Submitted by Vivian Hsu on the 2016 winter session program in Europe sponsored by the Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics…
Time seemed to go by a lot faster as soon as we arrived in Vienna. Our two-week program officially ended this past weekend, with all of us saying good-bye to each other at the ice rink park in front of the beautiful city hall.
The Austrian culture is a lot different than Hungarian or Czech culture. The Austrians are very similar to Germans in the way they do things in an orderly manner and follow rules strictly — so no jaywalking or crossing streets on red lights! Vienna, the city that many musicians such as Mozart, Beethoven and Haydn lived and performed in, is filled with beautiful architecture and the appreciation of art and music is shared among most locals. It is much more ethnically diverse with international businesses and generations of immigrants residing in the city. Of all the countries we’ve visited, Austria is also the most welcoming to refugees in the midst of this migration crisis, which is what we learned a lot about during our lectures.
What a great two weeks it has been to explore Central and Eastern Europe! Most people think of Germany, France and other Western European countries when they think of traveling in Europe, but Central and Eastern Europe have such a different culture and atmosphere, and are so rich in history. I would highly recommend these countries to people who want an amazing travel experience, and I know I’ll definitely be back again some day!