PRAGUE, DRESDEN & MUNICH

Day 1 | Sunday 11 October
Arrive Prague
We gather in our hotel this afternoon for introductions, before heading out for an orientation walk through the city of Prague. On return to our hotel, we enjoy a welcome drink followed by a light dinner together. Overnight Prague (D)

Day 2 | Monday 12 October
Old Town Prague | Estates Theatre
Prague is one of Europe’s most perfectly preserved cities and it has been the jewel in the crown of many a monarch, including Habsburg Rudolph I who transformed the city into a Renaissance capital of the Holy Roman Empire. After a talk in the hotel this morning, we take a walking tour of the UNESCO World-Heritage listed Old Town, taking in the Old Town Square, where we find the unique astronomical clock, and the historic Estates Theatre, one of the oldest theatres in Europe that is still used today. Here, Mozart himself conducted the premier performance of Don Giovanni. We then pause for lunch in the beautiful restaurant of the Art Nouveau Municipal House before our afternoon is spent in the Museum of Communism. This comprehensive museum offers a view into Czech society and life under the Communist regime, spanning from the 1948 coup to the Velvet Revolution in 1989. This evening (schedules permitting) we return to the Estates Theatre for our first performance. Overnight Prague (B, L)

Performance I
Venue: The Estates Theatre, Prague
Program: To be advised

Day 3 | uesday 13 October
Prague’s Castle District
Prague Castle has been a centre of political power for more than a millennium, and as such has accumulated fine examples of Czech architecture from the Romanesque to the Baroque. En route to the Castle complex, we visit Sternberg Palace, a jewel of High Baroque architecture and home to an exceptional collection of European art. We then meet a local guide for an in-depth tour of the Castle complex, including the ornate Treasury of St. Vitus, the cathedral itself, and the atmospheric Old Royal Palace. Tucked within the complex, we also find the elegantly positioned Lobkowicz Palace, a remarkable symbol of Bohemian heritage. Originally built in the 16th century, it entered the Lobkowicz family’s possession through marriage in 1603 and today it is home to the esteemed Lobkowicz Collections. Highlights include major works by Canaletto, Bruegel the Elder, Cranach and Velázquez, as well as rare, hand-annotated scores by composers such as Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven. Our day concludes with a scenic walk back to the hotel as we cross the iconic Charles Bridge, a masterpiece of medieval architecture which links Prague Castle with the Old Town and beyond. Overnight Prague (B)

Day 4 | Wednesday 14 October
Art Nouveau in Prague | Rudolfinum
Prague flourished throughout the centuries as the cultural heart of an empire – as both a musical centre where Mozart, Smetana and Dvorak were adored and, later, for its distinctive Art Nouveau style. This morning sees us return to Municipal House for a guided tour of this masterpiece in Art Nouveau architecture, design and decoration, where we find superbly preserved receptions rooms and the beautiful Smetana Hall. We then continue to nearby Mucha Museum, dedicated to the life and work of Alphonse Mucha, whose distinctive style defined the Art Nouveau movement. A short walk then brings us to Wenceslas Square where we pause to admire the iconic Grand Hotel Europa and the Koruna Building arcade, followed by a break for lunch. Our final visit of the day is the striking Trade Fair Palace, Prague’s first major Functionalist building, now home to the National Gallery’s modern and contemporary art collections. Returning to our hotel, there is time to freshen up before our evening performance (schedules permitting) in the magnificent Dvořák Hall of the Rudolfinum. Overnight Prague (B)

Performance II
Venue: Rudolfinum, Prague
Program: To be advised

Day 5 | Thursday 15 October
Saxon Switzerland
The romantic landscapes of Saxon Switzerland, with their towering sandstone cliffs, misty gorges and winding river valleys, have long captivated artists. In the early 19th century, painters of the German Romantic movement – most notably Caspar David Friedrich – were drawn to this dramatic scenery as a reflection of the sublime. Today we depart Prague for Dresden, first stopping en route in the spectacular Saxon Switzerland National Park to view the famous Bastei rock formations that rise high above the Elbe River. Lunch is then enjoyed in a nearby restaurant before continuing to the village of Graupa, just outside of Dresden. Here we visit the Richard-Wagner-Stätten museum complex, housed in the former hunting lodge where Wagner spent the summer of 1846. Inspired by the surrounding countryside, it was here that he began work on Lohengrin, and our visit offers a thoughtful insight into the composer’s early career with exhibitions on his life, music and creative process. A final short drive brings us to our hotel Dresden, with the evening at leisure on arrival. Overnight Dresden (B, L)

Day 6 | Friday 16 October
Baroque Dresden | Semperoper
Often called ‘Florence on the Elbe’, Dresden boasts an extraordinary legacy of art, architecture and music shaped by centuries of royal patronage, particularly under the Electors of Saxony. After a talk in our hotel this morning, we explore the cultural heart of Dresden on a walking tour with a local guide. Our tour takes in the city’s most iconic landmarks, including the beautifully restored Frauenkirche and the panoramic Brühl’s Terrace – where sweeping panoramic views unfold over the Elbe River. After breaking for lunch, we continue to the magnificent Zwinger Palace, a Baroque masterpiece originally conceived in the early 18th century as an orangery and ceremonial space for the Saxon court. Today it houses some of Dresden’s finest museums, including the Old Masters Gallery and the renowned Porcelain collection, both of which we explore during our visit. This evening (schedules permitting), we enjoy a performance at the grand Semperoper, one of Europe’s most renowned opera houses. Overnight Dresden (B)

Performance III
Venue: Semperoper, Dresden
Program: To be advised

Day 7 | Saturday 17 October
Leipzig
One of Saxony’s oldest cities with a history spanning over a thousand years, Leipzig is famously linked to cultural giants such as Wagner, Bach, Schubert, Mendelssohn, Martin Luther, Goethe, Schiller, and the Neue Leipziger Schule art movement. This morning we venture out of Dresden to explore this lively city, first stopping en route at the Völkerschlachtdenkmal – a towering monument which marks one of the greatest defeats for Napoleon’s army in 1813. On arrival into Leipzig, we enjoy a light lunch together before embarking on a guided walking tour of its city centre, taking in the Old Town Hall, one of the most prominent examples of German Renaissance architecture, and the St. Thomas Church, where Johann Sebastian Bach worked as music director from 1723 until his death in 1750. We conclude our visit of Leipzig at the Museum of Fine Arts, one of the oldest public collections in Germany. Its original building was destroyed in an air raid in 1943, though many of the paintings were saved. A new home for the collection opened in 2004, 61 years to the day after the original museum was destroyed. After exploring the collection, we return to Dresden for an evening at leisure. Overnight Dresden (B, L)

Day 8 | Sunday 18 October
Dresden’s Treasures | Kulturpalast
Originally founded in 1723 by Augustus the Strong, Elector of Saxony and King of Poland, the Green Vault (Grünes Gewölbe) is one of Europe’s oldest and most opulent treasure chambers. Housed in Dresden Castle, the vault was intended as both a public museum and a display of royal power, showcasing Augustus’s vast collection of art, jewellery and curiosities. The name ‘Green Vault’ derives from the green-painted columns and vaults of the original rooms and today the collection is divided into two sections – the Historic Green Vault and the New Green Vault – both of which we visit this morning.
Our afternoon is then spent at the Albertinum, a sandstone-clad Renaissance Revival building which houses the New Masters Gallery and the Dresden State Art Collections’ collection of sculptures from 1800 onwards. Our tour here takes in masterpieces by artists such as Caspar David Friedrich, Claude Monet, Max Liebermann, Paul Gauguin, Ernst Ludwig Kirchner and Gerhard Richter, as well as a renowned selection of sculptures by Rodin and Lehmbruck. We return to our hotel with time to relax and freshen up before our evening performance (schedules permitting) at the Kulturpalast – built in 1969 in Bauhaus style and created as a centre for music
and dance. Overnight Dresden (B)

Performance IV
Venue: Kulturpalast, Dresden
Program: To be advised

Day 9 | Monday 19 October
Wagner’s Bayreuth
The historic city of Bayreuth in northern Bavaria is most famously known as the home of composer Richard Wagner. Wagner chose Bayreuth as the site for his Festspielhaus (Festival Theatre), a unique opera house specifically designed to stage his monumental works, particularly the Ring Cycle and Parsifal. Opened in 1876, the Festspielhaus was groundbreaking in its acoustics and architecture, with hidden orchestra pits and an amphitheatre-style auditorium. Departing Dresden for Munich today, we stop en route in Bayreuth to tour this influential opera house – a rare case in music history where a composer had full control over the design of a performance venue. After a light lunch together, we continue the journey south towards Munich, our base for the final five nights on tour. The evening is at leisure on arrival. Overnight Munich (B, L)

Day 10 | Tuesday 20 October
Munich’s Royal Patronage
Founded in 1158, the city of Munich grew under the rule of the powerful Wittelsbach dynasty, who made it their residence. By the 19th century, King Ludwig I had greatly shaped the city’s artistic character by commissioning numerous museums and neoclassical buildings, earning Munich the nickname ‘Athens on the Isar.’ His grandson, King Ludwig II, carried on this cultural tradition through his dedicated support of music, especially the works of Wagner, and his love for romantic and theatrical architecture. This morning, a guided walking tour of the city’s historic centre offers an engaging introduction to this rich cultural and artistic heritage. Beginning at Marienplatz, the city’s central square since the 12th century, we view the neo-Gothic New Town Hall and the Frauenkirche, with its distinctive twin domes. We also take in the elegant Odeonsplatz and the former royal quarter where the Munich Residence and Theatine Church reflect the centuries of Wittelsbach patronage in art and architecture. Following a break for lunch, our afternoon offers a compelling contrast in Munich’s artistic heritage with a visit to both the Lenbachhaus, home to the world’s largest collection of works by the Blue Rider group, and the Glyptothek, which houses an impressive collection of classical Greek and Roman sculptures. We conclude our day with dinner together in a local restaurant. Overnight Munich (B, D)

Day 11 | Wednesday 21 October
Munich’s Artistic Heritage | Isarphilharmonie
Commissioned by King Ludwig I and completed in 1836, the Alte Pinakothek was designed by architect Leo von Klenze as a monumental space to house the Bavarian royal family’s extensive collection of Old Master paintings. Today, the Wittelsbach’s art treasures still form the core of the collection and our morning tour will focus on highlights from the more than 700 paintings on display. Painters of all schools are represented, with numerous major works by Dürer and Rubens as well as prominent key works by Rogier van der Weyden and Memling, Raphael and Titian, Rembrandt and Frans Hals, Poussin and Murillo. Just nearby is the Neue Pinakothek, established by King Ludwig I in the mid-19th century as a companion to the Alte Pinakothek. It was one of the first museums in the world dedicated specifically to contemporary art of the 18th and 19th centuries and its collection includes a wide range of styles and movements, from Neoclassicism and Romanticism to Impressionism and early modernism. Following our afternoon visit of the Neue Pinakothek, there is time to relax at our hotel before tonight’s performance (schedules permitting) at the Isarphilharmonie, Munich’s newest major concert hall. Overnight Munich (B)

Performance V
Venue: Isarphilharmonie, Munich
Program: To be advised

Day 12 | Thursday 22 October
The Bavarian Alps
One of Bavaria’s oldest and most beautifully preserved monasteries, Benediktbeuern Abbey was founded around 739. Set against the backdrop of the Bavarian Alps, just outside the village that shares its name, the abbey developed into a significant religious, educational and artistic centre during
the Middle Ages and continued to flourish into the Baroque era. Its golden age came in the 17th and 18th centuries, when many of its buildings were transformed in magnificent Baroque and Rococo style. We begin our morning here, with a tour through the abbey’s historic spaces, including the ornate basilica of St Benedict, with its grand ceiling frescoes and intricate stucco work. We then travel to the charming town of Murnau am Staffelsee at the foothills of the Bavarian Alps to visit the Schlossmuseum. Central to its collection are the paintings, drawings and prints of Gabriele Münter, alongside works by Blue Rider artists Marianne  von  Werefkin, Alexej von Jawlensky and Wassily  Kandinsky who found their distinctive Expressionist style during the legendary 1908 summer of painting here. Before returning to Munich for an evening at leisure, we also visit the nearby Pilgrimage Church of Wies, a masterpiece of Bavarian Rococo set in a peaceful alpine meadow. Overnight Munich (B)

Day 13 | Friday 23 October
Nymphenburg Palace | Bavarian State Opera
Commissioned by Elector Ferdinand Maria and his wife Henriette Adelaide of Savoy in 1664, Nymphenburg Palace served as the Baroque summer residence of the Wittelsbachs. Situated to the west of the city, the palace unfolds around a long central corps de logis flanked by ornately decorated wings, all set within an expansive park of formal gardens, canals and pavilions. Our tour here this morning will explore its lavish interiors, ranging from the stucco‑and‑frescoed Hall of Mirrors to the Rococo galleries and state apartments, along with its unique collection of Nymphenburg porcelain. On return to Munich, we share a farewell lunch at one of the city’s fine restaurants, then conclude our day of touring with a visit to the Cuvilliés Theatre, a Rococo gem nestled within the Residenz palace complex. Tonight, we’ll experience our final performance at the Bavarian State Opera, a neo‑classical masterpiece, and close our tour with farewell drinks nearby. Overnight Munich (B, L)

Performance VI
Venue: Bavarian State Opera, Munich
Program: To be advised

Day 14 | Saturday 24 October
Depart Munich
The tour ends after breakfast. Airport transfers are provided to Munich Airport for onward flights home. (B)