Vienna's landmarks impressed second-grade students of Savremena on their study trip

The second-grade students of Savremena Gimnazija recently returned from an exciting study trip to the capital of Austria, the imperial city of Vienna. During their three-day stay, they had the opportunity to visit numerous landmarks in one of Europe's most beautiful cities, including its richly decorated palaces, the labyrinth of the Schönbrunn Palace, Belvedere Palace, museums, and Prater, the world's oldest amusement park.

Upon their arrival, they embarked on a panoramic city tour, during which they could see the Vienna State Opera, Volksgarten, the Museum of Applied Arts, the Natural History Museum, Schönbrunn, the Parliament, City Hall (Rathaus), City Assembly, Museum Quartier, the Secession Building, St. Charles's Church, etc. So much beauty greeted them right from the start and the adventure was about to begin!

Schönbrunn Palace with the oldest zoo in Europe, the Natural History Museum with over 500,000 exhibits, and Prater

The students had the opportunity to witness the picturesque history during the second day of their study trip when they visited Schönbrunn Palace and the oldest zoo in Europe, which is also known for being home to very rare animal species, including giant pandas. The palace has been on UNESCO's World Heritage List since 1996. At the top of the hill stands the Gloriette, which was used as a dining room and reception hall and is now transformed into the largest café in Vienna. The Gloriette offers an attractive panoramic view of the city.

The students then visited the Natural History Museum, one of the world's largest museums of its kind with an impressive 500,000 exhibits. The main attraction of the museum is the Venus of Willendorf, a small but very expressive sculpture dating back approximately 29,500 years. The museum houses the world's largest and oldest public collection of meteorites. The collections of minerals, gemstones, and rare fossils are also extensive. The students were particularly fascinated by dinosaur skeletons.

After visiting the museum, the students headed to Prater, one of Europe's largest amusement parks located in the Leopoldstadt district. The amusement park is named after the Prater Tower, a ride that provides a stunning view of the entire park and a part of the Austrian capital.

Our students enjoyed thrilling roller coasters, dizzyingly high carousels and monsters lurking in the House of Horrors. Those who were less adventurous used the time to try some of Vienna's specialities.

Meeting with masterful artworks and a visit to the House of Music museum

The third day was reserved for a trip to Belvedere Palace. The complex consists of two palaces and a garden and is the work of the 17th-century architect Lucas von Hildebrandt. Originally, it served as the summer residence of Prince Eugene of Savoy and later became the home of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. Both palaces are now museums dedicated to Austrian art from the 19th and 20th centuries, where our students had the chance to see works by artists like Klimt, Schiele, and Oskar Kokoschka.

Next, they visited the House of Music museum. As they explored the museum spanning five floors, they had the opportunity to play unusual musical instruments, hear how sound is created, and compose their own music from the offered notes. In the part of the museum called the Sonosphere, the mysterious world of sound phenomena opened up to our students. The most fascinating part of the museum is the room where visitors can conduct the Vienna Philharmonic.

Second graders of Savremena enriched with a wonderful life experience

Our second graders left the capital of the mighty Austro-Hungarian Empire on the banks of the beautiful blue Danube satisfied and enriched with a wonderful life experience. As they recount their adventures and create a collection of memories, they are already starting to dream about their next study trip – can you guess where it will be?

I am extremely pleased and proud to be the parent of a Savremena student. During my first encounter with the school management, when I asked about my child’s potential enrolment, I saw how much love, enthusiasm and professionalism you put in your work. I was impressed by your approach, ideas and methods. I couldn’t believe something like this existed in our country! It doesn’t take long to realise that this is a school you would recommend to everyone. Creativity, modern technology, top-quality education, and most of all, the humaneness that can be seen throughout the school, make it truly different and worthy of its name – Savremena Gimnazija. With such an approach, the success of this school and, consequently, our children’s success, is unavoidable. Congratulations! Jelena Đorđević, Andrija’s mum
Contemporary in any sense of the word, our school offers functional knowledge and quality preparation for tertiary education in Serbia and abroad. Implementing modern and creative teaching in the classroom, where the teachers’ pedagogy and students’ performance are aligned with the highest academic standards for the high-school finals, our school develops linguistic, mathematical, scientific, artistic, cultural, technical and ICT competence, which is a prerequisite for further education and professional development. Teaching is supported by the interactive whiteboards and educational software, whereas practice exercises research and critical thinking.