Lucerne is situated in the central part of Switzerland. The location of the city is magnificent, not only is there a large lake in front, but also a “private” mountain called Pilatus. The city itself is beautiful too, with historic city walls and an old wooden bridge across the river Reuss. The pictures were shot in late summer / early autumn of 2021.
The surroundings of Zell am See are characterized by diverse natural habitats, reaching from the lake itself to a wide array of swamps and grasslands. The higher you go the more nature is changing as well. At around 3.000 meters, eternal ice covers the mountaintops; like white rooftops, they stand protective over this magnificent land.
The Lake of Zell (“Zeller See”) may not be impressive looking at raw data alone. The lake is pretty small, with a length of 3,8 km and a width of 1,5 km. What makes this body of water so picturesque is the landscape surrounding it. The Lake of Zell is situated amid the Alps with mountains over 3,000 meters in close distance. On bright days, you can see as far as the “Hohe Tauern” mountain range, the largest one in Austria. Situated at the lake’s western shore is a lovely little town with the same name. Starting from here, you can reach the peak of Schmittenhöhe by cable car. The views from atop the lake and the village are magnificent, offering incredible views of the region. Other ways to discover the lake are to take a boat trip across the lake or use the pathway parallel to the shore and bike or walk along.
Shot in Scotland at the Loch (Lake) Linnhe in August 2019.
Last summer I had the privilege to spend some weeks in Latvia again. The country is situated in the center of the Baltics in Northeastern Europe. The population is concentrated mainly in the capital, Riga, and in other larger cities, while the countryside still maintains a lot of charm and beauty which is already gone elsewhere in Europe. Some impressions.
Traveling through Austria consists of large parts of wandering through valleys and lakes framed by endless mountains. And occasionally also of climbing one. That’s precisely what we did two weeks ago when we went up Mt. Schoberstein (something over 1,000 Meters). It is not the tallest one by far, but one with a marvelous view of the lakes of the Salzkammergut (in particular, Lake Attersee and Lake Mondsee). Afterward, I continued my journey to another famous lake, the Traunsee, where I took a boat ride across the lake, passing by the equally renowned Mt. Traunstein.
I have the pictures shot these days and want to present you in two posts. No particular order. Hope to spark some enthusiasm for the Alps! 🙂
Michael Hoffman Photography 
