Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1907-08-11
NEW COUNTRY OPENED
BY GOVERNMENT ROAD
TOURISTS FIND AUSTRIAN LINE
INTERESTING
Alpine Railway Route Through the
TyroI Embraces Scenes of Pic
turesque Beauty and of His
toric Interest
Special Gable to The Herald.

Special Cable to The Herald.
VIENNA, Aug 10-A large part of the
new Alpine railway system projected by
the Austrian government in 1901 has just
been completed. Part of the system is
still under construction, but the greater
portion is now fully completed, and is
consequence a new and very beautiful
mountain district has become accessible
to the tourist. The through journey from
London to Trieste Is also materially Short
ehed, so that the little known Adriatic is
brought very much nearer to London.
The new line runs through a succession
of picturesque valleys and ravines in
Southern Austria which until a few
months ago could only be reached by
those who were able to devote a great
deal of time and energy to the task.
The best way for the American tourist
to reach these new grounds Is to set out
for Innbruck via the Arberg tunnel. The
capital of Tyrol is reached in twenty
eight hours from London, and after de-
voting a day or so to the marvellous
bronzes of Maximillian's tomb ana to the
mountain villages on the surrounding
heights, the traveller can proceed south
wrad through the most impressive noun
tain district of Tyrol to Franzenfeste and
Vi.lach where the new Alpine railway
begins.
Warmbad-Villach is a busy station over
looking the town and river and surround
ing summer resorts; the springs were
famous even in Roman times.
From Villach the new line passes
through Veldes on the edge of minia-
ture Lake of Como, with a wishing bel
fry prettily situated on an islet in the
center.
Through Strange Country
The line has been engineered through
limestone country of unusual interest to
the geologist. Rivers which cut the
strangest beds have been spanned by
some of the biggest masonry arched
bridges in the world. Finally the rail-
way descends by a long, sweeping curve
to the blue Adriatic, where Trieste lies
spread out like a map beneath ones feet.
The great Austrian port is being busily
reconstructed and soon 1T will possess one
of the most efficient harbors on the Med
iterranean. The new terminal station is
close to the pa,atial quayside, from which
steamers of the Austrian Lloyd connect
the tourist with the little known wonders
of the --driatic coast.
The whole of this coast is one long
panorama of wooded islets, bare limestone
hills seemingly without an inhabitant, and
smooth inlets on which lie ancient towns
thronged with strange figures in rich Dali
matian garb.
Records of old Rome are scattered in
astonishing profusion. Inscriptions to en-
perors serve as window Lodges and step
ping stones. After Rome came Venice,
and evidences of her rule are even more
insistent. The townspeople, still speaking
the Italian tongue in unbroken descent
from classic times, look down from sculp-
tured balconies on to crowds of crimson
clad Slavonic peasants. AT Cattaro one Is
at the very gates of the Near East.
The return journey may be varied by
stay at Abbazia, and so through the ia
nous Semmering pass to Vienna. From
the capital one can proceed eastward and
homeward to Salzburg, with its wonder
fully picturesque castle to Innsbruck, the
original point of departure.
With the exception of the Semmering
portion, the whole of the itinerary Is
served by the Austrian state railways,
which are very efficiently controlled from
the headquarters of the miristerium in
Vienna.