Here are three summertime freebies you won’t want to miss.

Movies in Bryant Park

This year’s line-up includes a EuroCheapo personal favorite “Harold and Maude” as well as classics like “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” and “Dog Day Afternoon.” Locals know to snag a picnic spot early. Bring your own food, wine (we won’t tell), and nibblies and settle in for a fun night under the stars. All movies are free of charge and open to the public. For a full schedule and directions, visit Bryant Park’s web site.

A typical Summerstage scene, photo by wallyg

Central Park Summerstage

Summerstage kicks off its diverse season tomorrow with performances by Calle 13 and Bebe.  The rest of the summer promises more excitement with headliners like Q-Tip (July 18), performances by the Metropolitan Opera stars, and a smattering of renowned dance spectacles. For a full rundown of all free events, go here. Line up early for the best seats.

Free tours and workshops, Prospect Park (Brooklyn)

Prospect Park, in Brooklyn, was designed by the same gents who brought us Central Park.  It measures a hefty 585 acres. Summer brings a lushness to the park that’s out of this world, and also a host of free events and workshops. Tours of the grounds, bird-watching seminars, arts and crafts workshops, and an annual fishing contest are all free for the taking. While Prospect Park’s events are decidedly more kids-oriented, we think adults will enjoy them too. For a full schedule, visit the Park’s web site.

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While tours through travel agencies could cost you anywhere from €10-20 or more, there are a slew of easy-to-navigate walking tours available for free on-line.

Free Mozart walking tour-

Our favorite walking tour comes courtesy of the Vienna Tourism Board. Retracing the Footsteps of a Genius: A Mozart Walk, is available for free as a downloadable PDF file.

The tour kicks off at The House of the Teutonic Order, where Wolfgang got his start after leaving Salzburg for the big city. The trek continues with visits to mainstays like Mozart’s deathplace at 8 Rauhensteingrasse, a building which now houses a department store, and the memorial to Mozart in Burggarten. Make sure you snap some photos of the noble sculpture of Amadeus here, especially if you visit during warmer months when the floral landscape is in full treble-clef bloom!

The Vienna Tourism Board’s tour ends with an optional second tour (also available in the PDF format) of Schonbrunn and its surroundings.

South of the Ring Vienna tour-

And, if you still can’t get enough of Mozart’s Vienna, try Frommer’s “South of the Ring” tour. This walk, while not all about Amadeus himself, does pass some of his old haunts and eventually leads you to Freihaus and the Theater an der Wien, where Mozart’s “Magic Flute” first premiered.

Also see: Our recommended budget hotels in Vienna.

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Leinster House, the former residence of the Duke of Leinster, today houses Parliament, and is surrounded by gardens and sculptures. Nearby, on Upper Merrion Street, stands the Department of the Taoiseach, which is similar to the Prime Minister, and also houses the Department of Finance and the Attorney General. Dubliners, known to scoff at any over-the-top pomp, sometimes refer to the ornate building as “Chas Mahal,” a reference to the late Charles Haughey, the sixth Taoiseach. (Most residents, however, simply refer to the structures as “Government buildings.” Simple, but it works.)

All government buildings here are free and open to the public. You must book a tour in advance (for groups only) if you wish to see Parliament, but show up during normal hours of operation at Leinster House and the Department of the Taoiseach and you can view current exhibits and take advantage of free guided tours, free tickets for which can be picked up at the nearby National Gallery (also a free sight).

Once you’ve completed your tour, be sure to take a gander at the structure at One, Merrion Square. This Georgian structure, where Oscar Wilde once lived, is now a museum.

More information, including tour times, can be found on the Dublin Tourism Board’s website.

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