EU Open House 2024
(c) Austrian Embassy Washington
On May 11, 2024, we celebrated this year’s Europe Day in cooperation with the Slovak Embassy by opening our doors to the public so that visitors could catch a glimpse of both country’s cultures for the EU Open House again this year. The motto remained Two Countries – One River: Discover Austria and Slovakia, connected by the River Danube because of Austria and Slovakia’s shared border in Europe and the close proximity of the Embassies to each other in Washington.
Red Bull handed out their signature energy drinks, while staff treated visitors to Manner wafers outside the Embassy. Furthermore, they had the chance to participate in a quiz about Austria and Slovakia, where prizes were awarded. We partnered with Austrian bike company WOOM for an exciting children’s program where kids of all ages could test out their lightweight bikes designed especially for them.
Inside the Embassy, our visitors were greeted by traditional Austrian “Volksmusik”, typical Austrian spreads and coffee from famous Austrian coffee brewer Julius Meinl. Beyond that, we gave out posters from a number of well-known Austrian museums, ranging from modern and contemporary art to applied art and caricatures, such as the Kunsthistorisches Museum, Leopold and Belvedere. For those interested in taking a trip to Austria or learning more about the country, Austrian states (or Bundesländer) sent informational material about local sights, culture, and geography.
Over the course of the day, KWSelection hosted two Austrian wine tastings and guests had the chance to sample authentic “Strudel” from the locally owned company Little Austria. The owners are from the Austrian state of Kärnten!
Thank you to our guests for making this year’s event a success!
Did you know? This event falls every year on the first Saturday after Europe Day on May 9. The date marks the signing of the Schuman Declaration on May 9, 1950, which established the European Coal and Steel Community, a multinational entity that would eventually become the European Union as we know it today.
Photos (c) Austrian Embassy Washington
