On a cruise of the Rhine River, any traveler will be amazed by stunning views of castles, vineyards and small villages. Enjoy the breathtaking views of the Rhine River!

• The Rhine River is one of Europe’s most important rivers.
• In historic times, tribes settled along the banks of its waters and Julius Caesar bridged and crossed in in 53 BC.
• The Rhine has been a basis for European borders and also has been used by it’s inhabitants as a defense feature.
• Many vineyards and castles are scattered along the rivers banks.
• The river is 766 miles long and travels through 6 European countries including Germany and France.

The romantic Rhine River is one of Europe’s most legendary bodies of water. As you sail on the ships of Avalon Waterways, taking in the majestic views on Europe’s youngest fleet. Take a look at some of these great cruises here:

Here are some quick facts about the Rhine River:

• Continent: Europe
• Countries it flows through or borders: Switzerland, Austria, Germany, France & the Netherlands
• Length: 1,232 km (766 mi)
• Number of tributaries: 2
• Source: The Swiss Alps
• Mouth: Rotterdam into the North Sea
• There are two glacier top mountains in the Swiss Alps that primarily feed the river. One is named Hinter Rhine and the other is the Vorder Rhine which were the basis for being named the Rhine River.
• Although no “one” person is credited with discovering the Rhine, it is known that Julius Caesar once built a bridge across it.

The Rhine River, whose name comes from the Celtic word renos, meaning raging flow, is one of the most important waterways in Germany as it begins in the Swiss Alps and flows north and east through Germany into Holland’s North Sea. It is most famous for its legendary Lorelei rock and the imposing medieval castles that line its banks. Many German manufacturing and industrial cities are located along the Rhine, as the river is important for shipping and transportation.

If you are looking for an amazing getaway, the Rhine River is definitely the place for you as it offers fabulous cruises and amazing scenery. The Rhine River cruises are perhaps the most popular of all European river cruises, as they allow you to travel through amazing cities like Amsterdam, Cologne, Heidelberg, Strasbourg, & Basel. Some riverboats sail strictly on the Rhine River (known as the Rhein River in Germany), while others combine the Rhine with other waterways in Germany, Austria, Hungary or the Netherlands. Other than seeing amazing sites and scenery, you may also choose to stop in medieval towns to see works by Pablo Picasso and Salvador Dali at the Museum of Fine Art.

The Rhine River is also interesting and attractive for visitors because of the large number of castles and old, charming little towns surrounded by fortified walls, towers and gates. Churches and wine growing villages are dispersed along the river that offers romantic scenery to everyone.  Whatever itinerary you choose, a Rhine River cruise allows you to experience some of Europe’s most interesting river ports.

The adventures that the Rhine River offers are extremely popular and fill up fast, so be sure to book your itinerary before you leave on your vacation. With your preparation prior to your departure, you will be sure to complete all of your desired escapades and create a truly memorable experience. If you are looking for anything like scenic cruises, inspiring art museums, medieval castles, and a vacation of a lifetime, the Rhine River is definitely the place for you. Don’t wait any longer to book your trip of the year for the ultimate getaway that you will never forget.

It sometimes seems as if all of Salzburg is a shrine to its most famous son, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, but the key attraction for classical music lovers is the modest house-museum called Mozarts Geburtshaus (Mozart’s Birthplace), where he lived until age 17. It displays with almost religious reverence the tiny violin he played as a toddler, a lock of his hair, and several of his jacket buttons.

It was in this humble abode that Mozart’s father, Leopold, first identified his son’s genius. By the age of two, little Wolfgang had not only learned to play many instruments, he had identified a pig’s squeal as the note G! He gave his first formal recital—and composed his first symphony—at the age of five, and for years the proud Leopold toured his child prodigy around the courts of Europe, giving blindfold harpsichord concerts and other “trick” performances.

Such an unconventional upbringing left Mozart with an eccentric personality. He would disappear for all-night drinking bouts, playing billiards and frequenting brothels; in his spare time, he taught his pet starling to sing operettas. He was delicate, short, and vain about his clothes and hair; those who met him observed that only his “intense eyes” gave clues of his divine spark.

Living in Vienna in his early twenties, Mozart fell in love with the famous soprano Aloysia Weber. When rebuffed, he married her sister, Constanze. Despite interludes of great success, he managed his money badly, squandering fortunes on clothes and luxuries. His family shuffled between ever-smaller apartments in Vienna, Paris, Prague, and Salzburg. (He returned to Salzburg for four years in the now Mozart Wohnhaus (Mozart Residence), another fine museum with original manuscripts and multimedia exhibits).

The circumstances of Mozart’s death were famously mysterious. At the age of 35, while writing his Requiem and at the height of his powers, he contracted a fever and claimed to his wife that he was being poisoned. He died a few weeks later and was buried in an unmarked Vienna grave in 1791. The film Amadeus revives 18th-century rumors that point the finger at Antonio Salieri, an Italian composer who was tormented by his own mediocrity. Experts have found no evidence to support the accusation, and believe that Mozart actually died of rheumatic fever and the typical incompetence of 18th-century medicine.

On a vacation to Europe, Austria is a must-see destination. Vienna, one of the most beautiful cities in the world, is often called the cultural capital of Europe. Enjoy the breathtaking views of Vienna–royal palaces and gardens, romantic alleys and architecture with medieval flair.

The inner city of Vienna is overflowing with superbly decorated historical architecture, but for decades its most famous address was actually an unassuming apartment building in a middle-class suburb—Berggasse 19. From 1891 to 1938, this was the home of Sigmund Freud, the brilliant thinker who invented psychoanalysis and discovered the power of dreams and the subconscious, changing the way we think about the human mind forever.

Today, the apartment, situated on a street sloping down to the Danube Canal, is the Sigmund Freud Museum, and it continues to lure streams of admirers from around the world, just as it did in the great man’s own lifetime. Each of the dozen rooms is filled with memorabilia: Freud’s birth certificate (born to a Jewish family, he changed his first name from Sigismund), his walking cane, battered travel bag with the initials S.F., his hat and sports cap hanging on hooks by the door—all give the impression that the pioneer shrink might be about to stroll back from a nearby coffee house for a session of “talk therapy” (as psychoanalysis was first called) with a patient.

Also on display are rare original books, including a first edition of “The Interpretation of Dreams,” published in Vienna in 1900, which was ignored for years but eventually became an international bestseller. On the walls are classic photographs of the bearded, avuncular Freud holding his ubiquitous cigar. When friends joked that, according to Freud’s own theories of sexuality, the cigar should be interpreted as a phallic symbol, he famously remarked, “Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.”

By 1938, at the age of 82, Freud was one of Austria‘s most famous and respected figures when Nazi Germany annexed the country and Gestapo officers began harassing Jewish residents. Soldiers visited Berggasse 19 and searched the offices, confiscating about $1,500 in cash. Freud at first refused to admit the danger, but he was finally convinced to emigrate, with an exit visa arranged by U.S. President Roosevelt himself and facilitated by a sympathetic German officer. He moved to England, where he died of cancer the following year, which is why Freud’s famous couch resides today in a small London museum rather than its long-time home in Vienna.

Old City Walk, Imperial Walking Route

Ask your Local Host about a walking route to discover the fascinating older parts of Vienna´s historic city center with its legends and paths or the Imperial Route, to see classic architecture, elegant boulevards, the Hofburg Palace and other memorable sites.

Belvedere

Walk up to the Belvedere for splendid views over Vienna and/or visit its museum and see the beautiful painting “the Kiss” by Gustav Klimt. A must if you are here in Vienna!!!

The Sigmund Freud Museum

Make your own analysis of the famed psychological pioneer in the building where he lived and worked for nearly 50 years. See Freud’s personal possessions as well as the largest psycho-analysis library in Europe.

Fine Arts Museum and Museum Quarter

Visit the impressive Fine Arts Museum collection in a beautiful setting. The city has a wealth of museums.

Imperial Crypts

Visit the Imperial Crypts for a fascinating glimpse into the past.

Fiaker

Enjoy a carriage ride from St. Stephens Cathedral or at other starting points in the city center.

Spanish Riding School

Equestrian buffs will find this Viennese institution irresistible. Founded in 1572, it’s the oldest and last riding school in the world where classic dressage is still practiced in its purest form. See world-famous Lipizzaner stallions go through their steps.

Prater

Families may like to spend time at Vienna’s famous fun fair. Take a ride on the famous Giant Ferris Wheel or be a passenger of “Vienna Airlines” and take a spectacular virtual flight above the roofs of Vienna.

House of Music

What better place than Vienna to walk the halls of music and peek into its future. Listen to what an unborn child hears in the womb, paint a picture with a palette of tones, or steer a note through a musical landscape.

The Vienna Naschmarkt

A Viennese institution in the city center, this colorful market dates back to the 16th century. There are small restaurants and cafés nearby for lunch as well as the “Secession”, the Art Nouveau building famous for the Beethoven Frieze by Gustav Klimt.

Wienerschnitzel, Apfelstrudel

Sample the classic Wiener Schnitzel or Tafelspitz, and try apricot Schnaps. Treat yourself to Apfelstrudel, coffee and chocolate cake, or other sweet delicacies in the grand and traditional Viennese coffee houses.

Shopping

Walk along the Kärntnerstrasse and/or Mariahilferstrasse … shop for concert music DVDs, crystal glass, enamel jewelry or ornaments, wool lodenware, Viennese wafer biscuits, and Mozart chocolate.

Spanish Riding School

Equestrian buffs will find this Viennese institution irresistible. Founded in 1572, it’s the oldest and last riding school in the world where classic dressage is still practiced in its purest form. Come see world-famous Lipizzaner stallions go through their steps.

Archduke Rudolph’s Lodge at Mayerling

If the scandalous side of history interests you, visit the hunting lodge of Archduke Rudolph in Mayerling. It was there in 1889 that Rudolph, the heir to the throne, was found dead with his teenage mistress. Both, apparently, the victims of a suicide pact. Read the rest of this entry »