Vienna

The tour starts at 4.00pm on Tuesday 15 October, in the lobby of the InterContinental Hotel, Vienna.

The tour ends after breakfast on Sunday 27 October, at the InterContinental Hotel, Vienna.

We gather in our hotel this afternoon to meet and greet tour leader Christopher Menz and fellow travellers before heading out for an orientation walk and introduction to the city of Vienna. Our walk ends at Beim Czaak, a traditional restaurant in the city’s charismatic Old University quarter, where we enjoy our welcome dinner. Overnight Vienna (D)

Imperial rulers from the 15th century, the Habsburg name is carved deep into the stones of Vienna. This morning, after a talk in the hotel, our walking tour explores the magnificent legacy the Habsburgs bequeathed the city including majestic St Stephen’s Cathedral with its colourful tiled roof, and the Imperial Treasury, whose extraordinary collection of sacred and secular objects spans more than a thousand years. After a relaxed lunch together, we continue to the National Library whose extensive and historic collection, housed in a spectacular wing of the Hofburg, began with Albrecht III von Habsburg in the 14th century. Our day ends at the Albertina Museum, a former Habsburg residence which now holds one of Europe’s finest collections of graphic art as well as an excellent collection of modern masters. Returning to the hotel, the evening is at leisure. Overnight Vienna (B, L)

The beautiful Karlsplatz, located just off the famous Ringstrasse, is home to an extraordinary collection of historic buildings and sites. We start our day at the Karlskirche, the elegant Baroque church built for Emperor Charles VI to commemorate the end of the plague in 1712, then continue to the nearby Wien Museum, founded in 1887 and dedicated to the history and culture of Vienna. After time for lunch, we head to the Albertina Modern, a newly established museum of modern and contemporary art profiling both Austrian and international artists post 1945. Returning to our hotel, there is time to relax before we kick off our performance program in style in the sumptuous Golden Hall of the Musikverein, one of Europe’s most beautiful concert halls. Acclaimed conductor Andris Nelsons leads the Vienna Philharmonic in a program of Shostakovich and Dvořák. Overnight Vienna (B)

Performance I
Venue: Musikverein, Golden Hall
Program: Dmitri Shostakovich - Symphony No. 9 in E-flat major Op. 70 | Antonín Dvořák - Symphony No. 7 in D minor, op. 70
Performers: Vienna Philharmonic (orchestra), Andris Nelsons (conductor)

Today is dedicated to the exceptional Kunsthistorisches Museum, one of several palatial buildings commissioned by Emperor Franz Josef I to accommodate the magnificent Habsburg collections. The building itself is a work of art, with a grand stairway featuring painting by Gustav Klimt, but its collection of Old Masters, including works by Caravaggio, Bruegel, Raphael, Velázquez and more, is considered one of the world’s finest. Our morning tour is followed by lunch in the museum’s excellent café. The afternoon is yours to explore the collection independently before we meet again this evening, making our way to the historic Theater an der Wien. Here we enjoy Mozart’s epic opera, Idomeneo, set on the Island of Crete shortly after the Trojan War. Overnight Vienna (B, L)

Performance II
Venue: Theater an der Wien
Program: Mozart’s Idomeneo
Performers: Attilio Glaser (Idomeneo), Emily Sierra (Idamante), Jeanine De Bique (Ilia), Elena Tsallagova (Elettra), David Bates (Conductor)

We begin today with a guided visit of the Central Cemetery, whose illustrious residents include Beethoven, Brahms, Schubert, Johann Strauss and Schoenberg. We then continue to the Beethoven Museum, located in the composer’s former residence in Heiligenstadt, once a trendy spa town to which he retreated to contemplate his increasing deafness. After lunch in a local café we visit the Waschsalon, a museum in the Karl Marx-Hof public housing complex commemorating the inter war years when the city was governed by social democrats in a period known as Red Vienna. We return to the hotel with time to relax before this evening’s performance. Pianist Seong-Jin Cho – winner of the legendary Chopin Competition – performs Beethoven in a program that also includes Rachmaninoff at the Musikverein, with Elim Chan leading the Vienna Symphony Orchestra. Overnight Vienna (B, L)

Performance III
Venue: Musikverein, Golden Hall
Program: Ludwig van Beethoven - Piano concerto No. 2 in B-flat, op. 19 | Sergei Rachmaninoff - Symphony No. 2 in E minor, Op.
Performers: Vienna Symphony (orchestra), Elim Chan (conductor), Seong-Jin Cho (piano)

In a glorious start to Sunday, we make our way to the Hofburgkapelle, the former Imperial Court chapel which traces its history back to the 13th century. Here we enjoy Mass sung by the Vienna Boys’ Choir with the Hofmusikkapelle, the chapel choir established by Emperor Maximilian I in 1498. Following Mass we take a short walk to Demel, one of Vienna’s most famous coffee houses, where we enjoy morning cake and coffee. The afternoon is free to explore Vienna at your leisure. Your tour leader can assist with suggestions for the city’s fine museums to suit your interests. Overnight Vienna (B, MT)

After a talk in our hotel this morning we take the short coach trip to Klosterneuberg Abbey. Consecrated in 1136 and rebuilt in the Baroque style, the abbey has survived fire, siege and suppression under the Nazis following the Anschluss of 1938. Our guided tour takes us through the sumptuous imperial apartments, built for Emperor Charles VI, and the Chapel of Saint Leopold where we see the Verdun Altar, a technical masterpiece regarded as one of the most important artworks of the Middle Ages. Returning to Vienna, we have lunch together before visiting the Belvedere Museum, an impressive 18th-century palace whose extensive collection includes works from the Baroque, through to Biedermeier and Secessionist masterpieces, including Gustav Klimt’s The Kiss. On return to our hotel, the evening is at leisure. Overnight Vienna (B, L)

At the turn of the 20th century, a new generation of artists and architects calling themselves the Vienna Secessionists rejected the dictates of conservative Vienna, breaking with tradition in favour of a new aesthetic which become known as Jugendstil. We explore their influence on our walking tour of Jugendstil Vienna before heading to the Museum of Applied Arts (MAK) whose extensive collection unites tradition and innovation. In the afternoon we visit the Kirche am Steinhof, built as part of the Steinhof Psychiatric Hospital. Commissioned from Secessionist architect Otto Wagner by the Imperial Family, the church’s controversial Jugendstil design drew the ire of many conservative Viennese, including Archduke Franz Ferdinand, but today it is regarded as one of the most important buildings of its time. This evening we make our way to the spectacular Vienna State Opera, one of the most important opera houses in the world, for ninety-two-year-old Hungarian composer György Kurtág’s only opera Fin de partie. This one-act opera is a stunning variation on Samuel Beckett’s absurdist play, as four figures vegetate in a hostile and almost uninhabitable landscape. Overnight Vienna (B)

Performance IV
Venue: Vienna State Opera
Program: György Kurtág’s Fin de Partie
Performers: Charles Workman (Nagg), Hilary Summers (Nell), Philippe Sly (Hamm), Georg Nigl (Clov), Simone Young (conductor)

The main summer residence of the Habsburg rulers, the massive palace of Schönbrunn is one of Vienna’s most important landmarks. The site originally served Emperor Maximilian as a recreational hunting reserve, but it was Empress Maria Theresa who transformed the original residence into a palace in the 18th century. Our guided visit today includes the Bergl rooms, a beautifully frescoed suite allowing direct access to the garden in the warm summer months. After free time for lunch you may choose to explore the extensive gardens, including the lovely hilltop Gloriette, or join our local guide to tour the Wagenburg, displaying the Habsburg’s lavish carriage and sleighs collection. Returning to our hotel, there is time to freshen up this evening before our second performance at the Vienna State Opera. Barrie Kosky, who rejoices in setting an impish imprint on the classics, directs Mozart’s effervescent comedy of young love and infidelity – Così fan tutte. Overnight Vienna (B)

Performance V
Venue: Vienna State Opera
Program: Mozart’s Così fan tutte
Performers: Nicole Car (Fiordiligi), Cecilia Molinari (Dorabella), Markus Werba (Gugliemo), Bogdan Volkov (Ferrando), Maria Nazarova (Despina), Adam Fischer (conductor)

Fostered by Habsburg patronage and supported by educated and enthusiastic audiences, Vienna enjoyed a reputation for music excellence. Dedicated to the promotion of classical music, and with the aid of a land grant provided by Emperor Franz Josef I in 1863, the Wiener Musikverein, or Viennese Music Association, built its grand concert hall in the Neoclassical style in central Vienna. Still dedicated to this same excellence today, the venue is home to the Vienna Philharmonic and our guided tour this morning takes us through the rehearsal rooms, before we return to the sumptuous Golden Hall, followed by the more intimate Brahms Hall where tonight’s performance is held. Our focus then shifts to the extraordinary Leopold Museum, holding one of the most important collections of modern Austrian art, including works by Gustav Klimt and Egon Schiele. The afternoon is at leisure before we meet this evening for our final performance at the Konzerthaus – a quintessential experience in the capital of music. Grammy Award-winning pianist Daniil Trifonov performs Rachmaninoff in a program that also includes Beethoven and Janáček, with Jakub Hrůša leading the Bamberg Symphony. Overnight Vienna (B)

Performance VI
Venue: Konzerthaus, Great Hall
Program: Ludwig van Beethoven - Symphony No. 4 in B-flat major op. 60 | Sergei Rachmaninoff, Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini op. 43 for piano and orchestra | Leoš Janáček, Rhapsody for Orchestra (Taras Bulba)
Performers: Bamberg Symphony (orchestra), Jakub Hrůša (conductor), Daniil Trifonov (piano)

The Wachau Valley earned its UNESCO World Heritage listing thanks to its exceptional natural beauty and the importance of its terraced vineyards to the history of wine making in central Europe. Today our coach takes us as far as the picturesque town of Dürnstein, with time to explore this beautiful site overlooked by the ruins of a medieval castle, before we join a river cruise taking us down the Danube to Spitz. Here we enjoy a wine tasting and relaxed lunch showcasing the region’s specialities. We return to the hotel by coach, with the evening at leisure on arrival. Overnight Vienna (B, L)

This morning our walking tour reveals some of the hidden Baroque treasures of Vienna, taking us past the Winterpalais, the beautiful inner-city townhouse of Prince Eugene of Savoy; the Jesuits Church, consecrated in 1631, whose simple exterior veils a lavish interior with later frescoes by Andrea Pozzo celebrating the Assumption; and the Heiligenkreuzerhof, a charming collection of shops, apartments and a small chapel in a hidden courtyard. After a break for lunch we enjoy a private guided tour of the Garden Palace, a fine neoclassical building belonging to the Princes of Liechtenstein, where we view a selection of the family’s priceless collection of Old Masters – including works by Rubens, van Dyck and Frans Hals. The later afternoon is at leisure, before we meet for our farewell dinner this evening. Overnight Vienna (B, D)

The tour ends this morning after breakfast. Please consult your individual travel documents for your ongoing journey. (B)