ABOUT

VISIONS OF AUSTRIA
Taking a cue from the relaxed pace of the cafés that are a hallmark of the Viennese lifestyle, VISIONS OF AUSTRIA offers a serene tour that invites you to linger, perhaps watching with a cup of coffee in hand for the total experience of a virtual vacation. Stunning high definition footage shot in winter and spring captures the idyllic essence of what was once the crown jewel of Europe - you can almost smell the strudel as the helicopter-mounted camera glides over picturesque streets and spacious squares.

The program's soundtrack showcases a glorious musical tradition of a region where even the wind sounds musical, including André Rieu’s arrangements of compositions by “Waltz King” Johann Strauss and native son Franz Schubert.

VISIONS OF AUSTRIA takes flight in the west traveling east, where highlights include Bregenz, popular vacation destination for sun and skiing; the rugged terrain of the Tirol, the most mountainous part of Austria; Hallstatt, the charming summer tourist destination clinging to the mountains that dip into the lake; and Innsbruck, site of the 1964 and 1976 Winter Olympic Games where the view along the Maria-Theresien-Strape towards the steep slopes of the Karwendel mountain range combines townscape and landscape for a magical, postcard-perfect moment.

In the second segment, viewers experience central Austria where highlights include Hohensalzburg, the architectural embodiment of the power of the prince-archbishops; Linz, straddling the banks of the Danube and the industrial and modern Austria; and Salzburg, where the streets are made for waltzing, filled with extravagantly ornamented plazas, soaring bell towers and domes of churches.

In the final segment, the camera winds down the Danube River to Vienna, the height of opulence and grandeur where a stroll down the wide avenues lined with buildings the colors of frosted pastries evoke the enchantment of a true-life fairytale.

Along the way, highlights include the glorious baroque style Melk monastery that marks the beginning of a section of the Danube famous in the legend of the Niebelungen; and castles, Renaissance palaces, churches and abbeys that have borne witness to the region’s international history and coexist with the modern flair of futuristic buildings and the vast UNO city United Nations headquarters.

LOCATIONS:

FILMED: October 2007

UNDERWRITERS: This program is made possible by Austrian Airlines, The David and Charlotte Ackert Family Foundation The Robert C. and Tina Sohn Foundation, Public Television Viewers and PBS

PRODUCER: WLIW New York

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER/AERIAL DIRECTOR: Roy A. Hammond

PRODUCER/EDITOR: John Fox

CAMERA: Grant Bieman

ABOUT WLIW: WLIW New York is an innovator in broadcasting, production and distribution for public television.  A leading producer of fundraising programming for PBS, WLIW brings US audiences the popular Visions aerial series, cultural performance specials like Tango: The Spirit of Argentina, and a 15-part series of cultural documentaries that includes profiles of Asian Indian, Mexican and Polish American communities. WLIW’s groundbreaking independent distribution model brings US audiences live daily broadcasts of BBC World News as well as the weekly series Consuelo Mack WealthTrack, Wild Chronicles and Moment of Luxury.  WLIW is also presenting station for the award-winning PBS KIDS series Jakers! The Adventures of Piggley Winks.  In the tri-state area, WLIW’s diverse programming schedule earns the distinction of third most-watched in the country, a destination for viewers of all ages, featuring public television favorites from PBS KIDS to celebrity chefs in the kitchen, enhanced by a rich local public affairs lineup. Two digital channels, WLIW Create and WLIW World, offer more public television favorites 24/7. For more information, visit www.wliw.org.

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