Preview of 2011 Tyrolean Tour

Guten Tag, Gruss Gott, Dober Dan (Hello!)

Many of you are very eager to learn about the upcoming 2011 Mill Tour. I returned from Europe just a week ago and my head is still whirling from all the sites and information (but that could also be the cold medicine I'm taking for the mild cold I caught after I got back).

As Sally told you in her first blog, Mitja and Barbara Peterman have connected us with key business contacts in Austria and Slovenia. Since Sally has left the association, I have leaned on Mitja and Barbara even more for those business connections. Not only that, they opened their home to me for most of my travels during the planning trip. They are wonderful hosts!

In the coming weeks I will give you more details about the trip and my experiences. This entry will give you the overview of the tour. In a few weeks, I will provide the final itinerary and pricing. As a consideration for your past participation on the tour, you will have the first opportunity to reserve a seat on the tour as it will be limited to 40 participants.

Business Tours & Education -
This European tour will show you the entire process of taking a tree from the Alpine forest, into a timber processing plant and structural wall panel operations, and finally into a wooden home.

Foresters from Slovenia's Forestry Department walk us through spruce forests in the Triglavski National Park. Rangers explain their forest management program for both public and private lands, its history and its management goal for future generations.

Hosslacher Norica Timber opens its doors for us to tour its new glu-lam operation. Nestled in the Austrian valley near Sachsenburg, it is one of the largest timber operators using state of the art equipment for assembling beams as long as 37 meters (over 121 feet).

KLH Massivholz GmbH describes themselves as a 'young, dynamic and innovative company' and I think you will agree. Their cross-laminated timber boards are used in roofs, walls and ceilings. Projects range from single and multiple housing to industrial/commercial projects. Learn how this solvent-free and formaldehyde-free process produces beautiful, strong boards.

We will visit two builders - Riko and Wigo Haus. Both have taken a non-traditional path in building family homes, multi-family homes and commercial projects. They use lots of wood in their construction. In this part of Europe, brick and concrete were the prime building materials. They have blazed a new trail in offering building using a modular panel construction method that has proven to be highly-energy efficient, long-lasting construction and also beautiful.

The Sights
Of course, a tour such as this will include many historical sights, breath-taking landscapes and different libations and cuisines to sample. Here are just a few of the highlights:

Munich - This cosmopolitan city does not shrink from its past where Hitler first organized the Nazis. We will learn more about his rise to power and visit Dachau, the model concentration camp that others patterned themselves after. The striking architecture, warm-hearted people and cold beer lighten the atmosphere.

Salzburg - Home of Mozart and Sound of Music. This Austrian city is nestled in the Austrian Alps protected by the Hohesalzburg (the castle overlooking the city).

Bled - A quaint, charming Slovenian village at the foot of the Julian Alps. The natural beauty of the Alps, lake, and forests will take your breath away.

Ljubljana - The capitol city of Slovenia is a shopper's mecca of fashion and arts. The architecture of its old city and redevelopment of its new city center under the communist government is a study in contrast.

Venice - The city of romance! Gondolas, winding through narrow streets, restaurants overlooking the canals, and stunning architecture.


If you want a closer view of the photos that are posted, click HERE to see them with descriptions. Watch for additional posts about some of the specific experiences I had on this planning trip and for the registration materials.

-- Paula Siewert