EuropeanOperaTours

Day 1. Sept. 9. (D)*. DEPART FOR BERLIN
Depart this evening aboard any airline of your choice to Berlin, Germany. Dinner and light breakfast served on the plane.

Day 2. Sept. 10. (B,D). BERLIN
Independent arrival at the Berlin International Airport. We meet you at the deluxe RADISSON SAS HOTEL, where we stay three nights. By special arrangements, our rooms are in Business-service class on the upper floors with a beautiful view of the historical and the new heart of Berlin. Briefing and Gala Welcome Dinner.

Day 3. Sept. 11. (B). BERLIN
Morning sightseeing tour to include Alexanderplatz, the Town Hall, the Palace of the Republic, the Humboldt University, the State Opera and Unter den Linden. We drive through the Brandenburg Gate for a tour of former West Berlin to see Potzdamer Platz, the newly restored parliament, the Reichstag, the Berlin Philharmonic Hall, Charlottenburg Palace, the shop-lined Kurfurstendamm and Emperor William Memorial Church. Afternoon at leisure.

BERLIN: From the building of its first wall 750 years
ago to the recent destruction of its second wall, Berlin has had a tumultuous
history. It belies its war-torn past. The well laid-out parks, clean streets,
smart shops and restaurants make this one of Europe's most cosmopolitan cities.
In the heart of old Berlin is the great boulevard, Unter den Linden, planned by
Frederick the Great as the central axis of his imperial capital. It leads from
the Brandenburg Gate to Alexanderplatz. Here lies the Museum Island with the
famous Pergamon Museum, which houses the Pergamon Alter, actually an enormous
2nd century Hellenistic temple brought in its entirety from Turkey. In January
2000, Berlin once again became the capital of the new Germany.

Day 4. Sept. 12. (B). BERLIN
This morning we will drive to Potsdam to see San Souci, an elegant baroque palace, and visit Cecilienhof, where Truman, Stalin and Churchill signed the Potsdam Agreement to divide Germany after the war. Afternoon at leisure, or sail on the River Spree from a stop next to our hotel. This evening we will see the opera NABUCCO at the Deutsche Oper.

Day 5. Sept. 13. (B,D). DRESDEN
Today we drive southeast to arrive in Dresden, where we stay three nights at the de luxe Kempinski Hotel
Taschenberg located a few steps from the Semper Opera House. Upon arrival we will do an orientation tour by bus to see the glorious rococo and baroque architecture of this city made famous by Augustus the Strong. Dinner at the
elegant Intermezzo restaurant in the hotel.

DRESDEN, splendidly situated on the banks of the Elbe
River, is known as the “Florence of the North,” and has long held an attraction
for artists. Dresden has been home to Friedrich Schiller, master of German
poetry and drama, who while spending the years 1785 to 1787 wrote the drama,
Don Carlos, upon which Verdi based his opera of the same name, and the Ode to
Joy, which forms the text of Beethoven's Ninth, or Choral Symphony. Composer
Carl Maria von Weber lived and worked here, as did Richard Wagner. Besides the
Zwinger Palace, Dresden's second major attraction is the rebuilt Semper Opera,
named for its architect, Gottfried Semper. Wagner and von Weber conducted and
many Richard Strauss’ operas had their premiers here.

Day 7. Sept. 14. (B). DRESDEN
This morning we will take a walking tour to see Dresden’s most famous landmark the Frauenkirche, The Procession of Princes, the collection of paintings by the Old Masters at the Zwinger Palace, and the fantastic collection of the precious objects in the Green Vault Museum. Afternoon at leisure. In the evening we will see the opera MACBETH in the beautiful Semper Oper.

Day 8. Sept. 15. (B). DRESDEN
Today is free for you to explore this city on your own. The Electors and Kings of Saxony were enthusiastic collectors of art and acquired art treasures of immeasurable value over the course of the centuries. So rapidly did the collectibles grow in number and variety that special museums were founded as far back as the 18 century. Dresden is today one of the most important museum cities in Europe. This evening we will see the opera THE JEWESS at the Semper Oper.

Day 9. Sept. 16. (B). LEIPZIG
Today we drive west to arrive in Leipzig where we stay two nights at the elegant, centrally located LEIPZIG HOTEL. This evening we will hear Arias in the Mendelssohn Hall sung by well known singers.

Leipzig, the City of Books has one of the world’s
earliest books, the Glossa Super Apocalipsim, printed in the year 1481. The
German Book Exchange, founded in 1825, has publishers coming from all over the
world, to attend the trade fair every year. After the fall of the Berlin Wall
in 1989, music lovers come to enjoy its reputation, thanks to its St. Thomas
Choir, the Gewandhaus Orchestra and the Mendelssohn-Bartholdy National College
of Music.

Day 10. Sept. 17. (B,D). LEIPZIG
This morning we visit the Thomas Church where Johann Sebastian Bach played the organ and is buried. On Whit Sunday in 1539, Martin Luther gave a sermon here to inaugurate the Reformation. We also visit the Altes Town Hall and the home of composer Felix Mendelssohn. Gala Farewell Dinner at the hotel’s fine restaurant.

Day 11. Sept. 18. (B). LEIPZIG – BACK HOME
Morning departure aboard your flight back home arriving the same afternoon. Auf wiedersehn. See you soon on another H.A.T. Tour.

*B-Breakfast, L-Lunch, D-Dinner (including wine)

Land Cost per person:
Double occupancy: 5,450 per person - Single supplement: $ 6,800
Reservation deposit: $1,000 - Balance due: June 09, 2013

• 
  Tour includes:
• 
  Orchestra level seats in teatres
• 
  Deluxe centrally located hotels
• 
  Three dinners with
  wine in gourmet restaurants
• 
  Welcome reception with cocktails
• 
  Privat sightseeing in each city
• 
  Experienced English speaking guides
• 
  Entrance fees to museums
• 
  Intercity coach services
• 
  Transportation to and from teatres
• 
  Baggage handling
• 
  Guide, driver and bellboys gratuities
• 
  Travelling with
  the owner at your service
• 
  Maximum 15 persons in each group

Air fare is not included. Please make sure that your airline ticket reads from home to Berlin, and from Leipzig back home. We urge you to check airline cancellation penalties before purchasing airline tickets since international departure times and flights can change. H.A.T. Tours does not accept liability for cancellation penalties related to domestic or international airline tickets purchased independently in conjunction with this tour.

H.A.T. Tours has been conducting opera tours in Europe for the past 31 years, and is very familiar with this part of the world. Therefore, we offer special tours with many 'extras,' which comes from our long-term knowledge of the area.



Please send your deposit to:
H.A.T. Tours, PO Box 46876, St. Petersburg, Florida, 33741
Phone toll free: (800) 472-4448 – Fax: (727) 360-8459
E-mail: operas@hattours.com - www.EuropeanOperaTours.com