Traveling during the holidays can be made even more musical by visiting beautiful cities that are perfect for music lovers. From the timeless grace of classical Vienna to the rock and roll home of the blues in Memphis, take a look at some holiday destinations that are best known for their musical heritage, historical venues and evolving styles.

Vienna

Popularly known as the European capital of Classical music, Vienna is most known for Beethoven, Mozart, Brahms, Haydn and so many more. Visit Vienna to catch daily recitals, outdoor performances in the city’s many parks, or indulge in ballroom dancing, as the city is known as the home of the waltz.

Rio de Janeiro

Fly to the home of bossa nova and experience the sights, sounds and sun of Rio de Janeiro. This is an ideal holiday spot whenever the Rio Carnival comes around, so make sure to drop by during Mardi Gras and dance alongside the samba bands owning the streets of Rio. The city is a hub of live music venues playing the country’s famous styles – funk carioca, samba carioca, Brazilian hip hop, samba and jazz.

Milan

Beautiful Milan is synonymous with fine opera houses, with La Scala being the most prestigious opera house in all of Italy. Aside from reveling in the history of the opera house, you can venture to the Milan Auditorium to witness performances by the Verdi Symphony Orchestra and Choir. Fans of dance and electro music will also be delighted to find out that the club scene is still going strong in the city as well.

Havana

Visit Cuba’s capital and be greeted by a very diverse and authentic music scene, with unique combinations of styles brought together by generations of migrants and citizens with their own cultural sound. From mambo to habanera to good old cha-cha, find music that stirs the soul in bars and cafes all over Havana.

Memphis

The proud center of many musical genres – gospel, blues, soul music and rock’n’roll, to name a few – Memphis, Tennessee should be high on the list of music lovers who want to travel the US of A. A trip to Memphis is incomplete without stopping by Sun Studios, where legends such as Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley and Jerry Lee Lewis all recorded singles.