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.
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.
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!!!
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.
Visit the impressive Fine Arts Museum collection in a beautiful setting. The city has a wealth of museums.
Visit the Imperial Crypts for a fascinating glimpse into the past.
Enjoy a carriage ride from St. Stephens Cathedral or at other starting points in the city center.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 »
