BEIJING, May 26 -- Overheard recently from a tourist in one of Vienna's grand cafes: "Waiter, I'll try a slice of your soccer tort."
Ok, so it's actually Sacher (Sah'kerr) Torte, the famed Viennese chocolate cake filled with apricot jam. But no one's going to quarrel with a slight mispronunciation - not with the European Championships about to unfold in Austria and Switzerland. The event is second only to football's World Cup.
If you're thinking of combining sports and sightseeing with a trip here, you'd best move quicker than Ronaldinho. Hotel rooms in the eight venue cities scattered across the neighboring alpine co-hosts are being snapped up fast.
The Euro 2008 tournament opens in Basel and Geneva on June 7, and wraps up with the final on June 29 in Vienna. Posters capturing the soccer fever sweeping the Austrian capital show a little old lady corkscrewing through the air as she bends it like Beckham.
You won't see the Los Angeles Galaxy star play here this summer: England failed to qualify. But there's plenty to do, see and taste in between matches. Here are some of the leading attractions:
Vienna
With Vienna's lavish architecture and elegant tree-lined boulevards, sometimes it seems like the Austro-Hungarian Empire never ended.
Cruise the Danube on a tour boat, or trot around the city in a horse-drawn carriage. Boutiques abound. Get a culture fix at the MuseumsQuartier, where the world-renowned Leopold Museum, Kunsthalle Wien and MUMOK Museum of Modern Art all beckon from beneath one roof.
A five-minute stroll gets you to the stately Vienna State Opera, which will be staging works by Verdi, Wagner and Strauss, or to the Museum for Ethnology, where Egyptian treasures from "Tutankhamen and the World of the Pharaohs" are on display.
Catch Anna Netrebko, Placido Domingo and the Vienna Philharmonic at an outdoor concert on the sculpted grounds of Schoenbrunn Palace on June 27, two nights before the championship final.
For those who can't get enough soccer, the Technical Museum has a new interactive show devoted to "The Beautiful Game." Among the highlights: England striker Wayne Rooney's shoes and the jersey Franz Beckenbauer wore when he led Germany to a World Cup victory in 1974.
Climb the 343 steps of St Stephen's Cathedral's south tower and take in the panoramic views. Have a coffee "mit Schlag" (whipped cream) beneath the storied arches of Cafe Central. Or venture out to Vienna's wine making Grinzing neighborhood for alfresco dining amid the vines.
Geneva
One way to enjoy the city is to view it from a paddlewheel steamer on Lake Geneva. Day passes for Swiss trains are accepted on the boats, which can be ridden to ports on both the French and Swiss sides of the lake.
The dramatic Jet d'Eau is one of the world's largest fountains, with the stream of water towering 150 meters above the lake at the Geneva end and visible from far away. In honor of Euro 2008, the city has tethered a giant balloon in the form of a soccer ball to make it appear to be riding on the fountain. Nearby is the Old Town on the hill overlooking the lake. It's dominated by St Peter's Cathedral, where Christian reformer Jean Calvin preached in the 16th century, making Geneva the Protestants' equivalent of Rome.
Stroll along the lake or along the Rhone River that leaves it, or pause in sidewalk and park cafes. Don't miss the 5-meter-diameter floral clock made of more than 6,500 plants.
The annual Fete de la Musique on June 20-22 features free concerts. There are city beaches for a dip in the lake on balmy summer days. The Red Cross museum and UN buildings point up the city's connection with humanitarian organizations and peace talks.
Euro 2008 matches in Geneva are played in the Stade de Geneve, near the Carouge section, which has a Mediterranean atmosphere thanks to its history as a possession of the kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia.
Salzburg
No visit to Austria is complete without a stop in the birthplace of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
An impressive amount of memorabilia and history are packed into the musty rooms of Getreidegasse 9, where the composer was born on January 27, 1756.
Sample a Mozart dinner concert in the cellar of St Peter's Church, where opera singers in period costume perform his works.
Search for hidden treasures at the Arkadenmarkt, a flea market held every Saturday on the Hof des Buergerspitals square. Or board a bus for one of several "Sound of Music" tours that bring you to the places where the classic 1965 Julie Andrews movie about the Von Trapp family was made.
Take a hike - or the funicular train - to the top of the Hohensalzburg Fortress, built in 1077 and remarkably well preserved. The view is breathtaking: On a clear day, you'll swear you can see Switzerland though you can't quite.
Bern
The Swiss capital centers on an old town nestled in a loop of the Aare River. It features picturesque streets, flowers and fountains. Some 6 kilometers of arcades dating to the 15th century line streets in the heart of the city.
Providing shelter from the rain and access to many small shops, the arcades make Bern one of Europe's biggest covered shopping areas. The cathedral, or Muenster, has an adjacent terrace with a view over the river and access to steps and an elevator going down to the riverside, where there are cafes and restaurants.
A stroll across the river leads to the bear pit, featuring the city's mascots and the source of its name in German. City bus and tram services take visitors to the new Paul Klee museum on the outskirts of town, home to about 40 percent of the Swiss-born artist's 10,000 paintings, watercolors and drawings.
(Source: Shanghai Daily)
