I had a two-day stopover in Vienna, so I made a point of visiting Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s old apartment, the site of the Mozarthaus museum honoring his life. Mozart had lived there with his family during some of his prime years, from 1784 to 1787.
Mozart had once entertained guests in this very apartment, with a billiards table and a large fortepiano. I peered through a thick glass case at the scraps of paper on which he wrote the first notes of The Marriage of Figaro. My music history courses from university were coming to life before my eyes.
Honestly, I’m not much one for physical souvenirs—I think they’re often bought to shirk the responsibility of truly internalizing an experience. But when I wandered into the gift shop, I couldn’t resist this rubber duck with a painted wig in the style of the great composer.
For more curiosities from our travels, check out our Souvenirs page.