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SOUNDS OF CENTRAL EUROPE - 2010
Vienna, Budapest, Prague and Dresden
Opera performances:
In Vienna:
08 May. TOSCA by Puccini
In Budapest:
10 May. NABUCCO by Verdi
In Prague
12. May. DON QUICHOTTE by Massenet
13. May. IDOMENEO by Mozart
In Dresden:
15 May. CINDERELLA by Rossini
Departure: 05 May 2010 - 12 Days - Return: 16 May 2010.
LAND COST: (includes orchestra level tickets in the theaters listed above)
Double occupancy: $5,250 per person - Single supplement: $1,050
Deposit: $750 per person - Balance due ten (10) weeks prior to departure.
Day 1. May 05. (D).* U.S.A. VIENNA
Depart this evening aboard any airline of your choice to Vienna, Austria. Dinner and light breakfast served on the plane.
Day 2. May 06. (B,D). VIENNA
Independent arrival at the Vienna International Airport. We meet you at the deluxe centrally located GRAND HOTEL, where we stay three nights. Briefing and Gala Welcome Dinner at the hotel.
Day 3. May 07. (B). VIENNA
During our sightseeing this morning we see the Ringstrasse, the Vienna State Opera House, the Parliament, the Hofburg, the former Imperial Palace, the bustling Inner City, St. Stephen's Cathedral from where we walk through the old city of Vienna and include some of the many homes and museums of famous composers such as Beethoven and The Figaro House, one of Mozart's homes in Vienna, where he wrote the opera, 'The Marriage of Figaro.' Afternoon at leisure.
VIENNA: From the time the Romans selected the site of a Celtic settlement for the location of one of its most important Central European forts, Vindobona, the city which grew up in the Vienna Basin of the Danube, has played a vital role in European history. Austria grew up around the city and developed into a mighty empire, but the Viennese character formed during the long history of the country can only be said to be a rich amalgam of the blending of cultures that have made Vienna what it still is today: a city whose people devote themselves to the enjoyment of the good life - music, art, literature, theater, architecture, education, food and drink - all are part of the gemütlichkeit of Vienna. Mozart, Schubert, Beethoven, the Strausses (all of them), Gluck, Mahler, Brahms, Liszt, Haydn, Weber, Schonberg - in the music world alone these are some of the outstanding names which are a part of the soul of Vienna.
Day 4. May 08. (B). VIENNA
Today is free to take in any of many museums within walking distance of our hotel. Among them are the Albertina, Fine Arts, Leopold, Modern Art and others. This evening we will see the opera TOSCA by Puccini at the Vienna Staatsoper.
Day 5. May 09. (B,D). BUDAPEST
This morning we drive east to cross the border into Hungary and arrive in Budapest where we stay two nights at the deluxe MARRIOTT HOTEL. By special appointment, all our rooms are facing the River Danube.
Day 6. May 10. (B). BUDAPEST
Morning sightseeing in this famous twin city will start in Buda with a visit to the 13th century Matthias Church and the Fisherman Bastion. In Pest, the famous commercial center, we will see St. Stephen's Basilica, the Hungarian Parliament, Hero Square and the newly restored Synagogue. This evening we will see the opera NABUCCO by Verdi at the Hungarian State Opera.
BUDAPEST is that paradox among Eastern European capitals, a city where the pleasure of the table has lost none of its zing. Happily for visitors enticed by monuments to an opulent past, Hungary's former imperial city is filled with architectural treasures that have been handsomely preserved. Divided by the wide stately bends of the Danube River, Budapest is two cities in one. The halves present a startling contrast. On the east bank modern, bustling, industrial Pest spreads across the low-lying Hungarian piedmont. On the west, 2000-year old Buda - the historic heart of the city and a pedestrian's delight - wanders into a bastion of secluded hills.
Day 7. May 11. (B,D). BRATISLAVA - PRAGUE
This morning we drive north to cross the border into Slovakia and stop to visit its capital, Bratislava. We continue our drive to cross the border into the Czech Republic and arrive in Prague, where we stay three nights at the deluxe centrally located HOTEL PALACE. Dinner at the hotel.
The Poles, Hungarians, Austrians, Germans and Russians occupied BRATISLAVA, straddling both banks of the Danube River for centuries. It became the capital of the Slovak Republic only on January 1st, 1993, by an election to separate from the former country of Czechoslovakia. Both the Austrian and Hungarian borders are just a stone's throw away from the city center.
Day 8. May 12. (B). PRAGUE
Our sightseeing this morning will take us to the Castle District where we will visit Hradcany Castle, the Gothic St. Vitus Cathedral and the Golden Lane. Afternoon at leisure. This evening we will see the DON QUICHOTTE by J. Massenet at The State Opera.
PRAGUE is called the Golden City of One Hundred Spires. If you stand on the ramparts of Prague Castle and look across the old town, you understand why. As far as the eye can see, the sun is reflected on the glittering surfaces of the spires, steeples and domes. It is also one of the loveliest cities in all of Europe. Hradcany Castle and the Old Town are fine examples of Romanesque, Gothic and Renaissance architecture.
Day 9. May 13. (B). PRAGUE
This morning we visit the Old Synagogue and Museum, the Jewish Cemetery as well as the Old Town Square with its world-famous Astronomical Clock and the Charles Bridge. Afternoon at leisure or visit one of the fine museums in Prague. Tis evening we will see the opera IDOMENEO by Mozart at the Theater of Estates.
Day 10. May 14. (B,D). PRAGUE - DRESDEN
Today we drive northwest to arrive in Dresden, where we stay two nights at the deluxe KEMPINSKI HOTEL. Afternoon sightseeing tour of Dresden to see the glorious rococo and baroque architecture of this city made famous by Augustus the Strong. This evening we will have our Gala Farewell Dinner at 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 premieres here.
Day 11. May 15. (B). DRESDEN
This morning we will see the collection of paintings by the Old Masters at the Zwinger Palace, and the fantastic collection of the precious objects in the Green Vault. This evening we will see the opera LA CERENTOLA by Rossini at the famous Semperoper.
Day 12. May 16. (B). DRESDEN - UNITED STATES
Morning departure aboard your flight back to the U.S.A. arriving the same afternoon. Auf wiedersehn. See you soon on another H.A.T. Tour.
* B-Breakfast, L-Lunch, D-Dinner (including wine)
Airfare is not included. Individuals make their own flight arrangements. Please make sure that your airline ticket reads: U.S.A. to Vienna and Dresden 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 operating in Central and Eastern Europe for the past 28 years, and is very familiar with this part of the world. Therefore, we conduct a special tour with many 'extras,' which comes from our long-term knowledge of the area.
The Managing Director Grethe Arani or Aspee Arani will personally escort this tour. Local English-speaking guides are provided in each of the cities visited.
Please send your deposit to:
H.A.T. Tours
PO Box 46876, St. Petersburg, Florida, 33741
Phone toll free: (800) 472-4448 or Fax: (727) 360-8459
gnahat@EuropeanOperaTours.com
www.EuropeanOperaTours.com
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