After two semesters of online meetings and webinars, AAI’s One World Scholarship holders and staff were excited to finally meet and spend a whole day together. For some it was even the first physical encounter with their fellows. The trip to lake Wolfgang was a perfect occasion to get to know each other and the weather could not have been better for this endeavour.
Already the trip by public bus to St. Wolfgang offered spectacular views of the beautiful lakes Fuschlsee and Wolfgangsee. After arriving in St. Wolfgang we strolled around the famous village, which is one of Austria’s top touristic spots but also remained a much-visited place of pilgrimage. We were all deeply impressed by the gothic church with its precious winged altar by Michael Pacher and other great examples of European art.
A half-hour boat trip brought us from St. Wolfgang to Fürberg, where we got off to visit the Europakloster Gut Aich. Anton Wintersteller guided us through Austria’s youngest monastery and introduced us to the monks‘ spiritual life and worldly activities. The monastery’s herb garden was a perfect place to rest and cool down. Finally, we tried some of the delicious herbal liquors at the monastery’s shop. Vitalised, we made our way back to the lake and walked along the lakeside to St. Gilgen. This beautiful path between rocks and water offered unique views of the lake and its surrounding hills and mountains. In St. Gilgen, another picturesque village, we enjoyed our well-deserved dinner before the bus finally took us back to Salzburg.
