July 28 to Aug 11, 1999   $3,295 (plus air)

Mozart and Much More

including: Vienna, Prague, the Salzburg Music Festival

Program itinerary:

July 28 — Departure from USA

      Overnight connection to Vienna.

(Dinner, Breakfast on airplane)

July 29, 30, 31, Aug 1 — Vienna

      Your faculty guides will help you dis- cover the wonders of the past two millenia in the bustling center of Vienna, all within easy strolling distance of the hotel. The Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius died here; later the Babenberg dynasty and then the Habsburgs made this their capital. We will contrast ancient Romanesque and Gothic churches (including the great Cathe- dral of St. Stephen) with the joyous Baroque fantasies of swirling stone and plaster which have flavored the elegant atmosphere of city palaces and churches since the 17th century.

      Near the Ring, the grand boulevard around the center of the city, we will see great museums, theaters and palaces and will also find reminders that at the dawn of the 20th century, Vienna was one of the birthplaces of modernism: this was the city of Otto Wagner’s innovative architecture, of the fascinating and shocking paintings of Klimt and Schiele and of the challeng- ingly dissonant music of Schönberg and Berg. Of course, we will visit sites which remind us that Mozart spent most of his last years here. From the heights in the Vienna Woods we can descend to the city like the imperial troops who ar- rived in 1684 to rescue Vienna from the second Turkish siege, which was the origin, according to the tales, of both Viennese coffeehouses and croissants.

      On Sunday you may want to attend Mass in one of Vienna’s magnificent churches. And on one evening we will, like Mozart, Schubert and Beethoven, enjoy the conviviality of a “Heurigen,” a traditional vintner-owned wine house, where we will have dinner and sample the new vintage. You can be assured that we will not join the usual rows of tourist buses; your faculty guides have their favorite wine gardens on the edge of the vineyards where the Viennese like to relax.

(2 Special Meals)

Aug 2 — Vienna to Prague

      A ride through the beautiful countryside along the Danube River will bring us to the Wachau district, famous for its lovely old river towns, its hills topped with castle ruins and great monasteries, and especially for its wine. The great river has flowed through many ages of human history here:

      –To the Romans it represented the remote edge of their empire, a defensive line against the wild Celtic and Germanic tribes of central Europe, and the local culture preserves one of the most enduring legacies of the Romans to the region: wine!

      –In the Middle Ages the Danube was the only reliable highway for crusaders, mer- chants, nobles and their ladies; it was the conduit for exotic wares from the East and the West and also for the stories and songs of minstrels who were drawn to the court in Vienna. In the cozy town of Dürnstein, where England’s Richard, the Lion-Heart, was imprisoned (and discovered, says the legend, by his faithful minstrel Blondel), we will relive tales of knights and chivalry.

      –Nearby monasteries, such as the great Benedictine abbey of Melk, demonstrate how dramatically the aroque style of the 16th and 17th centuries rejected the values of austerity and restraint and tried to replicate the glories of heaven on earth!

      We have planned a special meal to share local culinary delights with you. Then we will cross the Czech border, which until recently represented the Iron Curtain between Eastern Europe and the West. Small gems, such as the restored town of Telc° are along our path on the drive to the “Golden City,” Prague.

(Special Lunch)

Aug 3, 4 — Prague

      We will explore the historic inner city, paying special attention the the sites associated with the Czech struggle against Soviet rule and the “Gentle Revolution” of 1989, and we will also see the monuments of Prague’s glorious past. Near the Old Town Square with its city hall and one of Europe’s oldest mechanical clocks are Charles University (the oldest in central Europe), the old Jewish Quarter (where legend says that Rabbi Löwe brought his clay man, the Golem, to life), the theater where Mozart saw the successful produc- tion of Don Giovanni, and sites associated with the Renaissance astronomers Tycho Brahe and Johannes Kepler, the reformer Jan Hus, and the writer Franz Kafka. The ancient Charles Bridge spans the lovely Vltava River (the Moldau) below the Hradc ° any Castle district, where we will also see the Gothic magnificence of St. Vitus Cathedral, the Golden Lane, and much more. In the evenings the faculty will take you on a stroll through the Old Town to discover the magic of Prague at night. You will also meet some of their Czech friends, who will help you see this glorious city through the eyes of those who have lived through its recent history.

      You will want to save some time to shop for renowned Bohemia crystal and other souvenirs. On one evening we will invite you for a sampling of the best of Czech cuisine, accompanied by Moravian wine or excellent and justly famous Czech beer!

(2 Special Meals)

Aug 5 — Prague to Cesky Krumlov

      An trip into the region of the Bohemian Forest will bring us to and idyllic retreat for Czech campers, canoers, swimmers and hikers along the upper Moldau River, inspiration for the music of Smetana. In the Communist era, the romantic woods and historic ccastles in this border region were off-limits to most visitors from the “West.” Cesky Krumlov is a jewel–one of the most complete medieval towns in central Europe; it has been a haven for artists and musi- cians; and vigorous restoration is helping it regain its reputation as one of Europe’s most beautiful town and castle complexes.

Aug 6 — Cesky Krumlov to Salzburg

      A drive through forests, villages and farmlands will bring us back to Austria, and on our way to Salzburg, we will stop for a specially arranged meal among the mountains and lakes. Then we will enter what many have claimed to be one of the world’s most beautiful cities and will join the festivities at one of the world’s premier musical events–the Salzburg Festival!!

(Special Lunch)

Aug 7, 8, 9, 10 — Salzburg

      Our schedule in Salzburg, the birthplace of Mozart, will accommodate the various opera and concert schedules of tour participants. The Festival attracts many of the world’s leading musicians, and each member of our group will have tickets to three of these events as part of the tour. Your faculty guides will help to prepare you for the concerts and operas.

      You will also explore the city of Salzburg with your faculty guides and their Austrian friends. The history of this city also goes back to Roman times and it was later ruled by the Archbishops of Salzburg for centuries. The fortress castle, St. Peter’s abbey, the Cathedral, the Nonnberg cloister, the narrow streets and spacious plazas will invite us to feel the spirit of past centuries. We will also take a group excursion to Hellbrunn Castle, where the amazing waterworks will show us the boyish trickster in one archbishop and will keep us all on our toes!

      A day’s trip through the Salzkammer- gut district will take us into the heart of some of Austria’s most awe-inspiring scenery. We have arranged a special meal here, where villages cling to mountain slopes above crystal-clear lakes, and also another special meal in Salzburg before we reluctantly leave.

(2 Special Meals)

Aug 11 — Salzburg to USA

      Transfer to airport for flight to USA.

(Lunch, Dinner on airplane)