After the lockdown it was the first excursion that we organised for our scholarship holders. Therefore everybody was excited to join this trip and happy to see friends and colleagues again. As one scholarship holder stressed: “After being isolated in my student room I liked to interact with other students again while taking all possible Corona precaution measures.”
Right after our arrival in Salzburg we visited the palace Hellbrunn and the famous trick fountains where water comes out from many unexpected places and statues. This was definitely a very unique and entertaining experience for everybody: “It was fun visiting the Hellbrunn palace and I really enjoyed the trick fountains. The hidden fountains were a real surprise.”
In the afternoon we walked through the old town and heard how the trade of salt, the “white gold” made Salzburg wealthy and led do the magnificent architecture of the old city. We admired the famous cathedral, walked through the narrow “Getreidegasse” and visited the Mirabell palace gardens. Then we went by funicular up the Mönchsberg where we had a tour through the beautiful fortress Hohensalzburg. Besides, we enjoyed the spectacular view over Salzburg. The next day we went to Hallstatt, situated next to a beautiful lake and surrounded by mountains. This small city offers a 7000-year history of salt mining. Visiting the salt mine deep in the mountain gives an interesting insight into the work of the miners. Besides, one can see the oldest staircase in Europe and enjoy a ride on a 42-metre-long wooden slide. After a guided tour through the village we had a boat trip on Hallstätter See and enjoyed the scenery. Most of the participants said that the time was too short to visit such wonderful places and that they would like to come back. One scholarship holder concluded “The trip was really amazing. It was not only about nature but also being accompanied by kind people from different countries. In my opinion everyone should travel to Hallstatt to see the beauty of the nature.”
Read more about the impressions of our scholarship holders:
“I like all the places we visited, they are all my favourites but the number ONE is Hallstatt! When I think about the OeAD trip especially outside Vienna, what comes to my mind is that ‘I am going to have a vacation!’ This vacation may be short but beneficial. I am sure to meet people from different backgrounds in an informal gathering and enjoy the discovery of new places and people. I feel very comfortable to have the trip with people with whom we share the academic journey and who understand our challenges well. Therefore when the time comes to relax from our daily studies we seize the opportunity"
“With water so clear and the relaxing sound of hundreds of fountains, the Trick Fountains was my favourite place. Especially in the middle of a daily PhD life, with so many things to do and think about, I fell in love with the peace and comfort of the surroundings.”
"My best memory is the serene boat trip on the Hallstatter lake with a view of the mirroring mountains and the town."
"In my opinion, Hallstatt is a blessed place. Hallstatt has a very beautiful view, has a high historical value, and is rich in salt mines. I recommend, at least once in a lifetime, to visit this place and I'm lucky because I've been there through a program organized by OeAD."
„I really liked the tour because it gave me the chance to meet other scholarship holders after the Corona lockdown. It was very important for me to relieve the Corona based stress and at the same time have fun moments with other people whom I missed so much because of the lockdown. I really liked the guided tour in the salt mine in Hallstatt because it gave me an insight into the mining activities. It was also an amazing experience to be dressed in mining clothes. I would recommend my people back home to visit Salzburg and Hallstatt, because they are very beautiful historical cities, with the history of love (love padlock bridge, love garden, music history) in Salzburg and the history of women (involved in economy and family, history of the historical kindergarten in the city of Hallstatt). Moreover, the group was very cooperative, funny and cheerful.”
“I had the opportunity to explore the beauty of Austria and I made new friends. Thank you OeAD for organizing the wonderful event”
