Tuesday, September 29, 2015

We started out near that tiny village waaaay down there

Barenschutzklamm (photo)

Barenschutzklamm

Tuesday, 9/29
Barenschutzklamm gorge - as I write this I am so exhausted from hiking this gorge that I can barely think straight. I had heard about this hike, and the website made it sound so cool, that we just had to do it!

The Graz tourism website says "The exciting ascent involves 164 wooden bridges and ladders along 1300 meters. This involves conquering 350 meters of altitude". By the time we hit number 135, it was no longer exciting.

First, you climb pretty steeply on a hike over very rocky terrain just to reach the beginning of the gorge from the parking lot.  Stop at the little kiosk and pay your €3,50. Then another hour or so climbing all these steps and ladders. Around every corner you think "surely that must be the last one"! Only to see another set of steeply climbing stairs and ladders to conquer. And again at the next corner, and again, etc. Some parts were so narrow, we almost had to turn sideways.  Finally  you make it to top and you hike another 10-15 minutes to a small cafe/hut at the top,where you can sit and gather your wits as well as have a snack before starting down the mountain. We could not believe how high we had climbed, but it was literally from the base to the top of the mountain.

The return trip is on a different path because the ascent is basically a one-way deal as there is absolutely no room to pass people on most of the trail.  And I think it would be really scary going down some of those ladders, especially the really steep sections. The trip back down takes 1-1/2 to 2 hours and is a steep angle down almost the entire way, over uneven, very rocky ground.

We did the whole thing in 5 hours, which is about average I think. We were glad we managed to accomplish it, but it definitely was a difficult hike and my knees and my pinky toe (large blister) are definitely unhappy about it tonight. I do feel it will be one of our most-talked about days of the trip though, just because it isn't really on the American tourist radar and also because we're rather proud we managed it.

Hochosterwitz Castle. (photo)

Castle Hochosterwitz

Monday, 9/28
Hochosterwitz Castle sits 172 meters high on a dolomite hill just outside Klagenfurt. First mentioned in an 860AD deed, it's most impressive features are the 14 gates guarding the approach to the castle which were built in the 1500's. Each gate had its own treacherous means of repelling invaders, but the gates were such an obstacle that no forces ever invaded beyond the 4th gate.

The most enjoyable part of the visit is the walk up the hill and through each of the gates. Each gate has its own name and means of defense.  Climbing ever higher, the view from the castle is astounding as you can see for miles into the surrounding countryside.  Clearly an advantage if one was anticipating invaders!

Once at the top, there is a small museum about the family who owns the castle and a restaurant. There is also a lovely flower garden and the castle church.

There is a funicular you can  ride up to the castle but it was not running the day we were there, somethings about a replacement part that was coming all the way from the U.S.  We took one look at the rail for the funicular and its sloping, steep ascent path and decided we wouldn't take it even if it were working!

Monday, September 28, 2015

Looking down to the valley (photo)

Then we drove out of the clouds and into the sun. (photo)

Wind blown ice on the signs (photo)

Yep! Freezing! (photo)

The little dark ribbon is the road (photo)

There are huge mountains somewhere behind those clouds

Snow! (Photo)

We came from that little ribbon of road you see on the left (photo)

Starting our Grossglockner drive (photo)

The Grossglockner High Alpine Road

Sunday, 9/27
We had the best time experiencing this awesome area, driving up, up, up so high it seemed we drove right up into the clouds. We checked the webcams before we started out this morning so we knew the first half would be cloudy and the other would be sunny.

We drove higher and higher, first encountering little pockets of snow next to the road, then snow about one foot deep, then we went higher and encountered wind and temps at 0 degrees Celsius. Somewhere in all those clouds were awesome alps but we could only catch an occasional glimpse. It was windy and freezing cold at this point and we'd jump out and take a couple of photos, then jump back in the car and warm up! Driving further on we drove out of the clouds and into the sunshine. The temperature changed +10 degrees in just a few minutes! The sky cleared on this side and we had an amazing view of the mountains and valley below.

We arrived at the Kaiser Franz Josef visitor center and took a bunch of photos, then had a nice warm lunch in the restaurant.  We walked along the path looking for the ibex that were reintroduced into the area, but we never spotted any.  We did see marmots though, the little things are actually quite loud when they start barking. (It sounds like barking anyway)

We drove back to the road that takes you to Heilinginblut. I have to say that the view looking down into the valley and to the mountains far away at the end was one of the most beautiful vistas I have ever seen. Unfortunately, there isn't really a place to safely turn out to take a photo of it so I'll just have to relive it in my memory. :)

Tractors on parade (photo)

Wolfgangsee (photo)

Austria 2015/ St. Wolfgang

Saturday, 9/26
Today we left Salzburg and drove down through the Salzkammergut Lake District.   We came around a turn in the road and both said "wow" as the Wolfgangsee (lake) came into view.  A beautiful blue alpine lake surrounded by mountains. We drove down into St. Gilgen then continued on around the lake to St. Wolfgang.

We ended up behind a tractor parade! It's fall festival time and we have been lucky enough now to experience these festivals in a couple of places.  (It's funny that we saw a tractor parade in Ireland too, I guess we country people just know how to find tractors!) Anyway we wove in and out of these tractors and got to St. Wolfgang just as many of them were arriving.  Now for vintage car lovers, this event is similar to a cruise night, except for tractors! There were some very old ones including one from the early 1900's that started with a crank on the front of the tractor. There was a brand new candy-apple-red one, and everything in between. Everyone was in good spirits and there was a very festive air about the whole town. People in dirndls and lederhosen with their jaunty caps, so great to see people that still celebrate their national heritage.

After St. Wolfgang we drove to Zell am See to spend the night so we could start on our next adventure nice and early the next morning.

Oh! On the way we saw a few cows that had been part of an almatriebe, that's where the farmers bring the cows down from their summer pastures to the home pastures for the winter. They make elaborate headdresses and adornments for the cows as part of the festivity. I'm not sure the cows love dressing up, but it was fun to see some.

Friday, September 25, 2015

Herrenchiemsee (photo)

Herrenchiemsee

Thursday, 9/24
We decided to drive into Germany today to see the Herrenchiemsee Palace.  The palace and gardens are located on an island in a lake, the Chiemsee.  

This was supposed to take 1 hour driving time.  We knew the German border was being patrolled and that they were checking cars crossing onto Germany, looking for people who were trying to sneak refugees/migrants into Germany. The situation in the Middle East and the influx of refugees and migrants has put a huge strain on the EU nations who are trying to take care of the hundreds of people pouring into the country every day. One hour into our trip, we were sitting on the Autobahn going 0km/hr as there were not only the border checks but road construction as well.  So we spent 2-1/2 hours making the drive.  

When we got to Prien, we bought our ferry tickets for the crossing to the island. We went and climbed aboard the ferry and about 10 minutes later landed on Herreninsel, the island where the palace is located.  We walked up to the ticket office for tour tickets and my German must be getting better because the cashier wanted to know (in German) if we wanted the take the German tour. :) We asked for the English tour and found out it started in 25 minutes and it was a 20 minute walk to the palace. We hustled over there and made it with 5 minutes to spare! 

King Ludwig II built this palace modeled on Versailles because of his admiration for France's King Louis XIV.  I have not been to Versailles, but everything in this palace was really over-the-top ornate. Gold leaf everywhere, tapestries made with gold thread, Meissen porcelain chandeliers as big as some small cars. There were so many candelabras in the Hall of Mirrors, it took 30 servants half an hour just to light them all.  Like his castle at Neuschwanstein, Ludwig never finished this one either due to his sudden death.  It was interesting to see some of the unfinished area and realize what's hidden under all the plaster and gold.  Twelve million bricks were hauled over to the island and then transported by a small railway to the palace site for building.  Quite an undertaking. 

The day started out rainy but the sky cleared up by the time we were done with the tour and we spent some time in the gardens and wandering around the farm area. There are beautiful large fountains and a couple of smaller ones along with flower beds and a view down to the water of the lake.  

When we were ready to leave, there was quite a line of people also waiting for the return ferry ride. We worried we might not make it aboard and would have to wait for the next boat, but they just kept loading people on. Then we started to worry that they might be loading too many people for it to be safe. You know, you see these news stories about over-loaded ferries tipping over, etc. When we finally took off, everyone had made it aboard and there were still a few seats left, so I guess we worried for nothing. 

Wednesday, September 23, 2015

Salzburg

Today was a rainy day, so we wandered around Salzburg. We went up to the Hohensalzburg fortress perched up above the town. Looked around the castle and museum, this castle also dates from the 11th century. Fantastic views over Salzburg from up there.  We were cold and hungry by then, so we found a nice warm cafe and had lunch.  Topped it off with a warm piece of apple strudel with ice cream. Yum!  Still raining after we finished so we went back to the hotel and just relaxed for awhile.  

We went back out about 5pm and headed for the Domquartier and Residenzplatz area because today starts the St. Rupert's Festival in town.  There are food kiosks, carnival games, handcraft booths, a beergarden tent and a stage with live music and dancing. Despite the wet weather, there were a good number of people out and about. We bought the largest pretzel we have ever seen and a handmade Christmas ornament for our tree.  Watched a little Austrian folk dancing and an oompah band. The folks in the beer garden were having a great time. Oh! We saw a kiosk with a still outside of it. The guy was actually making his own schnapps right there! 

I figured out the John Denver thing! It turns out that "Country Roads" is one of the 10 most popular Octoberfest songs!?! John Denver was part German and is still hugely popular over here. Who knew, right? 

Hohenwerfen castle fortress (photo)

Lammerklamm (photo)

Lammerklamm -the Dark Gorge

5 Fingers viewing platform

Hallstatt

Salzburg and the Salzkammergut

Tuesday 9/22
Lammerklamm hike
The Lammer River flows through a narrow gorge (klamm) to the Salzach River downstream.  I had seen pictures of this "Dark Gorge" as it's called and we decided to see it for ourselves.  We drove to Oberscheffau and paid at the little kiosk, then headed down into the gorge.  I really have to mention here that we appreciate the people who maintain this gorge. There are wooden railings attached to the side of the rock that help to keep you from falling into the gorge.  This river frequently floods and the railings and stair-ladders are completely underwater when that happens, so some ares need to be rebuilt every year. There are high water markers along the trail and the marker for 2002 was way high up near the top edge of the gorge. We couldn't even imagine what it would like with so much water flowing through there. The little towns downstream would certainly have been flooded.

We first hiked upriver from the entry point to the narrowest part of the gorge that you can access on foot. The sheer vertical face of the rock is amazing and the water is the most awesome shade of blue in there.  The trail is very narrow, in some spots we had to turn completely sideways a couple of times just to get through.We then turned around and hiked downstream all the way out of the gorge along the river and into the little town of Oberscheffau.  The waterfalls and swirling basins of water were so cool that we kept stopping just to enjoy the sight of it and the sounds of the rushing water below us. When the water is a bit higher, they say it's a favorite place for kayakers. After fortifying ourselves with a cool drink and some strudel in town, we hiked back up the trail to the gorge entrance and headed the car toward Werfen for our next stop. We had a little trouble getting there as our rental Garmin was having some sort of nervous breakdown, but we finally got going in the right direction.

Hohenwerfen is a fortress castle that sits 155 meters above the town of Werfen in the Salzach Valley. Built in the 11th century, and despite a large fire in 1931, the castle is still very intact.  The clock tower is very impressive as it dates back to the original castle and was not damaged in the fire, we climbed up to see the clockworks (still quite accurate) and the giant bell at the top. Pretty cool to realize that the wooden beams overhead and walls of the tower are original and still in great condition.  Very windy at the top of the tower and rather chilly. We had a late lunch of wurst and Coke Light, then walked down to the falconry center to wait for the bird show.

Now this is not our first bird show, but I have to say that we enjoy them all. This one was particularly enjoyable as the birds were obviously not on their best behavior. The first out was the falcon, lightning fast. We always crack up a little when they bring the falcon out with it's hood on.  This is because we saw a hilarious interaction between the falconer and the audience at a bird show in Ireland. Anyway, I digress. Next up were the hawks, 3 different kinds and I was surprised when they flew them at the same time. Typically they only fly one bird at a time or at least one species at a time. Well the Hawks were having an awesome time just flying around, doing whatever they wanted - except the Harris Hawk who seemed more interested in just landing on the ground and looking around.

Next up were the Eagles and vultures.  The bald eagle responded pretty well to the handlers commands but the sea eagles and the vultures just decided they wanted to do their own thing.  They finally got all the birds back by the end of the show except one of the vultures who was still just soaring around the castle parapets when we left.  It's handler was still outside the falconry center just waiting for it to decide it was ready to come in.



Salzburg and the Salzkammergut


Monday, 9/21
Today we are heading to the village of Hallstatt and the beautiful Hallstattersee (lake). It's a very picturesque little town with a salt mine nearby. Our plan is to tour the salt mine, see the town, and head over to a nearby village to make the trip up to the Krippenstein Five Fingers viewing platform.  

We arrived at the salt mine just before 10am and took the funicular up 838 meters to the place where you then walk up another few hundred meters to the building where you start the tour process. I say "process" because you have to wear a special suit to go into the mine. They sort of resemble scrubs, it's a jacket and pants but the pants have a special patch sewn on the rear end because you actually slide down two long wooden slides to get into the mine. The rear patch is to overcome friction and avoid splinters! So we suited up and waited for our tour guide.

The tour starts with walking up several flights of stairs to the mine entrance, then you walk a long, dark series of tunnels deep into the mine. Down the first slide- whoosh! Walk a bit more, then down the second, longer slide. Mike and I decided to do this one together and they timed us at 26km/hr. Not bad, but the guide did it in 32km/hr. She does get a lot more practice at it tho ;) We walked through the mine and learned about the importance of the salt trade and the wealth that it brought to the area.  At the end of the tour, you jump on a wooden bench-like seat except you actually straddle it, and a little train pulls you out of the mine.

Once we left the mine, we headed to a viewing platform where you get a really good view of the little town of Halllstatt and the lake from about 900 meters above. Took a few pictures then headed down to the funicular for the trip back to the bottom.

We walked into Hallstatt to have some lunch by the lake and took some pictures of the charming little town, then took off for the Krippenstein 5 Fingers lookout platform.

The 5 Fingers is a series of 5 viewing platforms that are 4x1 meter in size and extend out over a precipice of the mountain.  The platform is about 1 mile above the lake at Hallstatt and is pretty much straight up. You have to take a series of 2 cable cars to get up there and then hike (steeply) for about 20 minutes to the platform. We got up there kind of late so we only had about 45 minutes until the last cable car going down. We absolutely did not want to get stuck up there for the night, so we really made good time getting to the platform and getting some pictures.  The view from up there is just unbelievable, you can't even do it justice in pictures. We took pictures anyway of course, to commemorate our efforts! Then we hiked back up along the seemingly even steeper trail (same trail, just seemed steeper at this point). Slow going this time but we made it back for one of the last cable cars and of course it was crammed with people cuz nobody wanted to get left behind. Anyway, made it back down to the bottom and looked back up again at where we had just been - so hard to believe we were that high up.

Drove back down to Salzburg and had dinner at a little Italian place. Then it was Advil and bed - in that order.


Monday, September 21, 2015

Austria 2015/ Salzburg and the Salzkammergut

Sunday, 9/20
We reluctantly left Durnstein today and are heading to Salzburg, a couple of hours driving time on the autobahn. We were previously in Salzburg 6 years ago, but just for about 5 hours or so. We're looking forward to exploring more of the area.

The difference in temperature from Durnstein to Salzburg was almost 20 degrees, but we have been so warm that it was nice to be cool enough to need a light jacket. We made a quick rest stop at Mondsee where the lake is quite pretty with a large mountain sitting on the opposite shore.

Our hotel in Salzburg is in the Allstadt, the old city center. There are bollards, which are poles that raise and lower into the ground when you enter a special code, to keep cars out unless you have special reason to be there - like staying in a hotel in the Allstadt. We actually drove right past the hotel because they had a cafe set up on the narrow street and we were concentrating on getting past the patrons without injuring anyone with our car. Luckily we had only gone about 100 feet when we realized our mistake. Unfortunately that meant we had to back up on the narrow street to reach the hotel.

After we checked in, we needed to move the car to the parking garage which meant more raising and lowering of the bollards.  The parking garage is actually inside the mountain that sits at one side of town.

We had a quick walk around and met up some friends who are also here right now and made plans for tomorrow.

Sunday, September 20, 2015

Durnstein, Austria

Durnstein and the Wachau Valley

Friday 9/18- Many visitors to this area visit the impressive Melk Abbey. We saw the abbey at Melk on our last visit, so we decided to visit the Gottweig Abbey nearby.  While not as ornate or impressive as the abbey at Melk, it was still a pleasant place to visit. There is a restaurant with a terrace overlooking the surrounding area and it was a beautiful sunny day, so we decided to enjoy some apple strudel and ice cream on their terrace. Yum!

We also visited the ruined Aggstein Castle.  The road up was a little confusing as it didn't really look like a road, more like someone's driveway really. But we persisted and were so glad we did because there was indeed a parking area at the top. If we had stopped and parked down below, it would have been quite a hike to get up there.  We saw one couple who were walking down the hill and it was fairly apparent that one of them was not happy with the other. We're pretty sure one of them had insisted on parking at the bottom instead of trying to go further up the road and now they were both regretting that decision. Glad that wasn't us!

The castle is relatively intact for a ruin, we had fun climbing the various towers, stairs and platforms.  From the top tower you could see all the way to Schonbuhl Castle which is situated on a huge rock outcropping further down the river. We had to hurry a little at the end because it had clouded over and started to rain on us. We do love exploring those old castles though!

Today is Saturday, our 3rd day in Durnstein. We took the little people-and-bike ferry across the river to get some photos of Durnstein from the other side.  We then drove down to St. Michaels's to see the fortified church there and check out the little rabbits on the roof, it has to do with a local legend about a huge snowstorm that piled snow so high that the little rabbits just walked right over to the roof of the church.  They were then frozen there forever, poor bunnies.

There was a concert festival last night and again tonight directly across the river from our hotel so we've been treated to a free concert for 2 nights. I have to say I'm really liking a couple of the songs, I'll have to try to find them on iTunes. Tonight was really special though because upriver they released a bunch of floating flames to float thei way down the river. It was hard to tell exactly, but they appeared to be a floating disc (maybe frisbee-sized) with a small flame on it. The effect of all these little firelights floating down the river in the darkness was just beautiful. And then there were fireworks! What a perfect evening!

One funny thing though, when we did the Danube River cruise 6 years ago they brought a local folk music group onboard to entertain us. They sang local music but then they also sang "Country Roads" - you know, the old John Denver song. Then later that same week, we were in a different town and there was a group of 20-something kids at the fortress. One of the girls had a guitar and was singing "Country Roads"! I remember thinking, what are the odds of that? We never hear that song at home anymore but we've heard it twice in one week in Austria and Germany.

Well at this concert in Durnstein, one of the performers sang......you guessed it! "Country Roads"! I just laid in bed and laughed at that. Mike was asleep so I didn't wake him up. The next night, they sang it again! I'll have to see if some Austrian group also recorded it.

We hate to leave Durnstein and our lovely hotel but we are moving on to Salzburg tomorrow.

Austria 2015/ Durnstein and the Wachau Valley

Thursday, 9/17  We left Vienna and drove north to beautiful Durnstein on the banks of the Danube River in the Wachau Valley. We stopped here one day on a riverboat cruise in 2009 and have always wanted to return. We booked a room at the Hotel Richard Lowenherz which is inside the city gates and the pedestrian area.  You can only drive into the pedestrian area of you live in Durnstein or are staying at one of the few hotels that offer parking.  It was a little nerve-wracking to drive through a very narrow street that is barely wide enough for one vehicle and a couple of people walking along the street. We managed to make it to the hotel without taking out any pedestrians or our side mirrors. The hotel was absolutely wonderful, a former convent and originally a church in 1340. The convent garden is still lovely and some of the old church walls are still standing.  We had a spacious room overlooking the Danube River.

After settling into our room, we went out to see if we still knew our way around;) That's funny because Durnstein is tiny, so there's little chance of not finding your way.  Our favorite bakery is still there, not surprising I suppose since they have been in operation since 1780! They bake everything on the premises, fresh every day. I know they supply many of the local hotels and restaurants with baked goods because I saw their proprietors in the bakery. They make a wonderful roll called a Wachauer Laberl-delicious! Mike is a pretzel fan and Schmidl's pretzels definitely meet with his approval.  They make a variety of pastries and desserts too.  Needless to say, they saw us every day - sometimes a couple of times a day! Ok, maybe 3-4 times a day;)

There is a legend that Richard the Lionheart was imprisoned for ransom for 2 years in Durnstein's Kuenringer Castle on his way back from the Crusades. We hiked up to the castle ruins high above the town. The view from up there is fabulous. You can see the Danube, the pretty blue church tower, the vineyards, all the boats coming and going. This area is known for its vineyards and white wines also. I did have a glass with dinner one night and it was very nice, a variety called Gruner Veltliner.


Schonnbrunn Palace/Vienna

Belvedere Palace, Vienna

Vienna/Schonbrunn Palace

Wednesday, 9/16
Today is the day we go out to our favorite place in Vienna, the Schonbrunn Palace.  We hopped on the subway just a couple of blocks from our hotel and managed to figure out we were going the wrong direction after just a couple of stops, so we hopped off and got on the train going the right direction ;)

We walked in through the main gate and into the ticket office. I wasn't sure what the wait would be like, but we practically walked right up to the ticket desk.  There was a guided tour in English at 11 am, so we just had about a 45 minute wait.  We always prefer an actual human guide instead of an audio guide because we find them so much more engaging, so a little wait was ok with us.

Our tour guide was John, British by his accent.  He was very informative, and answered everyone's questions pleasantly and with good humor.  Our group was only about 10 people, so that was nice too.  We took the Grand Tour and saw lots of rooms in the Palace, something we didn't have time to do on our last visit. Lots of information about the Hapsburgs and their dynasty in Austria and Hungary.  We're always amazed when we think about the number of people it would have required just to keep a place like that functioning every day during the 1700's-early 1900's. We finished the tour around noon and decided to have a bit to eat at the cafe.

After lunch we headed out to the gardens - our favorite part! The beautiful flowers and fountains, trees, reflecting pond and Gloriette, we think it's one of the loveliest gardens we have ever seen.  The gardens also include a zoo and maze and cover 52 hectares, which equates to almost 130 acres. It was quite warm again today, so we took a break at the Gloriette for a cool drink and just enjoyed the view. Lots of people out doing the same thing, just enjoying the beautiful setting and clear sunny weather.

Austria 2015/ Vienna

Sunday, 9/13
Arrived in Vienna today to warm weather! Quite a change from our last trip to Europe. We made the connecting flight to Vienna from Amsterdam- but just barely.  Unfortunately our luggage did not make the flight, but I was prepared for that possibility so we had enough clothes to last a couple of days. We checked into our hotel and went out walking for a bit, getting our bearings as it's been several years since we last here.

On our second day in Vienna, it was overcast with possible rain so we decided to see some museums. We went to the Hofburg and saw the Sisi exhibit and the silver collection. The silver collection is mildly interesting but not something I would consider a must-see.  The Sisi exhibit was more interesting, telling about the young Empress and her rather unhappy life. We have seen the Spanish Riding School practice session before so we skipped that and headed over to the Kunsthistoriches Museum, only to find that it was closed today. The Natural History Museum is directly across from there, so we decided to tour that museum instead.  It was a nice museum but I find that most of them are very much alike although I have not been to the ones in DC or NY yet.

Third day is Stephansdom and the Belvedere Gardens.  We climbed the 349 spiral steps up the South Tower of Stephansdom and had a look around from the top.  Then we went back down again and circled around the main entrance.  We made our way to the lift for the North Tower so we could go up and see the Pummerin, the giant church bell.  It weighs over 44,000 pounds! It used to take 8 men to ring the bell! Back down to the main church and a look at the altar, then off to walk to the Belvedere.

On our last visit, we happened to arrive at the Belvedere during a (graduation?) ceremony for troops.  At the time, there was a parade, a military band and lots of spectators- quite festive! This time around, there were just groups of tourists but the Belvedere was still lovely. I love the reflecting pool and the gardens at the Upper Belvedere and then walking around to walk the gardens and fountain down to the Lower Belvedere. The gardens between the Upper and Lower buildings are not very crowded at all as most of the tour groups just see the area at the top and then get back on their bus.

We wandered around the gardens for awhile, then decided to find the Heeregeschichtliches Museum (Military History Museum). We had a general idea of its location and there were a few signs so we managed to eventually find it.  It is housed a really cool set of buildings and the main focus of the museum is WW1 history. The displays were quite interesting, including displays about the use of biological warfare (mustard gas, etc) and also some remains of bunker roofs showing the damage done by shelling.  There were some replicas of the shells and I was amazed at the size and weight of them as well as the giant hole one created that hit a bunker but did not explode.  One of the most important items in the display is the car in which the Austrian heir to the throne was riding when he was killed by an assassin in Sarajevo, setting into motion the events that would start the First World War in 1914.