What Europe is and what it should be is often the subject of passionate debate. A unique concept whereby several nations are brought together under a humane, democratic system? The strongest economy in the world? A patchwork of different cultures? A tolerant home for freethinkers and the persecuted? For Christa Klickermann, a 58-year-old native of Salzburg who now lives in Hamburg, Europe is, above all, somewhere she can call her own extended home. A loveable continent and a great place to live; a place of myriad cultures that shapes and inspires her in her daily life as a woman, mother and entrepreneur in the midst of life. A place so dear to her heart that she has decided to take a fresh look at Europe and, since 2012, has spent her time journeying across its borders. With a great deal of empathy and openness, she sets out to discover Europes people, their culture and their modern, everyday lives up close. Vienna, the charming capital of Austria, was the fifth capital on her journey.

Christa Klickermann has always been passionate about building good relationships both at work and in her private life. For 25 years, she worked on forming effective partnerships with her business clients during her time as a freelance marketing consultant in the field of customer management. Away from work, the 58-year-old Austrian has been happily married for 37 years and is mother to three grown-up children, as well as being a grandmother. In 2012 she said goodbye to her career and fulfilled a long-held dream by moving with her husband from Bavaria to the very north of Germany. She now lives and works in Hamburg as a freelance author, speaker and blogger. On her travels, in her Europeans at Heart book series and in her intercultural panel sessions/readings, she tries to gain a closer understanding of people and their cultures, whilst promoting a peaceful and humane Europe.

A favourite dress that Ive outgrown Vienna, the capital of my country of birth and a place I know well thanks to countless school trips and tourist visits. This time Im here not to gaze in amazement at Schönbrunn Palace or the citys art nouveau architecture, but to find out just how much I have been shaped by the countrys mentality, and what Austria means to me today. To prepare myself for our trip to Vienna, a place that seems to encapsulate everything that is both good and bad about the country of my youth, Austria, I decided to start with something special; first and foremost, I need to see the bigger picture. That is why we are driving along the scenic route, past Grinzing, to a place which bears the beautiful name Am Himmel [on Heaven]. Its a magnificent park landscape and the ideal place to walk, picnic and recharge your batteries away from the stresses of city life. 11 hectares of green space, designed and maintained by the Kuratorium Wald woodland board which features many delights including a large meadow encircled by trees. It is here that Bernd and I sit and, from a safe distance, look out over the skyline of the city that I know so well. That is because Vienna, with its cultural and historical sights, was a prime destination for our class trips when I was at school. Ive lost count of the times we visited St Stephens Cathedral, Grinzings wine taverns, the Donau City, the Museum Quarter, the State Opera, the Hofburg Palace but this time Im not here to sightsee. This time I would like to close the chapter of my youth. A legendary Viennese coffee house often an ideal location to start anything in life seems like the perfect place to begin. They say that Viennas first coffee house was founded by an Armenian spy called Deodato who was one of the few people who knew what to do with the mysterious brown beans which appeared in their sackfuls at the end of the Turkish occupation in 1683. No one knows for certain if this story is true, but one thing is for sure: Viennas coffee houses have long been a place for its residents to meet and discuss their views on the world; they are an essential part, and reflection of, daily life in the city. This is where people have always come to talk about politics, make the world a better place, trade and even flirt except now its done over an espresso and with Wi-Fi, as well as a smattering of recorded Strauss and Mozart melodies being played on repeat. We decide to head towards one of the citys oldest coffee houses, located right at the heart of the Viennese cultural mile: Café Bellaria.

Europeans at heart is a vivid and colourful series of travel and culture books that brings you closer to Europes countries and its people. This eBook is an extended and updated travel account taken from Europeans at heart: a journey of discovery through 28 EU capitals.CONTENT+ The thrill of the unknown+ Austria (AT) at a glance+ A favourite dress, that I've outgrown+ Christa Klickermann, talking with Eva Weichselbaum und Michael Rahjiv Shah+ Additional Links+ He who knows nothing, must believe it all: Europe, the key facts+ In touch with Europe an authentic journey of discoveryPraise for Europeans at heart:Interview with Deutsche Welle TV:After reading this book, you will find it impossible not to fall in love with Europe.Schekker, the German Governments online portal for young people:This collection of accounts delivers a brief but brilliant glimpse into life in Europes incredibly diverse countries, as well as lots of useful information and fabulous pictures that will fill you to the brim with wanderlust. Having taken a literary voyage through the continent via the pages of this book, I can definitely say that I am European at heart. What about you?Polen-pl.eu, online Polish culture portal:The one language that we all understand, and which closely connects all of us Europeans, is the language of the heart: the desire to understand, to empathise, to laugh and find out more about one another. And that, according to Christa Klickermann, is the key to living together in harmony. With her book, the author hopes to inspire us and imbue us with a sense of confidence about Europes future, and she more than succeeds in doing both. Her approach is so effective in fact that as a reader you feel tempted to take leave and embark on your own European journey of exploration.