My Visual Travel Experience: Klagenfurt, Austria

I lived in the Austrian capital, Vienna, for four years from 1985 to 1989, when my father served as the Indian Ambassador there. After I started my international travels, I have visited Austria several times, in 2001, 2008, 2009, 2011 and 2018. I find it to be one of the most beautiful countries in the world, and it draws me like a magnet, over and over again.

In 2008, I spent around a week in Austria, and from Vienna, I did several morning-evening trips on the country's extremely efficient train system. I managed to cover several Austrian towns, including Klagenfurt. Apart from Vienna, other Austrian towns are small enough to cover in a day, though they are so pretty that one can certainly stay there for far longer if one has the luxury of time!

Klagenfurt, officially called Klagenfurt am Worthersee, is the capital of the Austrian federal state of Carinthia, and it has a population of just over 100,000. It is Austria’s 6th largest city, after Vienna, Graz, Linz, Salzburg and Innsbruck. It lies in the south of the country, along the Worthersee, a picturesque lake that is about 16.5 km long and 1.5 km wide.

As per legend, Klagenfurt was founded after a group of brave men killed the Lindwurm, a winged dragon that fed on virgins. Historically, the city was founded by Duke Hermann in the 12th century. His son, Duke Bernhard von Spanheim, moved the town to a safer position as it was prone to frequent flooding. In the following centuries, the town had its share of misfortune, with fires, earthquakes, locust attacks and attacks from the Ottomans.

In 1518, Emperor Maximilian I handed over the town to the nobility of the Duchy after he was unable to rebuild it. They managed to rebuild the town. In 1809, Napoleon’s troops destroyed the city walls. In 1863, Klagenfurt became an important railway junction, being in the geographic centre of the region. This led to a boost in the town’s economy.

After World War I, Klagenfurt was occupied by the Kingdom of the Serbs, Croats and Slovenes. However, they withdrew in 1920 after a plebiscite where the inhabitants opted to remain a part of Austria. Klagenfurt suffered a lot of damage in World War II, but the town was subsequently restored. In 1961, Klagenfurt became the first town in Austria to get a pedestrian zone.

Neuer Platz is a large square in the heart of the city. It has the Lindwurm Fountain and a Statue of Empress Maria Theresia, the Habsburg empress who reigned from 1745 to 1765. The Lindwurm Fountain , depicting a legendary dragon-like creature, dates back to 1593, and has a statue of Hercules next to it, added in 1633.

Lindwurm Fountain, Neuer Platz

Statue of Empress Maria Theresia, Neuer Platz

Alte Platz is a pedestrian area in the city centre. It has many baroque buildings, including the Altes Rathaus (the Old Town Hall). The Stadtpfarrkirche lies at the northern end of Alte Platz.

Alte Platz

Stadtpfarrkirche was inaugurated in its current form in 1697, after the previous church was damaged by fore and later by two earthquakes. It has a 97 meter tall tower. It is also known as the St Egid Church.

Stadtpfarrkirche

Heiliggeistkirche is an old church that was rebuilt in 1582. The monastery adjoining it came up in 1678. When the French occupied in 1809-10, the church and monastery served as a stable and camp. The church suffered damage in World War II but was renovated.

Heiliggeistkirche

Landhaus was completed in 1590. It has two onion shaped towers and an arcaded courtyard. It is famous for its Great Emblem Hall, which has 665 coats of arms from Carinthia. 

Landhaus

Worthersee Mandl is a small fountain erected in 1962 by the local sculptor Heinz Goll. It has a small man with his hand resting on a barrel, and from the barrel, an endless stream of water flows into the fountain.

Worthersee Mandl

Minimundus is a miniature park that has models of famous buildings from across the world, built on a ratio of 1:25. The park has over 150 models. The park opened in 1958. It is spread over 26,000 square meters. The proceeds go towards a charitable organization, "Save the Child".

Vienna's Stephansdom, Minimundus

Paris' Eiffel Tower, Minimundus

Paris's Arc de Triomphe, Minimundus

Vatican City's St Peter's Basilica, Minimundus

Minimundus has models of Vienna’s Stephansdom, Paris’ Eiffel Tower and Arc de Triomphe, the Vatican City’s St Peter’s Basilica, Barcelona’s Sagrada Familia, Sydney’s Opera House, Toronto’s CN Tower, Singapore’s Raffles Hotel, Agra’s Taj Mahal , Pisa’s Leaning Tower, Prague’s Old Town Hall and Philadelphia’s Independence Hall, to name a few.

Barcelona's Sagrada Familia, Minimundus

Sydney's Opera House, Minimundus

Toronto's CN Tower, Minimundus

Singapore's Raffles Hotel, Minimundus

Klagenfurt was beautiful. Its location by the scenic Worthersee made it that much prettier. Travelers to Austria should certainly consider adding it to their list of places to visit. And being a relatively small town, one can get a good flavour of it in just a day.

My Visual Travel Experience: Khajuraho

I visited Khajuraho for 2 days back in 2010. I had heard a lot about the famed temples of Khajuraho, known all over the world for their beautiful sculptures of Hindu gods and goddesses, as well as for their erotic sculptures, and I was very keen on seeing them. I managed to see around 10 of the temples on my visit, including all the very well known ones. I flew down from Delhi and I stayed at one of the town's top hotels, Clarks Khajuraho. It was a fascinating visit.

Khajuraho lies in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh and the town has about 25,000 inhabitants (2011 census). It is famous for its Hindu and Jain temples and their erotic sculptures. The Khajuraho Group of Monuments have been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1986, and most of them were built between 950 AD and 1050 AD. There were originally about 85 temples but only around 25 have survived.

The monuments were built by the Chandela Dynasty. Their kingdom was later known as Bundelkhand. The Chandela Dynasty’s capital was in Mahoba, and the Khajuraho temples were built about 50 km from them. Most of the temples were built by the kings Yashovarman, Dhanga and Vidyadhara. The temples are clubbed in three groups, the western group, the eastern group and the southern group. The western group temples are the most visited ones.

The temples were actively used till the end of the 12th century, after which the Chandela Dynasty was defeated by the Delhi Sultanate under Qutb-ud-din-Aibak. Under various Islamic dynasties, the temples suffered significant damage over the next few centuries and were almost forgotten.

In the 1830s, the temples came to prominence after a British surveyor discovered them with the help of local Hindus. Subsequently, Khajuraho went on to become a very popular tourist attraction, both with Indian and global travelers. To cater to the large number of tourists, Khajoraho has very good infrastructure, with flight connections to Delhi and Varanasi, as well as top hotels like Ramada Khajuraho, The Lalit Temple View, Radisson Jass Hotel and Clarks Khajuraho, plus numerous budget hotels.

Kandariya Mahadev Temple is the largest of Khajuraho’s temples. It was built in the reign of King Vidyadhara, and was completed in 1029 AD. It is dedicated to Shiva. It stands in the western group of temples. The temple’s tower stands at a height of 31 meters. The exterior of the temple is covered with sculptures. These include erotic sculptures and sculptures of gods. There is an informative sound and light show that takes place in the evenings, both in English and Hindi, outside the temple.

Kandariya Mahadev Temple

Erotic Sculpture with Upside Down Male Figure,
Kandariya Mahadev Temple

Erotic Sculpture, Kandariya Mahadev Temple

Lakshmana Temple was completed in 939 AD. It is dedicated to Vaikuntha Vishnu, a four headed depiction of Vishnu. It is a part of the western group of temples. The exterior of the temple features divine sculptures as well as erotic sculptures, some featuring erotic scenes involving animals.

Lakshmana Temple

Ganesha, Lakshmana Temple

Apsara, Lakshmana Temple

Erotic Sculpture, Lakshmana Temple

Erotic Sculpture with a Horse, Lakshmana Temple

Vishvanatha Temple was completed in 999 AD and is dedicated to Shiva. It was commissioned by King Dhanga. It is part of the western group of temples. The architecture resembles that of the older Lakshmana Temple and the more recent Kandariya Temple. The walls feature erotic sculptures.

Vishvanatha Temple

Erotic Sculptures, Vishvanatha Temple

Varaha Temple was completed in 950 AD. It has a large monolithic sculpture of Varaha, the boar incarnation of Vishnu. The large statue of Varaha has a height of 1.7 meters and a length of 2.6 meters.

Varaha Temple

Nandi Temple dates back to 1000 AD and has a large monolithic Nandi statue, dedicated to the bull of Shiva.

Nandi Temple

Parshvanatha Temple was built in 954 AD. It was built by a Jain family during the rule of King Dhanga. It is the largest among the town’s Jain temples. The temple walls have sculptures of celestial beings. Despite being a Jain temple, there are also Hindu sculptures centred around Vishnu and his incarnations.

Parshvanatha Temple

Celestial Couple, Parshvanatha Temple

Matangeshvara Temple dates back to 1000 AD. It lies in the western group of temples. It is the only Hindu temple in Khajuraho stll used for active worship and has a large 2.5 meter high linga. 

Matangeshvara Temple

Linga, Matangeshvara Temple

DuladeoTemple goes back to 1125 AD. It is dedicated to Shiva. It was the last of the temples built by the Chandela Dynasty. The walls have sculptures of celestial dancers in erotic postures. It is part of the southern group of temples. 

Duladeo Temple

Celestial Figures, Duladeo Temple

Adinath Temple is a Jain temple going back to 1027 AD. It is dedicated to the Jain Tirthankara Adinatha.  

Adinath Temple

Chitragupta  Temple was built in 1023 AD. It is dedicated to the sun god, Surya, and has a tall sculpture of him riding a chariot of seven horses.

Chitragupta Temple

Khajuraho was fascinating. I was mesmerized by the beauty of the temples; the sheer age of the structures and the fact that they have gracefully survived the passage of time with minimal damage; the intricate detailing of the sculptures; and the fact that even in that era, our ancestors were open enough to graphically depict eroticism in such a beautiful and artistic manner, when even a thousand years later, most of us are so squeamish and embarrassed about it!

My Visual Travel Experience: Guilin, China

In 2013, my wife and I spent two and a half weeks in China. We had to do a fair bit of research to see which all places to visit, because China is such a large country with so many attractions scattered across it. The two large mega cities of Shanghai and Beijing were obvious choices. Apart from that, we narrowed down on Xi'an, because the Terracotta Warriors had to be seen. Our fourth and last selection for that tour was Guilin, famous for its scenic rock formations along the beautiful Li River.

In subsequent years, my sister in law moved to Macau, so Macau and Hong King became places we regularly visited. From Macau, I also visited the nearby Chinese cities of Guangzhou and Shenzen. So I've managed to travel around a fair bit in China. Language has been a problem, food has sometimes been a concern (I've had my phases of being a vegetarian), but I've still enjoyed my travels and I've been impressed by the country's development levels, its infrastructure (in terms of Manhattan-like skyscrapers, high speed trains and world class airports), its beautiful architecture, and its rich cultural and historical legacy.

Guilin is a city in China having a population of around 975,000 (as of 2010). Such a population would make it a fairly large city in most countries, but going by Chinese standards (where cities like Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, Tianjin and Shenzen all have well over 10 million inhabitants), it is a relatively small city. It is situated in Guangxi Province in the south-eastern part of the country. The city borders the scenic Li River and lies on its west bank. It has been classified as a National Famous Historical and Cultural City by the State Council of China. Its main attraction is the splendid Li River with its beautiful hilly formations jutting out of the water.

In 111 BC, the Han Dynasty established Shi’an County. That was the beginning of Guilin. In 507 AD, the region was named Guizhou. In 997, Guangnan West Circuit was established, and it was a predecessor of Guangxi Province, with Guizhou as its capital. In 1367, the name of the region was changed to Guilin Prefecture. In 1921, Dr Sun Yat Sen’s Northern Expeditionary Army started operating out of Guilin. Guilin City was established in 1940. In 1950, the capital of Guangxi Province moved from Guilin to Nanning.

We spent two days in Guilin. On our first day, we explored the city's main sites. We hired a taxi for the day, and our driver was an attractive young local woman. It is so rare to have women taxi drivers, that it was a pleasant change. She spoke just a little bit of English, but was very polite in her demeanour and extremely helpful. On our second day, we went on a cruise down the Li River all the way to Yangshuo County. There, after walking along the famous West Street, we went on a fascinating country-side tour, where we saw fields, water buffaloes, and fishermen using cormorants to catch fish for them!

Guilin's famous Sun and Moon Pagodas stand on Fir Lake. They are also known as the Gold and Silver Pagodas, because of their colours at night.  From the summits of the two pagodas, one gets great views of the city.

Sun and Moon Pagodas

The Sun Pagoda stands at a height of 41 meters and it has a total of nine storeys. The Moon Pagoda is just a little shorter than the Sun Pagoda, and has seven storeys. A 10 meter long glass underwater tunnel connects the two pagodas. Inside the structures, there are many Buddha statues.

Sun Pagoda

Buddha Statue, Sun Pagoda

Moon Pagoda

Buddha Statue, Moon Pagoda

Mulong Lake is a scenic spot, well known for its beautiful artificial lake, the greenery around, and structures like the 45 meter high Mulong Tower and the Mulong Arch Bridge. The lake connects the Li River to the city.

An overview of Mulong Lake

Mulong Tower

Mulong Arch Bridge

Reed Flute Cave is a natural limestone cave. The cave dates back 180 million years! The cave is illuminated by multi-coloured lighting. The length of the cave is 240 meters, and It has numerous stalactites, stalagmites and other rock formations. Some of the inscriptions inside date back to the 8th century AD The cave was rediscovered in 1940.

A Boxwood Carving, Reed Flute Cave

A Bumper Harvest with Vegetables, Reed Flute Cave

Singing Birds and Fragrant Flowers,
Reed Flute Cave

Solitary Beauty Peak is a solitary hill known for its pretty formation. At the top of the hill, there is a temple, and one gets great views of the city. At the base of the hill, there are attractions like Chengyung Palace and Crescent Pond.

Solitary Beauty Peak

Chengyung Palace, Solitary Beauty Peak

Crescent Pond, Solitary Beauty Peak

Alley of Trees, Solitary Beauty Peak

Li River is a tributary of Guijiang River. It has a length of 215 km. Its highlights are the karst mountains and their stunning formations. The stretch from Guilin to Yangshuo County, about 80 km to its south east, is particularly scenic, and there are many cruises for tourists along it. Hello Kitty Hill and Crown Hill are among the notable formations along Li River.

Hello Kitty Hill, Li River

Cruise, Li River

Crown Hill, Li River

Fruit Vendor on a Bamboo Boat, Li River

View from the Dragon Bridge, Li River

Yangshuo County is surrounded by karst peaks and lies along Li River. It has a population of around 300,000. West Street is Yangshuo’s most popular street, and is full of restaurants, hotels, souvenir shops and other stores. Signs are in both Chinese and English, given what a popular tourist destination it is with both local and foreign tourists. 

Le Votre Restaurant on West Street with a karst peak behind,
Yangshuo County

Masks in a store on West Street, Yangshuo County

Water Buffalo (Country-Side Tour), Yangshuo County

Bamboo Boat (Country-Side Tour), Yangshuo County

Cormorant Fishing (Country-Side Tour), Yangshuo County

Guilin was memorable for its beautiful pagodas. The Li River and Yangshuo County stood out for their karst peaks and their scenic rock formations. The rock formations I saw during my cruise down the Li River reminded me of the rock formations jutting out from the sea around Phuket in Thailand. An extraordinarily scenic attraction indeed!