Field Trips at the 2024 International Geography Championships
Vienna is one of the world’s greatest cities – come and explore it with us at the 2024 International Geography Championships! In addition to the Scavenger Hunt which will take place throughout the city, the following sites are on our schedule. All entry fees are included in the costs of IGC with the exception of the trip to Bratislava (an extra $60 per person). Note that the Prater is free to visit, but each ride costs separately (ride costs are not included).
–Musical Vienna Walking Tour including a visit to the Mozarthaus where Mozart lived in the center of Vienna when he wrote The Marriage of Figaro. We will also have a chance to visit St. Stephen’s Cathedral on this tour.
–Viennese Pastry Walking Tour with samples and stops at some of the legendary cafes, coffeehouses and bakeries in the center of Vienna. Apfelstrudel, Sachertorte, Gugelhupf and more! We will also have a chance to visit St. Stephen’s Cathedral on this tour.
–Schonbrunn Palace – Home of Emperor Franz Josef and Empress Sisi: Austria’s answer to Versailles!
-The Esperanto and Globe Museums – Both of these are in the Hofburg Palace complex and are of clear interest to any geographile! Note that if families go on this trip or meet participants there, they can choose to leave after an hour and visit a free art gallery next door, Cafe Central (a block away), or the other museums within the Hofburg complex.
-The Hofburg Imperial Court and Treasury – 1000 years of Holy Roman Empire treasures await at the former central imperial court complex!
–Kunsthistorisches (Art History) Museum – The world’s greatest collection of Brueghel, Cellini’s salt cellar, Titian, Raphael, Klimt, Caravaggio and more!
–Naturhistorisches (Natural History) Museum – The world famous Venus of Willendorf, dinosaurs, the collections of Alexander von Humboldt, and more!
–Military History Museum – The military history of Austria until 1918, including the car in which Franz Ferdinand was shot, and the world’s oldest military aircraft!
–Sigmund Freud Museum – Where modern psychoanalysis began at Berggasse 19 in the 9th district, and now a museum dedicated to one of Vienna’s most famous residents! Note that parental discretion is advised, particularly for children in the Elementary School and Intermediate Divisions. We will also have a chance to visit St. Stephen’s Cathedral after a visit to the museum for those who are interested.
–Half-Day Trip to Bratislava, Slovakia – In addition to all the sites of Vienna, add a new country to your life list with an afternoon in Bratislava, Slovakia just an hour away! This trip will visit Bratislava Castle, Heydukova Street Synagogue, Church of St. Elizabeth, Old Town, and more! Participants on this trip have the exclusive chance to compete in the Slovak Geography Exam, an official IGC medal event, whose medal ceremony will take place in a place of cultural importance at the end of the afternoon before the return trip to Vienna. The half-day trip is limited to participating students, and their accompanying family members, chaperones, and friends. Accompanying family members, chaperones, and friends do not need to be enrolled in the Family and Friends Program to come on the trip. Students who are in high school can attend this trip on their own, but younger students must be accompanied by at least one adult.
–OPEC Headquarters – Did you know OPEC is headquartered in Vienna? High School Division students participating in the OPEC simulation will have a chance to visit OPEC Headquarters prior to the competition! The visit to OPEC HQ is mandatory for these students.
–UN Vienna – Together with New York, Geneva, and Nairobi, Vienna is one of the headquarters cities for the UN, including the International Atomic Energy Agency, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, and the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine. We’re planning several tours but space will be limited, so be sure to sign up as soon as event selection opens!
–Ethnographic Museum – This museum stems from the collections of Franz Ferdinand (yes, that Franz Ferdinand) and contains artifacts, art, and more from all corners of the world. This museum is in the Hofburg Palace, so participants will get a chance to see the inside of that, as well as the collections of Hapsburg Arms and Armor, and the Austrian state collection of historical musical instruments. There is also a temporary exhibition on camelids which is included too.
–Prater Amusement Park and Ferris Wheel On the last night of IGC after the Closing Ceremonies, we’ll head to the Prater for one last night of fun in Vienna at one of the world’s iconic amusement parks!