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Vienna, Wien to the locals, has a very long cultural tradition. During the late 1700s and into the 1900s they were home to some of the world’s greatest artists, composers and thinkers. All of this is evidenced as you stroll about the city.

Statues, museums and monuments abound in Vienna. One starts to believe that anyone who ever lived here has been memorialized in some way or another. The greats have parks, museums, statues, tourist stores, stars in the ground like in Hollywood, and any number of other dedications to their greatness. Those not so famous receive instead only their choice of one upon their deathbed.

And then they went and did something so ignominious to Mozart as bury him in an unmarked mass pauper’s grave. You really have to hate a guy to do that to him. I mean yeah, I hate sitting through classical concerts and operas as well, but that’s still a bit harsh. They’ve now added a memorial at the spot, though, to make up for it.

There’s what’s called a “cafe culture” in Vienna, meaning that they have a lot of cafes and like to sit in them for a while. It’s quite nice because I like to do that as well. And the coffee they make has a pretty big kick to it, so that’s good for me, too.

The city is fairly small, especially if you stick to the old-town area. So it’s easy to walk around. And it’s got some nice sites, like the Belvedere and the Hofburg. On a nice day, each of these is gorgeous. I spent nearly a whole afternoon napping in the sun on the lawn of the Hapsburg Empire. It was fantastic.