On Friday 17^th October 2014 Sarah Breslin took part in the annual diplomatic excursion, organised by the Austrian Federal Ministry for Integration and Foreign Affairs.

Diplomats working in Austria were treated to a full day programme in the city of Linz, the capital of Upper Austria.  The group was welcomed by Josef Pühringer, Governor of Upper Austria and given a guided tour behind the scenes at the new opera house, Musiktheater Linz.  There followed a lunch in the opera house with speeches from Josef Pühringer and from the federal Minister for Integration, Europe and Foreign Affairs, , Sebastian Kurz as well as an outstanding operatic performance by the choir of the Musiktheater.

In the afternoon the group was taken through Linz on the Linz City Express and then visited Ars Electronica, an internationally acclaimed leader in digital art and media culture and an educational institution unique for its creative fusion of the work of artists, scientists and researchers. The day ended with dinner at the Herberstein Brasserie in Linz castle.

This annual event is an ideal opportunity for the ECML to find out more about Austria’s international links, to promote the work of the centre and to get to know