Click the link below the picture

.

The Silvretta Alps are a mountain range of the Central Eastern Alps shared by Tirol, Vorarlberg (both in Austria), and Graubünden (Switzerland). The Austrian states of Tirol and Vorarlberg are connected by a pass road (Silvretta Hochalpenstraße at 2032 m). The majority of the peaks are elevated above three thousand meters and are surrounded by glaciers. Thus, the area is also known as the “Blue Silvretta”.

According to the Alpine Clubs, the Silvretta Alps are outlined from other groups by the following borders: St. Gallenkirch – Ill river as far as Partenen – Zeinisjoch – Zeinisbach – Paznauntal as far as Ischgl – Fimbertal – Fimber Pass – Val Chöglias – Val Sinestra – Inn River from the mouth of the Branclabach to the mouth of the Susasca – Val Susasca – Flüela Pass – Davos – Wolfgang – Laretbach – Klosters – Schlappinbach – Schlappiner Joch – Valzifensbach – Gargellental – St. Gallenkirch.

The Silvretta Alps are surrounded by the Rätikon, Verwall, Samnaun, Sesvenna, Albula and Plessur ranges.

The Piz Buin is not the highest, but the most popular peak of the range. It can relatively easily be ascended from north or south through glaciers and stretches of easy climbing.

The Silvretta is famous for its skiing, especially its many backcountry skiing possibilities. In the 1920s Ernest Hemingway was staying in the region for a winter (he lived at Schruns in Montafon, Austria). Later, he wrote a couple of short stories about his skiing experiences in the Silvretta. Some of these short stories are to be found in A moveable feast. Wikipedia

.

An image from Silvretta Alps

.

.

Click the link below for images:

.

__________________________________________

Click the link below the picture

.

Venice is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 bridges. The islands are in the shallow Venetian Lagoon, an enclosed bay lying between the mouths of the Po and the Piave rivers (more exactly between the Brenta and the Sile). In 2020, around 258,685 people resided in greater Venice or the Comune di Venezia, of whom around 55,000 live in the historical island city of Venice (centro storico) and the rest on the mainland (terraferma). Together with the cities of Padua and Treviso, Venice is included in the Padua-Treviso-Venice Metropolitan Area (PATREVE), which is considered a statistical metropolitan area, with a total population of 2.6 million.

The name is derived from the ancient Veneti people who inhabited the region by the 10th century BC. The city was historically the capital of the Republic of Venice for over a millennium, from 697 to 1797. It was a major financial and maritime power during the Middle Ages and Renaissance, and a staging area for the Crusades and the Battle of Lepanto, as well as an important center of commerce—especially silk, grain, and spice, and of art from the 13th century to the end of the 17th. The city-state of Venice is considered to have been the first real international financial center, emerging in the 9th century and reaching its greatest prominence in the 14th century. This made Venice a wealthy city throughout most of its history. For centuries Venice possessed numerous territories along the Adriatic Sea and within the Italian peninsula, leaving a significant impact on the architecture and culture that can still be seen today. The sovereignty of Venice came to an end in 1797, in the hands of Napoleon. Subsequently, in 1866, the city become part of the Kingdom of Italy.

Venice has been known as “La Dominante”, “La Serenissima”, “Queen of the Adriatic”, “City of Water”, “City of Masks”, “City of Bridges”, “The Floating City”, and “City of Canals”. The lagoon and a part of the city are listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Parts of Venice are renowned for the beauty of their settings, their architecture, and artwork. Venice is known for several important artistic movements—especially during the Renaissance period—and has played an important role in the history of instrumental and operatic music, and is the birthplace of Baroque composers Tomaso Albinoni and Antonio Vivaldi.

Although the city is facing some challenges (including an excessive number of tourists and problems caused by pollution, tide peaks and cruise ships sailing too close to buildings), Venice remains a very popular tourist destination, a major cultural centre, and has been ranked many times the most beautiful city in the world. It has been described by the Times Online as one of Europe’s most romantic cities and by The New York Times as “undoubtedly the most beautiful city built by man”. Wikipedia

.

An image from Venice, Italy

.

.

Click the link below for images:

.

__________________________________________