Sounds of Central Europe – 2009

Berlin, Dresden, Prague and Vienna

Opera performances:
In Berlin:
03 May - EUGEN ONEGIN by Tschaikowskij in Deutsche Oper
05 May - ARMIDA by C. Gluck in Komische Oper
In Dresden:
06 May - SERAGLIO by Mozart in Semperoper
In Prague:
08 May - LIBUSE by Smetana in the National Theatre
09 May - CARMEN by Bizet in the State Opera
In Vienna:
11 May - LA TRAVIATA by Verdi in Staatsoper

Departure from U.S.A.: 02 May 2009 – 12 days. Return 13 May 2009.

LAND COST: (includes orchestra level tickets in the theatres listed above)
Double occupancy: $4,950 per person - Single supplement: $850
Deposit: $750 per person - Balance due ten (10) weeks prior to departure.

Day 1. - May 02. (D)*. UNITED STATES – BERLIN
Depart this evening aboard any airline of your choice from U.S.A. to Berlin, Germany. Dinner and light breakfast served on the plane.

Day 2. – May 03. (B,D). BERLIN
Independent arrival at the Berlin International Airport. We meet you at the centrally located RADISSON SAS HOTEL, where we stay three nights. By special arrangement, our rooms are in business-service class on the upper floors with a beautiful view of the historical and the new heart of Berlin. This evening we will see the opera EUGEN ONEGIN by Tschaikowskij in Deutsche Oper. Briefing and Gala Welcome Dinner at the hotel.

Day 3.  – May 04. (B). BERLIN
Morning sightseeing tour to include Alexanderplatz, the Town Hall, the famous Humboldt University and the State Opera. We then drive around the Brandenburg Gate, to see Potsdamerplatz, the newly restored parliament, the Reichstag, the Berlin Philharmonic Hall, Charlottenburg Palace, the shop-lined Kurfurstendamm and the Emperor Wilhelm Memorial Church. In the afternoon we will visit the famous  Pergamon Museum.

BERLIN: From the building of its first wall 750 years ago to the recent destruction of its second wall, Berlin has had a tumultuous history.  It belies its war-torn past.  The well laid-out parks, clean streets, smart shops and restaurants make this one of Europe's most cosmopolitan cities.  In the heart of old Berlin is the great boulevard, Unter den Linden, planned by Frederick the Great as the central axis of his imperial capital. It leads from the Brandenburg Gate to Alexanderplatz. Here lies the Museum Island with the famous Pergamon Museum, which houses the Pergamon Altar, actually an enormous 2nd century Hellenistic temple brought in its entirety from Turkey. In January 2000, Berlin once again became the capital of new Germany.

Day 4. – May 05. (B). BERLIN
This morning we will drive to Potsdam to see San Souci, an elegant baroque palace, and to visit Cecilienhof, where Truman, Stalin and Churchill signed the Potsdam Agreement to divide Germany after the war. Afternoon at leisure. This evening we will see the opera ARMIDA by Christoph Gluck in the Komische Oper.

Day 5. – May 06. (B). DRESDEN
Today we drive southeast 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 see the opera SERAGLIO by Mozart in the famous Semperoper.

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 6. – May 07. (B,D). 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. Afternoon at leisure. Dinner in the elegant restaurant at the hotel.

Day 7. – May 08. (B). PRAGUE
This morning we drive southeast through the Erzog mountains into the Czech Republic, to stop first for a visit to the Czech composer Antonin Dvorek’s home in Nelahocec. Afternoon arrival in Prague where we stay three nights at the deluxe centrally located HOTEL PALACE. This evening we will see the opera LIBUSE by Smetana at the National Theater.

Day 8. – May 09. (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 see the opera CARMEN by Bizet 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 09. – May 10. (B,D). 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. Dinner at a local restaurant.

Day 10. - May 11. (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 two nights at the deluxe centrally located GRAND HOTEL. This evening we will see the opera LA TRAVIATA by Verdi 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, theatre, 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 11. - May 12. (B,D).  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. Gala Farewell Dinner at a local restaurant.

Day 12 - May 13. (B). VIENNA – 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 Berlin and Vienna 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 27 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.
All gratuities are included in the Land Cost. 

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