News -

2021-04-16

FLAGSTACK Virtual World Trip - Stop CZ - 4 of 10

Welcome to the fourth country of the virtual world trip: the Czech Republic! Lednimedvidek demonstrates her tour guide qualities and leads the Official FLAGSTACK Volunteers to a total of 10 highlights on this stopover of the little world tour.

The trip around the Czech Republic continues from the impressive Prebisch Gate to an imposing castle: Karlštejn Castle (Karlstein)...

Karlštejn Castle occupies a special position among Czech castles. It was built by the Bohemian king and Roman emperor Charles IV to store the royal treasure - a collection of holy relics and the crown jewels. The arrangement of the individual castle buildings from the lower level to the imperial palace and the tower towering over everything is well thought-out and effective.  The castle is located in the village of Karlštejn about 30 km southwest of Prague.

Karlštejn Castle was built in 1365 and stands out from other castles not only because of its beautiful design, but also because of the arrangement of its buildings in stages according to their importance. On the lowest level there is the lower castle with the burgrave's house and the original fountain, higher up is the two-storey imperial palace with the royal bedroom, the chambers for the court and the princesses, on another level there is the Marian tower with prayer rooms, and at the top you can see the magnificent Great Tower, which was intended for the storage of the Czech royal treasure.

The Chapel of the Holy Cross in the Great Tower was of such great importance that Charles IV entered it only barefoot as a sign of his humility and made it safe with three iron doors and nine locks. The chapel served as a treasury for the crown jewels and also held the king's collection of relics.

At Karlštejn Castle, in addition to the beautifully decorated rooms, the 8 Volunteers marvel at copies of the Czech Crown Jewels and the Crown Jewels of the Holy Roman Empire, as well as an 80-meter-deep well, into which the bucket for drawing water was lowered and raised via a scoop wheel. The well was once man-powered. This is one side of the story... Other sources claim that the castle had no natural well at all. Miners dug a shaft to a depth of 80 meters for a castle well, but did not find any water. Due to this, water from the nearby Budňanský potok stream was fed into a cistern. This, of course, would have been a weak point in the event of a siege and was therefore kept secret.

We will find out more insider tips in the next travel report... As you can see, the Czech Republic is an incredibly multifaceted country!
Your Team FLAGSTACK

PS: Have you scanned the Friend Flag Code yet???
(Code Valid until 18.04.2021 - 12:00, time zone FHQ / Europa / Berlin)

 

2021-04-14

FLAGSTACK Virtual World Trip - Stop CZ - 3 of 10

Welcome to the fourth country of the virtual world trip: the Czech Republic! Lednimedvidek demonstrates her tour guide qualities and leads the Official FLAGSTACK Volunteers to a total of 10 highlights on this stopover of the little world tour.

The round trip through the Czech Republic continues from the stone statue Radegast to one of the most outstanding natural monuments of the Elbe Sandstone Mountains... Welcome to the Prebisch Gate!

The Prebisch Gate (Pravčická brána) is located in the Bohemian Switzerland. The slender rock structure is the largest natural sandstone rock bridge in Europe. It has a span of 26.50 m, a clear height of 16 m, a maximum width of 8 m and an archway thickness of 3 m.

In 1826 an inn was built at the Prebisch Gate. In 1881 Prince Edmund of Clary-Aldringen had the hotel "Falcon's Nest" (Sokolí hnízdo) with 50 beds built in its place.

Due to severe erosion caused by visitor traffic, the rock bridge has not been allowed to be entered since 1982. The steel stairs leading up to the gate were dismantled, as well as the railings on the Prebisch Gate. The entire area of the Prebisch Gate has been privately owned since the privatization of the hotel and is accessible during opening hours for an entrance fee.

The Eisenach-Budapest mountain hiking trail runs below the Prebisch Gate. The Prebisch Gate is officially accessible only from the Czech side. It can be reached via a hiking trail from Hřensko (Herrnskretschen) or via the Gabrielensteig trail from Mezní Louka (Rainwiese).

Is the gate somehow familiar to you? Some landscape scenes for the film "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" were taken here. Since it is no longer allowed to enter the Prebisch Gate, the shots in which the actors appear to be walking across the rock bridge were subsequently shot and inserted in the studio. The Prebisch Gate and the lower part of the hotel can also be seen as a backdrop in the film "The Guardian of Truth - Dina's Destiny".

Surprising and exciting, isn't it? Soon we'll continue with the next highlight...
Your Team FLAGSTACK

PS: Have you scanned the Friend Flag Code yet???
(Code Valid until 16.04.2021 - 18:00, time zone FHQ / Europa / Berlin)

 

2021-04-12

FLAGSTACK Virtual World Trip - Stop CZ - 2 of 10

Welcome to the fourth country of the virtual world trip: the Czech Republic! Lednimedvidek demonstrates her tour guide qualities and leads the Official FLAGSTACK Volunteers to a total of 10 highlights on this stopover of the little world tour.

The trip around the Czech Republic continues from the Schneekoppe to something else with interesting height: the statue Radegast on the top of the Radhošť...

Radegast is a pagan deity of war and victory, as well as the god of hospitality and abundance. According to history, the Slavs climbed up to the mountain Radhošť to worship this god. The cult of Radegast was attempted to be supplanted by the two Christian apostles Cyril and Methodius, who erected a cross on Mount Radhošť. The worship of the Radegast was allegedly moved to underground premises of Radhošť. According to a legend, corridors, caves and an underground cathedral can be found there to this day.

The 3.20m statue by Albín Polášek was made of concrete and stoneware rubble in 1929 and originally placed on the top of Radhošt. Its half-human, half-animal shape, as well as the harsh climate, give the mountain an extremely mystical character. Since 1998, a granite copy of the statue has been located on Radhoštěm, while the original is in the town hall of Frenštát pod Radhoštěm.

Radhošť itself is a 1,129 m high, legendary mountain of the Moravian-Silesian Beskids. It is located in Moravian Wallachia, Moravia, and east of the town of Rožnov pod Radhoštěm. On the elongated ridge, Pustevny is home to several wooden mountain huts from the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries in imitation Wallachian architecture, already built as a tourist destination. To the west of the ridge, with a view of Rožnov pod Radhoštěm (Roseau under Radhošt) in the valley, there is a small church built in 1898 and dedicated to the Slavic apostles Cyril and Methodius.

Such mystical stories also impress our 8 volunteers, who take a close look at the surroundings and enjoy the view from the summit plateau. Fortunately, the weather is nice, so they can climb the nearby lookout tower and see all the way to Lysá hora (Kahlberg)...

In the evening, as a reward for the mountain hike, there’s another Radegast: This name is also known to beer lovers and the beer with the same name is brewed in the brewery in Nošovice.

Cheers and see you soon
Your Team FLAGSTACK

PS: Have you scanned the Friend Flag Code yet???
(Code Valid until 14.04.2021 - 22:00, time zone FHQ / Europa / Berlin)

 

2021-04-10

FLAGSTACK Virtual World Trip
Stop CZ - 1 of 10

Welcome to the fourth country of the virtual world trip: the Czech Republic! Lednimedvidek demonstrates her tour guide qualities and leads the Official FLAGSTACK Volunteers to a total of 10 highlights on this stopover of the little world tour.

Virtual travel has enormous advantages... Everyone travels faster, there are no traffic jams, no queues, and everything is fine! So the 8 Official FLAGSTACK Volunteers left Australia at about 15°C and arrived very relaxed in the Czech Republic. And right at the first hotspot the virtual teeth gnashing starts, here it is only -9°C.... Shivering - what a difference - where did the 8 volunteers actually arrive?

The trip through the Czech Republic starts on the highest peak of the Krkonoše Mountains - Schneekoppe - Sněžka.

In the middle of the mountain peak is the state border of the Czech Republic and Poland. The top of the Schneekoppe is 1,603 m above the timberline, which is about 1,200 m above sea level.
It is developed for tourism and is the destination of numerous visitors, especially in the summer months.
On the top there is the Laurentius Chapel, which was built from 1665 to 1681. From 2006 the new Czech post office was built up there and in 2007 it was opened by the president Václav Klaus.
The observatory and restaurant on the Polish side, Czech Polská bouda (catering, weather station, observatory), has the shape of "flying saucers" and was designed by Polish architects Witold Lipiński and Waldemar Wawrzyniak at the University of Wroclaw. The buildings were built in 1964-1974.
There is also a cable car to reach the summit more comfortably. Of course, this can also be hiked...

The climate and vegetation at the high altitudes of the Krkonoše Mountains are described as alpine, although the corresponding altitude is not reached at all. The average annual temperature is 0.2 °C on the Schneekoppe. This is what the volunteers are feeling right now...

In case the name of the mountain sounds familiar to you: The mountain gives its name to the food manufacturer Schneekoppe, whose original company was founded in 1927 by Fritz Klein in a village at the foot of the Krkonoše Mountains.

Well hey - the 8 volunteers have already seen and experienced something surprisingly interesting. We are really looking forward to the next report...
Your Team FLAGSTACK

PS: Have you scanned the Friend Flag Code yet???
(Code Valid until 12.04.2021 - 19:00, time zone FHQ / Europa / Berlin)

 

2021-04-05

April challenges with the virtual world trip to the Czech Republic


Dobré ráno! Dobrý den. Dobrý večer.

Whatever time you are reading this news, you know exactly what it means: the virtual world tour goes on - and this time through the Czech Republic!

After the Official FLAGSTACK Volunteers had almost grown webbed toes in DTas' Australian pool, they were able to break up with heavy hearts to return to Europe.... The attraction and curiosity for new highlights in the Czech Republic were strong enough to pack the virtual suitcases. Loaded with great memories of the round trip through the vast Australia, the 8 volunteers are now excited to see what Lednimedvidek has chosen for the virtual trip through her home country.

What will we all get to see and read? In the short stories you will find exciting background knowledge as well as the task for the badge "Virtual World Tour - Station Czech Republic". You will be shown Friend Flags in the news, which you have to capture in the given validity period to get the badge "Virtual World Tour - Czech Republic Station".

Do you want to pass the time until 10 April, when the travel reports will start again? In addition to the Easter campaign, you can get in the culinary mood in your kitchen for the trip to the Czech Republic: Sirloin on cream sauce - that's easier for most FLAGHUNTERs to pronounce than the Czech name "Svíčková." Served with homemade bread dumplings.... Mouth watering, that's for sure! Do you have all the ingredients in your pantry to start the preparation? You can find the recipe here !

You can find the virtual ingredients on the FLAGSTACK map starting Saturday (10.04.2021)! Look for carrots (Eternal Flags), lemons (White Flags), bacon slices (Jumper Flags), lingonberry compote (Jumper Flags +), onions (Oracle Flags), parsley (Green Flags) and bay leaves (Happy Holiday Option) on the map! Once you've collected all the missing ingredients, you'll get your Recipe Reward Badge for Czech Republic and delicious Sirloin on cream sauce!

If you think there are still ingredients missing on the map, we recommend you to enter the virtual FLAGSTACK supermarket! Be on the lookout for goodies in the Fan Shop and have fun with the April Jumper special!

All Jumper Flags that are placed on the map this way can be collected again all 24 hours! And as a monthly special you can also get Force Fields with the Jumper Package for a special price :-)

Start of the two campaigns (the Friend Flag series and the cooking recipe) for the virtual "World Tour - Station Czech Republic" is on 10.04.2021 during the day. Little by little you will receive the news with sights and the Friend Flags. End of the competition for the virtual "World trip - Station Czech Republic" is 30.04.2021, 23:59, time zone FHQ/Europe/Berlin.

In addition to all this fun, there is the continued Corona Survival Kit 04.21! Check out what package we have in store for you this month and get up to 50% off, your personal 50% discount voucher and the special CSK badge for April!

Last but not least: Very important for your best gaming experience with FLAGSTACK: on 12.04.2021 at noon we will release a new app update. To ensure a better performance we have to make some basic changes to the app and recommend you to install this mandatory update as soon as possible. We will optimize e.g. the connection to the database and thereby the inventory and also fix the bug during deployment that no distance circles are shown. So don't be afraid of the update, no functions or data will be lost. We "only" improve your gameplay!

Enjoy the tasks for April ;-)

Stay safe and have fun!

Your Team FLAGSTACK

2021-04-01

Flagstack News - Team Battle #64 is over!

Team Battle #64 is over now and all 68 teams have achieved great results!

Here is a look at the top 10 of the overall ranking for our statistics fans:

Rank

 

Name

Towers

Country

Fraction

Members

Credits

1

USA Misfits
additional 30,000 credits for the team account

426

5

207,381

2

FlagstackFanatics
additional 20,000 credits for the team account

461

5

184,839

3

RedFlagStars
additional 10,000 credits for the team account

496

5

180,491

4

Sic Mundus Creatus Est
additional 9,000 credits for the team account

479

5

174,614

5

Tower Power East
additional 8,000 credits for the team account

250

5

118,843

6

Knight Riders
additional 7,000 credits for the team account

207

5

113,321

7

Tower Power Girls Netherlands
additional 6,000 credits for the team account

220

5

107,499

8

A whole lot of flagging
additional 5,000 credits for the team account

254

4

106,872

9

FlagTerriers
additional 4,000 credits for the team account

239

5

97,858

10

Psychos
additional 3,000 credits for the team account

154

5

93,683

And here's the fraction ranking of Team Battle #64, and we're delighted with the great overall performance from all players:

Rank

 

Name

Towers

Teams

Credits

Average

1

The Syndicate of Flag Hunter
each player has won 5,000 credits and the fraction badge

2546

23

1,100,206

47,835

2

The Alliance of Flag Keeper
each player has won 3,000 credits and the fraction badge

2624

28

1,239,582

44,271

3

The Cartel of Flag Seeker
each player has won 1,000 credits and the fraction badge

513

17

254,452

14,968

All details about the team and fraction rankings can be found with a quick click.

You can find all detailed information about the credit distribution on the official FLAGSTACK help page for Team Battles.

You are enthusiastic about Team Battles, all the excitement and variety and especially about your personal advantages through the great prizes? Than you know what you have to do: Tell all your friends about it and create a new team - or even two - because after a short recovery time the next Team Battle is already in sight - on 05. April 2021 at 0:00 (Timezone Europe / Berlin) the TB #65 starts!

Your Team FLAGSTACK

2021-03-28

FLAGSTACK Announcements for April

In April it's time again, FLAGHUNTER!

Under this slogan we have 3 really good news for you today...

APP-Update

Very important for your best gaming experience with FLAGSTACK: on 12.04.2021 at noon we will release a new app update. To ensure a better performance we have to make some basic changes to the app and recommend you to install this mandatory update as soon as possible. We will optimize e.g. the connection to the database and thereby the inventory and also fix the bug during deployment that no distance circles are shown. So don't be afraid of the update, no functions or data will be lost. We "only" improve your gameplay!

Easter Event

Easter and the holidays are surely marked in your calendar - and the anticipation is justifiably great! Because Easter means: It's time again for the egg hunt with FLAGSTACK!

On Thursday before Easter, FLAGSTACK HeadQuarter will hide golden Easter bunnies for free (= gratis = mega super) in the inventory of Premium Members. You don't have a yearly Premium Membership at FLAGSTACK at the moment? You can change this until Wednesday and benefit from this special campaign: https://www.flagstack.net/shop
For all FLAGHUNTERs (with or without Premium Membership) there are even more golden Easter bunnies in the webshop. You don't have to search for them, just click on the link and they will jump right in front of you...

You can deploy your golden Easter bunny from Good Friday (02.04.2021, 00:00 h, time zone FHQ / Europe / Berlin) via the app. The Easter Bunny automatically hides 40 golden Easter eggs on the map within a 1 km radius of your current deployment location - and you can seek them! They only appear on the map when you get close - about 200 meters - to these Easter Eggs! You will find them on roads and footpaths, and amazingly: other FLAGHUNTERS can also find your golden Easter eggs! For every Easter egg capture, you will randomly receive 6-40 capture points. For at least 32 captured Easter eggs you will also be awarded with a colorful Easter badge and 3,200 bonus points. And if someone captures your golden Easter eggs, you will randomly receive 4-10 capture-on points! Can you find more than 32 golden eggs? Just get the badge 2 times or 3 times or as many times as you want! This golden Easter campaign ends on 18.04.2021 (23:59, time zone FHQ / Europe / Berlin).

A special Easter campaign seldom comes alone - that's why you'll find Easter specials on the map for one week starting on Good Friday (02.04.2021, 00:00, time zone FHQ / Europe / Berlin). Hop, hop, get them and obtain another Easter badge! You only need to capture 200 of these Easter Specials * to get your extra reward. If you look carefully, there will be some very special golden Easter bunnies hopping around on the map as Jumper Flags. We'll tell you that they're also very generous when you catch them.... Use one of your Force Fields to lure them into a little trap! Don't worry, after you've captured them, they'll keep hopping around and other FLAGHUNTERs will have just as much fun as you do... Get your Force Field here - it will be a great help to you: https://www.flagstack.net/shop
This colorful Easter campaign ends on 09.04.2021 (23:59, time zone FHQ / Europe / Berlin).

The world tour continues...

Such a long Easter weekend is a great diversion. For even more variety, the Official FLAGSTACK Volunteers will travel virtually through the Czech Republic after Easter from 10.04.2021 and tell you about the 10 exciting sights that Lednimedvidek has selected for the route of the Virtual World Trip... Lednimedvidek recommended a delicious, tasty Czech recipe to go with the round trip. For the perfect preparation of "Sirloin on cream sauce with dumplings" - universally known also as Svíčková - you are still missing a few ingredients, which you can collect on the map from 10.04.2021. Tender beef in a creamy sauce, soft bread dumplings that melt on the tongue ... Our mouths are watering just reading this...

As you can see, April will be an exciting month with MEGA variety for you! Have a great time!
Your Team FLAGSTACK

PS: As always, please make sure you have a good GPS signal before deploying - preferably outside the door and where you want to and are able to collect the Easter Specials. As it is not possible to check whether the street is in a security area or how good the mobile reception is, it can happen in individual cases that these Easter Specials are not available. Therefore there is no legal claim to collect all Easter Specials. And therefore you will receive many more Specials as necessary to receive the badge.

* Happy Holidays, Green Flags, Golden Eggs, Eternal Flags, Jumper Flags and Jumper Flag PLUS, White Flags, Oracle Flags and Adventure Flags

2021-03-26

FLAGSTACK Virtual World Trip - Stop Australia - 10 of 10

Welcome to the third country of the virtual world tour: Australia! Today we're going on the journey to the final highlight that DTas recommended for the virtual round trip. And this one is a particularly big highlight - it's a complete island!

After the spectacular visit to the Great Ocean Road, DTas boards the ferry with his virtual travel group for an 11-hour crossing to Tasmania. It is DTas’ home state, and he told the fellow volunteers to pack their hiking boots as the group will go on a multi-day bushwalk in the UNESCO Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area. One quarter of Tasmania, an island state to the south of Australia, is declared a World Heritage Site, based on 7 of 10 selection criteria, one of only two world heritage sites in the world to do so. It is one of the last expanses of temperate wilderness in the world and can only be explored by foot.

The bushwalk on the “Overland Track” start at Cradle Mountain, which is located in the Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park. Cradle Mountain is synonymous with nature, wilderness and all things pristine. “This must be a National Park for the people for all time. It is magnificent, and people must know about it and enjoy it." So declared Gustav Weindorfer, an Austrian-born botanist, from the summit of Cradle Mountain in 1910. It is now one of Australia's most famous national parks, protecting a grand glaciated landscape and the wonderful flora and fauna it contains. Wildlife is in abundance in this spectacular national park, giving opportunity to encounter Tasmanian devils, quolls, platypus, echidna, wallabies, wombats and the highly inquisitive black currawong.

In fact, the endemic Tasmanian Devil is a bit hard to spot as it is a nocturnal carnivorous marsupial (do you also know such a little hungry devil? ;-) ). But also, the numbers of Devils rapidly declined in the 1990s due to an aggressive facial tumour disease that decimated the devil population by more than 80%. Now listed as a threatened species, devil populations are starting to make a comeback in the wilderness and if you are lucky, they can be heard with their distinctive ‘otherworldly’ scream that has given their name.

The 65km, 6-day trek is physically demanding, emotionally challenging and scenically spectacular. This is a landscape of glacially carved valleys, ancient rainforests, fragrant eucalypt forests, golden buttongrass moorlands and beautiful alpine meadows. Optional side-trips take the team to cascading waterfalls and mountain summits, including Tasmania’s highest peak, Mount Ossa (1617 m). The walk ends at Lake St Clair, a glacial lake that is also the deepest lake in Australia.

Our official FLAGSTACK Volunteers are exhausted but also keen to jump into DTas’ pool at his house in Hobart and drink a well-deserved Tasmanian Ale, brewed by DTas.
So here the Official FLAGSTACK Volunteers relax and share the memories of this great Australia adventure. It is almost time to pack the bags again to take the long flight to Czechia, Lednimedvidek’s home country, where the next adventure awaits.

Thank you for joining us on this virtual journey! We hope you had nice pictures in mind and could escape from everyday life for a moment...
See you soon, we'll be back from the fourth stop of the virtual world trip, from the Czech Republic!

Stay safe, stay healthy and capture the flag
Your Team FLAGSTACK

PS: Have you scanned the Friend Flag Code yet???
(Code Valid until 31.03.2021 - 23:59, time zone FHQ / Europa / Berlin)

 

 

2021-03-24

FLAGSTACK Virtual World Trip - Stop Australia - 9 of 10

 
Welcome to the third country of the virtual world trip: Australia! DTas has planned a great round trip for the Official FLAGSTACK Volunteers and presents you the ninth of the 10 highlights of sights...

For this highlight, the journey is the destination: The Official FLAGSTACK Volunteers travel along the B100 - The Great Ocean Road - the most beautiful coastal road in Australia...

243 kilometers of breathtaking views of the wild sea and rainforest - the Great Ocean Road in the state of Victoria is the most beautiful panoramic route in Australia and even one of the most beautiful in the world. It simply casts a spell over every visitor.

The first idea of a road along Victoria's south coast dates back to 1864. It was primarily intended to provide an overland connection between the numerous coastal towns and fishing ports along the coast, which until then could only be reached by ship. However, concrete plans and explorations for a possible course of the road did not take place until 1918. The entire construction of the road took from 1919 to 1932 - probably that long because the workers could not take their eyes off the dreamlike surroundings.

For the most part, the Great Ocean Road runs directly along the coast and offers breathtaking views of Australia's south coast. The road is well stocked with campgrounds, hotels and restaurants. But everything is spread out so widely that there is plenty of unspoiled nature to marvel at. There are numerous beaches for surfing and many opportunities for diving. Kite flying is also possible because of strong updrafts on some cliffs, especially in the evening.

From Torquay, the Great Ocean Road follows the course of the coast in a southwesterly direction. It connects the surfer's paradise of Bells Beach and the vacation resorts of Anglesea, Lorne and Apollo Bay. On this section, the mountains of the hinterland partly reach into the sea and the Great Ocean Road winds along their edges in a very winding course. Between Anglesea and Lorne are Aireys Inlet and Fairhaven, known for the Split Point Lighthouse built in 1891 and the wild Fairhaven Beach.

Further on, the Great Ocean Road runs in a northwesterly direction. This part of the coast is largely protected in Port Campbell National Park and is home to some of the most impressive coastal scenery in the world. Coastal erosion by waves and rain has created some of the most famous rock formations here. The Twelve Apostles, Loch Ard Gorge with the collapsed Island Archway, The Grotto, the narrow cliff Razorback and London Arch are the most famous. This stretch of coast is also called Shipwreck Coast, because more than 80 ships have sunk here.

The most flexible way to travel during the tour is with your own or rented vehicle - or on this virtual tour with FLAGSTACK!
With this section of the route we have almost reached the end of the Australia round trip... One highlight is still to come, you may guess three times where it goes to ;-)
Your Team FLAGSTACK
 
PS: Have you scanned the Friend Flag Code yet???
(Code Valid until 26.03.2021 - 21:30, time zone FHQ / Europa / Berlin)

 

2021-03-22

FLAGSTACK Virtual World Trip - Stop Australia - 8 of 10

Welcome to the third country of the virtual world trip: Australia! DTas has planned a great round trip for the Official FLAGSTACK Volunteers and presents you the eighth of the 10 highlights of sights...

Let's go to the central southern tip of Australia! From Margaret River we travel virtually to the Barossa Valley... Come with us!

The Barossa Valley is an area about 70 km northeast of Adelaide in the Australian state of South Australia. With over 150 wineries and 80 cellars on about 10,000 hectares, the Barossa Valley is one of the world's large wine regions. Seven generations of winemakers and wine producers have made this fertile land one of Australia's best wine regions over the past 160 years through their consistently outstanding vintages.

Before European colonization, the Barossa Valley was home to a small group of Aborigines who subsisted on seeds, which they processed into damper, and on kangaroos, wallabies, possums, lizards and fish, which they hunted. The name of the valley comes from the surrounding Barossa Ranges, which are part of South Australia's Mount Lofty Ranges, and were named by William Light (the first European in the area) after a battle in Spain in which he fought and which the British won. Due to a mistake on official documents, the Spanish "Barrosa" became the Australian "Barossa".

The first groups of settlers in the Barossa Valley, which is about 13 km long and 14 km wide, were of English descent (from Cornwall) and settled in the vicinity of Lyndoch, but they were followed as early as 1838 by the first Germans, who had emigrated from Silesia, Prussia and Posen in search of (religious) freedom and now set about making a new start in Klemzig and Bethany. In 1847, one of the many German immigrants, Johann Grampp from Aichig near Kulmbach, planted the first vines at Jacob's Creek, establishing one of Australia's most successful wineries. Joseph Seppelt, another German-born immigrant, set the basis for another large winery at Seppeltsfield. Numerous other German wine growers followed, making wine the most important crop in the area. By 1890, this wine was already being exported to England, resulting in the dominance of viticulture in the Barossa Valley today.

About 20,000 people live in the Barossa Valley. The climate here is typically Mediterranean, with dry summers and mild winters. Most of the rain falls between April and October, with an average of 550 mm, although there are also cool nights during this period. In summer, from December to February, temperatures up to 35 °C are common.

There are other attractions in the Barossa Valley besides the numerous wineries:
- Sculpture Symposium Barossa: A park with 17 stone sculptures from 1988 and 2008.
- Old Union Chapel: Built in 1844 on land owned by George Fife Angas, this is the oldest public building in the Barossa Valley.
There is also the Hoffnungsthal Memorial, the Whispering Wall, the Herbig Family Tree and the Lyndoch Lavender Farm. You can browse WWW - these are also quite fascinating highlights!

Barossa German, a dialect of the German language, used to be spoken in this region. The dialect combined the German language with the use of English terms. However, it was more closely related to the German standard language than, for example, the similarly developed Pennsilfaanisch Deitsch in the USA. An example sentence is: Der rabbit ist über den fence gejumpt und hat die carrots abgenibbelt (The rabbit hopped over the fence and gnawed the carrots). During the First World War, the use of the German language was actively suppressed in Australia. Thus, German place names were renamed. Also, immigration from Germany broke off due to the war. As a result, Barossa German increasingly disappeared and is rarely spoken today.

The dialect is insanely simple - we can do that too: Der FLAGHUNTER ist über den fence gejumpt und hat die flags eingesammelt (The FLAGHUNTER has jumpt over the fence and collected the flags)!
A toast to your health - and see you soon...
Your Team FLAGSTACK
 
PS: Have you scanned the Friend Flag Code yet???
(Code Valid until 24.03.2021 - 20:00, time zone FHQ / Europa / Berlin)

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