Traveling during the holidays can be a little tricky in Europe, especially if you’re used to the open-24-hours culture of the US. Just like on Sundays in many countries here, holidays can mean closed shops, closed restaurants, and even closed museums. Anyone who has attempted to spend time in an inland Italian town in the middle of August will know what I’m talking about. Needless to say, this can be more than frustrating when you are trying to soak up as much as you can of a place during your limited stay there.

Easter is a big holiday in Switzerland, with pretty much everything shut down on Friday, Sunday, and Monday. But that also means it’s a 4-day weekend – a great time to travel! Well, assuming you can find a destination that’s open. This year we learned that nearby Vienna is an excellent choice. Not only was the weather perfect for exploring a city, but pretty much everything was open as regular, despite the holiday weekend.

Vienna is a city full of sweeping, monumental architecture. In addition to its world-famous opera house, it boasts two elegant palaces (the Belvedere and the Schönbrunn), numerous look-worthy churches, and countless museums packed with everything from art to crown jewels to butterflies. The walking areas in the center of the old town offer a bevy of shops and cafes, and are plenty lively when the weather is good.

Austria’s location near the center of Europe makes it a convenient part of European tours including Prague, southern Germany, or any part of the eastern Alps. It’s also reachable by plane in less than two hours from almost any major city in Europe. I have to admit that I used to associate Austria with little more than The Sound of Music and Mozart, but my time spent there has proved to me that it’s worth the visit. And if you happen to really like that particular musical, your can check out the highly-hyped Sound of Music tours that are offered. I’m sure you’ll find that the hills are, indeed, alive.