Teachers' Travel                            Leisurely Touring
IMPERIAL CITIES
Classical concert tour
Budapest, Vienna, Salzburg and Prague

      Sept  14 - 28, 2009

      Itinerary

Day One - evening departure from Toronto to Budapest (via Amsterdam on KLM).

Day Two -  Arrive Budapest. Transfer by private coach to the Hotel Mercure Korona in the central area of Pest just a few minutes walk from the Danube. Budapest is often called the “Paris of the East“. Formerly separate cities, Buda and Pest are joined by graceful bridges. We will have a short stroll on the Promenade along the Danube before dinner. Dinner at an old palace near the hotel included.

Day Three - Budapest - Our morning sightseeing tour of Pest includes an inside tour of the beautiful and historic Parliament buildings, a stroll on the fashionable Vaci Utca Street, Coronation Church where kings and queens have been crowned, Heroes’ Square and Gellert Hill (a beautiful hill-top area associated with many ancient Hungarian legends). Budapest's opulent spa baths are at Gellert. The afternoon is at leisure to explore and to sample Hungarian cuisine. In the evening we enjoy a classical musical performance at the Hungarian Academy of Music.

 Day Four -  Budapest - Morning sightseeing tour of Buda includes the Castle Hill area, Fisherman's Bastion, the Royal Palace and an inside visit to the spectacular Matthias Church. Buda is a romantic pedestrian area. Once a medieval town, it has atmospheric streets with gas lamps and picturesque old houses many of which are now art galleries. The afternoon is free to explore and in the evening there are optional concerts or opera.

Day Five -  Budapest - Vienna – Morning departure for Vienna by private coach. Check into the Hotel Hilton Stadpark. The "City of the Waltz", Vienna, at one time controlled much of Central and Eastern Europe. Today one still sees many imperial splendours - palaces, museums and baroque churches as well as ornate cafes and beer taverns, churches, wide avenues and outdoor restaurants. It is said that waiters still bow as if saluting a Hapsburg prince and the Lipizzaner horses dance to the strains of Mozart. Be sure to sample the famous chocolate cake or apple strudel. In the afternoon we visit the Treasury in the Hofburg Palace. This treasury holds the opulent Hapsburg crown jewels and other vivid reminders of the city's imperial history. 

Day Six - Vienna - Morning city tour includes a walk to see the unique "Painted Houses" of Vienna. The tour ends at the  Kunsthistoriches Museum so anyone who wishes to browse through this art museum has plenty of time. This museum includes the collection of the Hapsburgs personal paintings as well as many other masterpieces and it rivals the Louvre in Paris.
The afternoon is free to visit the many museums and galleries or to enjoy Vienna's cafes.  Evening Strauss and Mozart concert in a beautiful, baroque concert hall.

Day Seven - Vienna - Day is free until 4.00.when we begin our private tour of the Hapsburg Emperors’ Schonbrunn Palace followed by dinner at the Palace and then enjoy a Viennese classical concert in the Schonbrunn’s Orangerie.

Day Eight - Salzburg - Morning departure by private coach through lovely Austrian countryside to Salzburg, the "City of Mozart" where we stay at the four-star Hotel Stieglbrau. Afternoon visit to the Mirabel Gardens and Mozart's House where the composer lived with his family in Salzburg.  Evening classical concert at the Mirabel Palace.

Day Nine - Salzburg - Morning  walking tour in Salzburg to explore this charming city with its castle, markets, quaint streets and lovely cafes. The afternoon is free. In the evening we have dinner prepared according to traditional recipes from the 17th and 18th centuries in the St Peter Stiftskellar and a Mozart concert in the historic baroque hall.  We enjoy a concert of the most popular Mozart compositions by candlelight—with music played by Salzburg artists in historic costumes.

Day Ten - Salzburg - Free day in Salzburg. Optional tours are available,

Day Eleven - Salzburg / Prague - Transfer by private coach to Prague where we stay at the Hotel KK Central. En route we stop at Cesky Krumlov which is a fascinating medieval Czech town with a castle, winding cobblestoned streets and charming shops and cafes. 

Late afternoon arrival in Prague, a fairyland of domes, dungeons, spires and cuckoo clocks. It is the city of Good King Wenceslas who is now the patron saint of the Czech Republic. Once the capital of the Holy Roman Empire, Prague offers a wealth of architectural delights that have stood unscathed through the centuries.

Day Twelve - Prague – Half day guided walking tour of the Old Town which is a feast of artistic treasures. We explore the Old Town Square with its Astronomical Clock. Leading from the Square there are narrow streets and alleys filled with galleries, antique shops and centuries-old wine and beer cellars. The many sights include Charles IV's University, the Carolinium, St Nicholas Church and the Charles Bridge (built over 600 years ago) which leads to Mala Strana - one of the most romantic parts of Prague. The balance of the day is at leisure - perhaps to enjoy one of the many outdoor cafes and a visit to the Dvorak Museum and the Tyl Theatre, where Don Giovanni" was first performed. In the evening we enjoy a classical concert at the elegant Rudolfinium (Prague's main concert hall).

Day Fourteen – Free day in Prague. In the evening we have dinner with a Czech folklore performance.

Day Fifteen - Morning departure on KLM via Amsterdam to Toronto