Patrick Vierthaler
Austria / Österreich
Austria is a land-locked country located in the middle of Europe. While the Eastern parts around Vienna are rather flat, the Western regions from Vorarlberg to the Salzkammergut are characterized by mountaineous terrain.
I grew up in the Salzkammergut, a mountaineous region with dozens of lakes in the middle of Austria. The Alps's easternmost glacier (the Dachstein) is as much home to this region as Hallstatt and its 7,000 year-old history of human settlement. From natural caves and salt mines, crystal-clear lakes, green forests and high peaks to the former Imperial summer retreat of Bad Ischl, the Salzkammergut represents a microcosm of Austrian geological, natural and cultural history.
Besides my hometown of Gosau and its marvellous lakes (Gosausee, Gosaulacke) and moors (Löckermoos) , I have lived in Vienna for a few years, and time and again visited some nearby photographic highlights such as the Grundlsee or Salzburg.

Gosausee, Gosau, Austria. August 2020.