Mortal, Austria’s best-kept secret for car enthusiasts

Red Bull Circuit in Spielberg It is precisely the most important tourist attraction in Mortal Because it attracts about 300,000 spectators each time Formula 1 racing or motorcycle racing. At its origins (1969), the circuit was known as the Österreichring and in 2011 it reopened as the Red Bull Ring and once again became a center for Austrian motorsport. Its design returned to the Formula 1 racing calendar in 2014 and has since become one of the established circuits for these race cars and is guaranteed to continue until 2027.

For its part, MotoGP returned to this circuit in 2016 after modifying the design of the tenth turn, which became wide from 13 to 10 meters to reduce speed when exiting this curve and improve safety. The strange thing about the circuit is that it did not give the Spanish drivers much luck: Fernando Alonso has never achieved a victory on this track Marc Marquez only achieved it on August 17 of this year, twelve years after his MotoGP debut.

The circuit, which is 4,318 kilometers long with 10 bends and a slope of 65 metres, is famous for the 18-metre-high “Spielberg Bull” in the center of the layout, and for the Voestalpine Pavilion at the start and finish respectively, a stunning complex of buildings made of 900 tons of steel in the shape of a racing car wing that allows you to experience the racing in a more exciting way.

the Visiting the Red Bull Ring takes about 90 minutes You will discover, among many spaces, the race control room, the press center, VIP rooms, exhibitions containing the most historic Red Bull cars, the official store, and even whoever wants to can climb to the podium in the circuit and feel like a champion. If you wish, you can also race behind the wheel of a Porsche 718 Cayman S or an official KTM Moto2 car, or try out a kart or off-road motorcycle. The visitor reception center is open Monday to Sunday, from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., and the center that organizes driving experiences welcomes interested parties from Monday to Friday between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.

Driving a historic train

Those who are drawn to the world of historical trains, not cars, will feel especially comfortable in The Railway Museum in Knittlefield. Dietmar, an 82-year-old former train driver, and his wife Rosie have run this space since 1995 where visitors can experience driving a Class 1245 locomotive in a driving simulator and travel from Knittleveld to Brock. Inside, across 16 themed rooms, the world’s largest collection of railway covers, 1,600 service covers, are on display. Guinness Book of World Records. The oldest piece is an Austrian piece dating from 1856 and there are six of Spanish origin in the collection.

You can also see historic uniforms and scabbards from the early days of railway escort, watches and a wide range of tools. And if you want something more, Dietmar, a 30-year worker at… Austrian railway networkshows from the outside some of the most curious locomotives held by the museum.