Klagenfurt Off The Beaten Path

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If you are a fan of the great Austrian composer Gustav Mahler, about a 4 hours drive south of Vienna is Klagenfurt.

Mahler was a late romantic composer who's influence bridged Romanticism with the Modern Classic sounds of Alban Berg, Stravinsky, and Schoenberg.

In fact his great Symphony #6 was created here around the summer of 1901, a tragic symphony written during the happiest summer of his life. The symphony would hauntingly end up being a tragic symbol of three major "blows" in his life which would lead to his early death at the age of 51 in 1911 (a few years prior to the beginning of the Great War--World War One). After that summer, his daughter died of scarlet fever, his lead conducter job from the Vienna Opera was taken from him for anti-semitic reasons; and in 1906, he was diagnosed with a fatal irregular heartbeat.

Although Mahler lived in Vienna during the Opera Season, he would retreat to this hut to compose. He loved nature and walks by Lake Mor. If you stay in the city center in Klagenfurt, ask a tourist office or your hotel about Mahler's compositon hut. It's a short 5 mile drive or so from the city centre. You park by the lake and there's a nice 1 kilometer walk to his hut. In the hut will be a cd player, playing great Mahler Symphonies.

If you've not listened to Mahler, check out the Adagietto of his 5th Symphony. His music is passionate, warm, moody, sometimes dark, and a world of emotions and intensity.

There is no charge to walk to his composition hut and if you like walking in the forests without roughing it, this is the perfect solution.

Are a beautiful moutain range separating slovenia and Austria.
Lake Worthesee is a the foot of the mountians and to see these moutains fom the lake,youd think your dreaming.
The summer seasons give rise to some truly beautiful hiking and walking experiences.
The fresh air definately does you a lot of good.

Theres lots af varied wildlife here,Ducks ,Swans,Moorhens and the odd dog being walked around,again this place was spotless,no litter or dogs mess,both of which made a pleasant change from the average park in UK.

This is Worthsee,the warmest lake in Austria,only 10 minutes from town,I can imagine people wandering around in the summer just taking it all in,it reall is a beautiful place to go.
Lots of places to eat and drink,boat trips in season.
Wonderful place to relax and paint I should imagine.

Something I'd like to share: a few years ago I was in Klagenfurt, Austria. I took an early Sunday morning stroll (really early, at 8 in the morning). I didn't see any coloured people in the streets in this city, I assume there weren't any, or just a few, living there.
In any case, in the distance I saw a black figure approach. She was a very old nun and wore a black habit (covered from head to toe) just like you see in films. In fact, I'd not seen this for real for many years.
We approached each other on the pavement and it turned out she was staring as hard at me, as I was at her. We were obviously quite exotic to each other, which I found quite funny.

Mahler had a composing cottage in Steinbach am Attersee in Upper Austria. He gave this house up and looked for another which he found in 1900 at Klagenfurt. On the Worthersee is the little house where Gustav Mahler used to compose when there. He was encharmed with this little house in the woods, he is known to have said that in such an idyllic place one did not compose but was composed. In this house he composed his 4th - 8th symphonies, the "Tamboursg'sell", the The Ruckert songs and the "Kindertotenleider" (I love that even though it always makes me cry.
Mahler was director of the Imperial and Royal Court Opera in Vienna. It was only in the summer months he was able to set himself to his real passion of composing. In 1907 the composer was stroke by three awful blows: he had to resign as director of the opera, his darling daughter, Maria, died (she was 5 years old) and he heard that he had a heart disease.
You park your car about 15 minutes from the house (which is well signposted) and walk through the woods to the house. it is tiny but full of information about the composer and the man looking after it is a real lover of his music and plays it all the time you are there.

I always find it lovely to smell roasted chesnuts. You don't see that sort of thing in The Netherlands.
I bought a bag on a Sunday morning, very early after a brisk stroll through a very quiet and empty Klagenfurt.
It was about 9 in the morning and I already had a good hour's walk behind me. Stopped to talk to the chesnut man. It was cold and I wondered how he held out in his knitted sweater.
Oh yes, a small paper bag with chesnuts cost me € 2.

DAS LABYRINTH in Maria Saal (10 minutes near Klagenfurt) is an annual special event in July and August. If you come with your family, alone or with friends, it's an great experience for everyone.

Look at: www.labyrinth.at