg in December.
A City in the Alps: Innsbruck
The scenery of Innsbruck in the western part of Austria is simply stunning. The capital of the historical region of Tyrol is situated in the Inn River Valley between two mountain ranges in the north and south. No wonder Innsbruck is also known as the capital of the Alps in Austria; there is just no place in the city streets where you don’t constantly see them. Innsbruck itself is also beautiful, a colorful medieval and gothic town with beautiful sacral and civic buildings and the “Golden Roof,” the city’s most famous symbol with 2,657 fire-gilded copper tiles. Take a look!
Michael Hoffman Photography 