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
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, 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 premiere 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. On return to our hotel, the evening is at leisure. Overnight Prague (B, L)

Day 3 | uesday 13 October
Prague Castle & The Vltava
For more than a millennium, Prague Castle has been both a seat of power and a repository of Czech architecture spanning the Romanesque to the Baroque. En route to the castle precinct this morning, we first visit Sternberg Palace, home to an exceptional collection of European art. We then explore the castle complex, including the Treasury of St Vitus, St Vitus Cathedral and the Old Royal Palace. Our visit also includes Lobkowicz Palace, the only privately owned building within Prague Castle, which houses the celebrated Lobkowicz Collections. Highlights include hand-annotated scores by composers such as Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven. We return to our hotel with a walk through the heart of Prague, crossing the iconic Charles Bridge, which links Prague Castle with the Old Town and offers superb views across the Vltava River. Later in the evening, we board a river cruise for dinner accompanied by live jazz, enjoying a different perspective on Prague’s illuminated landmarks as we venture along the Vltava. Overnight Prague (B, D)

Day 4 | Wednesday 14 October
Art Nouveau in Prague | Smetana Hall
Prague flourished throughout the centuries as the cultural heart of an empire – as both a musical centre where Mozart, Smetana and Dvořák were adored and, later, for its distinctive Art Nouveau style. This morning sees us head to Municipal House for a guided tour of this masterpiece in Art Nouveau architecture, where we find superbly preserved reception rooms and the beautiful Smetana Hall. We then continue to the nearby Mucha Museum, dedicated to the life and work of Alphonse Mucha, whose distinctive style helped define the Art Nouveau movement. From here, a short walk takes us through the city centre to Wenceslas Square, pausing to admire two of Prague’s finest Art Nouveau landmarks – the iconic Grand Hotel Europa and the elegant Koruna Building arcade – before breaking 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. On return to our hotel, there is time to freshen up before our first evening performance brings us again to Smetana Hall. Here, Steven Mercurio leads the Czech National Symphony Orchestra in a program that spans the late Romantic and 20th-century repertoire and features works by Mussorgsky, Schumann and Strauss. Overnight Prague (B)

Day 5 | Thursday 15 October
Saxon Switzerland
The romantic landscapes of Saxon Switzerland have long captivated artists, with their towering sandstone cliffs, misty gorges and winding river valleys. 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. It was here that he began work on Lohengrin, inspired by the surrounding countryside. A final short drive brings us to our hotel in Dresden. Overnight Dresden (B, L)

Day 6 | Friday 16 October
Baroque Dresden
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 its cultural heart on a walking tour with a local guide. Our tour takes in the city’s most iconic landmarks, including the beautifully restored Frauenkirche, the grand Semperoper and the panoramic Brühl’s Terrace – where sweeping panoramic views unfold over the Elbe River. After a break 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. On return to our hotel, the remainder of the evening is at leisure. Overnight Dresden (B)

Day 7 | Saturday 17 October
Leipzig | Semperoper
One of Saxony’s oldest cities, Leipzig has long been a centre of musical life. Over the centuries, it has been associated with figures such as Johann Sebastian Bach, Felix Mendelssohn and Richard Wagner, all of whom left an enduring mark on the city’s identity. This morning we travel by coach to Leipzig, where we enjoy a walking tour of the historic city centre. Highlights include the Old Town Hall and St Thomas Church – where Bach served as Cantor from 1723 until his death in 1750 and where he is buried today. Following a light lunch, we begin our return to Dresden, pausing en route at the imposing Völkerschlachtdenkmal, erected to commemorate the decisive 1813 battle that marked a turning point in the Napoleonic Wars. Arriving into Dresden in the late afternoon, there is time to relax before this evening’s performance at the Semperoper. Here, Verdi’s Un Ballo in Maschera combines political intrigue and forbidden love in one of the composer’s most compelling operas. Conducted by Daniele Gatti, one of the leading interpreters of the Italian repertoire, the performance features acclaimed Australian soprano Nicole Car as Amelia. Overnight Dresden (B, L)

Day 8 | Sunday 18 October
Dresden’s Treasures | Semperoper
Originally founded in 1723 by Augustus the Strong, Elector of Saxony and King of Poland, the Green Vault is one of Europe’s 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 collection of sculptures from 1800 onwards. Our tour here takes in masterpieces by artists such as Caspar David Friedrich and Claude Monet, as well as a renowned selection of sculptures by Rodin and Lehmbruck. Returning to the Semperoper this evening, we experience Puccini’s classic thriller, Tosca. Set in Rome amid the political turmoil of 1800, this ever-popular story of a jealous diva, the ardent painter who loves her and the villainous chief of police who tears them asunder features Natalya Romaniw in the title role, SeokJong Baek as Mario Cavaradossi and Gevorg Hakobyan as the sinister Baron Scarpia. Overnight Dresden (B)

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, with the evening 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 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 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 Glyptothek, featuring an impressive collection of classical sculptures, and the Lenbachhaus, home to the world’s largest collection of works by the Blue Rider group. We conclude our day with dinner together in a local restaurant. Overnight Munich (B, D)

Day 11 | Wednesday 21 October
Munich’s Artistic Heritage | Bavarian State Opera
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 key works by Memling, Raphael, Titian, Rembrandt and Leonardo. Just nearby we also find the Museum Brandhorst. Opened in 2009, it houses a remarkable collection assembled by Udo and Anette Brandhorst, including one of the largest collections of works by Andy Warhol outside the United States. The museum is also renowned for its holdings of Cy Twombly, whose monumental Lepanto cycle occupies a dedicated gallery. Following our visit, there is time to relax at our hotel before tonight’s performance at the Bavarian State Opera. Here we attend Donizetti’s Lucrezia Borgia, inspired by one of the most enigmatic figures of the Italian Renaissance. Acclaimed soprano Angela Meade stars in the title role. Overnight Munich (B)

Day 12 | Thursday 22 October
The Bavarian Alps | Herkulessaal Munich Residenz
One of Bavaria’s most beautifully preserved monasteries, Benediktbeuern Abbey is set against a backdrop of Bavarian Alps just outside the village that shares its name. 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. 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. On return to Munich in the early evening, we make our way to the Herkulessaal of the Munich Residenz for a performance by the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra. Conducted by Simone Young and featuring violinist Augustin Hadelich, the program pairs Mendelssohn’s much-loved Violin Concerto in E minor with Bruckner’s rarely performed Symphony in F minor. 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 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. Our morning visit explores its lavish interiors before we continue to the Marstallmuseum, home to one of Europe’s finest collections of royal carriages, and the exquisite Amalienburg, a jewel of Rococo architecture. On return to Munich, we then explore the Cuvilliés Theatre, nestled within the Residenz palace complex, followed by a farewell lunch at one of the city’s fine restaurants. Tonight we attend our final performance of the tour, returning to the Bavarian State Opera for Strauss’s Ariadne auf Naxos. This brilliant fusion of mythological drama and comedy stars Anja Kampe as Ariadne and Sabine Devieilhe as Zerbinetta. Following the opera, we gather for farewell drinks. Overnight Munich (B, L)

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