SOUNDS OF CENTRAL EUROPE - 2008. PRAGUE, VIENNA and BUDAPEST.
Opera performances:
* In Prague:
- 22 April LUCIA DI LAMMERMOOR by Donizetti in State Opera
- 23 April CARMEN by Bizet in National Theater.
* In Vienna:
- 24 April SALOME by Ricard Strauss in Vienna State Opera
- 25 April MADAME BUTTERFLY by Puccini in Vienna State Opera.
* In Budapest:
- 27 April DON PASQUALE by Donizetti in Hungarian State Opera
- 28 April DON GIOVANNI by Mozart in Hungarian State Opera.
* Departure from U.S.A.: April 20, 2008 - 11 days - Return April 30, 2008.
* Double occupancy: $4,950 per person - Single supplement: $850. Deposit: $500 per person - Balance due ten (10) weeks prior to departure.
Tour Itinerary:
Day 1: April 20. (D).* UNITED STATES – PRAGUE. Depart this evening aboard any airline of your choice to Prague, Czech Republic. Dinner and light breakfast served on the plane.
Day 2: April 21. (B,D). PRAGUE. Independent arrival at the Prague International Airport. We meet you at the deluxe centrally located HOTEL PALACE, where we stay three nights. Briefing and Gala Welcome Dinner at a local restaurant.
Day 3: April 22. (B). PRAGUE. Our sightseeing this morning will take us to the Castle District where we will visit Hradcany Castle, the Gothic St. Vitus Cathedral, the Golden Lane and Villa Bertramka where Mozart composed some of his music and where he stayed when his opera Don Giovanni was first performed. Afternoon at leisure. This evening we will see the opera LUCIA DI LAMMERMOOR by Donizetti in 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 4: April 23. (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. This evening we will see the opera CARMEN by Bizet in the National Theater.
Day 5: April 24. (B). VIENNA. This morning we drive south through the lovely, picturesque Bohemian countryside of the Czech Republic and cross the border into Austria, to arrive in Vienna, where we stay three nights at the deluxe centrally located GRAND HOTEL. This evening we will see the opera SALOME by Richard Strauss in the Vienna State Opera.
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 6: April 25. (B). VIENNA. During our sightseeing this morning we see the Ringstrasse, the Vienna State Opera House, the Parliament, the garden of the Belvedere Palace, 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 Mozart. Amongst them we see The "Figaro House", where he wrote the opera, “The Marriage of Figaro.” Afternoon at leisure. This evening we will see the opera MADAME BUTTERFLY by Puccini in the Vienna State Opera.
Day 7: April 26. (B,D). VIENNA. Today is free to take in any of the many fine museums of the city or stroll down Karntnerstrasse, the famous "walking street"of Vienna. This evening we will have dinner at a very special local restaurant.
Day 8: April 27. (B). BUDAPEST. This morning we drive east to cross the border into Hungary and arrive in Budapest, where we will stay for three nights at the deluxe centrally located HOTEL MARRIOTT. By special assignment all our rooms have a view of the Danube River. This evening we will see the opera DON PASQUALE by Donizetti in 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 9: April 28. (B,D). 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. Afternoon at leisure. This evening we will have our Gala Farewell Dinner at the famous Gundel Restaurant.
Day 10: April 29. (B). BUDAPEST. Today we visit the charming medieval town of Szentendre. This evening we will see the opera DON GIOVANNI by Mozart in the Hungarian State Opera.
Day 11: April 30. (B). BUDAPEST – UNITED STATES. Independent departure aboard your flight back to the U.S.A. arriving the same afternoon. Auf wiedersehen. See you soon on another H.A.T. Tour.
* B-Breakfast, L-Lunch, D-Dinner with wine
Airfare is not included. Individuals make their own flight arrangements. Please make sure that your airline ticket reads: U.S.A. to Prague and Budapest back to U.S.A. We urge you to check airline cancellation penalties before purchasing airline tickets since international departure times and flights can change.
Tours also can be canceled due to low enrollment. 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 26 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.
Notes:
Airfare is not included in the tour price.
- Single supplement: $ 850
- Deposit: $ 500 per person
- Balance due ten (10) weeks prior to departure
- Airfare is not included.
Price Includes:
- Orchestra level tickets in the theaters listed above
- English-speaking guides.
Also see tour packages in:
Europe
Czech Republic
Hungary
Austria
Dance, Music and Opera
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