The guides at Insight Cities are professors, doctoral students, historians, journalists, art critics, and published authors. Sharing our cities with people from all over the world is an extension of the curiosity and commitment that led us to academic research, teaching, and journalism. As brainy guides, we look for the crucial detail, the vital, quirky fact that illuminates local cultures for you while also revealing global contexts. We care passionately about good storytelling and good hosting and we take pride in having helped thousands of travelers of all backgrounds to get the most from their time in our great cities.
Liza earned her PhD in Italian and Portuguese Literature at the University of Salzburg with a dissertation on the Italian Travel Journals of the Early Modern period. With such a focus on the ‘Age of Exploration’ combined with a passion for learning foreign languages (Liza is fluent in English, Italian and Portuguese), it was perhaps inevitable that Liza would become an expert guide of her native Salzburg. She is fascinated with European history and culture at large and thrives on introducing visitors to Salzburg’s stories. She offers a wide range of tours of Salzburg and of the Lake District that help travelers discover the unique architecture, music history and unique traditions of her beautiful town and its surroundings.
Claudia is a Salzburger who did her BA and MA university studies in the history of art and in romance languages in Bordeaux, France and Rome, Italy. She is a polyglot who speaks French, Italian, Spanish, English, and German while also serving as the director of an art gallery at Schloss Fuschl. She is a licensed guide of Salzburg city and its major museums, including the International Mozart Foundation. She loves Salzburg, its history, architecture, and art. Claudia says that being a guide, with all the international contact and conversation that it brings along with it, is not only work but a passion.
Astrid has a university degree in Economics and a good number of years of work experience in event planning. She changed her career mid-stream to enjoy guiding travelers though her city of Salzburg, to indulge her passion for speaking foreign languages, and to spend more time with her 3 children and wonderful husband. She offers a variety of themed walks that show every part of Salzburg’s history, from its salt mine economy that gained the city a prominent place in Medieval Europe to its famous musical heritage, local customs, and architectural riches.
Gabor has been rooted in several countries in central Europe but was born in Poland. He made his home in the beautiful city of Salzburg, where he earned his Master’s degree in Communication Sciences and German at the University of Salzburg. He is interested in literature, history, and the personal and local stories behind great events and historical figures. He strives to give travelers the big picture and trivia behind it in an entertaining way. He loves introducing the fascinating city of Salzburg and helping people discover its social and political history, its grand architecture and musical traditions and its glorious natural surroundings.
Michaela holds an Interior Design degree from the University of California, Los Angeles and worked as a designer during her stay in the United States. After moving back to her home in Salzburg, Michaela studied to become a licensed Austria Guide. She has over 10 years of knowledge as a tourist guide and gained a great understanding of the culture, traditions, history, and culinary life of Salzburg. She wants to convey a precise picture of Salzburg’s unique history, enjoys sharing her enthusiasm for W.A. Mozart and The Sound of Music. Her aim is to pass on insider knowledge about the local lifestyle, introduce travelers to unique places, hidden gems, and give them a great local experience.
Ilse obtained a Master’s degree in Romance Languages and studied ethnology and journalism in the 1990s in Vienna. She has served as the editor for numerous well-known Vienna-based writers. Her interests have always been attracted to history, the arts, and literature. Born and raised in Salzburg, it is not a surprise that she also developed an early affinity for classical music, studying piano at an advanced level in Graz for 2 years. She worked with the Sigmund Freud Museum for 3 years; and in 2013, after two and a half years of required training and study, she became a licensed Austrian tour guide. Ilse delights in sharing the fascinating history and culture of Vienna and Salzburg on a personal level while enjoying cultural exchanges with visitors from all over the world.
Barbara has worked in a whole range of occupations in the tourist sector since 1984. She is fascinated by travel and travelers alike. In 2011, she realized her goal of earning her MA in Art History from the University of Salzburg. Barbara’s ‘Austria Guide’ qualification provides a perfect opportunity to pass on this knowledge to people visiting Salzburg. As an art historian, she has learned how to interpret architectural hints set in stone, how to read the subtle clues given by the many monuments and to show how they are linked to the history of Austria and of Europe. Beyond offering themed tours of her native city of Salzburg, Barbara also shows guests around the Salzkammergut region, Innsbruck, Linz, and Vienna.