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Horses with carriages attack in Palmanova / Slalom through hay balls

June 02, 2018

Wolfgang Stocker

23 Feb, 2018

Lake Como has it all, including Clooney

Lake Como – Cernobbio, Tremezzo, Bellagio (2018) – Italy definitely offers a lot of places where one can feel utterly heavenly. I'm not spilling any secrets when I tell you that one of these divine spots can be found in Northern Italy's Lombardy region. North of Milan, where Italy meets the Alps, close to the Swiss border, there it lays, the breathtaking jewel Lake Como. The 30 miles (50 Kilometer) long "Y" shaped lake with its gorgeous villages at its shoreline is considered an Italian gem...
26 May, 2017

This is how you imagine paradise – Val d'Orcia: A magnificent Tuscan treasure

Val d'Orcia, Tuscany/Italy (2017) – I have seen big and small, vibrant and busy cities, secluded but cozy and beautiful places, I have seen gorgeous locations in the mountains, at the sea, on islands and even in the desert. And a while ago I had already come to the following conclusion: no matter where you are, something will excite you or it won't fulfill your expectations, something you see or experience will leave you with a good or a bad feeling. It's just like that, pretty simple
26 May, 2017

Falling in love with Tuscany – Val d'Orcia is pure art from top to bottom

Val d'Orcia, Tuscany/Italy (2017) – When your eyes have the luxury to bathe in green or golden, wide, almost endless and soft rolling hills, your tongue and palate have the privilege to taste the finest and most exquisite red wines on this planet and you are lucky enough to also nibble on some very delicious aged Pecorino cheese then you better enjoy every second of it because you are very close to paradise, your are in Val d'Orcia in Tuscany/Italy. God must have created this piece of land to
26 Feb, 2017

It's like a virus one can't get rid of – The amazingly beautiful Carnival in Venice

Venice/Italy (2017) – Oops, I did it again! I have been to the Carnival in Venice again! The Venetian carnival is like a virus I can't get rid of. I got infected with it in the early eighties after the "Carnevale di Venezia" was revived again and ever since I feel this itch once a year to be in the "Lagoon City" when its narrow alleys and big squares fill up again with people disguising themselves with incredibly beautiful masks and magnificent traditional festive Venetian clothes, ready to
27 Sep, 2013

Take me out to the ballgame – Marlins vs. Tigers in Marlins Park in Miami

Miami, Florida/USA (2013) – I am not really a hard core baseball fan, most likely because I didn’t grow up in the United States of America and therefore wasn’t exposed to this very cool sport until my later years. My excitement for this sport skyrocket when I was invited to see the Miami Marlins playing the Detroit Tigers in the “Marlins Park” in Miami in 2013. My Nikon also had a "field day" with this close action and the bright lights in the new Marlins ball park. I will always be grateful to
28 Feb, 2019

Celebrating the Carnival in Venice 2019 / Traditional, classy, festive and very colorful

Venice/Italy (2019) – Thinking about visiting the beautiful Venice and maybe at the same time experiencing the famous Carnevale di Venezia, being part of the true celebration of one of the oldest traditions in the lagoon city? Forget about it! Except you don't mind diving into big crowds made out of thousands of people in narrow streets and alleys and 10 times more on open squares. If terribly long lines and horrendous waiting times everywhere in the entire city won't bother you and you're
24 Feb, 2019

Carnival 2019 in San Pietro al Natisone / The Pust, the Blumari, cowbells and music

San Pietro al Natisone/Italy (2019) – The time between February and March is also in Italy's Friuli-Venezia Giulia dedicated to the Carnival celebrations. The eastern Friuli valleys and its neighboring Slovenian communities celebrate their carnival with the Pust. Old and young not only from the Natisone valley but also from other Friuli cities, from Abruzzo and even from Slovenia come together every year in San Pietro for two days to have a good time while celebrating carnival but also to
20 Jan, 2019

Snow Art in Friuli's Pontebba / International sculptors showed their skills

Pontebba/Italy (2019) – Very talented and creative sculptors from not only Italy but also Belarus, the Ukraine, Mongolia, Czech Republic, Germany and Wales/Great Britain showed once again in Pontebba in Friuli-Venezia Giulia during this year's 4th International Snow Sculpture Festival their incredible skills. As if it was not freezing cold enough already, for three days in a row the international artists had to work huge iced snow blocks into amazing pieces of art in open air. Snow Art
14 Oct, 2018

Spirit of Portopiccolo wins 50th Barcolana / Largest sailboat regatta

Trieste/Italy (2018) – Every year on the second Sunday in October the city of Trieste mutates to the Mecca of sailing. This year an estimated 300.000 people populated the city to attend the so called Barcolana in the Golf of Trieste, a true celebration of the sea and the sport of sailing with the main event, the largest sailboat regatta in the world. While the famous boat race is held on Sunday, the Barcolana celebration is spread out over the whole weekend. This year's Barcolana was the 50th
16 Sep, 2018

Rovinj: Feels like Italy but is Croatia / Small town leaves a big impression

Rovinj/Croatia (2018) – If you look for the romantic charm only an island can produce, the enchantment of a fishermen town and an Italian look and feel, without actually being in Italy, the Istrian city of Rovinj might be just what you are looking for. Even though the Croatian jewel, located on the western coast of the Istrian peninsula, is by God no secret to the tourism industry, the little fishing port still presents itself as a sleeping beauty, totally ignoring and covering the fact, that it
10 Jun, 2018

Rome for sure wasn't built on one day

Rome/Italy (2018) – Walking through Rome is like walking through a gigantic open air museum. I'm quite certain that I share this assessment with most of the tourists visiting the Italian capital. Even Romans themselves say, for example the late Alberto Sordi, beloved Italian actor and film director: "Rome is not like any city, it's a majestic museum, a living room to tiptoe through". The Italian capital is immensely loaded with fascinating excavation sites, literally on every corner is one,
19 May, 2018

La Scarzuola – The sacred and the ideal city / When madness meets genius

Montegabbione, Umbria/Italy (2018) – Hidden in the middle of nowhere land, nestled in an Umbrian forest lie two very special and magical places right next to each other, called "La Scarzuola" – "The Sacred City" and "The Ideal City". Visitors enter the historic former Franciscan monastery and walk right into a dream land, the very surreal world of Tomaso Buzzi (1900 - 1981). The famous Milanese avant-garde architect, eminent and influential in the 1920s and 1930s in Italy, acquired the monastery
18 May, 2018

The tallest man-made waterfall / Cascata delle Marmore, the pride of Umbria

Terni, Umbria/Italy (2018) – Generally I do believe that nature by itself provides incredibly raw beauty, but once in a while I have to admit that mankind can definitely contribute to natures efforts in making the world a beautiful place. I'm not talking about putting some flower pots in front of our homes or planting bushes and trees here and there. In the Italian region Umbria you'll find an example I'm talking about: the Cascata delle Marmore, a man-made waterfall, created by the ancient
17 May, 2018

Mille Miglia: Most beautiful race in the world

Sansepolcro/Italy (2018) – Just as I was about to walk through an ancient arch of the fortified city walls into the historic old town of Sansepolcro in the southeast of Tuscany, bordering Umbria and Marche, the sound of loud howling engines suddenly grabbed my attention. I knew this sound, this had to be a Ferrari. Indeed there it was, one of Enzo Ferrari's treasures from Maranello, driving down the alley in all its beauty, red, shiny and roaring. And there was another one coming and another
16 May, 2018

Visiting Assisi – "Oh, when the Saints..."

Assisi, Umbria/Italy (2018) – When lots of men in long brown robes walk in the heat of the day next to you, looking like monks but acting like tourists, strolling around on busy squares and walking the same alleys as you do with the same goal in mind to reach a very beautiful sight, then you know, you're close to a sacred destination. And if you see Saint Francis, the founder of the Franciscan orders of the Friars Minor in 1208 and co-patron saint of Italy, looking at you from souvenir stands,
14 May, 2018

Umbria, proud neighbor of Tuscany / Saints, truffles and Sagrantino

Assisi, Umbria/Italy (2018) – Umbria/Italy (2018) – When we talk about Italy's beautiful landscape, we always refer immediately to Tuscany. And rightfully so I think because there is a reason why most of us consider it a piece of heaven. Much less attention gets Tuscany's neighbor, Umbria, which really is incomprehensible, especially once you've seen it. It is not so much different from Tuscany, how could it be anyway, nature, people and style usually don't change much within a close by
03 Sep, 2017

Donkeys run for Gold in "San Siro di Friuli" "Corse dai mus" – Spectacle in Fagagna"

Fagagna/Friuli, Italy (2017) – Every first Sunday in September, since 1861, locals and many visitors from near and far gather around the beautiful market square of Fagagna in Friuli-Venezia Giulia, near the northern Italian city Udine, to witness a very traditional and truly unique spectacle: the "Corse dai mus", the race of the donkeys. Yeah I know, it sounds funny at first but it really isn't. Sure, the thought of donkeys racing around a track puts a smile in every sour face, but don't be
14 Aug, 2017

In touch with ice and snow in summer – Visiting Diavolezza in Engadine

Diavolezza/Switzerland (2017) – Yes, it gets hot in summer, we get that. But that hot? Somebody has to talk to the responsible otherwise we all will soon run for the mountains where temperatures still can be endured. There is literally nothing cooler than to be at a glacier by the way on a hot August summer day. Trust me, I've checked it out this year, while on a journey through the Engadine valley with the "Trainino Rosso" in Switzerland. If there is a desire in you to see a glacier from the
13 Aug, 2017

The Bernina Express – Crossing the Swiss Alps by train

Tirano/Italy, St. Moritz/Switzerland (2017) – Since August of this year I have something in common with one of the greatest generals and military strategists in history, Hannibal, we both crossed the Alps. Of course each one of us did it with style, Hannibal on a war elephant and I on the coolest train in the Alps, the Bernina Express. The little red train, how the Bernina Express is also called, is part of the Rhaetian Railway (RhB) and links the famous St. Moritz in Switzerland with the town
11 Aug, 2017

Livigno – Trading the beaches for the Italian Alps

Livigno/Italy (2017) – To trade sandy beaches for grassland in high altitude for a little summer vacation seems wrong already at the first thought. Especially in Italy, where the beaches and the sea are a synonym for "La dolce vita". It's tough to turn your back on something you know would be great and instead try something you can't even predict the outcome because you know literally nothing about it. Well, I did the unthinkable anyway in this year's so very hot August and drove up north,
11 Jun, 2017

Horses and carriages in line with tradition – Competition of Tradition Attacks

Passariano/Codroipo, Villa Manin/Italy (2017) – The "Villa Manin" in Passariano/Codroipo has already something noble about it. But add some very strong and elegant horses pulling vintage carriages to the former property of one of the last doges of Venice and let people in traditional and historic clothing guide them through an obstacle course right on the Manin's former front lawn and you have the perfect picture of this year's "5th International Competition of Tradition Attacks" in Friuli.
01 Jun, 2017

Positano, the pearl on the Amalfi Coast – Italy's very special vertical village

Positano, Amalfi Coast/Italy (2017) – "Positano bites deep", wrote the American author John Steinbeck in his essay for the "Harpers Bazaar" in 1953 and introduced with that the true pearl of the Italian Amalfi coast to the world. "It is a dream place that isn’t quite real when you are there and becomes beckoningly real after you have gone", wrote the winner of "Pulitzer Prize" and "Nobel Prize" and opened with that the floodgate for Positano's tourism. Ever since the "vertical village" ranks as
30 May, 2017

It's true: Naples is simply fascinating – Don't judge the city at first sight

Naples/Italy (2017) – "Rome is stately and impressive; Florence is all beauty and enchantment; Genoa is picturesque; Venice is a dream city; but Naples is simply fascinating", wrote Emily Lilian Whithing (1847-1942), an American journalist, poet and story teller in her book "Italy: The Magic Land". Naples couldn't receive a greater and more fitting compliment. Even though the city has to fight so many misconceptions – dirty, dangerous, unfriendly – once given the chance to convince visitors from
30 May, 2017

Isle of Capri is much more than a song – A very special island in the bay of Naples

Capri/Italy (2017) – It is considered a sign of great popularity when a song is written about a place and performed worldwide for decades. The "Isle of Capri" is such a song. Since it was written in 1934, many famous singer carried the Italian island's name out into the world and multiple times and in many languages around the globe. But Capri's fame doesn't come from this song, the great island in the bay of Naples, belonging to Italians region Campania, has a long history as a resort, starting
28 May, 2017

Abbey Monte Oliveto Maggiore – Saint Benedicts life in incredible frescoes

Abbey Monte Oliveto Maggiore, Tuscany/Italy (2017) – Where the green rolling hills of the Tuscan landscape all of the sudden end and the rather harsh looking land of the Crete Senesi takes over, there you'll find Tuscany's most-visited abbey, the Abbazia di Monte Oliveto Maggiore. With that you meet the brotherhood of the Monaci Benedettini di Santa Maria di Monte Oliveto and my new found friend Brother Joseph. The monastery is renowned for its great Renaissance frescoes in the "Chiostro Grande"
28 May, 2017

Romanesque abbey within a field of olive trees – Sant'Antimo is well worth the trip

Abbey Sant'Antimo, Tuscany/Italy (2017) – In the middle of pure Tuscan landscape, within rolling hills, vineyards and olive trees, there it is, the famous Abbey of Sant'Antimo. The former Benedictine monastery is located about 10 kilometers (about 6 miles) south of the home of the famous "Brunello" wine, Montalcino. After the Abbey was inhabited for centuries by Benedictine monks, from 1992 on the abbey was populated by the Premonstratensian Canons Regular, a group of Roman Catholic priests,
28 May, 2017

Meet the big white whale in Bagni San Filippo – Natural hot springs

Bagni San Filippo, Tuscany/Italy (2017) – Imagine that: You are in Val d'Orcia which truly equals paradise. You are totally exhausted only from enjoying the landscape all day long through the finder of your camera. Your right index finger had started to cramp up long before sunset, pressing the shutter release every ten seconds for the last ten hours might have been too much for the delicate pointer. All your leg muscles are hard as rocks, they hurt and seem to beg you for some form of relief,
28 May, 2017

San Quirico – Another jewel on a Tuscan hill

San Quirico, Tuscany/Italy (2017) – It comes to no surprise that another little jewel, one just has to visit while in Val d'Orcia, also sits on top of a hill: San Quirico. Only 2,500 inhabitants live in this little but very beautiful town, located in between the two more famous cities Pienza and Montalcino. If there is a hill somewhere in Tuscany, you can bet on it, on top of it you'll find another little treasure. When walking through San Quirico you just can tell, also this Tuscan city must
28 May, 2017

Lots of ancient charm in Montichiello – "Terrazza della Val' Orica"

Montichiello, Tuscany/Italy (2017) – In general, when locals recommend: "You have to see that", then you should listen to them. That's no different in Tuscany/Italy. In Val d'Orcia it is almost impossible to know or find all the hidden treasures by yourself. With good preparation you can come far but with local's advice, you get access to the real valuables. Jewels like Montichiello, the "Terrazza della Val' Orcia" (Terrace of Val d'Orcia), all of the sudden jump out of the valley's amazing
27 May, 2017

Montalcino: Home of the Brunello – Wine triumphs over tourist attractions

Montalcino, Tuscany/Italy (2017) – There is no doubt, Val d'Orcia is a jewel of its own and understands very well to attract visitors from all over the world. But it's not all about the countryside in this Tuscan region, towns like Montepulciano, Pienza or San Quirico do their part in making Tuscany such a desired place to be and to go to. One of the hilltop towns of Val d'Orcia, mind you, is a little bit more famous than the others: Montalcino. The people of this town have dedicated their
27 May, 2017

Pienza stands out in Val d'Orcia – A man of God realized his dream

Pienza, Tuscany/Italy (2017) – If UNESCO calls something a World Heritage Site, you just know it must be a big deal. More than 20 years ago – in 1996 – UNESCO declared the Tuscan city Pienza a World Heritage Site, eight years before in 2004 the entire valley, the Val d'Orcia, received the same award. Only a few moments after you entered this picturesque town, located between Montepulciano and Montalcino and separated from these cities only by gorgeous rolling hills and typical Tuscan landscape,
26 May, 2017

Bagno Vignoni: A spa since the 16th century

Bagno Vignoni, Val d' Orcia, Tuscany/Italy (2017) – One of the must-see sights in the Val d'Orcia region in Tuscany is Bagno Vignoni. The tiny village, belonging to San Quirico, is home to one of the oldest natural spas in Italy. Where other villages traditionally have a main square, Bagno Vignoni has the "Piazza delle Sorgenti" (Square of Springs), a huge pool measuring 50 by 30 meters (164 by 98 feet) built in the 16th century and filled with hot thermal water from the hot springs on which it
26 May, 2017

Climbing up to Montepulciano – A true Tuscan treasure high up on the hill

Montepulciano, Tuscany/Italy (2017) – I had a close relationship with Montepulciano long before I ever saw this beautiful and picturesque medieval town. Well let's be honest, my relationship was more with the town's name, "Montepulciano" than with the city itself. It just sounds so special when you say it:"Mon-te-pul-cia-no". Try it! It's like Ferrari, Mont Blanc or Manhattan. Some words just have something royal to it. Montepulciano I used mainly in connection with the wine card in restaurants.
20 May, 2017

Quinn's powerful installation in Venice holds an important message about climate change

Venice/Italy (2017) – In times like these, when the daily amount of information we consume leads to brain numbness, ART somehow is still able to reach us. And with that every information transported with it. The internationally renowned Italian artist Lorenzo Quinn, son of the famous Mexican-American actor Anthony Quinn († 2001), used his newest monumental sculpture "SUPPORT" to do just that. He used his amazing installation to transport a very powerful message concerning climate change.
06 Jan, 2017

Befana and Pignarul – Starting the new year with two great traditions

Basiliano, Vissandone, Feletto/Italy (2017) – On Epiphany's Eve, the evening of the Three Holy Kings, the Befana, a witch on a broomstick, "flies" from house to house to deliver gifts to the children. In the evening hours there is everywhere smoke to smell in the region. It's the time of the Pignarul. Huge bonfires are started all over this part of the country, burning big hay piles and of course the witch.
03 Oct, 2016

Figueres – Home of the famous eccentric Salvador Dali

Figueres, Portlligat, Spain (2016). – Either we belong to the group of admirer of artworks or we produce art ourselves. In one way or another art fascinates us. Independently from artist, form, style or genre. But is it always the artwork itself which attracts us really? Or is it possible it’s more the curiosity about the artists, about their way of life which leads us also to be interested in their art? A question I have asked myself many times and I think I found the answer this summer, when I
08 Sep, 2016

Costa Brava – Incredible Catalonia shows its treasure

Costa Brava, Spain (2016). – I normally don’t give up secrets so easily but this one I will share with you voluntarily, you don’t even have to ask. When it comes to vacation destinations there are really not many secrets left as it is anyway but I believe I just found what you might be looking for. There is this very cool piece of land in Southern Europe where relaxing on a secluded beach is still possible, without having to share the beautiful spot with half of Europe at the same time. You can
07 Aug, 2016

Park Güell – Antoni Gaudi's tribute to nature

Barcelona, Spain (2016). – What were they thinking in Barcelona a hundred years ago, when they literally ignored the new residential housing project of the Spanish entrepreneur Count Eusebi Güell and the planning architect Antoni Gaudí? The very well thought out real estate project on the rocky hills of Muntanya Pelada (Bare Mountain) in prestigious La Salut, in the Gràcia district, had everything one would wish for when looking for a place to live, upper-class neighborhood, living in a park
10 Jun, 2015

Tulips as far as you can see – Slovenian Arboretum rocks

Volčji Potok, SLOVENIA. (2015) – Between the end of April and the middle of May more than two million flowers bloom in the Arboretum of Volčji Potok. For each single citizen of Slovenia one very beautiful tulip. What an incredible sight! The Arboretum, in close distance to the great Slovenian city Lujubljana, is one of the main attractions of the Southern Central European country. Since 20 years in a row this colorful spring flower show lures ten thousands of visitors from all over the country
21 Apr, 2015

The secret gardens for the rich and famous

Palm Beach, Florida/USA. (2015) – Whenever I am in Palm Beach I love to cruise with my car up and down Royal Palm Way, a beautiful street surrounded by dozens of elegant palm trees, clean and rich looking bank buildings and pricey condominiums. The beauty of this famous piece of land lets you automatically slow down. There is no way you can drive there without enjoying what you see and admiring especially these very special palm trees along the way. It’s not a long ride on Royal Palm Way which
15 Dec, 2014

My feathered friends of Lantana

Lantana/Palm Beach/Florida/USA. (2014) – One of my favorite things to do in Florida is to go to the pier and watch the pelicans. I totally forget everything else when I watch these big birds with their famous long beaks and their large throat pouches. I’ve spent hours at days just watching them flying solo or in formation, landing on boats or poles and looking for food. The pelicans at the pier next to the Lantana bridge seem not shy at all but I do show them respect and keep a nice distance...
01 Aug, 2014

Prague knows how to shine and sparkle again

Prague/Czech Republic (2014). – I recently went to Prague and was like so many others taken by the beauty of the capital of the Czech Republic. While walking along the cobbled alleys, reaching hidden courtyards and stumbling across historic buildings, ancient chapels, inviting cafes and traditional local bars, I realized what a blessing the “Velvet Revolution” (“The Gentle Revolution” in 1989) for this beautiful European treasure really was. Not only was "Czechoslovakia" freed from 41 years of
13 Jun, 2014

First at the beach and then on safari – Lion Country Safari" in West Palm Beach"

Munich/Germany (2012). – I don’t know how many times I’ve been in a zoo already in my life but every time again I have the possibility I certainly use it. A zoo is like a magnet for me, its fascination seems never ending. Needless to say, I could spend hours with all the animals, no matter how small or big the zoo is. It's fun to watch all the diverse creatures, how they interact with each other. I always wonder if they act different for the visitors than they would normally when the zoo is ...
01 Feb, 2014

George Morikami – He had a dream and left a legacy

Delreay Beach/Boca Raton/USA. (2014) – Even when you realize that your dream does not come true, your life still can become great or even legendary! Best proof of this theory is George Morikami (1886 – 1976), a native Japanese, who lived part of his life in the USA where he could not fulfill his dream, but managed to make a grand mark and leave an impressive legacy. Traveling in Southern Florida it quickly becomes obvious that the Japanese names “Morikami” and “Yamato” are interconnected and
12 Oct, 2013

Following the sound of the Japanese drums – Taiko drumming in Boca Raton

Munich/Germany (2012). – I don’t know how many times I’ve been in a zoo already in my life but every time again I have the possibility I certainly use it. A zoo is like a magnet for me, its fascination seems never ending. Needless to say, I could spend hours with all the animals, no matter how small or big the zoo is. It's fun to watch all the diverse creatures, how they interact with each other. I always wonder if they act different for the visitors than they would normally when the zoo is ...
21 Sep, 2013

The beautiful Harvest Moon – The orange pumpkin put up quite a show

Boca Raton, Florida/USA – A full moon rising is a very exciting event. I am not talking about watching a full moon in the dark sky, I am thinking about to see the moon in his very first appearance at the horizon and watch it climbing up this path, gaining more and more brightness. Plenty of great photographers shoot "La Luna" in all her glory every month and countless songs and books and stories are written about the beauty and power of the rising moon. Speaking of it, remember "Bad Moon
24 Aug, 2013

Night of horror with death and destruction / Remembering the Vajont dam disaster

Erto e Casso, Longarone/Italy (2013). – A visit of the Piave river valley and its villages in northern Italy will cause every visitor a heavy heart when confronted with the history of this region. October 9th, 1963 is remembered as the "Night of horror", in which an incredible landslide caused the tragic Vajont dam disaster. Five villages – Longarone, Pirago, Rivalta, Villanova and Faè were destroyed and about 2000 people lost their lives in this horrible night. 350 families were
24 Aug, 2013

“Hellabrunn” – A perfect day at the zoo in Munich

Munich/Germany (2012). – I don’t know how many times I’ve been in a zoo already in my life but every time again I have the possibility I certainly use it. A zoo is like a magnet for me, its fascination seems never ending. Needless to say, I could spend hours with all the animals, no matter how small or big the zoo is. It's fun to watch all the diverse creatures, how they interact with each other. I always wonder if they act different for the visitors than they would normally when the zoo is ...
18 Aug, 2013

iPhone fisher meets true fisherman – Fishing is fun, relaxing and exciting

Scheffau/Austria (2013). – I am an iPhone fisherman. A few years back, I downloaded a fishing app on my cell phone, one of these crazy senseless games for smart phones. I tried it and, no wonder, got addicted to it. I realized, somehow there had to be a fisherman in me. Anyway, I fished and fished, got really good at it – in the gaming world mind you, and when my son-in-law, who loves fishing, one day asked me to join him on a little fishing adventure, I accepted. It was on: real fisherman
15 Aug, 2013

Villa Mainardis – Movie location for "The Best Offer"

Gorizzo – Camino al Tagliamento/Italy (2013). – I had the great opportunity and privilege to attend “The Trieste Film Festival” in 2013. The great Italian Academy Award-winning film director Giuseppe Tornatore had just finished up his new movie “The best offer” (“La migliore offerta”) and presented it in its original version at the festival. The movie was shot in the region of Friuli-Venezia-Giulia/Italy, Vienna/Austria, South Tyrol/Italy, Trieste/Italy and parts of it also in Prague...
23 Jul, 2013

The need for speed - Soap box race in Werfen

Werfen/Austria (2013). – Remember the time when kids in soap boxes raced down the streets? The tradition of soap box races is a very cool one and reaches far back to the beginning of the last century, depending on the country also even further. The soap boxes from earlier years were handmade gravity-powered vehicles without a motor, originally made out of discarded wooden soap crates and roller-skate wheels. Today the “cars” are constructed with metal and fiberglass and designed for the need to
05 Jul, 2013

Worth Avenue – Palm Beach's finest piece of land

Palm Beach, Florida/USA (2013). – Why would you even think about walking on Worth Avenue in beautiful Palm Beach under the unforgiving heat of the Floridian sun? Maybe because you're a shopaholic or at least a very passionate window shopper? In anyway, the answer is fairly simple: because as the street name already indicates, it's worth it! Sure, it would be alluring to rather hang out at the nearby most gorgeous beaches, with the feet in the water and the ass in the sand. But Worth Avenue
05 Jul, 2013

Encounter with Mars, Neptune, Casanova and Tintoretto in Venice

Venice/Italy (2013). – A friend of mine returned from a short vacation in Italy where he finally visited the beautiful Venice for the first time. Talking about his experience, I asked him: “Did you also visit the “Doge’s Palace” (Palazzo Ducale)?” A question every first time visitor of Venice answers with “Of course”, especially since the palace is not only one of the main landmarks of the city but, built in Venetian Gothic style, the palace also works like magnet, attracting all tourists and
07 May, 2013

Clauiano – A Friuli gem with lots of history and charm

Clauiano/Italy (2013). – To explore the region of Friuli-Venezia-Giulia is one of the most interesting things I have ever done. Especially with suggestions from locals where to go and when time is not an issue really. I would have never seen the little hamlet all of Friuli seems so proud of: the beautiful village Clauiano in the province of Udine. The village is located only about 20 miles south-east of Udine, close to Palmanova, between the highway A23/E55 and the river “Torre”. Visiting
18 Jan, 2013

Hallstatt is so famous, the Chinese copied it

Hallstatt/Austria (2010). – I still remember my very first visit in Hallstatt, the little old village at the lake which carries the village's name, the Hallstaettersee. It was during my school years and I was in my teens. The town where I went to school is not even 10 miles from Hallstatt. I made many trips to Hallstatt, especially in summer when swimming in the lake with my friends was so much more than just refreshing.
03 Sep, 2012

Genoa – Beautiful capital of Liguria / Visiting the home of Christopher Columbus

Genoa/Italy (2012) – The bigger the choice, the harder it is to choose. Something photographers know all too well, especially when it comes to pick a city for the next photo trip. In Italy I find it particularly difficult to prioritize due to the many beautiful cities available like Rome, Florence, Naples, Venice, Milan or Pisa, to name only a few. And there are so many more, each well worth the trip. Genoa for example. The home town of Christopher Columbus should be on everybody's bucket list.
02 Sep, 2012

Cinque Terre, the "Five Lands" in Liguria

Cinque Terre/Italy (2012) – I am not exaggerating when I tell you that one of the most beautiful places one can find in Europe is Cinque Terre, the breathtaking "Five Lands", located in the northwest of Italy, in the Liguria region, on the coast of the Italian Riviera. Cinque Terre with its five little villages Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza and Monterosso is a World Heritage Site since 1997 and since 1999 also a declared National Park, the "Parco Nazionale delle Cinque Terre",
01 Sep, 2012

Porto Venere is "The other Portofino" Seaside hamlet at the Gulf of Poets

Porto Venere/Italy (2012) – There are many spectacular seaside villages at the "Gulf of the Poets" at the Italian Riviera. Some are very famous and worldwide known while others still are considered sort of second-rate. Porto Venere is one of them, the small but very picturesque town in the Ligurian region lives and profits mostly of the tourist's interest for the incredible Cinque Terre, the nearby string of five coastal villages Riomaggiore, Corniglia, Vernazza, Manarola and Monterosso.
01 Sep, 2012

Portofino – The sparkling gem of the Riviera The rich and famous, love and heartbreak

Portofino/Italy (2012) – The rich and the famous discovered the beautiful little fishing village Portofino in the late 19th century and turned it into one of the most exclusive locations on the Ligurian coast in Italy. Since the 1950’s famous Hollywood stars and members of the European royal families were regular guests in this picturesque little hamlet at the Italian Riviera. Some of them came year after year for their little getaway. While these celebrities gave Portofino the exclusive touch,
21 Aug, 2012

Walking through Salzburg and ignoring Mozart

Salzburg/Austria. (2012) It’s always special to be back at a place I kind of feel home. I’ve worked and lived in Salzburg, in the capital of the Austrian state of Salzburg for many years and spent a great deal of time in this great and very beautiful city. Even though I did not grow up here, the city always made me feel like home. Over the years I gained a familiarity with Salzburg, with its sights, its streets and the squares and of course with its people. No wonder, the so called “Mozart
25 Jul, 2012

Chioggia – Little Venice at the southern end of the lagoon

Chioggia/Italy (2012). – What do the cities of Chioggia and Venice have in common? Not so much but also a lot. For starters both cities share the Venetian Lagoon, the famous Venice is up on the north end, the fishing port Chioggia on the southern end of it. Therefore they are not far apart, measured on a map only 15 miles/25 km, actually driving distance is a bit less than an hour (35 miles/55 km). Chioggia carries the endearing nickname "Little Venice", most of all because it is a miniature
28 Feb, 2012

Taking on the Carnival in Venice / Between excitement and frustration

Venice/Italy (2012) – For a photographer who loves to capture special moments, the Carnival of Venice in Italy is the place to be. Not an easy task though, I have to say. In fact it can become quite a challenge. Especially during the last weekend of the celebrations and on Fat Tuesday, when hundreds of thousands visitors overrun the delicate lagoon city. Newbie to this event and the ones who don't know their ways around in Venice might even experience little breakdowns and the loss of cool at
12 Sep, 2008

Amazing Canyonlands in touch with beautiful and intact nature

Canyonlands National Park/Utah/USA. (2008 ). – Mother Earth is our biggest treasure. To protect it as good as we can and leave to the next generations to come in the best possible condition should be our greatest goal in life. It's time for us to realize how beautiful our environment still is and that we should consider it a privilege to have a place in it. "Look! Look! Look deep into nature and you will understand everything", suggested also no one lesser than Albert Einstein. But we seem to
05 Sep, 2008

Newspaper Rock – Stories carved in sandstone

Moab/Utah (2008). – Whenever I travel to two of the most beautiful National Parks in America, "The Arches" and "Canyonlands" in Utah, I always choose for my sleeping accommodation the little city of Moab. The small resort town with its great scenery is located conveniently right in between these two parks and makes visiting them easier and so much more convenient. During my last stay in Moab, I discovered somehow "accidentally" that the surrounding area of this Utah town has so much more to
05 Sep, 2008

The Hoodoos make the heart beat faster from sunrise to sunset

Bryce Canyon National Park/Utah/USA. (2009 09). – One of the smallest National Parks in the United States but worldwide known for its amazing and unique beauty is “Bryce Canyon”. The colorful rock formations and the horseshoe-shaped amphitheaters take your breath away. This amazing desert wonderland puts a spell on you before you can blink with an eye. No natural landscape has ever impressed me more. I’ve visited Bryce Canyon several times already so far and every time I had a breathtaking
02 Sep, 2006

On smelly and shaky ground in Yellowstone

Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming/USA (2006) – I'm still not certain what fascinated me more in the world's oldest National Park Yellowstone, the breathtaking beauty of a wild, almost untouched looking landscape or the sinister sight of thousands of burned or dead trees sticking out of smelly calcium carbonate deposits at hot springs. This enormous record breaking piece of land attracts its more than 4 million visitors per year with more than 500 geysers, which is more than the half of the