The great composer’s love of nature is well documented; Beethoven’s walks in the countryside surrounding Vienna were woven into his daily routine. The stunning forested hills filled with birdsong brought Beethoven great pleasure, and served as an important part of his creative process. Those solitary walks would, in a sense, allow his ideas to incubate, and flourish into the masterpieces …
Baden in German means baths and there are more Badens on the European continent. The one Beethoven visited so often is distinguished by the name Baden bei Wien, meaning Baden near Vienna. Today it is the capital of Baden District and located about 26 km south of Vienna. The area has 14 hot springs containing healthy minerals. Baden is surrounded …
Beethoven was born in Bonn (today Germany), where he had lived for 22 years. For the rest of his life, apart from some concert tours he made, he lived in Vienna, Austria. This may sound like a person, who is a couch potato, but nothing can be more far from the truth! Beethoven was a frequent mover in and around …
The City Teplitz (or Teplice) is a small city in the Czech Republic. After Karlovy Vary, it is the second biggest spa town in the country. The first authentic mention of the thermal springs is from the 16th century. The city name appeared for the first time in 1154, when a Benedictine convent was founded in the area. During the …
The City Today, Mödling is the capital of the Austrian district of the same name. It is located approximately 14 km to the South of Vienna. The settlement has history from the New Stone Age and its name has Slavic origin, meaning slowly running water. In Beethoven’s day Mödling was a small market town with some 300 houses. The houses …
Ludwig van Beethoven was born in Bonn, today Germany. In his teenager years, local wealthy and influential patrons helped him to meet and follow Haydn (on his way back from London) to Vienna, in order to learn from the great Master. He first left Bonn for this reason in 1787 (at age 17), only to hasten back several weeks later, …