One of the last inhabited valleys in the Austrian Alps to lack a road link to the outside world is emerging from isolation.
An 800-metre (2,640ft) tunnel is being built through a mountain to make the Kaisertal in Tyrol more accessible. At the moment, getting there can be difficult. Twice a week, a rickety cable car gets loaded with crates of beer and sausages, destined for Kaisertal.
The ropeway, which transports supplies up the mountain, is a lifeline for the valley's 30-odd inhabitants but it is strictly for goods only. For generations, practically the only way of getting to Kaisertal has been on foot. The trek can be tough if you are old, sick or out of shape.
A few cars have already made it to Kaisertal - winched uphill by rope. Construction of the tunnel was held up for years because of environmentalist fears that the valley would be overrun by tourist traffic.
The provincial authorities have at present agreed to restrict the tunnel to the locals.
BBC:
- dr. adder
- Newtownabbey, Ireland
- "You wanna know what's wrong with religion? Religion is supposed to be about people being nice to each other, but frankly I don't see a lot of that. You know what I do see is, I see, a lot of people using the good book to say that they're morally superior. I see people building TV stations to bilk grandma out of her pension checks, all in the name of God. How about all those God-fearing people who are killing other God-fearing people because they don't fear God the same way?" - Dr. John Becker