Photo courtesy of AndreJenny.com

Ah, Vienna - land of sacher torte, carriage rides, and Mozart! The ringed city, we think, is best viewed on foot. While traditional tram rides provide a respite from hoofing it, if you want to experience the true Vienna, consider a themed walking tour.

While tours through travel agencies could cost you anywhere from €10-20 or more, there are a slew of easy-to-navigate walking tours available for free on-line.

Free Mozart walking tour-

Our favorite walking tour comes courtesy of the Vienna Tourism Board. Retracing the Footsteps of a Genius: A Mozart Walk, is available for free as a downloadable PDF file.

The tour kicks off at The House of the Teutonic Order, where Wolfgang got his start after leaving Salzburg for the big city. The trek continues with visits to mainstays like Mozart’s deathplace at 8 Rauhensteingrasse, a building which now houses a department store, and the memorial to Mozart in Burggarten. Make sure you snap some photos of the noble sculpture of Amadeus here, especially if you visit during warmer months when the floral landscape is in full treble-clef bloom!

The Vienna Tourism Board’s tour ends with an optional second tour (also available in the PDF format) of Schonbrunn and its surroundings.

South of the Ring Vienna tour-

And, if you still can’t get enough of Mozart’s Vienna, try Frommer’s “South of the Ring” tour. This walk, while not all about Amadeus himself, does pass some of his old haunts and eventually leads you to Freihaus and the Theater an der Wien, where Mozart’s “Magic Flute” first premiered.

Also see: Our recommended budget hotels in Vienna.

Popularity: 10% [?]

Photo by jamieca

While a visit to Stockholm’s Royal Palace (Kungliga Slottet) requires a ticket, the palace’s guards put on a delightful daily floor show that won’t cost you a krona!

The palace is located in the epicenter of Stockholm, perched above the charming island of Gamla Stan. The fact that the royal family no longer resides here shouldn’t dissuade you from visiting, as there are royal apartments, a royal armory, and a museum of antiquities to discover. (The first family lives on another island — Drottningholm, which you may also visit.) These museums, however, are not free.

Stockholm’s Changing of the Guards

The Hogvakten, or “Royal Guards,” are stationed in the palace and feature “Stockholm’s finest boys” (according to Stockholm’s office of tourism). The guard, part of the Swedish Armed Forces, is comprised of 30,000 soldiers. Tourists are invited to watch the daily ritual in front of the palace as one squad of 20 hands over their guardianship to the next squad.

During the summer, the spectacle begins at the Army Museum (Armemuseum, Riddargatan), from which the new squad takes off 30 minutes prior to the palace ceremony. The guards march in snazzy blue uniforms and tight formation to the Royal Palace, often accompanied by a military band. Upon arrival at the palace, they launch into a 35-minute display of precision marching, flag waving, and all-business attitudes.

Hours

The Changing of the Guard takes place every day at the Royal Palace. Monday - Saturday, 12:15. Sunday 1:15. (The parade, with band, occurs only during the summer months.)

More information: Stockholmtown (the city’s official website) and the Royal Palace website.

See also: our recommended budget hotels in Stockholm.

Popularity: 8% [?]

No trip to Salzburg is complete without at least a passing nod to “The Sound of Music,” the 1959 Rodgers and Hammerstein Broadway musical set in the city. The movie version, shot six years later, starred Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer and included many scenes shot in Salzburg.

Not surprisingly, the city’s tourism industry doesn’t shy away from a little “Do-Re-Mi.” Movie-related reminders are available throughout the city (on chocolate and marzipan), a marionette show packs ‘em in, and of course, more than one bus tour will shuttle you from sight to sight.

These “Sound of Music” bus tours are popular with the tourist set, as they offer audio commentary, an easy ride, and lots of photo-ops. The bus is especially convenient for reaching those locales outside the city, such as the lovely St. Gilgen and Lake Wolfgang, the rolling hills behind the opening credits. These tours can get pricy. Panorama Tours offers the four-hour “Original Sound of Music Tour” for €37 for adults ($53) and €18 for children ($26).

Do it yourself Sound of Music tour

However, you don’t need to take a bus tour to visit many of the locations used in the film.

The website Visit Salzburg offers a “do it yourself” Sound of Music tour, with background information on sights used in the making of the movie. Most of the locations listed are in central Salzburg, and many can be visited for free.

Their free walking tour includes the Nonnberg Nunnery (where the nuns sing “Maria”), Mirabell Castle and Mirabell Gardens (the place where Maria and the children sing “Do-Re-Mi”), and the Felsenreitschule and Festival Halls (the stage where the Trapps perform during the Salzburg Festival). For more information, check out Visit Salzburg’s website.

Salzburg’s tourism office offers additional “Sound of Music” locations on their website, Salzburg.info. Sights here include St. Peter’s Cemetery and Leopoldskron Palace. (Read the whole tour here.)

Also see: Our reviews of cheap hotels in Salzburg.

Popularity: 10% [?]

The Caffè Miani Zucca In Galleria in Milan.

By Jenna Weiner

In Milan, where fashion is king and wispy models are its princesses, the all-you-can-eat buffet is the last kind of dining experience that comes to mind. Yet the two can coexist in blissful harmony, for Milan is the home of the aperitivo—a tradition that takes the concept of the buffet to an entirely new level.

“Aperitivo,” the rich uncle of the “Happy Hour,” is the beloved Milanese tradition of pre-dinner drinks accompanied by complimentary “stuzzichini,” or appetizers. Derived from the Latin “aperitivus,” or, “to open,” aperitivo is meant to open the appetite and tease the taste buds, previewing the delights of dinner.

The typical spread can be something as modest as olives, cheeses and potato chips to something as overwhelming and awe-inspiring as pasta dishes, pizza slices, bruschetta, meats, sautéed vegetables and fruit salad. Unlike the American happy hour, drinks are the regular price or slightly more — but come with unlimited admission to the food bar. The usual aperitivo starts at 6 or 7 PM and lasts until 9, and as little as one drink—alcoholic or not—can be your ticket to one of the most delicious secrets in Italy.

Do as the Milanese do…

Although it is entirely possible to make an entire free dinner of aperitivo, the real test is to act like the Milanese, who delicately graze through the line, giving the food the respect it deserves.

As an American student studying in Milan, amazed by the delicious food and blindsided by the dismal exchange rate, my fellow expats and I were not so sophisticated. We would dash to the food immediately after the waitress walked away with our drink order, returning with our hands guarding our heaps of food, poised to catch the last piece of focaccia from falling to the ground. The locals, still dressed in their crisp and stylish work attire, would watch us with amusement as they nibbled at the vegetables and cheeses, then sampled the more elaborate dishes.

After all, the Milanese have had time to perfect their technique. With roots in ancient Rome and more direct ancestors in the 1800s, aperitivo is a well-established Italian tradition, particularly in Northern Italy. The modern aperitivo began to take shape in the 1920s in Milan—the city became known as “the capital of aperitivo” as the tradition gained popularity—and consisted of drinks of Campari or similar bitters, accompanied by simple snack foods such as olives or nuts.

Since then, the food selection has exploded in size, and the drinks are no longer limited to traditional “aperitif” liquors—bitters, prosecco, martinis and white wine—though they still remain the most popular choices, with the decisive winner being the Negroni (1 part Gin, 1 part Campari, 1 part Sweet Vermouth). Through it all, the social essence of the aperitivo tradition has remained its unchangeable core.

“Aperitivo offers a moment of relaxation at the end of a day at work, where you can allow yourself the pleasure of conversation paired with the pleasure of good food,” says Grazia Mannozzi, author and professor at the University of Insubria, just outside Milan. “It is especially successful due to the pleasant climate of our country and the Italian passion for socializing,” she says, “as can also be seen in the ‘passeggiare’ tradition, in which people stroll in the piazzas and the main streets of the cities in the evening.” Mannozzi attends aperitivo approximately once a week, but says she knows of many people who attend far more frequently (“especially those without children to make dinner for!” she adds).

So many aperitivo options

The possibilities for aperitivo are endless. Walk into any neighborhood café and you’ll find a dozen tables crammed with friends and family, laughing and talking excitedly, very rarely sitting; standing for the excitement of a story, mingling with friends at other tables, passing along the bar filled with steaming plates and bowls.

Pick: Bar Tender
Piazza Morbegno (intersection of Via Varanini and Via Venini)

Bar Tender is our pick for “neighborhood bar.” Drinks are anywhere from €5.50 for a regular drink to €8 for a large drink. Service is prompt and friendly and the food selection is legendary—many Milanese claim it is the largest they have seen in the city. With various types of focaccia, pizza, and pasta dishes (and with servers that bring the plates around to the table to serve you seconds), you may find it difficult to wait until 9, when they clear the bar to make room for the delicious desserts.

Brera

Head to Brera, the artsy, bohemian district, and meander along its cobblestone streets where you’ll find friends, looking effortlessly hip with their colorful scarves, lingering over their white wine in the ivy-climbed patio cafés.

Pick: Radetzky Café
Via Largo La Foppa, 5

Drinks average about €8, and the buffet has all the elements of a standard aperitivo spread, yet nothing more. You pay, however, for the experience—considered one of the trendiest bars in Brera, this is the place to see and be seen. And its location in the primarily pedestrian-only streets of Brera guarantees that the party flows outside on warm nights, accumulating crowds of patrons drinking and smoking around the picturesque bar.

Navigli district

Care to have a drink in Venice? Take a trip to Milan’s Navigli district, where the canals—designed in 1842 by Leonardo da Vinci to import wine, food, and the marble needed to construct Milan’s elaborate Gothic Duomo—still carve through the narrow streets.

Along the still waters, lined with lights, the trendiest bars and restaurants compete for the largest and most exciting stuzzichini selections, as the university students compete with the blaring music. For an even more unique experience, step onto one of the houseboats docked in the canals, which offer aperitivo and often live music. Whether by land or by sea, most of the Navigli hot spots turn their buffets into dance floors later in the evening.

Pick: Slice
Via Ascanio Sforza, 9

Drinks are about €7, and the experience manages to combine an impressive food selection with a fun and trendy experience. You will probably not notice the burnt orange walls, animal prints and knick-knack decorations because you will be too busy filling up your plate. With standard wares such as focaccia, cold cuts, pasta, French fries, and even New York-style pizza, the word has gotten out; arrive by 7 PM at the latest before the line gets out of hand.

Piazza Duomo

For a more classic aperitivo experience, go no further than the heart of the city, Piazza Duomo. There you’ll find the more expensive bars, as they tend to cater to the large percentage of tourists who never stray from that sightseeing epicenter. But be careful—expensive does not necessarily translate into better or more food.

Inside the Galleria di Vittorio Emanuele lies Café Zucca, arguably the home of the aperitivo. A favorite hangout of Giuseppe Verdi and Arturo Toscanini after their performances at La Scala, the legendary opera house next door, “Zucca in Galleria” was owned by the Campari family, who lent their name to the traditional aperitif they invented. Consequently, Zucca is often considered the original aperitivo bar, and wears its history proudly. Though you’ll pay extra for the experience, soak up the historical ambiance as you gaze at the Duomo’s magnificent spires and pinnacles. Weaving in and out through the crowd of tourists, you’ll also hear the clicks of heels echoing along the marble floors as the shoppers pass by with their newly acquired Gucci and Prada treasures.

Pick: Caffè Miani Zucca In Galleria
In Galleria Vittorio Emanuele, in Piazza Duomo

Like few places in the city, Zucca has made a determined effort to remain in the style of the golden days of aperitivo. The keyword here is classic: classic, old-fashioned décor; classic, simple food selection (olives, potato chips and nuts); and classic, original aperitivo drinks (Negroni and the classic Milanese martini are most popular).

You can’t go wrong

With almost every bar and café in the city offering some version of aperitivo, the choices may seem overwhelming. But with obvious variations in ambiance, selection size, and prices, it is easy to select an unforgettable aperitivo experience. Just follow the pace of the Milanese in their leisurely tribute to food and friends; that is, if that new plate of risotto will let you.

About the author:
Jenna Weiner is a senior English major at Georgetown University. She is the former Editor-in-Chief and current News Editor of The Georgetown Independent, where she writes mostly feature articles. A native of Boston, Massachusetts, she travels whenever possible and lived in downtown Milan for four months.

Popularity: 12% [?]

When in Prague, why not spend a couple of hours walking the town with a local? And not just any local—a local who’s a history buff! “Free Prague Tours” offers just that. The organization, made up of English-speaking tour guides, offers twice-daily walking tours of the Old Town and Mala Strana. And yes, they’re free! (Although a tip is expected at the end.)

We’re big fans of guided walking tours, especially when you’re lead around town by somebody who knows their stuff. Of course, we also enjoy the “do-it-yourself tour,” with a Lonely Planet or Rick Steves book in hand. But a guided tour offers the chance for dialogue with a local who can answer questions that will inevitably arise. Walking tours also let you relax (stop reading and walking!), and give you a chance to focus on the subject at hand.

Free Prague Tours

Prague Walking Tours offers two free tours daily:

The 10:30 AM “Right Bank Tour” focuses on sights to the right of the Vltava River. It starts in the Old Town Square and astronomical clock, and hits the “Powder Tower,” Wenceslas Square, Franciscan Garden, National Museum, and Jewish Ghetto. Along the way, your guide will discuss communism, the “Velvet revolution,” and Franz Kafka, among other subjects.

The 2 PM tour focuses on the sights of Prague’s Left Bank. The tour also starts in the Old Town Square, then heads to the Rudolfinum, crosses the Charles Bridge and explores Malá Strana. You’ll visit Parliament, Prague Castle (the courtyard), St. Vitus Cathedral, and the Strahov Monastery, among other places of interest.

Both tours last two and a half to three hours (depending on how quickly you walk and how many questions you ask).

Taking a walking tour

No reservations are necessary to take a walking tour with Free Prague Tours. Tours begin in the Old Town Square, at the corner of Pařížská street. You’ll see a small brown sign in front of the Czech Tourism Office.

Note: Although the tours are free, tipping your guide is essential. The guides are students, academics, artists, and professional guides who give these tours to supplement their incomes.

Free Prague Tours also offers a nightly “Ghost and Beer Tour” of Prague for 200 Czk (about €8).

Also see: Our guide to budget hotels in Prague.

Popularity: 15% [?]

When in Nice, take a break from the Mediterranean waters and head to the posh, northern suburb of Cimiez. The town offers ancient ruins from its important past (it was the region’s capital city during Roman times, 1,700 years ago), along with museums, a famous cemetery, and the Monastere Notre-Dame de Cimiez. The area is also home to Nice’s jazz festival, which occurs every year in July.

A visit to the Monastere de Cimiez is a quiet, enchanted escape from Nice. Dating back to the 16th century, the gothic church you see today was the result of an 1850 renovation. The church is famous for three paintings by prominent brother painters, Louis and Antoine Brea. The near-by museum, the Musée Franciscain, explains the role of the Franciscans in Nice over the centuries, and allows visitors a peek into a recreated (and especially drab) monk’s cell.

The adjoining cemetery is notable for its picturesque qualities, marble graves, and notable residents. Painters Raoul Dufy and Henri Matisse, both former residents of Cimiez, are buried here. Wander through the cemetery, making sure to leave time for the beautifully landscaped gardens.

Visiting the Monastere Notre Dame de Cimiez

The church is open daily from 9 AM to 6 PM. The museum is open Monday through Saturday, from 10 AM - 12 PM, and 3 PM - 6 PM. Admission is free.  For more information, call 04-93-81-00-04.

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When planning your trip to New York, it’s easy to forget to pack your bathing suit. (After all, not many affordable hotels are blessed with swimming pools.) However, the city’s Downtown Boathouse offers kayak rides in the Hudson River throughout the summer and fall… for free!

The all-volunteer boathouse has been getting New Yorkers (and visitors) into the Hudson for 10 years, and an estimated 250,000 kayak trips have been enjoyed so far. The group provides several programs: kayaking lessons, three-hour kayak adventures up the Hudson, harbor tours, and the popular “walk-up kayaking.”

Free Walk-Up Kayaking

Between May 17 and October 19, the group offers its free walk-up kayaking program. It’s simple: walk up to any of the group’s three boathouses, sign a liability waiver, put on a life jacket, and grab a kayak and paddle. You’re restricted to paddling inside the protected waters surrounding the boathouse (so lay aside your plans to head for Lady Liberty). The staff keeps a watchful eye on the kayakers.

Rules: Anyone who can swim is permitted to kayak. Children between 16-18 years may take a kayak out on their own, if a parent or guardian is present at the boathouse. Children younger than 16 may go out, but must be accompanied by an adult in a double-kayak.

Boathouse locations and hours

The Downtown Boathouse has three locations, each with their own hours:

Pier 40 at Houston Street and the Hudson River — 9 AM to 6 PM, weekends and holidays.

Pier 96 at 56th Street and the Hudson River — 9 AM to 6 PM, weekends and holidays. Also open weekday nights from 5 PM to 7 PM, June 16 through August 29.

72nd Street and the Hudson River — 10 AM to 5 PM, weekends and holidays.

For more information, visit the New York City Downtown Boathouse’s website.

Popularity: 13% [?]

“Artemis” by Rembrandt. One of the masterpieces on display at the Prado.

The Museo Nacional del Prado is Madrid’s most famous museum. Opened to the public in 1819, today it boasts a world-class collection of European artwork, including more than 7,000 works spanning from the 12th century to the early 19th century. At any time, about 1,300 pieces of art are on display.

The museum started out as a royal collection of art, and visitors can still get a feel for the varying tastes of monarch’s past. The Prado is especially acclaimed for works by Spanish painters, including Velazquez, El Greco, and Goya, as well as “foreigners” Titian, Bosch, Rubens, and Rembrandt.

Visiting the Prado Museum…

The museum is open daily from 9 AM to 8 PM, and closed on Mondays.

General admission to the museum costs €6 if tickets are bought at the museum’s ticket office. Advance tickets (allowing you to skip the line) can be purchased online through the Prado’s website, for €9.

…for free

However, the Prado offers free admission at the end of every day for two hours (three on Sunday). From Tuesday through Saturday, the museum’s doors are wide open from 6 PM to 8 PM, and on Sunday from 5 PM to 8 PM.

With so much to see, we’d suggest visiting the museum multiple times for free. Popping in to tackle one artist or one section of the museum is not only doable in two hours, but could help prevent “museum burn-out.”

Tip: Check out the museum’s recommended list of 15 masterpieces on the Prado’s website. This virtual tour offers historical insights into the collection’s most famous paintings.

Also see: our list of budget tips for Madrid and our reviews of budget hotels in Madrid.

Next stop: Munich! 

Popularity: 13% [?]

In London, it’s no big secret that that many activities surrounding Trafalgar Square are free. You can view the paintings at the National Gallery and National Portrait Gallery, or hang out in the square and check out its sculptures without paying a pence.

Lunchtime concerts at St. Martin’s in the Fields

However, an oft-overlooked freebie occurs several times a week at the nearby church of St. Martin’s in the Fields. On most Mondays, Tuesdays, and Fridays, St. Martin’s offers its guests free lunchtime concerts. Music ranges from classical to experimental, often featuring special performances.

Doors open at 12:30 and the concerts begin at 1 PM. (Although the concert is free, St. Martin’s suggests a donation of £3.50 to cover costs.)

Find a list of schedule of concerts, including the (more expensive) evening and jazz concerts, on the St. Martin’s in the Fields website.

And, when the concert culminates, hop over to the National Gallery and get your art on! Stay tuned tomorrow, Cheapos, for more free tips. Next stop: Madrid.

Popularity: 13% [?]

Lisbon is a city full of fabulous museums and botanical gardens… with entrance fees. However, Parque Eduardo VII, in central Lisbon, is a happy, freebie exception.

The Parque Eduardo

Named after King Edward VII of Britain (following his 1903 visit to Portugal), the park boasts two greenhouses (”estufas”) filled with tropical plants. These beauties sit atop a hill on the park’s west side garden, also known as the “Estufa Fria.” While entrance to the greenhouses isn’t free, the view is. Feast your eyes on the city panorama, stretching out to the River Tagus! (If you don’t mind shelling out a little cash, the greenhouses only charges €1.20 for admission.)

The rest of the park is filled with neatly-trimmed hedges, winding paths, plentiful flowers, and a pretty lake. Some scattered statues and pillars celebrate Portugal’s 1974 Revolution, and a sports pavilion on the park’s eastern side hosts concerts, as well as Lisbon’s annual book fair.

Visiting the park

The Parque Eduardo VII is open daily from dawn till dusk. Take either the Marquês de Pombal or the Parque metro. We also have enjoyed walking to the park from downtown Lisbon, strolling up the tree-lined Avenida da Liberdade and taking in the town.

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