Bridge over the Bregenzer Ache River near Bersbuch, Voralberg (Austria)

 There's magic in the water that draws all men away form the land, that leads them over hills, down creeks and streams and rivers to the sea.

Herman Melville

Staadtbrücke (Town Bridge) over the Drava River in Villach, Carinthia (Austria)

Drifting – on the water flows,
Pacing – walking along the banks,
Racing – the mind wanders,
On what does ponder?
What time is there to reflect?
There is nothing left to contemplate,
save the very condition of the soul.

Poem An evening on the Drava River

by Zachary Isrow

Europabrücke over the Sill River near Innsbruck, Tyrol (Austria)

"Engineers broke new ground in the construction of this bridge. New construction techniques were used – unprecedented scientific experiments formed the basis for the technical implementation,"

Klaus Fink,

about Europe Bridge

Stadtbrücke (City Bridge) over the Salzach River in Salzburg (Austria)

 
"As a reminder and warning. In Salzburg, more than 230 gipsys fell victim to the National Socialist racial policy. Imprisoned in the so-called "Maxglan Gypsy Camp", they were forced to do forced labor as part of the Glan Regulation. In the spring of 1943, they were deported to the extermination camps."

Plaque in Stadtbrücke,

about gipsy slaves who worked

in the construction of this bridge 

Kriegsbrucke over the Drau River in Villach, Carinthia (Austria)

Where through the mats wonderful green,
the rapid floods of the Drau river,
from the monkshood, where snow-covered
Nordgau's Alpine chain stretches,
to the Karawanks rock face
my friendly homeland stretches out.

Excerpt from Carinthian homeland song

by Johann Taurer von Gallenstein

Nordbrücke (North Bridge) over the Danube River near Vienna (Austria)

There where the Danube broadly sweeps,
Mid islands willow grown,
The City of St. Stephen stands.
An Empire's lovely throne;
While o'er the river, on the plain,
Far battle echoes roll.

German poem

Bridge over the Traunsee Lake in Gmunden (Austria)

"Traunsee, which so charmingly moves from the beautiful hills into the high mountains"

Writer Adalbert Stifter

Bridge over the Siglitz creek near Bad Gastein, Salzburg (Austria)

Roaring water, roaring fall,
monotonous yet so melodic sound,
tired body, still listening the ear,
rushing the tones so familiar to him,
already throwing glittering pearls into dreams -
sweet memory, atomizing foam.

Empress Sisi 

about Bad Gastein waterfall

Europa Bridge over the Sill river near Innsbruck, Tyrol (Austria)

I'm so handsome,

I'm so great,
I'm Anton from Tirol
My giga-lean calves drive the girls crazy
My build is a wonder of nature.

I'm so strong
and wild, too.
I play it hot and ice cold,
when i wave my butt,
the snow bunnies scream SOS
and want Anton from Tirol.

Lyrics from Anton from Tyrol

DJ Otzi

Europabrucke (Europe Bridge) over the Sill River near Innsbruck, Tyrol (Austria)

Wenn wir erklimmen schwindelnde Höhen,

steigen dem Gipfelkreuz zu,

brennt eine Sehnsucht in uns'rem Herzen,

die lässt uns nimmermehr in Ruh.

Sonnige Berge, Felsen und Höhen,

Bergvagabunden sind wir, ja wir!

Sonnige Berge, Felsen und Höhen,

Bergvagabunden sind wir.

When we climb dizzying heights,
climb the summit cross,
a yearning burns in our hearts,
it never leaves us alone.
Sunny mountains, rocks and heights,
Bergvagabunden are us, yes we!
Sunny mountains, rocks and heights,
Bergvagabunden we are.

From Bergvagabunden

Franzl Lang, singer from Tirol

Old Bridge over the river Inn in Innsbruck (Austria)

Innsbruck, ich muss dich lassen,
ich fahr dahin mein Straßen,
in fremde Land dahin.
Mein Freud is mir genommen,
die ich nit weiß bekommen,
wo ich im Elend bin.

Innsbruck, I must leave you;

I will go my way

to foreign lands.

My joy has been taken away from me,

that I cannot achieve

while being abroad.

From a traditional song

Nibelungen Bridge crossing the Danube River in Linz (Austria)

I beheld thee rich in sorrow,

Graceful in the bloom of youth,

Where, like gold within the mountain

In the heart lies faith and truth

On the Danube,

On the Danube, bright and Blue

From On the Danube

Karl Beck

Bridge over the River Ötzaler Ache in Sölden (Austria)

Snow is falling: snow is falling.

Geranium flowers reach

for the blizzard’s small white stars

past the window’s edge. 

Snow is falling, all is lost,

the whole world’s streaming past:

the flight of steps on the back stairs,

the corner where roads cross. 

Snow is falling: snow is falling,

not snowflakes stealing down,

Sky parachutes to earth instead,

in his worn dressing gown. 

Snow is falling

Boris Pasternak

Bridge over the Leutascher Ache River near Leutasch (Austria) and Mittenwald (Germany)

A spirit dwells deep down in the gorge at the end of the Leutasch Valley. For centuries people have believed it was a spirit that had come down out of the mountains and found a place to hide in the inaccessible corners of the gorge. Others thought it was a demon, a supernatural creature whose task was to guard the northern entrance to Leutasch Valley together with the goblins of the gorge. These goblins would dance in the night to wondrous music, and in spring especially, when the Leutascher Ache was in flood with all the meltwater, the volume of sound would swell to a veritable fortissimo.

Legend of Leutasch Gorge

Europabrücke over the Sill River near Innsbruck, Tyrol (Austria)

Est Europa nunc unita

et unita maneat;

una in diversitate

pacem mundi augeat.

Semper regant in Europa

fides et iustitia

et libertas populorum

in maiore patria.

Cives, floreat Europa,

opus magnum vocat vos.

Stellae signa sunt in caelo

aureae, quae iungant nos.

Europe Hymn

Old Empress Elizabeth Bridge over the Danube Canal in Vienna (Austria) painted by Erwin Pendl

"Farewell, farewell, bare trees

evoi, large and small bushes.

When there rivestirete of sprouts

I am far from this castle"

Empress Elizabeth (Sissi)

when leaving Vienna 

Bridges across the Danube River in Vienna (Austria)

Danube so blue,
so bright and blue,
through vale and field
you flow so calm,
our Vienna greets you,
your silver stream
through all the lands
you merry the heart
with your beautiful shores.

Blue Danube
Strauss Waltz lyrics

Railway Bridge over the Lafnitz Valley near Rohrbach (Austria)

Bridges over the Danube River in Vienna (Austria)

"Vienna wasn't just a city, it was a tone that either one carries forever in one's soul or one does not. It was the most beautiful thing in my life. I was poor, but I was not alone, because I had a friend. And Vienna was like another friend. When it rained in the tropics, I always heard the voice of Vienna. And at other times too."

Sandor Marai

Bridge over the Rofen Gorge in Vent, Oetztal Valley, Tyrol (Austria)

Tirol ist lei oans,
ist a Landl, a kloans,
ist a schiens, ist a feins,
und dos Landl ist meins.
Mei Liab ist Tirol,
ist mei Weh und mei Wohl,
ist mei Gut und mei Hab,
ist mei Wieg und mei Grab.
...

There is just one Tyrol,

My heart and my soul;

It is small, it is fine:

Tyrol, you are mine.

You are ally and foe,

My joy and my woe,

My tapestry and loom,

My cradle, my tomb.

Sebastian Rieger