Alpine skiing is one of very few sports I enjoy watching. If you do too, you will have noticed this season’s Ski World Cup has begun. As usual, the opening races take place in Soelden in Austria’s Oetztal Valley.
Looking at the world’s fastest skiers tear down the slopes, I was reminded of how attractive this Alpine village looks all dressed in summer garb. At ca. 470 km² (about 180 square miles), Soelden is actually Austria’s largest municipality. Lots of space for the 3 500 inhabitants.
Lovely, isn’t it? You’re almost spoiled for scenic beauty in the Alps. So much, you might become – dare I say it – blasé. That’s why I was so pleased to discover this little jewel in the landscape:
I adore the old covered bridges that are so prevalent in the Alps. Not surprising then, that this man-made structure is my favourite feature of Soelden.
This covered bridge is called Gaislachkoglbrücke (Gaislachkogl Bridge), named for one of the many mountains surrounding the village.
Meanwhile, back at the races, my fave skier, Aksel Lund Svindal, placed at no. 12. I have high hopes; Aksel did win gold in the Super G at the Vancouver Olympics, after all. Here’s wishing him better luck in the coming rounds of the circus.
Disclosure: I visited Sölden as a guest of the Austrian Tourist Board. As ever, any opinions expressed are my own.
Do you follow the Alpine Ski World Cup? Or are you perhaps more interested in old bridges?
skiing in the alps is on my bucket list! As much as I love the ocean, i love the silence and stillness of the mountains…it’s so soothing to my soul….
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Beautiful, I love covered bridges
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I saw the race. America’s gonna win, you know
Robert – I have to admit you’re doing well so far. But we’ve just started … mwahahaha
Lovely shots, Sophie. The covered bridges are fantastic. I am not a skier but I do love watching it on TV (there’s that Canadian coming out again!). It’s hard to find on TV here in Korea, but when I do find it I watch.
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These covered bridges are very southern German. Or at least that’s where I’ve seen most of them. I like them a lot too. And this one looks strangely familiar.
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Michael – strange, isn’t it
(Enjoyed our little hike in Sölden)
Yes, the scenery looks tranquil; all the more so with the wonderful green of the water. Must be lovely to stand on the bridge and watch the water flow by.
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Very nice. I have seen lots of covered bridges in New Hampshire and Vermont; sadly many of them have fallen into such disrepair that they can’t be used anymore.
50+ – I’ve not seen any of the covered bridges in the USA yet; you have some lovely ones I want to have a look at. Don’t expect I’ll see Clint Eastwood hanging about with a camera, though…
neither. I’m not into Alpine sports and wooden bridges are just wooden bridges. I’ve never understiood the fuss over Luzern’s one! But the mountains are stunning
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Any old wooden structures or architecture grabs me. I just love inspecting the craftsmanship- how they were all locked together, whether without nails and using wooden pegs or just mitred, dovetailed or locked together.
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Awesome shots you’ve captured here ! Thanks for sharing.
I’m not a huge fan of watching skiing (probably because the Brits are not the best skiers
) but I love the scenery, especially in summer. Would love to go trekking round there.
Julia
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@ Denise – I think there is something romantic about these old covered bridges, how they are built, how they seem to belong to another era, the idea of people walking across them say 100 years ago, where they were going and what they were thinking about. Makes my imagination run a bit wild these bridges.
@Jim – That’s an interesting aspect as well… today, things aren’t as often made with care and built to last.
@Mike – thanks
@Julia – Know what you mean, we’re all a bit nationalistic when it comes to spectator sports.
I LOVE covered bridges! But the landscape is what captured me. Absolutely beautiful. I can just see the skiers swishing down the slopes.
http://insidejourneys.com/?p=7452
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What a charming area of Austria.
I’m with you on watching skiing – could never imagine going at the speed they do though.
Wonder what the vertical is on these ski hills??
Leigh recently posted..A Visit to the Ahlambra Palace in Granada, Spain in Photos
What a pretty bridge! You can really imagine how much they would have looked the same a long time ago… even if some are fairly new. I was just surprised by the water color. Looks a little… grey?
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I do love to watch Alpine skiing, but admit I haven’t followed the World Cup races yet. I also love covered bridges and you really found a beauty in Soelden. Love the photos.
Cathy Sweeney recently posted..The Lone Sailor’s View
Beautiful photos! I, too, love covered bridges
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Yes Sophie these are beautiful pictures! I’m just sorry I wasn’t able to visit this area with you. This is my kind of place and I would have loved it. Oh well, another time
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@InsideJourneys – Thanks.
@Leigh – Don’t know the verticals for Sölden, but the norm in Austria seems to be vertical drops of over 4,000 ft.
@Sabrina – Yes, I was wondering about that, too. I think it might have to do with the mineral content, or the depth of the river, or possibly even the reflection of the surrounding mountains…
@Cathy, Michael, Debbie – Thanks for your comments.
Stunning scenery. Yes, you should visit the covered bridges in the U.S. Ohio has quite a few covered bridges that you can still see and at least walk across. Granted the surrounding scenery is not quite as dramatic, but it is softly beautiful.
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Tried to post the url for a list of Ohio Covered Bridges, but got something wrong. So here’s trying again:http://www.ohiobarns.com/covbri/oh/ohio_cb_.html
A lot of these survive because of the Amish population who still use horse and buggy for transportation.
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@Vera Marie – The ones in Iowa are famous because of the film, and I’ve heard of a few in New England. I didn’t know there were covered bridges in Ohio, as well – and so many!! Very interesting with the Amish connection all the way over in Ohio.
Would love to go skiing there. And the scenery is just breathtaking.
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I can’t follow your fascination of Alpine skiing, but I appreciate the mountains in summer and the charm of a roofed wooden bridge.
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@Jade and Mette – thanks for reading
Love old covered bridges – New England has a lot of them and they are a fascination
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