Austria’s Imperial Legacy
For Saturday, September 28, 2024
Michael MacKuen

Today we fly over eastern Austria. Through the Middle Ages, Austria was a player in central European politics. And from the late 15^th century, Austria and then Vienna became the de facto capital of the Habsburgs’ Holy Roman Empire and then the Astro-Hungarian empire.  We shall take a look at some of the castles, palaces, abbeys and cathedrals that are part of that imperial legacy.


Zeltweg AirPower 2022

We initiate our flight from Zeltweg Air Base [LOXZ] (recently renamed Fliegerhorst Hinterstoisser). This the main airfield of the Austrian Air Force and hosts Europe’s biggest airshow “AirPower” which has been held biennially since 1997. (This year’s event was held three weeks ago, September 6-7, 2024.) In the 1960s Zeltweg was used as a motor racing circuit and since then Formula 1 races have been fairly regularly held at the circuit at Spielberg in the nearby hills – originally the Österreichring and now the Red Bull Ring. [You might want to take a pre-flight tour of the valley to see the Red Bull Ring, the lovely castle/hotel/restaurant Schloss Gabelhofen, and the dramatic Star Tower planetarium.] After our official takeoff, we head directly south toward the Lavant Valley to make a challenging “inspection” of the Lavant Viaduct. We continue over the hills to Graz Airport [LOWG], south of the city center.

We head out to see the sights of Austria’s second city. We divert slightly westward to Eggenberg Palace, home to the powerful House of Eggenberg whose members were central pieces of the Austrian imperial government for many centuries. This is a Baroque reconstruction whose interior and gardens have earned it a UNESCO designation. We continue a few miles to the historic old city of Graz, which is one of the best-preserved city centers in Europe. (This is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.) From the 12^th century, Graz has been an important political and commercial city with the resident Habsburg line living in the Schlossberg castle and ruling Styria, Carinthia, Slovenia, and parts of Italy. (During the Napoleonic wars, the Austrian troops withstood numerous French assaults but, after the Grand Armée occupied Vienna, the Schlossberg fortress was demolished using explosives. The city’s citizens paid a ransom to preserve the belltower (Glockenturm) and the Graz Clock Tower (Uhrturm) which now serves as symbol for Graz. We turn east to Riegersburg Castle which is perched on a dormant volcano above the town below. Situated on the border of Styria and Hungary and the Ottoman Empire, this was a large, strong, and battle-tested fortress with 2 miles of walls, 5 gates and 108 rooms. It withstood all attacks by the Hungarians and the Turks and it was never taken ... “the strongest fortress in Christendom.” We land at nearby Fürstenfeld [LOGF].

Next north along the eastern foothills of the Alps to Gloggnitz to take a look at the historic Semmering Railway. This was an early-day standard gauge railway (1848-1854) built by 20,000 workers (with 1,000 lives lost) in a daring engineering project led by Carlo Ghega, the Austrian state railway director, who had the ambition and skills to cross the Alps. From Gloggnitz to Mürzzuschlag, the railway is 40 kilometers long and includes 16 tunnels, 14 viaducts, and 118 stone bridges. The route zigs-and-zags along the cliffsides and through tunnels to keep the gradient low enough for the early-day technology. (And even so, new steam engines had to be invented to accomplish the task.) Two of the viaducts, Krausel Klause and Kalte Rinne, are multi-story constructions and of special historical significance. Halfway along, Semmering Station serves a tourist town erected for the railway which for the first time provided ordinary citizens access to the mountains. This is the world’s first “true mountain railway.” And it remains fully functional as a key part of the Austrian Federal Railways. (While circling over the historic railway, we take a moment to inspect the massive concrete Schottwien Bridge built in 1991.) The Semmering Railway is also a World Heritage Site. (For some film, see a UNESCO short piece here and a more entertaining longer piece here.)

After following the route of the Semmering Railway to Mürzzuschlag, we turn northwest over the Styrian Alps to Mariazell [LOGM]. We pass over the town and the Basilica Mariazell, which has been an important pilgrimage destination since the fourteenth century. (Nowadays, about one million pilgrims visit Mariazell each year.)

We take off northward to the Danube and the Wachau Valley. The beautiful 22 mile section of the Danube between Melk and Krems is one of the most prominent tourist destinations of Austria. The region is fancied for its high-quality wines as well as the architectural elegance of its monasteries, castles and ruins, and the historic atmosphere of its towns and villages. The “Wachau Cultural Landscape” is on the UNESCO List of World Heritage Sites. Our first point is Melk Abbey on a rocky outcrop overlooking the Danube. The Benedictine abbey stems from the 11^th century but the current building is an 18^th century Baroque design. In the 15^th century, Melk Abbey was a vigorous center for reform in monastic life and in the 18^th century it became a center of Enlightenment thought. Then the Schloss Schönbühel, a defensive fortress above the Danube that changed hands multiple times and was restored in the 19^th century. Followed by the Aggstein Castle Ruins, a 12^th century military fort that stands imposingly about 1000 ft above the river. For 500 years it changed hands between local warlords and robber barons – but was never taken by direct assault. It was razed by the Turks and then rebuilt as a gunpowder fort but eventually went into decline. The Hinterhaus Castle Ruins (in Spitz) mark the former strategic stronghold that was part of the battles for this section of the Danube. And then the famous Dürnstein Castle Ruins, a very popular tourist destination. This was erected in the early 12^th century by Hadmar I of Kuenring 1000 ft above the town and the river. It was here that King Richard I The Lionhearted of England was imprisoned for four months (1192-1193) by Duke Leopold V of Austria until released for a ransom of 35 tons of silver. [Richard had dishonored the Austrian flag.] The ransom was enough to affect England directly and enough for the Austrians to rebuild the walls of Vienna and to establish the town of Wiener Neustadt. Finally we see Göttweig Abbey a Benedictine monastery from the 11^th century with a mixed history of brilliant success and then failure. The building burned and was rebuilt in the 18^th century as a masterpiece of Baroque architecture in Austria. We cross the Danube, fly over the city of Krems, and land at Krems-Lagenlois [LOAG].

We head east and fly over Schloss Grafenegg, an older 15^th century castle that served a number of powerful families in the imperial court. In the 19^th century, it was reconstructed in the spirit of romantic historicism that combined original structures with elements of neo-Gothic, Baroque, and Renaissance Revival styles. Further along the Danube we see the Zwentendorf nuclear power plant that was completed but not activated due to a 1978 referendum decision to eschew nuclear power. Then the Dürnrohr thermal power station that was built to replace the nuclear plant. It burns black coal and natural gas (and ranks among Austria’s greatest emitters of greenhouse gases). We land at Stockerau Airfield [LOAU].

Soon after takeoff, we see Kreuzenstein Castle, originally a 12^th century castle. After several periods of decline, it was dramatically rebuilt in the late 19^th century – by combining sections of medieval structures purchased from all over Europe to form an authentic-looking castle. It is now a popular tourist site and a useful film location.

We now approach Vienna, the grand imperial capital with an enormous number of impressive historic and cultural sites. (In addition, it is often voted as the most livable city in the world.) I have sketched out a “route” over the city but you probably want to follow it only loosely and maybe take an extra circuit or two to get a better look. The POIs are too close to each other to focus on them one-after-another. We first turn over Vienna’s UNO International Center (a modernistic complex designed for international offices, especially for those of the United Nations). Then the Prater (municipal park) and its Ferris Wheel (Wiener Riesenrad). As we reach the packed inner-city, you see St. Stephen’s Cathedral (the 14^th century Romanesque-Gothic cathedral). Then the Hofburg (Royal Palace) which includes the Spanish Riding School (Lipizzaner horses) and government offices. Then the New Hofburg Palace (19^th century extension to the palace). Swinging southeast is the Karlskirche (the giant Greek-Roman-Baroque church) built by Emperor Charles VI as a sacred vow in thanks for the end of the 1713 plague. Then the two Belvedere Palaces, 18^th century baroque residences: the Lower Belvedere and Upper Belvedere, built by Prince Eugene (a legendary military commander who was both a courageous leader of men and a brilliant strategist). The first palace is slightly older and the second is more grandiose – connected to each other by extensive formal gardens. (Asobo seems to have missed the Upper Belevedere. You might like 1758 Vienna painted from the Upper Belvedere.)

Turning back north along the Ringstrasse (the 19^th century Vienna Ring Road) we see the Vienna State Opera (magnificent historic venue for great opera and ballet) and the twin Museums of Art and Natural History (the art museum is world famous). Further along (quickly in sequence) the Austrian National Parliament, the Burg Theater (national theater), the Rathaus (impressive neo-Gothic city hall), Pasqualatihaus (stately apartment block where Beethoven lived during his best years), and the classic University of Vienna. Further north is the Josephinum (18^th century military medical academy and then general hospital, now a museum), the Narrenturm (18^th century tower for housing the mentally ill, now a museum), and finally the Volksoper (people’s opera – more popular or edgy stuff).

Moving south, we reach the outer city and Schönbrunn Palace. This 1441-room Baroque palace was the summer residence of the Habsburg rulers. The land was originally a royal hunting lodge (a favorite among some rulers) and the grounds eventually sprouted a summer home and eventually the full-bore neoclassical Schönbrunn Palace. Since 1955, it has been a national museum. The extensive gardens (and a botanical garden) make this a special place. And the Vienna’s Schönbrunn Zoo (the oldest in the world from 1752) is located on the west side of the gardens. The palace and its gardens are a World Heritage Site and attract millions of visitors every year. 

Further south, at the edge of the Vienna Woods, is Liechtenstein Castle. This is the 12^th century ancestral seat of the Liechtenstein family who now rule the country of the same name. The castle changed hands and was destroyed several times over the years but was eventually reacquired and restored by the family in the 19^th century. We proceed to our final destination Wiener Neustadt East [LOAN]. Opened in 1915 as an ÖFFAG (Austrian Aircraft Factory) airport, it became a military airfield and then closed down after WWII. It reopened in 1972 as a sport flying club operation and then in 1998 it was acquired by Diamond Aircraft for their headquarters and factory. The flying club is north of the runway and the Diamond facilities are south of the runway. We shall gather at the well-liked informal restaurant Katana Kafé & Grill just south of the “piano keys” for Runway 09. (Normally closed on Saturday, the staff have opened the kitchen just for us. Thanks to Diamond and all concerned.)

Documentation
The flightplan can be found here.

Aircraft
This is a flight of 280nm with 6 landings. Any GA aircraft capable of something like 150kts should do the job nicely. (While we shall spend some time in the edge of the Alps, these are not really high altitude flights.) To give the fellows at the Diamond factory something to cheer home, I’ll probably fly the COWS Diamond DA42 in the stock Deluxe Silver livery. Please fly what you like.

Additional Scenery
All of the airports are in the default simulator. That said, several addons will enhance the scenery appreciably. Thanks to these talented addon creators.

Fürstenfeld [LOGF]. littlekrg & Troglodytus
Mariazell [LOGM]. littlekrg & Troglodytus
Krems-Langenlois [LOAG]. Laris4u
Stockerau [LOAU]. littlekrg
Wiener Neustadt East [LOAN]. kmalle

Temporarily, you can obtain the full freeware package here (783MB).

In addition there is a fine littlekrg & Troglodytus payware version of Wiener Neustadt East [LOAN] at Flightsim.to. And you might enjoy a good payware for Graz [LOWG] by Orbx.

For our “Points-of-Interest” tour, I do recommend the freeware Austrian Landmarks Project. The team has created a barrelful of good “POIs” for Austria. And they have recently revised to accommodate MSFS POIs introduced in World Update 18 (for Austria). For this week many of the Austrian team’s points-of-interest will be featured to complement the MSFS points-of-interest. The package is 1.5 GB. (This is the size of a small payware airport and it does not seem to affect performance.) So I would recommend this work for pilots who have a fast internet connection. For you who are careful about how much you download, then skip this package altogether.
Austrian Landmark Project (WU18). Troglodytus and Littlekrg [1.5GB!]

Finally, I cautiously recommend two sceneries for Zeltweg Air Base (now named Fliegerhorst Hinterstoisser). These are by a group of experienced Austrian developers (fsdiscordaustria) and published by its best known member Troglodytus. The Zeltweg Air Base is done to a very high standard. And there is an additional AIRPOWER22 package that depicts the airfield during the popular biennial Air Show. These are large downloads (1.68GB and 292MB respectively) but again are together no more than the size of a payware airport. These packages make no sense if you are being careful about download sizes. And I might add a note of caution about how these extra addons will affect possible glitches in Asobo’s memory-handling – particularly for the photogrammetric Graz and Vienna that we encounter later in the flight. (I have installed these and explored the impressive detail without a problem. I have not tested them in a 3-hour multiplayer environment. So a cautious recommendation. If nothing else, you might consider downloading and exploring the wonderfully ambitious representation ... and then disabling the scenery before the formal event’s departure.)

Time and Weather
For takeoff on Saturday, set the simulator at 11:00am local for September 28, 2024. We typically prefer real weather. If the current forecast of overcast-with-rain appears, we might try High Clouds or another preset suitable for mountain-and-hills flying.

Multiplayer Particulars
Date and time: Saturday, September 28, 2024. 1800 UTC
RTWR Multiplayer Discord Channel
Microsoft Flight Simulator Multiplayer: United States East server.

If you want to help others enjoy the multiplayer experience, don't forget to enter your aircraft details on the multiplayer spreadsheet (linked here). Please be kind enough to enter the title exactly as it stands in the title=”xxx” line of the aircraft.cfg file. Your courtesy will save others a lot of time and effort. Thanks!

NOTAM. Follow the Flightplan as Downloaded

Slight change of plan. For the beginning of the flight, I originally set up a quick tour of the valley as a prelude to our heading south for the Lavant Viaduct. Then I thought that we should head straight for the Viaduct. On third thought, I suggest that we do follow the formal flightplan and take the quick tour (Red Bull Ring, Schloss Gabelhofen, and Star Tower). Even without the Zeltweg scenery addon, you will see ok representations of these sights. The upshot: let’s use the flightplan as you have already downloaded it.