• croatiantimes.com
• romaniantimes.at
• salzburgtimes.at
• viennatimes.at
• austrianindependent.com

Today

• Vienna - VESCC English Catholic Mass
• Vienna - Unknown Underground
• Vienna - Art by Petronilla Hohenwarter.
• STOMP at the MuseumsQuartier
• Ice skating at Rathaus

25. 08. 09. - 15:00

• more Panorama news
• RSS Feed Panorama

25. 08. 09. - 15:00

Mozart 'peeing stone' parties boost Lower Austrian town

By Thomas Hochwarter

A Lower Austrian town is holding a series of parties to mark a local’s claim that Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart once visited – to take a pee.

The small community of Raschala near Hollabrunn’s claim to fame was dreamt up by a local more than 30 years ago and town residents decided to mark it with music and drink festivals.

Architecture professor Helmut Leierer told newspaper Kurier: "I was sitting with some friends at a tavern one night in 1976. We were quite drunk already and started to philosophise about who might have passed Raschala in the past centuries."

"I claimed Mozart drove through our town on his way to Prague in 1787 and asked the horse-carriage driver to stop to take a leak," he added laughing.

Town authorities say the claim had been a boon to its tourism industry and has even put up a memorial plaque in stone in its main road.

Austrian Times

Related articles: quirky Austria

1. 007 health worries Lugner

   » Panorama 2012-02-07

   Richard Lugner has expressed concerns about Sir Roger Moore’s health.

2. Lugner bags Bond

   » Panorama 2012-02-02

   Danish model Brigitte Nielsen and "James Bond" star Sir Roger Moore will accompany an Austrian entrepreneur at this year’s Vienna Opera Ball.

3. DocLX abolishes booze ads

   » Business 2012-01-13

   Austria’s leading post-graduation holiday organiser promised to stop advertising around-the-clock alcohol supply.

more related articles tagged "quirky Austria"

Set up tax on financial transactions soon, says Katzian
The head of the Association of Private Employees (GPA-djp) has called for a quick introduction of a tax on financial transactions.

Pühringer rejects U-turn on rightist ball
Young Social Democrats (SPÖ) have appealed to Upper Austrian Governor Josef Pühringer not to attend the Burschenbundball in Linz this Saturday.

FPÖ under fire after trip to Grozny
The Freedom Party (FPÖ) has been harshly criticised for meeting with Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov.

WKO boss wants pension age hike incentives
Federal Economy Chamber (WKO) President Christoph Leitl has identified attempts to raise the average retirement age as the key issue regarding Austria’s budget.

Woman and child run over in Vienna
A woman and child have died in a road accident in Vienna, Austria. The lorry driver was making a right turn when he drove into a group of pedestrians leaving a 59-year-old and a 12-year-old dead. The mother of the school girl was left with serious injuries.

Schlecker says Austrian jobs are safe
The son of Schlecker founder Anton Schlecker has claimed that the company has no plans to sell its Austrian affiliate.

SPÖ sees smaller parliament as key signal
The general secretary of the Social Democrats (SPÖ) has argued his support for a reduction of the size of the parliament.

Austrian food to feature in organic trade fair
Austria is expected to be well represented at next week’s BioFach 2012 international organic trade fair in Nuremberg, Germany. Some 90 companies and organisations from the Austrian organic good sector will feature at the fair from 15 to 18 February.

Brothel for the homeless in Vienna
Homeless people are queueing up for free rooms in an Austrian brothel after owner Peter Laskaris said it would be unfair not to do everything he could during the current cold spell.

Deep-freeze snacks for orangutans in Schönbrunn
The lucky orangutans who take up residence in Europe’s oldest zoo have been indulging in a twice weekly take-away. Despite the trees in Schönbrunn Zoo in Vienna, Austria now being completely bare the fury friends have fresh branches and leaves delivered twice a week.