Vienna

Arrive in Vienna and check in to our hotel. Meet fellow travelers at a welcome reception and dinner.

Our tour today focuses on Vienna during the Hapsburg Empire. Drive along the Ringstrasse, the 19th-century avenue that encircles Vienna’s Old City, passing some of the city’s most iconic buildings, lovely parks and private mansions. Walk through the Inner City past the Hofburg, former imperial residence and today the official seat of the Austrian president. We also visit St. Stephen’s Cathedral, seat of the Archbishop of Vienna and the primary burial place for Habsburg royalty. This afternoon, take a guided backstage tour of the legendary Vienna State Opera that was built in 1869 during the reign of Emperor Franz Josef I and is considered one of the world’s most important.

Depart the city for a full-day excursion to the eastern border of Austria to explore Burgenland. Hear how the area was given its name and how various nationalities including Austrians, Hungarians, Croats, and Serbs call this region home. Stop first in the region’s capital, Eisenstadt, to visit Esterhazy Palace, where Joseph Haydn conducted and composed for almost 40 years. Also visit the Haydn-Haus Eisenstadt, the composer’s home for 12 years, for further insights into the composer's life. After a typical Burgenland lunch, drive to the delightful village of Rust on Lake Neusiedl to catch sight of the newly arrived storks settling into the same nests they come back to every year. Wrap up the day at a tasting of superb Burgenland wines before returning to Vienna.

No other art movement represents fin-de-siècle Vienna better than the Jugendstil or Secessionist movement. Begin early this morning at architect Joseph Maria Olbrich’s Secession Building for a private viewing of Klimt’s remarkable Beethoven Frieze. Also see Otto Wagner’s Postal Savings Bank and rail station pavilions and conclude with a private visit to his church at Steinhof, considered one of the greatest art nouveau churches in the world. In the afternoon, visit Belvedere Palace, which was built for Prince Eugene of Savoy and now houses many of the best-known works by painters Gustav Klimt and Egon Schiele. This evening, we leave the Belle Époque behind and focus on modern Austria at a specially arranged guest lecture by one of Austria’s most celebrated journalists.

Participate in a private guided tour of the newly renovated Austria Parliament this morning and hear from a member of Parliament on the current political scene. Then set out for the idyllic scenery of the Vienna Woods and a visit to Heilgenkreuz Abbey, home to nearly 100 monks. Continue to Mayerling Castle, scene of the suicide pact between Crown Prince Rudolf and his commoner sweetheart. Drive through the lovely Helen Valley, the inspiration for Beethoven’s 6th Symphony, and arrive in the charming village of Mödling to enjoy a demonstration of strudel making.

After breakfast, hear from a member of the Vienna Philharmonic on the history of the orchestra and its role in classical music in Vienna. Then, embark on a guided walk through the old town, following in the footsteps of the four great masters—Haydn, Mozart, Schbert, and Beethoven—to see where and how they lived. Conclude at Liechtenstein Palace for a tour of its magnificent collection of paintings. Later this afternoon, attend a concert by members of the Vienna Philharmonic performing music by Mozart and Schubert in the house where Schubert once lived. Enjoy a light, casual dinner at a heuriger, a traditional Viennese wine tavern this evening.

Depart the city for a full-day excursion to the Wachau Valley, where we visit Melk Abbey, situated high atop a rocky precipice overlooking the Danube and containing an impressive library of medieval manuscripts. Following lunch in the nearby town of Dürnstein, where Richard the Lionhearted was held captive in the 12th century, return to Vienna along the river, stopping to taste some of the Wachau Valley’s famous Grüner Veltiners and Rieslings in Weissenkirchen.

Depart on foot for the Kunsthistorisches Museum, a splendid repository of art collections assembled by generations of Habsburg monarchs. Sculpture and applied arts vie for our attention as we walk among the many magnificent paintings and Greek, Roman, and Egyptian antiquities. Meet with an art historian to learn about some of the projects in which the museum is engaged. The rest of the afternoon is free for independent exploration. Gather this evening for a festive farewell reception and dinner.

After breakfast, depart for the airport for flights returning home.