Views A-foot

In Short

This travel memoir records a young American’s two-year journey across Europe on foot. Armed with modest savings, Bayard Taylor sails from New York to tour the British Isles, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, and France before returning home. He survives harsh winters, hazardous weather, and tight finances by lodging cheaply and walking hundreds of miles across mountain passes and country roads. Along the way, he immerses himself in local arts, historic architecture, and the everyday lives of European peasants and city residents. The narrative stands as an enduring testament to self-reliance, intellectual curiosity, and the democratic spirit of mid-nineteenth-century American travel.

The Story

The narrative opens with a preface by N. P. Willis introducing Bayard Taylor, a young printer’s apprentice who resolves to see the Old World despite having slender means. Setting sail for Great Britain, Taylor arrives in Scotland and begins his foot-travels among the Highlands. He climbs Ben Lomond amid mountain bogs and heather, taking in views of the vale of Menteith, before descending through the mist. Moving south, he boards a crowded steamer down the muddy Tyne, sleeps fitfully on a ship’s windlass, and sails up the Thames into London, where the silhouette of St. Paul’s Cathedral and the Tower of London mark his arrival in the metropolis.

From England, Taylor crosses to the Continent and journeys through the German states. Traversing the Bergstrasse toward Heidelberg, he marvels at vine-covered hills, castle ruins, and contented peasants harvesting nuts and grapes. In Frankfort, where he stays for extended periods to learn the language and economize, he observes public figures like the banker Anselmo Rothschild, experiences deep emotional stirrings at a performance of Beethoven’s opera Fidelio, and witnesses a historic spring flood that inundates the city’s gateways and streets.

His travels take him deeper into central Europe. He hikes through rain and deep snow drifts in the Hartz mountains to reach the Brocken, navigates the wild gorge of the Rehberger Graben, and explores the impregnable mountain fortress of Königstein overlooking the Elbe in Saxon Switzerland. Arriving in Vienna, he wanders through the bustling Altstadt, admiring its painted storefronts, crowded bridges, and the vast Glacis surrounding the inner city. Pushing onward through Linz and Lambach, he views the natural rock profile on the Traunstein and reaches Munich, where he tours the lavish palace halls and golden statues of the Bavarian monarchs.

Turning southward, Taylor crosses the Alps into Italy. Descending through the rugged granite chasms of the Ticino, he watches dark pine forests give way to chestnut groves, maize fields, and sunny Italian vineyards. He sails past the Mediterranean islands of Gorgona and Elba to Leghorn, where he encounters a cosmopolitan crowd of Greeks, Turks, and Moors. In Florence, he reflects on the exile of Dante and the poetry of Milton at Vallombrosa, while visiting the studios of contemporary American sculptors like Horatio Greenough and C. B. Ives.

Continuing along frozen Italian roads via vetturino, Taylor inspects Roman relics in Otricoli and marvels at the roaring falls and ancient temples of Tivoli. Turning back northward through France, he inspects the massive Roman amphitheatre and triumphal arch in Orange, braves cold March rains through Normandy, and pauses before the grand cathedral of Rouen. Finally, after a stay in Paris and a return to London, Taylor tallies his expenses—demonstrating that two years of international travel can be achieved for five hundred dollars—and bids his readers farewell.

How It Unfolds

The voyage begins Taylor sails to Britain and explores the Scottish Highlands, ascending Ben Lomond through damp heather and rocky paths. He then travels south by steamboat down the River Tyne and enters London via the Thames under a misty sunrise.

Journey through the German states Travelling along the Bergstrasse to Heidelberg and Frankfort, Taylor settles into German life, attending performances of Fidelio and witnessing a severe flood of the Main river. He treks through snowstorms on the Brocken in the Hartz mountains and surveys the Elbe valley from the high battlements of Königstein.

Imperial cities and artistic treasures In Vienna, Taylor explores the crowded old city streets and the green expanses of the Glacis before heading west through Linz. Reaching Munich, he wanders through the grand frescoed dining saloons and the gilded Hall of the Throne in the royal palace.

Crossing the Alps to Italy Descending the Alpine gorges along the Ticino, Taylor enters the lush, sunlit plains of northern Italy. He arrives at Leghorn by sea, hikes through the Apennines to the valley of Vallombrosa, and meets American sculptors working in Florence.

Southern ruins and the return home After visiting the ancient ruins of Otricoli and the cascades of Tivoli, Taylor journeys through southern France to view the Roman structures at Orange. He walks through Normandy to Rouen, crosses to London, and completes his two-year journey within his strict five-hundred-dollar budget.

The People

Bayard Taylor The author and protagonist, an ambitious young American printer who seeks to broaden his mind through direct experience of foreign lands. Lacking financial resources, he relies on physical stamina, frugal living, and continuous writing to sustain his two-year journey. He approaches every new landscape, language, and cultural encounter with enthusiasm and determination.

N. P. Willis A newspaper editor and friend who writes the book's preface. Recognizing Taylor’s literary talent early on, Willis encourages the young apprentice to undertake his ambitious journey, viewing it as a noble demonstration of American self-reliance and moral integrity.

Horatio Greenough An American sculptor residing in Florence whom Taylor visits. Greenough works on a colossal marble statue group for the United States Capitol, depicting a struggle between a backwoodsman and an Indian, embodying high artistic ambition and physical power.

C. B. Ives A young sculptor from Connecticut working in Florence. Taylor admires his studio models, including a poignant figure of a child grieving over a dead bird and a expressive bust depicting Jephthah's daughter.

Anselmo Rothschild A prominent banker in Frankfort whom Taylor observes driving through the city streets. Surrounded by attending officers, Rothschild represents the immense wealth and economic influence of Europe's financial elite.

In Its Own Voice

"A crowd of old associations pressed bewilderingly upon the mind, to see standing there, grim and dark with many a bloody page of England's history--the Tower of London!"

Taylor recalls his initial awe upon seeing the historic fortress from the deck of a steamboat arriving on the Thames at sunrise.

"Surrendering myself to the grasp of Beethoven's powerful conception, I read in sounds far more expressive than words, the almost despairing agony of the strong-hearted, but still tender and womanly Fidelio..."

Taylor describes his intense emotional reaction while listening to an opera performance during his extended stay in Frankfort.

"The exterior wall, three hundred and thirty-four feet in length, and rising to the height of one hundred and twenty-one feet, is still in excellent, preservation, and through its rows of solid arches one looks on the broken ranges of seats within."

Taylor reflects on the architectural scale of the ancient Roman amphitheatre as he stands before its towering outer structure in Orange.

What It's Really About

The core argument of the book centers on the value of self-reliant, democratic travel. Taylor demonstrates that intellectual cultivation and global experience ought not to be reserved exclusively for the wealthy elite. By traveling on foot and working his way across Europe, he argues that independence of mind, physical endurance, and a modest budget can grant anyone access to the world's great artistic, historic, and natural treasures.

Beneath the travel narrative lies an inquiry into the relationship between the New World and the Old World. Taylor constantly compares American democratic society with European traditions, monarchy, and social hierarchies. He contrasts the ancient architecture, historical burdens, and entrenched class structures of Europe with the youthful energy and economic mobility of his homeland, presenting pedestrian travel as an uncorrupting discipline that strengthens both personal character and national pride.

Why Read It Today

Readers who enjoy historical travelogues, nineteenth-century literature, and stories of individual initiative will find much to admire in this book. The prose conveys the fresh, unvarnished excitement of a young observer encountering legendary landscapes for the first time. Taylor’s writing provides an authentic window into mid-nineteenth-century Europe, capturing everything from local transport systems and regional costumes to flood relief efforts and university student culture.

The narrative carries readers along with its steady momentum and vivid detail. Reading it feels like walking alongside an energetic, observant companion who is equally interested in grand cathedral architecture and the price of a local meal. Taylor's descriptions of art and scenery remain clear and engaging, unburdened by academic jargon or exaggerated sensationalism.

The book does present occasional difficulties for modern readers. Its nineteenth-century period attitudes regarding nationality and race surface during brief encounters with local populaces. Modern readers must also adjust to archaic place names, untranslated regional terms, and occasional detailed lists of travel expenses. Nevertheless, Taylor's spirit of open-ended exploration, combined with his practical demonstration of low-cost travel, leaves a lasting impression of courage and curiosity.