Author: Waldmeister

Der Japanische Garten in Augsburg (Bayern)

Der Japanische Garten in Augsburg ist zu jeder Jahreszeit ein Traum! Vor allem im Herbst präsentiert er ein unvergleichliches Feuerwerk gelber und roter Farbtöne. Ihr müsst nicht nach Japan reisen, um die Faszination eines klassischen japanischen Gartens und der vielen Motive, die er bietet, zu erleben.

In Augsburg, einer Großstadt im Südwesten Bayerns, befindet sich unweit des Stadtzentrums einer der beeindruckendsten und repräsentativsten Japanischen Gärten Europas. Der japanische Landschaftsarchitekt Yoshikuni Araki entwarf diesen „Garten der Freundschaft“. Er schuf eine Anlage, in der Bäume, Pflanzen, Sträucher und Wasserelemente sich zu einem einzigartigen Gartenkunstwerk zusammenfügen und den Besuchern ein außergewöhnliches Naturerlebnis bieten.

Wasser ist ein elementarer Bestandteil des Japanischen Gartens. Die Gartenarchitekten machten sich Augsburgs besondere Landschaft zunutze, in der Wasser ebenfalls eine zentrale Rolle spielt. Zwei Flüsse, Wertach und Lech, sowie eine große Anzahl von Kanälen in der Stadt und um sie herum unterstützten Augsburg einst bei seinem Aufstieg zu einem bedeutenden Industriezentrum. Das Wassermanagement-System der bayerisch-schwäbischen Metropole ist ein technisches Meisterwerk und gehört heute zum UNESCO WELTKULTURERBE.

Einer der vielen Augsburger Wasserläufe fließt direkt durch den Botanischen Garten, zu dem der Japanische Garten als integraler Bestandteil gehört. Das Wasser eines Baches aus dem angrenzenden Siebentischwald stürzt hier über Granitbrocken herab, um auf der nördlichen Seite des Japanischen Gartens unter einer Brücke zu verschwinden.

1985 wurde der Japanische Garten als Geschenk zum 2000-jährigen Jubiläum der Stadt geschaffen. Er steht auch für die freundschaftlichen Beziehungen zu den Partnerstädten Amagasaki und Nagahama; eine Freundschaft, die von Magokichi Yamaoka, dem Präsidenten des Maschinenbauunternehmens Yanmar, begründet wurde. Yamaoka war ein großer Verehrer Rudolf Diesels, dessen Familie aus Augsburg stammte, und stiftete ihm einen Zen-Garten im Wittelsbacher Park in Augsburg.

Der Japanische Garten im Botanischen Garten Augsburg präsentiert japanische Gartenkunst in Vollendung. Inspiriert wurde sein Architekt Araki durch die großen Gartenvorbilder in Kyoto. Japanische Gärten sind Kunstwerke, die eine Landschaft en miniature spiegeln und eine spirituelle Qualität besitzen. Der Garten hat zwei Eingänge, und man kann je nach Ausgangsort stundenlang neue Blickwinkel und Perspektiven entdecken. Unregelmäßig geschwungene Pfade, ein charakteristisches Element, führen zu den interessantesten Punkten. An markanten Standorten sind typisch japanische Steinlaternen (Ishidoro) platziert. Im Zentrum des Gartens befindet sich ein Teich (Euchi), der das Meer symbolisiert. Zwei Pavillons (Azumaya) stehen an diesem Teich; der größere von ihnen erinnert an einen Tempel und ist ein idealer Ort zum kontemplativen Verweilen. Von hier aus eröffnet sich ein freier Blick auf den schon erwähnten Wasserfall, dessen Granitfelsen übrigens aus dem Fichtelgebirge im Norden Bayerns hierher transportiert wurden.

Der Wasserfall und die Felsen erzeugen den Eindruck einer Gebirgslandschaft.

Ein magischer Ort: Felsen mit Flechten und Moos, ein dichtes Blätterdach und Wasser, das über den Granit herabstürzt.

Bäume und Stauden spielen eine wichtige Rolle im Japanischen Garten. Neben den charakteristischen Kirschbäumen gibt es weitere typisch japanische Pflanzen wie Azaleen und Rhododendren. Aufgrund der anderen Klimazone ist zwar keine ausschließlich japanische Bepflanzung möglich; man hat aber bei der Pflanzenauswahl Kompromisse gefunden, die den authentischen Eindruck eines Japangartens nicht beeinträchtigen.

Der Japanische Garten ist das ganze Jahr über ein ansprechender Ort. Zu den Höhepunkten im Jahreslauf gehören das Kirschblütenfest im Frühjahr und natürlich die faszinierenden Farben im Herbst. Grün, Gelb und ein intensives Rot sind dann dominierend. Für Fotografen bieten sich hier außergewöhnliche Motive und Möglichkeiten, auch wenn am Wochenende viele Besucher den Garten bevölkern. Ein guter Zeitpunkt zum Fotografieren ist sicherlich unmittelbar nach der Öffnung des Gartens um 9 Uhr morgens.

Weitere Informationen unter: www.augsburg.de/botanischergarten

Der Japanische Garten im Botanischen Garten ist leicht zugänglich. Einen (geringen) Eintrittspreis bezahlen muss man nur am Haupteingang des Botanischen Gartens und kann dann alle zugehörigen Gärten (z. B. auch Römergarten, Apothekergarten usw.) besuchen. Vor der Anlage befindet sich ein großer Parkplatz. Vom Hauptbahnhof Augsburg erreicht man den Botanischen Garten mit der Buslinie 32, die fast direkt vor dem Eingang hält. Der Botanische Garten grenzt an einer Seite an den Augsburger Siebentischwald, einen großen Landschaftspark und Wald, der zu weiteren lohnenden Ausflügen einlädt.

© Deutsche Übersetzung: Susanne Niemuth-Engelmann / Redaktionsbüro Niemuth, https://redaktionsbuero-niemuth.de/ / 23.01.24


by Waldmeister Categories: German Version (Deutsch)Tags: , ,

Record Snow, Chaos, And Winter Wonderland

That was an unexpected start to the winter. Used to often warmer winters over the last years the tons of snow on the First Advent in the region North of the Alps and Austria had an American feeling of real winters in the North or simply the times before climate change, when cold winters with lots of snow were normal.

On December 1, 2023, a 5B Weather Situation and an air mass limit led to new record snowfall in Upper Bavaria. In only a few hours a thick layer of snow stopped trains and airplanes around Munich, causing over 90 traffic jams and many blackouts on Saturday, December 2.

A surprise in the morning: A thick layer of snow on the table.

There was so much snow that even on December 2, an emergency state in the capital of Bavaria lasted. One reason is that every weather event is different: In this case, the snow was wet and lasted on branches of trees. Some trees feel or parts of the trees broke apart. Therefore police and first responders had a lot of work.

It began in the afternoon hours on December 1 when the rain turned more and more into white blobs. The evening hours saw intense snowfall. It was snowing and snowing and in a few hours, the landscape was completely under a thick layer of white. That was too much for winter services to cope with.

In the morning hours of December 2, it was clear that it would take a lot of time and effort to clear streets, garages, and gardens from the mass of snow. Snowing didn’t stop before late afternoon. A cold night followed. On Sunday the weather calmed but it became even colder.

That first advent will be remembered as a true Winter Wonderland dream. Frost, the thick sheets of snow and ice created fantastic scenery in Bavaria and in the Alps.

Due to the nature of this weather event where snow often was attached to trees and other things it formed interesting sculptures.

With a little imagination, the fields were filled with strange creatures and an endless variety of forms.

Warmer temperatures and a cold night led to these interesting effects.

The trees were veiled in sheets of snow, ice, and frost. In one place there was an ice-curtain.

Here is a little red contrasting the white:

Antennas weren’t spared.

This fence had a lot of frost crystals.

The early morning hours are the best time to capture Winter Wonderland scenery. The cold air is very clear and a deep blue sky contrasts the white trees and fields.

It is always a good idea to bring some elements into the picture that add to the atmosphere as old barns or houses.

An attraction is small streams that are not yet frozen. If the water is warmer it creates often a thin veil of mist which looks great when illuminated by the sun.

by Waldmeister Categories: natural wonders, Seasons, Severe Weather, Uncategorized, Winter

THE JAPANESE GARDEN IN AUGSBURG, BAVARIA

The Japanese Garden is a dream in every time of the year. In autumn, the colors are an unparalleled firework of yellow and red. You don’t need to go to Japan to enjoy the fascination of a Japanese garden and the many motives it has to offer.

In Augsburg, Bavaria, not far from the city center is one of the most impressive and representative Japanese Gardens in Europe. Japanese landscape architect Yoshikuni Araki designed the Garden of Friendship. He created an outstanding experience with a unique setting where trees, plants, boulders, and water are in a special combination.

Water is a central element of the Japanese garden. The garden architects made use of Augsburg’s special landscape where water plays a pivotal role. There are two rivers, Lech and Wertach, and a huge number of channels in and around Augsburg, which previously helped the city to become an important industrial center. The channels, the water management system, and the industrial installations are UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE.

One of the many streams runs through the Botanical Garden and the embedded Japanese Garden in Augsburg. On one side, the water cascades over boulders and disappears under a bridge on the northern side of the Japanese garden.

The Japanese garden was built as a present for the 2000th anniversary of Augsburg in 1985. It presents also the friendship with partner cities Amagasaki and Nagahama. The friendship was initiated by Magokichi Yamaoka, president of Yanmar. There is also a Japanese memorial in the Wittelsbacher Park in Augsburg. Yamaoka intended to honor German Rudolf Diesel.

Augsburg’s Japanese Garden presents the Japanese Art Of Gardening at its best. These gardens are works of art. They present a landscape and have a spiritual quality. There are two entries to the garden and you can explore new angles that show different perspectives for hours. Uneven curved paths are a typical element and they lead you to the most interesting points. The center of the Japanese Garden is a lake (Euchi). It symbolizes the sea. Typical stone lanterns (Ishidoro) are placed at significant points. An open building (Pavillion) resembles a temple and is a great place to rest there. Tons of boulders were transported from the Fichtelgebirge, a mountain range in Northern Bavaria, to Augsburg. Inspiration for the garden came from Kyoto.

The waterfall and the boulders create the impression of a mountain landscape:

A magical place: Boulders with lichen and moss, a thick canopy, and water cascading over stones.

Trees and perennials play an important role in the Japanese garden. The typical cherry trees there and many other sorts of plants are typical for Japan. Due to the different climates, there are some compromises.

The Japanese Garden is an attractive place throughout the year. Highlights are festivities in spring and of course the interesting colors in autumn. Green, Yellow, and intense red are dominant colors. There are many opportunities for photographers here. On weekends there are many visitors in the garden. A good time is certainly shortly after the botanical garden opens.

More info is available at www.augsburg.de/botanischergarten

The Japanese garden inside the Botanischer Garten is easily accessible for a little entry fee. There is a huge parking space around and, you can get there by Bus 32 from Augsburg Hauptbahnhof. The Botanical Garden is surrounded on one side by the Siebentisch-Wald, which is a huge landscape park and forest.


by Waldmeister Categories: Autumn, Seasons, Travel Tip, Uncategorized

Devastating Super-Cell Storms August 2023 Over Bavaria

August 2023 saw extreme weather events in Middle Europe. It wasn’t so many events, but a couple of significant storms. A number of super cells in Germany led to damage. There were some typical weather patterns in Upper Bavaria along the alps, where notorious hail-stripes are well-known, but the intensity of extreme weather was surprising.

One of the most significant extreme weather events happend on August 26 in the afternoon. Two supercells brought incredible amounts of hail in Southern Germany. A number of 123 places were affected, according to German Weather Service DVD. The separate weather systems rolling over Bavaria with a distance of 100 km. The two super-cells left a trail of destruction at a length of 130 km. The strip of hail had a width of 15 km. In that zone there was a lot of destruction in Benediktbeuern with a well-know monastery and Bad Bayersoyen. In some places hail had diameters more then 5cm, which turns them into bullets with high speed. Between the strips there was no such destruction but strong gusts of wind. The maps of the Europan Severe Weather Database deliver an impression of the two trails of destruction.

Heavy Thunderstorm on August 13 with intense lightning

Before these events, there were also heavy thunderstorms on August 13. These storms were coming from Baden-Wurttemburg. The video on the stormypictures.de Youtube Channel shows how the storm quickly intensifies. There was also a remarkable amount of lightning. The immense rate of lightning lit the sky and lasted unusually long.

There are no fundamental new weather patterns here, but what happened is what climate-researchers predicted a long time ago. A hotter and wetter atmosphere contains more energy. This energy is a precondition for stronger storms as these super-cells. And it is not only a warmer atmosphere. Early this year, researchers detected unusual warm surface temperatures in the oceans for example the atlantic ocean near Florida.

Here is the development of the thunderstorm in the early evening hours of August 13 in Upper Bavaria, close to lake Ammersee:

The late sun illuminates towering thunderstorm clouds

At first sight the huge tower of clouds looked impressive but not as monstrous it became.

There was an incredible dynamic in the chaotic atmosphere

Within minutes the sky changes and dark clouds approached fast. In the upper half a rotating pattern appeared.

Lighting strikes came close very fast and a huge curtain with fall stripes appeared.

This storm brought intense rain and hail in some places. Later there was intense lightning.

The supercell storms on August 26 seen from a ship on a lake

There had been further dramatic weather events after August 13. On August 17 a monster thunderstorm set parts of Nuremberg in Northern Bavaria under water after a flash flood. The series of severe weather peaked on August 26 with the two super cells in Southern Bavaria and also dangerous thunderstorms in between. The pictures below were taken on a ship on Lake Ammersee. Here it was very hot and the sky was clear til middle of the afternoon. Then, dark clouds were arriving very fast. The orange flashing lights on the storm warning lights were activated. It was important that sailors headed back to harbour in time because the line of thunderstorms arrived fast with strong winds and rainfall later.

An unusual sight

Weather is always unique. Compared to the previous thunderstorms, the sky “looked” more like it was typical rain clouds. However these was a severe weather system at any place. The wind picked up very fast and the normally peaceful lake turned into a raging water with remarkable waves. Strong rainfall let the shore disappear in a sort of mist minutes after the wind gusts appeared. Later the evening, the weather calmed down. However the damage in many regions was dramatic.

Dark clouds approaching from South-West

The clouds quickly become darker.

Still some sunshine in the Alps before the super cell system arrives

It’s getting pretty dark even during the afternoon.

Gusts of storm at the westside of Lake Ammersee in Bavaria. A motor boat makes it barely into the harbour.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UVsCcEgCoa0&t=52s

What came after the storm

The super cell weather systems were the harbingers of more extreme weather in the alps. The days later there was heavy rain and a flood created more damage in Austria. On August 28 the famous Oetztal was cut off from the outer world after a mudslide destroyed the only road. Many tourists could only leave via the Timmelsjoch mountain pass. Helicopter’s brought food and other stuff into the valley.

Only days later a high pressure system brought calm and unusually warm weather in September. The super cell storms and the following devastating floods were dire reminders what living in a new climate triggered by climate change means. It means coping with a different world, less comfortable, more unpredictable and more violent. August 2023 was also one of the hottest summers on record.

by Waldmeister Categories: UncategorizedTags: , , , , , , ,