Musical Heart of Europe

Our 24-hour Tour Director will meet us at the airport and remain with us until our final airport departure. We will have use of a private coach and driver, while touring for the next six days. For the next two evenings we will enjoy our Bayreuth hotel, where breakfast and dinner will be included daily. Enjoy a visit to Bayreuth, most famous for its connection to composer Richard Wagner. Each year, the city hosts the Bayreuth Festival, a world-famous music festival. Take a Walking Tour of Bayreuth with our Tour Director.

During the course of our tour we will gain from the knowledge and insight of three half-day local guides while we are here in Austria. Visit the Franz Liszt Museum, located in the house where Liszt stayed when visiting Wagner and where Liszt passed away. Glimpse into the life of Franz Liszt and learn about the great composer.

Explore Haus Wahnfried (Richard Wagner Museum). Collections in the museum include furniture, manuscripts, pianos and Wagner's death mask, as well as the history of the Bayreuth Festival. Wagner and his wife Cosima are buried in front of a small rotunda at the end of the garden.

Visit the opulent, Baroque Margravial Opera House, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Built in the 1740s, it has been remarkably well preserved over the centuries. Or we may visit the Festspielhaus, an opera house designed by Richard Wagner to accommodate his operas.

Your concert performance will be today.

We continue on our journey from Bayreuth to Prague. Stop in Markneukirchen and Karlovy Vary. Watch as various musical instruments are handcrafted in workshops around Markneukirchen. Tucked within the Vogtland of Germany, the "Musikwinkel" has been home to hundreds of instrument craftsmen since Mozart's time. Talk to the master craftsmen and learn about their trade.

Karlovy Vary was discovered by Charles IV in the 14th century while on a hunting expedition. Charles immediately set to work building a small castle in the area, naming the town that evolved around it Karlovy Vary (Charles’ Boiling Place). The first spa buildings were built in 1522, the same year that a medical description of the hot springs was published. By the end of the 16th century, over 200 spa buildings had been built. More recently, it was used as a filming location for James Bond's Casino Royal.

For the next two evenings we will enjoy the convenience of our centrally-located Prague hotel, where daily breakfast will be included. Prague is the capital of the Czech Republic, built on seven hills astride the Vltava River. The beauty of Prague is legendary; Goethe described the city as “the most precious stone in the crown of this world.”

Climb to the top of the Old Town Bridge Tower for magnificent views of Prague Castle and the Little Quarter.

Visit the Tyn Church which has been the main cathedral of the city since the 14th century. It dominates the city skyline with its church towers and spires. We will enjoy our evening meal together in a local restaurant.

Prague Castle is the most popular sight visited in Prague. It is the largest ancient castle in the world. Constructed in the 9th century by Prince Borivoj, the castle transformed itself from a wooden fortress surrounded by earthen bulwarks to the imposing form it has today. Rulers made their own additions so there is a mixture of styles. The castle has three courtyards and it has always been the seat of Czech rulers as well as the official residence.

Take a Backstage Tour of Estates Theatre, built to showcase German and Italian Operas. The song that would become the Czech national anthem was first performed here, as were 2 of Mozart's operas - Don Giovanni conducted by Mozart himself and La Clemenza di Tito. (Can substitute Prague State Opera or Prague National Theatre.) We will enjoy our evening meal together in a local restaurant.

Your performance is today. Venue options in Prague for choral groups include: Mass participation at St.Vitus Cathedral the historic royal church Prague, Kostel Sv. Martina Ve Zdi, built between 1178 and 1187 which has excellent acoustics, the Presbyterian Church of St. Salvator in the Old Town near the Charles Bridge, and St. Wenceslas Church, built in 1929, where joint choral performances can be arranged. Venues in Prague suitable for choral and instrumental groups, include: The Lobkowicz Palace at Prague Castle, The Martinu hall of the prestigious Academy of Music, the Czech Museum of Music, The Congress Centre of the Czech National Bank, which has two theatres, Hlahol Hall, built in 1905 for the Hlahol Association of Choral Singing, the Novodvorská Cultural Center concert hall which has good acoustics, the Hall of the House of Culture Krakov, St. Nicholas Church, with the finest baroque interior in Prague and excellent acoustics, the majestic Church of St. Salvator one of two churches forming the famous Klementium which welcomes instrumental and choral groups and should not be confused with the Church of St. Salvator in the Old Town. Other venue options include, the Refectory of the Benedictine Emauzy Monastery, the Evangelic Chapel Korunní which is a beautiful space in which to perform, the School of Arts Botevova, and the English International School of Prague where student groups can interact with the local students.

We continue on our journey from Prague to Vienna. En route, stop in Telc. Telc lies at the midpoint of the old King's route from Vienna to Prague. Telc is the best-preserved Renaissance town north of the Alps, and was added to the UNESCO list of international heritage sights in 1993. Enjoy some free time to wander and get lunch.

Vienna was for 600 years, the glittering capital of the Hapsburg Empire. Today it is the capital of Austria. Vienna has an incomparable musical heritage and is the city of Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Haydn, Brahms, and Johann Strauss.

Walk through Central Cemetery (Zentralfriedhof), final resting places for Beethoven, Schubert, Brahms, Salieri, Strauss II, and a cenotaph honoring Mozart who is buried at the nearby St. Marx Cemetery.

Our centrally-located Vienna hotel will be our home for the next two nights. We will have breakfast at the hotel daily. This evening, dinner will be provided in a local restaurant Stroll through Old Vienna on a Walking Tour that will include the Hoher Markt, where we will see Virgin Mary’s Wedding Fountain and an Art Nouveau clock; the Altes Rathaus, the former town hall; the old Chancellery of Bohemia; the Clock Museum; and St. Peter’s Church.

Enjoy an Appel Strudel Making Class today, learning about the local pastry. We will receive a copy of the recipe to take home and make for our families in addition to being able to sample a piece of the Strudel with a hot beverage.

Visit the Haus der Musik (The House of Music), an interactive discovery museum where visitors can conduct the Vienna Philharmonic from a virtual conductor’s podium (the musicians on the screen will tell you if you are up to par.) Journey back in time to see the great classical composers; and compose a waltz and have it played. A total of 5,000 square meters has been set aside exclusively for areas dedicated to a wide array of approaches to music.

Explore Stadtpark (City Park), a lovely park that lies on the slope where the Danube used to overflow into the Inner City before the construction of the Danube Canal. Many memorial statues of the the Great Composers of the past stand in the park; the best known depicts Johann Strauss Jr., composer of operettas and waltzes like The Blue Danube Waltz. Or use this time to walk by the Opera House, visit the Musikhaus Laimer to shop for sheet music, or stop in a Viennese cafe. This evening, dinner will be provided in a local restaurant.

Your performance will be today. Venue options for choral and instrumental groups includes the historic St. Stephens Cathedral. Consecrated in 1147, this vast cathedral was the Imperial Church of the Hapsburg Empire. The grand setting for Royal weddings and funerals, the Cathedral was also closely associated with the musical life of Vienna. The funeral of the Italian composer Vivaldi took place here in 1741, and in 1782 Mozart married Constanze Weber here. Nine years later Mozart's funeral took place in the Cathedral's Chapel of the Holy Cross. Suitably qualified organists are also permitted to give a recital as part of their groups performance. Choral and instrumental groups also perform at the baroque Peterskirche. This church has hosted numerous performances for us and all music directors have praised the excellent acoustic of this church, arguably the most beautiful baroque church in Vienna. For those groups seeking an alternative to a sacred venue perform at the Haus der Musik, Vienna's famous Museum of Music. The performing space is also noted for its excellent acoustics.

Our rewarding and enjoyable tour comes to an end as our Tour Director accompanies us to the airport on our final day. Please note that the sightseeing content may be amended or eliminated in order to facilitate the best possible concert arrangements for your group.