Are you going to Going?Fans of the TV series "Der Bergdoktor" will be familiar with the village of Going and the surrounding Wilder Kaiser Mountains. The pretty village square features in every episode of this long-running drama popular throughout the German-speaking world.
Unsurprisingly, the village of Going at the foot of the Wilder Kaiser mountains does not derive its name from the present continuous form of the verb “to go” in English. Instead, it is thought to come from a Bavarian nobleman by the name of Guowo. The earliest documented record of a settlement on this site dates back to the 1150s, when it was referred to as Gouingen or Gowingen.
Going is famous well beyond the borders of Tirol, not least thanks to the Austrian actor Hans Sigl. Between 2001 and 2006 Sigl played the role of detective Andreas Blitz in the police series “Soko Kitzbühel”, which is filmed in the region, and since 2008 he has been Dr Martin Gruber in “Der Bergdoktor”, which is set in Going and neighbouring Ellmau where the famous “Bergdoktorhaus” draws many visitors keen to see where the series is filmed.
The peaceful idyll portrayed on television can also be found in real life. Indeed, it is somehow fitting that the village carries a name associated – in English, at least– with movement, for there is no better way to explore the region than on foot. Golfers will find a beautiful course with stunning mountain views, while a walk to the nearby moorland is a great way to relax. Or, for those wanting a little more action, why not head for the mountains and explore the craggy peaks of the Wilder Kaiser?
Unsurprisingly, the village of Going at the foot of the Wilder Kaiser mountains does not derive its name from the present continuous form of the verb…
