Beautiful Salzburg!!

I absolutely fell in love with the city of Salzburg!! The city is filled with places like the Mirabell Garden, a castle called Hohenssalzburg, many beautiful mountains, a river, outdoor markets, historic landmarks and so much more. Having grown up watching the Sound of Music as a kid, it was fun to see many of the locations it was filmed at and to also learn more about Mozart as well. The place I lived in was centrally located & it was easy to get to other places by foot or by bus. The food was amazing in Salzburg with yummy things like schnitzel, sachertort, and many other Austrian specialties. Lots of great places to eat at that also including smaller vendors serving gelato, pretzels, and Kebaps. From the very start AIF’s is very helpful, anywhere from giving you a list of things to pack to helping you organizing your travel plans. Things you have to get use to while there are setting up appointments to wash your clothes, taking bags with you when you buy food, & having most stores being closed on Sunday, except restaurants and some tourist places. Thought at some times frustrating at first it was nice to have things quieter on Sundays and you soon get use to planning ahead for shopping & laundry. Austrians love to go on walks or sit in café’s, especially on Sunday. I absolutely loved the peacefulness about that aspect of their lives. You are surrounded by such beauty that it lifted my spirits daily and I found it so neat to be one minute in the new part of town, then a few minutes away the old part filled with great history, followed soon by breath taking nature that seems to frame it all in. During my time there I had two hours of German and two hours of culture class on every week day, though the times varied and the class rooms sometimes changed. It kept us on our toes and we had to make sure we paid close attention to our schedule. At first it was a challenge until we got use to it. Even their numbering system was very different at the university we took the classes at. 200 level rooms could be on the third floor, 300 level rooms on the second, and so on. The class it self was very informative and we enjoyed a few field trips were the learning became very hands on. The weekend excursions were so much fun and our tour guide went above and beyond as a host! From seeing the salt mines to day drips in other cities, such a Munich, we got to see many wonderful thing and had so much fun. You also will get some down time to go to places that you enjoy such as lakes, the Zoo, or even traveling to other cities or countries. If you ever get an opportunity to do your study abroad in Salzburg, it will be such a rewarding time. My main regret is that I didn’t do one of their longer programs. I participated in their short one month summer program and while it was a wonderful experience, it went by too fast. I left feeling like I had so much more that I wanted to explore and learn. At least I now have a good reason to go back someday! I could really go on and on about my time there but hopefully this gives you a glimpse into what your life will look like if you take on this adventure with AIFS! You will get a chance to grow, travel, learn, make great friends, and it is so worth the time and money you put into it!