Austria

Austria has played a pivotal role in European history since the 13th century through the long reign of the Habsburgs. Over the centuries, the Habsburg empire was involved in the 30 Years War, stopped the Ottoman incursion into Europe, battled Napolean and triggered WWI.

On the cultural side, Austria has a rich history of Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque art and music.

Our trip to Austria is focused on Salzburg and Vienna, both historically important cities from a political and cultural perspective.

Cities Visited: Vienna, Salzburg, Melk (time permitting), Linz (time permitting)

Vienna

Vienna is the capital of Austria, a city of music and concerts and the Hapsburgs.

Scheduled Events

In Vienna, we:

• Take a walking tour focused on Imperial Vienna. Highlights of the tour include: Parliament, the State Opera House, St. Stephen's Cathedral and Josefsplatz

Free Time

In your free time, you can choose to

• Visit the Hofburg Palace (Imperial Palace)
• Visit Schonbrunn Palace, a massive Baroque palace that is an imitation of Versailles in Paris
• Visit St. Stephen's Cathedral
• Attend a play or concert

Salzburg

Salzburg is the city of cathedrals, an important ecclesiastical center for centuries, and the setting for The Sound of Music.

It is also the birthplace of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Situated between two mountains, Salzburg is divided by the river Salzach into the new and the old town.

You have free time to explore area like:

• The Holy Trinity church and Mozart's later residence.
• City Hall and the quaint streets of the old city
• Residenzplatz, the largest square in the old city, and the Residence Fountain.
• The Salzburg cathedral
• The Hohensalzburg Fortress, the largest and best preserved citadel in Europe
• Getreidegasse, a street of old-fashioned shops and restaurants, including No 9, the birthplace of Mozart

Melk

Melk is a small city about one hour outside Vienna. Time permitting, we like to make a brief stop here is to see the Melk Abbey and the Stiftskirche.

These are two of the most impressive Baroque structures in the world.


Note: Itinerary may change without notice. Adaptations are made every semester.