Where apples and pears fall for each other
A landscape made for enjoyment and people who know a thing or two about cider – and about enjoying life. In the Quellenviertel, everything simply comes together.
Who knows – perhaps this is where Adam once took a bite of Eve’s sweet apple. Although, in the Quellenviertel, it could just as easily have been a pear, with so many of them growing on the trees here.
One thing is certain: the gently rolling landscape has an almost paradisiacal feel to it. In spring, apple and pear trees burst into white and pink blossom, creating a beautiful backdrop for walks and cycle rides. In autumn, the landscape changes again, glowing in rich shades of red and gold. This is harvest time, when apples and pears are picked, pressed into juice and eventually transformed into cider – a drink that has been part of the region’s culinary culture for generations and captures the flavour of the Quellenviertel.
Cider shapes the landscape
Not all cider is the same. It can be made from pears, apples or – as is typical in the Quellenviertel – a blend of both. Two particularly popular varieties are the Speckbirne and Landlbirne, traditional Upper Austrian pear varieties with a history stretching back centuries. Small, yellow and round, they ripen late in the year and are a characteristic sight in the region’s orchards.
Fruit trees grown for cider are an essential part of the Quellenviertel landscape. Standing alone or in small groups, they line paths and roads and dot meadows and hillsides. Young trees grow alongside old ones, small trees beside majestic specimens that have shaped the landscape for generations.
So it is hardly surprising that Austria’s longest fruit tree avenue can also be found here. In Grieskirchen, hundreds of trees line a walking route around three kilometres long. Today, visitors can stroll beneath their impressive canopies and enjoy wonderful views along the way – thanks to a clergyman who came up with the inspired idea for this remarkable avenue more than a hundred years ago.