SOUNDS OF CENTRAL EUROPE - 2008 PRAGUE, VIENNA, BRATISLAVA and BUDAPEST
 Opera performances:
In Prague:
To be announced
In Vienna:
To be announced
In Bratislava:
To be announed
In Budapest:
To be announced
Departure from U.S.A.: September 15, 2008 - 12 days - Return September 26, 2008 LAND COST includes orchestra level tickets in the theaters listed above.
Double occupancy: $4,950 per person - Single supplement: $850
Deposit: $500 per person
Balance due ten (10) weeks prior to departure. Day 1. – September 15. (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. – September 16. (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. This evening or the next we see an opera at the State Opera or the National Theatre. Performance to be announced. Day 3. – September 17. (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. 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. – September 18. (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. Day 5. – September 19. (B,D). VIENNA
This morning we drive souh through the lovely, picturesque Bohemian countryside of the Czech Republic and cros the border into Austria, to arrive in Vienna, where we stay three nights at the deluxe centrally located GRAND HOTEL. This evening or the next we will see an opera 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. - September 20. (B). VIENNA
During our sightseeing this morning we see the Rigstrasse, 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. Day 7. – September 21. (B). VIENNA
Today is free to take in any of the many fine museums of the city or stroll down Kartnerstrasse, the famous "walking Street" of Vienna. This evening we will have dinner at a very special local restaurant. Day 8. – September 22. (B). BRATISLAVA
This morning we drive east and cross the border into Slovakia, to arrive in Bratislava where we stay one night at the deluxe, centrally located RADISSON HOTEL. Afternoon tour of Bratislava. Among the sights to see are the Castle, Cathedral of Saint Martin, Old City Hall, City Gallery and the Trinity Church. Dinner at a local restaurant. This evening we see an opera at the Slovak National Theater. Performance to be announced.
BRATISLAVA: 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 electing 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 9. – September 23. (B). BUDAPEST
This morning we continue our drive south to cross the border into Hungary and arrive in Budapest, where we will stay three nights at the deluxe centrally located HOTEL MARRIOTT. By special assignment all our rooms have a view of the Danube River. This evening or the next we will see an opera at the Hungarian State Opera. Performance to be announced. 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 10. – September 24. (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. Day 11. September 25. (B). BUDAPEST
Today we visit the charming medieval village of Szentendre. Gala Farewell Dinner at the famous Gundel Restaurant. Day 12. – September 26. (B). BUDAPEST – UNITED STATES
Independent departure aboard your flight back to the U.S.A. arriving the same afternoon. 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 cancelled 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.
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: gnahat@EuropeanOperaTours.com
Website: www.EuropeanOperaTours.com
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