Land of Big Sky and SnowWestern Austria in WinterMerisi's Viennese Escapes

Big Sky
Where snow and horizon meet

or so you think,
until you reach the top
of a hill and more mountains
remind you that the horizon's further still

and you turn around
and walk back into the village,

its beautiful Bregenzerwald farmhouses
with wood shingle sidings

and rows of windows
with wooden shutters
offering a warm embrace

Looking at these traditional buildings
you would not expect that
Vorarlberg - home to the Bregenzerwald Region -
is the European center of modern architecture,
would you?
Well, traveling through the region
will offer you stunning examples of both
traditional and modern architecture.
Its beauty took my breath away.

Photographs & Text © by Merisi

Here are links about the Bregenzerwald Region and its architecture:
o> Bregenzerwald in Vorarlberg
"Famous for its contemporary architecture, throughout Vorarlberg's Bregenzerwald classic wooden buildings are preserved, yet also enhanced, in bold modern form."
o> network of architecture guided tours
by architects, architectural historians and writers
In a previous post, you'll find an example of modern architecture in Vorarlberg:
o> Women's Museum in Hittsau
o> Book review: Sustainable Architecture in Vorarlberg by Ulrich Dangel
o> Austria Travel Info: Vorarlberg