There are few places in the world that have had an impact on classical music that rivals this cluster of cities in the center of Europe. Home to Mozart, Beethoven, Strauss, Brahms, and beyond, there’s something in this brisk, Alpine air that sparks genius and lives in song. Explore your way from Munich to Salzburg to Vienna, exploring the great landmarks and historical homes to genius and theater in each city along the way. Like any great opera, this journey has three acts, and each movement inspires its own tempo and individual charm. Tempt yourself with an encore to Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic. Either way, this journey will spin a song that you’ll replay in your mind for years to come.
Degree of Difficulty –
Your journey begins as you board your overnight flight to Munich. Upon arrival, you will be met by your guide and transferred to your hotel. Enjoy a welcome dinner tonight with your fellow travelers. Next day, set off on a half-day guided tour of Munich, and visit the most important places in the city, including the Church of Our Lady, the Great City Hall with its unique Carillon, the famous beer hall Hofbraeuhaus, the City’s former Olympic Ground, the magnificent Nymphenburg Palace and King Ludwig’s Horse Carriage Museum. Enjoy dinner tonight in a traditional Bavarian restaurant. EDEN HOTEL WOLFF.
(Meals Aloft; D; B,D)
Feast your eyes on one of the most beautiful castles in Germany – Castle Neuschwanstein. Explore the rooms and apartments, with heavy tapestries in Romanesque and Byzantine style, the King`s bedroom with artistic woodcarvings, and much more. Continue to village Oberammergau in Bavaria, home of the Passion Play. During your guided tour, see colored houses, the famous woodcarver stalls, and of course, the Passion Play Theatre. ROMANTIK HOTEL BOLD & RESTAURANT.
(B,D)
Drive to Salzburg, known worldwide as the birthplace of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, famous for its beautiful architecture. Enjoy a tour of the city, seeing the magnificent monuments that make this place a UNSECO World Heritage Site. In the Old Town, view the city’s Cathedral and St. Peter’s Abbey, Mozart’s Birthplace, the FestivalTheatres, and the city’s oldest pharmacy and the oldest café. Immerse yourself in the medieval world on a visit to Fortress Hohensalzburg, where you’ll be given access to the Gothic State Apartments and enjoy the fantastic view of the town from the parapets. If you are attending during the Mozart Summer Festival, your evenings will be dedicated to experiencing the festivities. HOTEL WOLF-DIETRICH.
(B,D)
Your tour today begins at the Palace of Mirabell, built in 1606 for the Archbishop of Salzburg. Cross over Salt River to the Hellbrunn and pass alongside the palace of Frohnburg and the Nonnberg Abbey, before entering the heart of the city through the Siegmunds Gate. The tour finishes in Mozart Square with the statue of the composer near the city’s cathedral. Your afternoon is at leisure to revisit any of the sites in Salzburg or simply to wander the avenues in search of souvenirs or a peaceful cafe. HOTEL WOLF-DIETRICH.
(B)
Head to the Salzkammergut Lake District and visit the house where Mozart’s mother was born. The spa town of Bad Ischl features a very special spa theater, where in 1897 Johan Strauss, the “King of the Waltz,” directed a gala performance. In fact, this place inspired a great many musical names, with greats such as Bruckner, Brahms, Kalman, and Oscar Strauss composing their works here. Fran Lehar, in particular, called Bad Ischl home for 30 years. This is where he wrote his favorite operetta, The Merry Widow. Indulge in an afternoon at leisure in this charming village alongside Wolfgang Lake, the very lake featured in the opera by the same name. ART & STYLE SPITZ HOTEL.
(B)
Start your day with a tour of Linz, Austria’s third largest city and home of the Austrian composer Anton Bruckner. Visit the Bruckner House and various other landmarks here, including St. Martin’s church which dates back to the 8th century, as well as the Abbey of St. Florian, where “God’s musician”, Anton Bruckner toiled on his compositions for many years. Continue to Baden. Haydn was a regular guest here, so was the Royal Composer, Antonio Salieri, and later Ludwig von Beethoven. See the quaint little house where Beethoven composed many of his masterpieces, perhaps feeling the inspiration of the great masters in the air around you. AT THE PARK HOTEL.
(B,D)
Visit Eizenstadt, birthplace of the great court composer Joseph Haydn. Tour the Esterhazy palace, home of the royal family that once employed Haydn, and the spot where his most famous works were composed. Enjoy a peek inside the composer’s day to day life at the Haydn Hall and House, and pay your respects at the artist’s final resting place, the Haydn Mausoleum. This area is Austria’s most versatile wine growing region, and so in the afternoon, leave behind musical history for a foray into the world of vino. Enjoy lunch and a wine tasting at a Burgenland wine cellar before heading to Vienna. Schedule permitting, enjoy a concert tonight in Vienna. K+K PALAIS HOTEL.
(B)
Today is devoted to Vienna, as you explore the most important sites of the Austrian capital with an expert guide. Drive around the famous ‘Ringstrasse’, Vienna’s main boulevard, and view the State Opera, the Museums of Fine Art, the Parliament building, the National Theatre, the City Hall, the University, and the City Park. Enjoy the opulent grandeur of Hofburg – the royal palace in Vienna, followed by a walk to the beautiful Gothic spires of St. Stefan’s cathedral. Visit the sprawling Schönbrunn Palace near Vienna and tour some of the most magnificently decorated rooms of the Hapsburg royal residence. Sit down for a dinner cruise on the Danube River; the sun setting against the glittering waterline will present a romantic view of Vienna you’ll never forget. K+K PALAIS HOTEL.
(B,D)
Find yourself fully in tune with Vienna on today’s musical tour of the city. Travel back in time in the Mozart Figarohouse, and learn what life was like for this incorrigible composer, sometimes considered the world’s first “rock star.” Next, visit the homes of some of Vienna’s most distinguished residents, including Schubert House, Johann Strauss-Wohning, and Pasqualati House. Your tour ends, appropriately, in the cemetery that serves as the final resting place for several of the greatest composers the world has ever seen. With your mind alight with music and thoughts of the greats who created it, there is no better time to attend the opera, allowing the day’s remarkable experiences to bring new depth and light to the spectacle before you. K+K PALAIS HOTEL.
(B,D)
It’s time to say goodbye as you fly back home, full of memories of a most unique experience.
(B)
Prices vary by season and package. Please inquire by phone at (800) 627-1244 or email info@classicescapes.com for more information and a pricing estimate.
YOUR JOURNEY INCLUDES:
- Four-star accommodations throughout as indicated or similar.
- All ground transfers and excursions in private deluxe air-conditioned motor coach.
- Continental breakfast daily, a welcome dinner and a farewell dinner and other meals as per itinerary. (B=Breakfast; L=Lunch; D=Dinner)
- Opera tickets in Vienna.
- All museum and attraction entry fees indicated on itinerary.
- Porterage for baggage handling.
- Complimentary passport wallets and baggage tags.
- Complimentary emergency evacuation insurance.
This area sees a variety of festivals to honor the world-famous composers that came from the region. Our initial program is designed around the Salzburg festival in honor Mozart which takes place in July/August, but also during January, there’s a full week of special events in Salzburg to coincide with the date of his birth. While the best months to visit the area would be April-June and september/October, the trip can be offered year-round, and must coincide with the festival that is most desirable.
