Rick Steves’ Travel Blog

Museums all over Europe are trying to be interactive. Many fail. But the Haus der Musik in Vienna is wonderfully interactive, letting its visitors learn and have fun at the same time. And for the first time in ages, as a tour guide I get to use some of my old piano teacher skills. Run with me up the scale.

Here in Vienna, I’ve been thinking about my first trip to Europe. It was the summer of 1969, and I was 14 years old.

My father, who was a piano importer, brought me to Vienna’s Bösendorfer factory, where the world’s finest pianos were made — not on an assembly line, but in former monks’ cells. I remember thinking it was as if the pianos were birthed, each with its own personality, depending upon the skills and techniques of each craftsman.

My dad carefully analyzed the personality of each of these grand pianos, matching it with his client’s taste back in Seattle. He’d make a selection, autograph the sounding board, they’d put it in a box, and ship it to some lucky American pianist. Bringing that Old World quality to the New World was the joy of my dad’s work — and it inspires me even today.

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It’s Day 68 of my 100-day trip to Europe, and I’m in Vienna. I’ve been all over this city, inhaling every detail I can — and taking notes on everything. My mission: to help your next visit to Vienna be meaningful, economical, efficient, unforgettable, and wildly fun.

Facing a morning of writing for the next edition of the Rick Steves Vienna, Salzburg & Tirol guidebook, I was going to get some work done in my hotel room or at the busy Starbucks on the corner. But then I thought, “Wait a minute! I’m in Vienna, home of a café culture that’s designed to let creative thoughts and caffeine work together in elegant, timeless splendor.” So, I grabbed a window table at the neighborhood hangout, Cafe Tirolerhof.

In this clip, I share a few café skills. I’m excited about the practical skills those who read my book will enjoy next time around. Working with 5th edition to make a better 6th. Happy travels.

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It’s been great to hear from so many of you lately, over on Facebook. Together, we are building a real community — a community of travelers who believe the best vacations are both fun and educational. We find joy in travel, and we also seek to broaden our perspectives personally, culturally, and politically.

I’m in Vienna right now, right next to the Albertina Museum, the Hofburg Palace, and the Opera House. I’m having a lot of fun, but I’m also traveling thoughtfully. And here at Albertinaplatz, where several hundred people are entombed below my feet, I’m pondering the value of history.  

I got a history degree accidentally. (Because my parents had taken me to Europe as a kid, taking history classes was simply fun — and the next thing I knew, I was a history major.) Now, decades later, history is as compelling and inspiring to me as ever.

One reason I love Vienna so much is because of its rich history. Watching this clip, I hope you get a sense of the power of that history and the lessons that come with it. The wind is buffeting my mic, and there’s a stir in the air…just as the rain is about to hit. And I can’t help but think of the storms European society has weathered.

Travel can and should be fun. But if you want your children and their children to live in a world where travel is even possible, travel should be educational — and political. When you travel, consider the importance of having information to give meaning to your sightseeing. The typical tourist walks by the Monument Against War and Fascism, knowing nothing of its meaning or of the hundreds who were buried alive below their feet. It could happen again.

Austria is notorious for its far-right (even racist and bigoted) national politics. But Vienna is a bastion of tolerance. In fact, while the current national government may not support gay rights, the big city — Vienna — greets you with crosswalk signs that show gay couples crossing the streets. While Austria’s Green Party has never wielded much power at the national level, it is strong in Vienna. In fact, it’s part of Vienna’s ruling coalition, which it joined on the condition that it would gain control of the city’s transportation department. That’s why, when you travel to Vienna, you’ll notice people-friendly (vehicle-unfriendly) streets, lots of bike lanes, and traffic lights that seem to say, “Gay or straight, everyone is equally welcome on our streets.” Waltz with me through the happy streets of Vienna.

My favorite dress-up restaurant in Vienna just got better and less expensive. Here’s a look at the Black Camel Restaurant (Zum Schwarzen Kameel) — which is now the Black Camel Bistro. I was working through my night’s list of restaurants to check for my Vienna guidebook, with about 12 visits down and three to go, when I was seduced into a chair by the fun energy of this place. On my last visit, it was a fancy restaurant with an affordable bistro tucked into a corner. Now the bistro dominates, and the fancy restaurant is tucked into the back. Join me in this clip as I discover a new wine and learn how a rum-punch pastry, pink on the outside and brown on the inside, has some very interesting political connotations.

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