When I look back on this trip in 5 years, the time I spent in Vienna and Prague with my great friends on this trip will almost certainly be at the forefront of my fond memories. Each city was uniquely beautiful in telling its stories of past glory and present splendor. To chronicle this week's events, I am going to provide a rough outline of key events and the lessons/takeaways from each moment, whether an educational experience or just an important memory.
Our stay in Austria began on Tuesday afternoon and ended on Friday afternoon. I'd categorize my time in Wien into 3 different categories: official study tour events that highlighted pieces of the history of medicine in Austria, time spent on our own exploring the city, and miscellaneous time spent having fun. Some key stops that we made in our academic adventures included the Michaelerkirche catacombs, the Drogistenmuseum (a former drug store that was among the first of its kind in Europe), the Narrenturm (Europe's oldest building for the accommodation of psychiatric patients), the Freud museum, the Natural History Museum Vienna, and the St. Anne’s Church classical concert. Each experience was very unique in its own way, and I was able to learn quite a bit about the history of subjects such as pharmacology and psychiatry that I was not previously aware of. On my own time, I was able to visit Schönbrunn Palace, the main summer residence of the Hapsburgs during the family's reign over the Austria. This estate was beautiful and provided an excellent view that overlooked the entire city. We were also able to visit the famous pastry shop and chocolaterie, Demel, as well as the magnificent Votivkirche cathedral. Some of my fondest memories from this week in Vienna will be from the movie nights and meals we shared together as a group. Vienna was a special city that remains one of my favorites within Europe.
After Vienna, our entire group of students in this program spent the weekend in Prague, a beautiful and historic city that carries many medieval characteristics that distinguish it from most of Western Europe, where my time has primarily been spent this spring. Our day of exploration began at the Prague Astronomical Clock, the oldest astronomical clock in the world still in operation. We continued to the Prague Castle, the largest medieval castle in the world, and then to the Dancing house. The architecture and views of the city were simply stunning throughout, and I think I took another 200+ photos while in Czechia. I wish I had another 24-48 hours to spend in Prague, as it's a beautiful city that has done a great job of retaining its history while advancing into the future.
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