Tour guide in Vienna Ingrid Z.

I have been lucky enough to live in fascinating Vienna for quite some time now. Before I discovered that I could become a tour guide, I studied music and languages in my hometown of Graz, Austria, and worked as a translator. A PhD and an author, I used to spend considerable time on my own, at home, writing. I had already published two collections of short stories and was well on my way to finish my first novel. Still, I felt something was missing. “You live in an amazing city,” one of my friends said. “You love art, music, history. Why don’t you become a tour guide? Gets you out of doors. You’d also meet people from all over the world...” “Huh,” I said. “Why not, actually?” I was intrigued. And before I knew it, I had passed the notoriously difficult Austrian tour guide exams. I must seriously thank my friend: becoming a licensed guide was among the best decisions of my life. What a great job! It unites all my passions: I get to tell stories about history, art, music …and share my knowledge about Vienna with interesting people from all over the world. I really enjoy concentrating on a few guests, having real conversations. Classical music is something I’m very enthusiastic about. I don’t miss a chance to see performances at Vienna’s renowned opera house or Musikverein’s famous Golden Hall. Vienna is indeed a city of music: Antonio Vivaldi, Wolfgang A. Mozart, Ludwig van Beethoven, Johannes Brahms, Johann Strauss and many others left traces that I love to follow in my music-themed tours. Vienna’s Jewish Heritage is a topic that is close to my heart, too. Jewish life once blossomed in Vienna and was almost extinct during World War 2. I’m deeply committed to this difficult chapter of Austrian history and regularly perform tours. I even speak a little Hebrew by now. As a bookworm, obviously I love Vienna’s museums as well. The Kunsthistorisches Museum (Fine Arts), the Belvedere, Leopold, the Treasury… oh, and the National Library… you can probably tell that constantly expanding my own knowledge gives me a real kick. There’s always something new to discover in Vienna. Secrets and stories hide around every corner. The imperial palace, ancient churches, famous cafés and layers and layers of history… there’s just so much to tell. I’d be happy to meet you for one of my walking tours, which I will gladly customize for you according to your wishes. I will, if you want, pick you up at your hotel, for example, or organize a car and driver for you if needed. Let’s flip through the pages of my city’s rich history together – let’s explore Vienna!