The magic started already in Brixen, a town near the Dolomites in South Tyrol. There, we saw on the ceiling of the cloister beside the dome a depiction of the first elephant crossing the Alps in 1551. Soliman was a present for archduke Maximilian. Soon after his arrival in Vienna, he died.Â
Medieval cloister
Obviously, the artist never saw an elephant and depicted it from a description he heard – a very charming picture.
Our travel back in time continued in Bozen with the visit to the iceman Ötzi, a frozen mummy dating back 5300 years. His well preserved body glittered from the thin sheet of ice when we peeked through a glass window into the room where he is resting. His body shows black markings of acupuncture points, a fascinating discovery for the history of medicine. Besides an axe, knife, arrows, grass blankets, a container of hot coals to make fire in minutes and other things, he carried with him a grain of Einkorn wheat and a seed of blackthorn. Blackthorn is very high in Vitamin C.
One shoe was totally preserved and consisted of fur, grass and leather strings. It protected him well from the icy cold.
Ötzi was murdered from behind by an arrow in the left shoulder. A deep cut in his right hand showed that 24 hours before his death he was involved in a fight. Ötzi is a treasure for historical research.
We stayed in a little village called Tiers. The hotel was located beside a church with a lovely cemetery surrounding it. Each single grave was a beautiful flower garden and showed care and love. The crosses are directed towards the peaks of the Rosengarten, now in thick clouds.
In the background, you see the Dolomite mountains of the Rosengarten. The photo was taken in the evening, when the rocks glow in a reddish color. The name “Rosengarten” refers to the legend of the dwarf king Laurin. It was said that he lived in a palace of gold and jewels inside the mountain and had a rose garden outside. After he was imprisoned because he stole a beautiful woman, he cursed the mountain, so nobody could see the rose garden again. However, he forgot to mention the time of sunsets – ever since then the peaks of this mountain range glow in the evening like red roses.
The area of the Dolomites is full of magic. You can only be in awe of the beauty. On one of my hikes, I went to the Grasleiten Huette (2165m). I always like to have the destination of a mountain hut on my hike.
Path to the Grasleitenhütte
Many hiking trails lead through gorgeous landscapes, crossing alpine meadows with grazing horses, cattle, goats and sheep and go high up to the rocky peaks.
The animals are used to hikers and are not bothered by them.
A very seldom and gorgeous Colombine
A plant producing these fine, transparent webs of seed
Lake on the “Whunleger”
It is said that the land forms people and this is very visible in this area. The land is full of history and stories and these stories are still told today. I was fascinated by the many wood carvings I saw in the forest. Like in the Middle Ages, the artists are not known. The forest is full of dragons, spirits and other creatures.
A railing with the head of a fierce dragon
Head of dragon
A powerful dragon was created from this twisted tree trunk and made into a comfortable bench.
More Tree spirits
The playfulness was intriguing
On the way down to the village, I passed this ancient mound, the “Thalerbühel”. The people of the Iron Age (600-400 BC) flattened the mound and celebrated their fire rituals on the top.
A tunnel like walkway, one of many, lead down to the village.
