Salzburg College is the king of the excursions game. We do so many that sometimes I feel like my time here is just one giant excursion, although I suppose in some ways it is just that!
All of classes have field trips built in. In my Understanding Austria class we’ve averaged one multi-hour field trip a week. They’ve included trips to the Salzburg public broadcasting station, a visit to nearby agricultural school, and more. Even my German class, which doesn’t lend itself as well to excursions, managed to work a trip to an Austrian market into the curriculum. If there’s one thing that my school prioritizes, it’s taking us out into the city.
In addition to our smaller class field trips, my program has two mandatory, large-scale excursions: Munich and Vienna. Munich was where we spent the first week, living out of our suitcases in a hostel and touring castles as we fought jetlag. Anyone who read my orientation article has an inkling that I might not have loved that part, simply because it was so overwhelming right of the gates. I would love to have a do-over for the trip now that I’m more comfortable!
Though I can’t get that wish, I do get the next best thing. Like I mentioned above, we also have a three-night excursion to Vienna, the largest city in Austria by far. Salzburg, though full of life and energy, is a fraction of the size. In addition to a large population, Vienna has impressive cultural and historical significance, and I’m looking forward to this weekend, which is covered by my tuition costs and will mark the first stop of my trans-European spring break trip. I’ve spent a lot of time with friends planning a 12-day tour through Paris, London, Edinburgh and Galway, so it’ll be nice to have Salzburg College take the reigns for a bit in Vienna.
My favorite excursion, which I can only hope will become my second favorite after Vienna, was a hike up to a medieval fortress, which we then toured. The fortress is beautiful and full of interesting artifacts like old swords and musical instruments. Plus, there was an amazing view of Salzburg from the roof area. I’m glad my school is taking the hassle out of visiting the best Salzburg has to offer, and I’m excited to see how that will continue when I begin my next two classes, the Art of Propaganda and History of European Art, after my break.
