Royal knights in armour and helmet are challenging each other to a duel in the inner courtyard of the Kaprun Castle. Emperor Franz Joseph is delivering a speech to the crowd gathered in the town square of Zell am See. In the streets, traditional post buses and old-fashioned vintage convertibles from the cradle of the automobile are cruising. In Zell am See-Kaprun history is still alive. In picturesque Pinzgau, in the west of the province of Salzburg, people are very aware of their traditions and customs. That is why the region wants to invite visitors to share its opulent past and revives sequences of its history in a careful but nonetheless exciting way. It is no accident that Zell am See is among the 18 carefully selected ‘small historical towns’ in Austria.
History does not always have to be bone-dry and memory does not always have to come with a touch of mould to it. In the end it is about how those old stories are told. In Zell am See-Kaprun, the focus is on experiencing the past actively – especially this August when visitors can eyewitness a renaissance of the imperial House of Austria. On 18th August 2007 the Pinzgau takes Emperor Franz Joseph’s 177th anniversary as an occasion to stage a visit of the Emperor, Sissi and their imperial entourage. The couple will start their one-day journey through the region in Zell am See and reach Mittersill by steam engine. Accompanied by a parade of vintage cars the couple will give a vivid impression of the old splendour of monarchy.
If you would like to take a journey on the ‘iron horse’ through the region, just book the all-inclusive ‘Nostalgic Package’ of the Zell am See-Kaprun and retrace the steps of the imperial couple. As little as 130 euro includes the accommodation, a ride on the historical steam train as well as the entrance fees to the Museum of Local History and vehicle museum. However, his unique offer has to be booked by 13th September.
If the vehicles from the 20ies and 30ies are not old enough for you and you would like to dig further back into the history of the region, go in for the legends of the noblemen who annually conquer Kaprun Castle. At the huge medieval market in the summer, knights cross their blades, merchants put up their manufactured goods for sale and jugglers play their tricks on the audience. And children can experience ‘living history’ when they participate in archery contests.
And how do you get to Kaprun? Why don’t you mount one of the 2,100 post busses of the Austrian Federal Railways. Those vehicles have already been in use in the area around Salzburg for 100 years. The Austrian Federal Railways seize the opportunity to celebrate this anniversary in Zell am See – the jewel of the province. In May uncountable vintage vehicles with the logo of the Austrian Post dominated the scene. You cannot fail to notice: in Zell am See and Kaprun, the present always gives you a taste of the past!
More information about the historic events in the ‘Europa-Sportregion’ is available at www.europasportregion.info.
Contact Europa-Sportregion
Europa Sportregion Marketing GmbH
Guest Service
Phone +43 (0)6542 – 770 0
welcome(at)europasportregion.info
www.europasportregion.info
Press contact
knoefler-journalist . media + communications GmbH
Mr. Benjamin Knöfler
Phone +49 (0)6028 – 80729 0
esr(at)kj-media.com
www.knoefler-journalist.com
Information summary
The ‘Europa-Sportregion Zell am See-Kaprun’ with its 14,000 beds and two million overnight stays every year is one of the most important holiday destinations in Austria. During the summer months you can enjoy a variety of outdoor activities like rafting, golf and hiking. And also in the cold season there is never a dull moment thanks to sleigh rides and hiking tours in snowshoes. Skiers can comfortably reach the 132 kilometres of slopes with powder snow with one of the 56 lifts. Snowboarders enjoy the perfect conditions of the Snowpark on the 2,600 metre high glacier plateau. Even in the summer you can swish down the slopes here. The renowned German publishing house of ‘Falk Verlag’ awarded Zell am See and Kaprun the decoration of the most family-friendly holiday region in Europe.