While you read why not listen to my album ‘Electro Baroque‘ (all tracks are also available on iTunes using the link here)? Classical music using modern instruments:

or if you prefer to listen to my electro/techno album ‘Studio Valiumm‘ here are the videos (also on iTunes using the link here):

More info about my music is at the dedicated website www.TRANSFORMATES.com

Have you ever heard of the Thiersee Lake? It is hidden in the Austrian Tyrol not far from the border with Germany. The lake is surrounded by some of the most beautiful countryside in Europe and is within an hours drive of Munich or Salzburg. To help set the scene here is a Google satellite map (if you want to check the way from one of the major towns or airports you can expand the map using the minus sign) :

The objective of this week’s blog is to highlight yet another of fantastic little lake in the Austro/German Alps which is only known to insiders. Regular readers may remember my article about the Spitzingsee lake on the German side of the alpine border. If you would like to take a look at this earlier blog entry you can find it here.

Now let’s get back to the Thiersee Lake. It is in the Austrian municipality of Thiersee which until 1504 belonged to Bavaria. The transient nature of the country borders helps us to understand how the communities in these German and Austrian regions feel a special ‘alpine’ bond. They share similar dialects, clothing, customs and sports. If you would like to learn more about their special sporting links you might find my article on Fingerhakeln (Finger wrestling) interesting: the link (with videos) is here. In addition to pulling each other over a beer table with their middle finger the alpine people also like to race each other on their Bullocks. I have also prepared an article on the local Oxenrennen Olympics (Bullock Racing – again with videos) which can be found here.

If you are fortunate enough to visit Thiersee the lake has a path which allows you to walk around the perimeter. There is also a well tended, grassed, bathing area near a car park which includes showers and (clean!) toilets. By the way all of these photos have been taken using high definition so if you want to see more detail just click your mouse over the picture (this will help to enhance the panoramic ones which were made using a special ‘panning’ technology).

In addition to offering a beautiful location for pleasant walks and bathing the lake also can be used for fishing, sailing and paddle boats. Not surprisingly there are lots of very inviting cafes and restaurants in the village to the north side of the lake.

If you are well disposed you might even consider buying or building your home overlooking this alpine paradise. In the post war period this area was used as the setting for 18 Austrian feature films

During my visit I was also accompanied by a couple of film stars. Pink Lips just couldn’t resist trying out her new convertible with her faithful guard dog RISKKO. You probably wont find these topless (Mercedes) bathing photos of our royal princess bear in the French press! Thiersee provides a discrete location for the rich and famous to have fun.

In addition to the lake there are lots of very pleasant Austrian villages in the surrounding countryside. The one featured below is called Hinterthiersee (on the L30).

….and finally another widescreen photo taken from the lake……

If you would like me to post more articles of photos from other ‘lesser known’ gems around the Alpine region please do not hesitate to let me know in the comments box below. By the way there is another rather famous event taking place in Bavaria at the moment – but I guess I do not need to introduce readers to the Oktoberfest (which always occurs in September!). After you have purchased your Lederhosen and Dirndl to attend the World’s largest Beer Festival you can bring them with you when you go for a walk around the Thiersee. They are prefered attire in this region.

Chris Duggleby