Roots, Austria

The trip to Dalaas, Austria was long and uneventful, however it was definitely worth it. From our apartment we had a gorgeous view over the Alps, the air was clear, and everyone was nice.

Over the week, we had the chance to visit several museums, one in Dalaas, one in Bludenz and one in Bregenz, where we learned about Austrian culture and history. They told us how they learned to use the unique features of the Alps, how they got into the cheese and textile industry. We also shared stories connected to our culture and history, and even though we came from different countries, we all had something in common in our roots. We had long walks in the mountains which was gorgeous, and it was also a nice break from Budapest, where all I see all day is traffic and people. We also had the chance to go up ski areas, which was very interesting since I’ve never seen places like that without snow. One on of the mountains every third ski lift had toy bears in it so we had something to play with through the travel. One day, when we were in Bregenz, we took the boat to Lindau, Germany on the Bodensee, which is almost as big as Balaton and connects Austria, Switzerland, and Germany. In Lindau we had the chance to discover the city, and we found several unique local shops and ate very good ice cream. Even though we had a lot of programs, we also had time to chill and relax every afternoon, which was also a nice break from my everyday life.

Overall, I really enjoyed this travel, I think it was beautiful and relaxing, but we also discussed topics that are relevant and interesting.

Lakits Hanna

My main reason of going to Austria was that I always loved the alpine landscape and I had been studying German as a second language, so I wanted to try it out a little bit, not just to order food in a hütte, but for conversations. And fortunately, I had the chance to talk to school kids during the project.

Our accommodation was in a beautiful walley in Langen am Arlberg, our hosts were incredibly nice and helpful. We got a typical Austrian tüchtig apartment, we woke up every morning and went out right away to the balcony to see the sun coming up above the mountains.

With a Hungarian person’s knowledge, the best good disappointment for me was seeing how nice villagers were to each other, saying hi to everyone they met, smiling without knowing the other. General curiosity was a new thing for me. In the schools we visited, students were actually curious about us, our countries and the things we had in common or the things we did differently.

We went hiking for a few times, the weather was shiny and bright.

I also found the museum tours interesting. I learned a lot about Austrian history, how they lived, I especially liked the story of skiing, how postmen turned into sportsmen, how a job turned into a hobby.

We even had the opportunity to go to the peninsula of Lindau, Germany on a boat crossing Lake Konstanz, to discover this cute little harbor town.

This project gave me feedback about how I should get to know my roots better. We did a lot of groupworks as well, we presented to the others what way we access our Hungarian roots, through books, history, family heritage, traditions, food, even fashion.

I bought some Austrian speciality for my kin: a little jar of marmelade made out of pinetree seed. I’d never seen such a thing before, however, seems delucious. For myself I bought loads of Milka products from the factory shop of Bludenz.

I had a scrumptious time.

Tóth Luca Sára

I went to Austria with the erasmus project called “Roots”. The topic was about discovering our past, by get to know our roots better. With small group activities we collected things, and places that helps us get the informations we no longer have. Learned a lot about the history of the country, especially Bludenz. We went there basically every day, so we can see every little part of the city. We had the opportunity to take a look at the past, and how they lived, what were their habits, and actually seen inside houses, where they lived. Heard some interesting stories from residents of Austria. We could also take a look into some german schools, see their system, how they learn, and could actually look into some classes, get to know some students from there. We ate a lot of tradicional dishes, and listened to their music. We also went across the German border, and visited a small island called Lindau. We had lunch there, and walked around for a few hours. We saw the beautiful views from the top of the Alps, and went on hikes to see the nature. Our apartmant was absoluetly perfect, it had everything we needed. We had a balcony, which was my favourite place, because that’s where we drank our coffee every morning while looking at the mountains. It was the best start for the day. I really enjoyed my time there, and I hope I can go back one day:)

Dénes Bora Ajsa, Lamanteam

Our Erasmus trip to Dalaas, Austria gave us great insight into local cultural and industrial wonders and provided us an experience we will never forget. We learned about Austrian culture and how the Alps are utilized in textile and cheese making, through visits to museums in the towns of Dalaas, Bludenz and Bregenz. Apart from through local Austrian experiences, we also learned about the topic of our project, roots, through shared stories from our origin countries. We met many great people and had a lovely guide with whom we became great friends. Overall the lovely people and the beautiful scenery made this a tremendous experience. 

Beck Noémi, Nápol(y)i

Spending one week in Vorarlberg, in a tiny village in a valley surrounded by high mountains is definitely an experience one can long remember.

We were very lucky to be able to get away from the bustling city of Budapest to experience the tranquil the villages in the Alps can offer. Besides, thanks to our hosts, we had the opportunity to explore the roots and traditions of the region and its people.

Not only did we visit many museums in the area, but we also took part in lessons at two different schools, one elementary and one high school. Through our museum visits we had the chance to see how people used to live in the region, what traditions they followed, how they cultivated their land.

Our school visits enabled us to see the lives of some Austrian students. These visits were great opportunities to exchange ideas about our education systems. I was especially happy that in both schools we were introduced to the principals so that we could talk about the similarities and differences between how our schools work.

All in all, this week was truly exceptional and we came back to Budapest with a lot of memories worth remembering.

David Peter