• austriantimes.at
• croatiantimes.com
• romaniantimes.at
• viennatimes.at

Today

• Vienna - VESCC English Catholic Mass
• Vienna - Unknown Underground
• Vienna - Childrens Fun

29. 06. 12. - 17:00

• more Panorama news
• RSS Feed Panorama

29. 06. 12. - 17:00

Dirndl ambassadors arrive in New York

Austria’s Dirndl Ambassadors have arrived in New York, and over the next three months, will descend on New York City 25 at a time.

They’ll be hard to miss as they take on Central Park enjoying Tchaikovsky and a picnic on the lawn, or struttin’ their stuff at a PS1 Warm Up dance party, or swirling around Lincoln Center at a Midsummer Night Swing performance.

"Join the fun," urges Michael Gigl, Director-North America for the Austrian Tourist Office.

"Stop, flirt, take photos—and engage on the page."

Visitors to http://www.facebook.com/austriatravelinfo can learn more about the Dirndl Ambassadors, watch videos of their adventures, vote on favorites, and choose where in NYC they should make their next appearance. They can also win prizes for sharing videos and photos of their own Dirndl experiences.

Fun, feminine and flirty, the Dirndl convinced British designer Vivienne Westwood that "there would be no ugliness in the world if every woman wore a Dirndl." Wise words from a talented woman. Many know the Dirndl from the Sound of Music and, though the film played fast and loose with traditional costume, the real Maria von Trapp indeed wore a Dirndl throughout her life. On each return to her native Salzburg, she ordered new outfits from her favorite tailor.

From its humble beginnings as the work garb of peasants, the Dirndl has certainly evolved. In the 19th century, when the emperor began wearing Lederhosen on his trips to the countryside, the Dirndl became popular with Austria’s high society. More recently, the Dirndl and traditional costumes in general have experienced a popular revival. For many Austrians today the Dirndl is a fashion statement. Styles range from the very traditional in which color and cut reflect the wearer’s region to the more playful and edgy that incorporate modern fabrics, cross-cultural influences and punk elements. No matter the style, every Dirndl has a wide skirt attached to a Leiberl, or fitted bodice, an apron and a blouse.

At http://www.facebook.com/austriatravelinfo visitors will see where the Dirndl comes from and, more important, where to find their own.

If they Like the page they’ll be eligible to enter a sweepstakes. The grand prize? Their choice of a Dirndl or Lederhosen on a spectacular trip for two to Salzburg and the Lake District, where traditional costumes are an essential part of every wardrobe. Winners will be announced at the end of the event series in September. "By then," adds Gigl, "We think New Yorkers will be as smitten with the Dirndl as so many others already are."

The Austrian Tourist Office is the official Destination Management Organization for the country of Austria. For more information go to http://www.austria.info.

Austrian Times

Five children rescued from raging river
Five children were rescued after being swept away by raging river currents in Salzburg, Austria.

Five children rescued from raging river
Five children were rescued after being swept away by raging river currents in Salzburg, Austria.

Electro-bike battery causes fire
Over 100 firemen were called out to battle a blaze when an Elctro-bike battery caused a garage to burst into flames in the middle of three houses in Rauris (Pinzgau, Salzburg region).

No valid sentence in the Doctor Adelsmayr case
The Upper-Austrian doctor who was sentenced to life imprisonment in Dubai in October last year is safe in Austria.

Baby snow leopards
Three baby snow-leopards born in Salzburg’s Hellbrunn zoo six weeks ago got their first brief taste of the outdoors this week.

25 million investment for Salzburg glacier
Glacier train operators in Kaprun (Salzburg region) are planning to invest a further 25 million Euros in the glacier area just two years after opening the Gipfelwelt 3000 high alpine xperience.

Four tons of rails stolen
Police are hunting thieves who stole four tons’ of railway track from an abandoned site in Salzburg.

Croat star Gibonni conquering Austrian market with 20th century rock
Croatian rock and pop singer/songwriter Gibonni is looking to conquer the Austrian market with his first ever English language album.

Body of missing 23 year old found
The body of a 23-year-old women from Taxenbach (Salzburg) who went missing on June 2nd after a mudslide, was found by a passer-by yesterday (Sunday) in the Salzach port of Neualm near Hallein.

Direct trains between Tirol and Vienna reopened
Direct train lines between Tirol and Vienna were reopened this morning (Monday) after floods forced the line to close for a week.