cimboildo PRAGUE, BUDAPEST AND VIENNA ART, HISTORY & MUSIC IN CENTRAL EUROPE

SEPTEMBER 17-30, 2018 TOUR LEADER: CHRISTOPHER MENZ

Overview Enjoy the art, history and music of central Europe on this new 14-day tour, which explores the region’s wealth of history and culture. The tour starts in Prague, one of Europe’s most beautiful cities, then travels to Bratislava and Budapest and concludes with five nights in Vienna, one of the world’s great cultural capitals. These countries have a long, shared history, sometimes united under the aegis of a multicultural empire, but at others bitterly divided by turbulent politics. Nevertheless, their distinct identities have been preserved and are expressed through their art, architecture and musical traditions. The richness of this region’s history as a crossroad of cultures is evident in the cities themselves, and we explore the historical and architectural wonders of each place, from Gothic churches and baroque palaces to the playful modernism of art nouveau. We also discover the unique history of the region through visits to historic sites beyond the city limits, including the UNESCO World-Heritage listed Pannonhalma Archabbey, Kutna Hora, and Mies Van der Rohe’s Villa Tugendhat. As centres of major kingdoms and empires, each city has developed world-class galleries and museums of fine and decorative arts. We visit both well-known collections, such as the Kunsthistoriches Museum and the Imperial Treasury in Vienna, as well as less-well known institutions including the recently renovated Museum of Fine Arts in Budapest, the Danubiana Museum of Modern Art in Bratislava, and the Alphonse Mucha Museum in Prague. And of course there’s the rich musical heritage that this region has bequeathed us. We enjoy performances in Prague, Budapest and Vienna and visit major monuments to the region’s great composers, including the Lobkowicz Palace in Prague – which has key manuscripts by Beethoven, Haydn and Mozart – the Franz Liszt Academy, and Esterháza Palace, where Haydn lived and worked. We round out the tour with fine dining, visits to hidden gems such as Gustav Klimt’s atelier, and a private viewing of the Liechtenstein Garden Palace, one of Europe’s finest private art collections.

Your tour leader Christopher Menz is a former director of the Art Gallery of South Australia and before that held curatorial positions at the National Gallery of Australia, Art Gallery of South Australia, and National Gallery of Victoria, specialising in decorative arts. Christopher has led several tours to Europe and the US for Academy Travel and Australian Book Review, for which he is a regular arts reviewer and consultant.

Christopher’s “knowledge of art, music and culture was exemplary… His tours of many art galleries really added depth to the trip” – Tour participant from Alps to the Rhine, April 2017.

PRAGUE, BUDAPEST AND VIENNA

Tour dates: September 17-30, 2018

Tour leader: Christopher Menz

Tour Price: $8,780 per person, twin share

Single Supplement: $2,090 for sole use of double room

Booking deposit: $500 per person

Recommended airline: Qatar

Maximum places: 20

Itinerary: Prague (3 nights), Bratislava (2 nights), Budapest (3 nights), Vienna (5 nights)

Date published: October 9, 2017

Enquiries and bookings

For further information and to secure a place on this tour please contact Frederick Steyn at Academy Travel on 9235 0023 or 1800 639 699 (outside Sydney) or email frederick@academytravel.com.au

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Tour Highlights

EXCEPTIONAL COLLECTIONS As capitals of kingdoms and empires, Prague, Budapest and Vienna have accumulated spectacular art collections. Enjoy centuries of art in some of Europe’s finest galleries, including the Kunsthistoriches Museum and a private tour of the Liechtenstein Garden Palace in Vienna, Budapest’s renovated Museum of Fine Arts, and Prague’s national collections.

PERFORMANCES AND MUSIC HISTORY Experience performances in historic venues in Prague, Budapest and Vienna; visit Esterháza Palace where Haydn lived and worked and the Franz Liszt Academy in Budapest, including the Liszt Memorial Museum; see the manuscripts of Beethoven, Haydn and Mozart in Prague’s Lobkowicz Palace.

MODERNIST GEMS Explore the art and architecture that shaped modernism, from the masters of the Vienna Secession including Otto Wagner’s architecture and Gustav Klimt’s villa and studio, to the broader modernist movement with visits to Mies van der Rohe’s superb Villa Tugendhat near Brno and Prague’s Alphonse Mucha museum.

PRAGUE AND BUDAPEST Experience the unique cityscapes and cultures of two of central Europe’s oldest capitals. Prague, with its well-deserved reputation for its beauty, Gothic and Art Nouveau architecture, and exceptional galleries, and Budapest, which has emerged from behind the Iron Curtain as the “Jewel of the Danube” once again.

PALACES AND ABBEYS The ruling dynasties of kingdoms and empires used their wealth to endow abbeys and create extraordinary palaces, as lasting testaments to their magnificence. Enjoy visits to historic abbeys and palaces, some of which remain in private hands, and their often extensive collections of fine and decorative arts.

Detailed itinerary Included meals are shown with the symbols B, L and D. Details of performances included in the itinerary will be released when the programs have been announced in early 2018.

Monday 17 September Arrive

The tour starts in the late afternoon, when we meet in the hotel for a talk, drinks and canapés. If you have booked your air travel through Academy Travel, we will organise a transfer from the airport to the hotel. Overnight Prague. (Canapes)

Tuesday 18 September Prague

Prague is one of Europe’s most beautiful cities and it has been the jewel in the crown of many a monarch, from the medieval kings of Bohemia, to the Habsburg Rudolph I, who transformed the city into a Renaissance capital of the Holy Roman Empire. The city continued to flourish throughout the centuries as the cultural heart of an empire: a musical centre where Mozart, Smetana and Dvorak were adored and, later, for its distinctive art nouveau style. Today we explore the city’s art, history and music. After a talk in the hotel this morning, we take a walking tour of the UNESCO world-heritage listed Old Town, with its stunningly picturesque lanes and palaces. After a welcome lunch in a superior restaurant, we visit the museum dedicated to Alphonse Mucha, whose graphic art defined what is quintessentially art nouveau. In the evening we enjoy a performance at either the Rudolfinium or Smetana Hall. Overnight Prague. (B, L)

Wednesday 19 September Prague Castle and its collections

Prague Castle has been a centre of political power for more than a millennium, and as such has accumulated fine examples of Czech architecture from the Romanesque to the Baroque. Today the complex is home to both the President of the Czech Republic and a number of excellent collections. We begin our tour of the area this morning with a visit to the 16th-century Lobkowicz Palace, whose collection includes masterpieces by Brueghel, Canaletto and Velazquez as well as an excellent collection of the original manuscripts of Mozart, Haydn and Beethoven. After a break for lunch, we have a guided tour of St Vitus’ Cathedral and its treasury, and a visit to the Sternberg Palace, where the National Gallery displays its antiquities and Old Masters, including Durer’s extraordinary Feast of the Rosary. Evening at leisure. Overnight Prague. (B)

Thursday 20 September Kutna Hora and Villa Tugendhat

This morning we depart by coach for Bratislava, stopping to visit two UNESCO World Heritage sites, representing two very different sides of Czech history and culture. Our first stop is

Above: Alphonse Mucha’s iconic style for Moet & Chandon in 1896 Below: View to St Vitus’ Cathedral from the Vlatava River

Top: the living room of Villa Tugendhat Above: The Danubiana Museum of Modern Art in Bratislava Below: El Greco’s Penitent Magdalen, just one of the masterpieces in Budapest’s Museum of Fine Arts

Kutna Hora, a town born in the 12th century around Bohemia’s first Cistercian abbey, which later grew rich enough from silver mining to rival Prague. Our second stop is Villa Tugendhat, outside of Brno. Mies van der Rohe designed the villa in 1929 for Grete Tugendhat, who had long been an admirer of his work, and its clean, modernist lines melded with noble materials is a perfect embodiment of his architectural principles. The three-storey villa has been recently restored, along with its original furnishings, also designed by the architect and his collaborators. In the late afternoon, we continue to Bratislava. Dinner in a local restaurant. Overnight Bratislava. (B, D)

Friday 21 September Bratislava

Bratislava has long been overshadowed by its neighbours, and consequently it is a much less well-touristed city. This morning, after a later start, we take a guided tour of the city, exploring its history, from its time as the temporary capital of Hungary (when Budapest was part of the Ottoman Empire), to its modern transformation as the capital of Slovakia following the ‘Velvet Divorce’ from the Czech Republic. In the afternoon, we visit one of the region’s best new art galleries: the Danubiana Museum of Modern Art. The museum on the Danube takes full advantage of its views, and its collection includes an international modern art collection – on permanent loan from Muellensteen, a Dutch art collector who helped found the museum – Slovakian modern and contemporary art, and a sculpture park. We return to the hotel via Devin Castle, which stands above the line of the Iron Curtain and commands views across the Morava and Danube rivers. Overnight Bratislava. (B)

Saturday 22 September Pannonhalma Abbey and Budapest

We depart by coach for Budapest this morning, stopping to visit the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Pannonhalma Archabbey. The abbey encapsulates the national story of Hungary: it was established in the 10th century, when the Magyar rulers converted to Christianity and brought in Benedictine monks from Italy and Prague. The complex was expanded in the 13th century, neglected during the Ottoman period, and restored harmoniously in the 18th and 19th centuries. After a guided tour of the abbey, we continue on to Budapest, where we take a coach tour of Buda – the historic capital of Hungary, which grew up in the Middle Ages – before settling into our hotel. Dinner. Overnight Budapest. (B, D)

Sunday 23 September Fine art in Budapest

Budapest’s art collections reflect the city’s quest to rival Vienna, its sister capital of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. A key part of this rivalry was the development of its art collections, which had to present the city as a European capital while also preserving and promoting its unique culture. This morning, after a talk in the hotel, we visit the Museum of Fine Arts, which reopens in 2018 after extensive modernisation. In addition to a significant

collection of antiquities, the museum has an excellent collection of Old Master paintings - including masterpieces by Raphael, Durer, Memling, Breughel, El Greco and Goya. In the mid-afternoon, we visit the Ludwig Museum of Contemporary Art, which displays Hungarian and International art from the 1960s to the present. This evening we enjoy a performance, details of which will be announced when the program has been released. Overnight Budapest. (B)

Monday 24 September Budapest

Budapest’s reputation as the jewel of the Danube is well earned, and the city extends elegantly from the riverbanks along its belle époque boulevards. This morning we explore the city of Pest, its history and architecture on foot, followed by a guided visit of the Franz Liszt Academy, the heart of Budapest’s musical life, founded by Liszt and home to the Liszt Memorial Museum – a fine reconstruction of Liszt’s final residence in Budapest. The afternoon is at leisure, and there is the option of visiting Memento Park – an outdoor sculpture museum of communist-era statuary that was removed from the city following the end of Soviet occupation. In the later evening, we cruise along the Danube to enjoy the spectacle of the city lit up at night. Overnight Budapest. (B)

Tuesday 25 September To Vienna

This morning, we depart by coach for Vienna, visiting Esterháza Palace on the way. Esterháza, a glorious 18th-century palace in the countryside, sometimes known as “the Hungarian Versailles”, is perhaps best known because Haydn lived there from 1766 until 1790, and regularly conducted performances of his work for the court. After touring the palace and its collections, we continue on to Vienna. Overnight Vienna. (B)

Wednesday 26 September Imperial Vienna

Vienna became the capital of the Habsburg Holy Roman Empire in the 1400s and as such has received centuries of embellishment. This morning we explore the history and architecture of Imperial Vienna, from the Gothic St Stephen’s Cathedral to the Imperial Palace and the monuments that ring the old city. After a break for lunch we visit the Kaiserliche Schatzkammer – the Imperial Treasury of the Habsburgs – an extraordinary collection, including the Imperial Crown and regalia, the treasury of the Order of the Golden Fleece, and the late-antique agate bowl that was once thought to be the Holy Grail. The later afternoon is at leisure, and you may wish to visit one of the other excellent museums in this area. Overnight Vienna. (B)

Thursday 27 September Secessionist Vienna

The Vienna Secession was a key moment in the broader modernist movement. Today we explore the Secession, and its roots in Viennese history. After a talk in the hotel, we take a

Top: The Hungarian Parliament building at dusk Above: The rococo Prince’s Bedroom at Esterháza Palace Below: The Imperial Crown of the Holy Roman Emperor

walking tour of secessionist and modernist architecture in central Vienna, including the Secession Building, whose interiors were decorated by Klimt, and Otto Wagner’s Postparkasse. After a lunch break, and an optional visit of the Wien Museum, we take a coach to some smaller, less well-visited sites on the outskirts of Vienna. We start with Villa Klimt, where the artist toiled away on his masterpieces from 1911-1918, and then see two wonderful, and very different, buildings by Otto Wagner – Villa Fuchs, residence of expressionist painter Ernst Fuchs, and the Kirche am Steinhof. Returning to the hotel, the evening at leisure. Overnight Vienna. (B)

Friday 28 September Schonbrunn and Klosterneuberg

This morning we visit Schönbrunn Palace. The palace began as a hunting lodge in the 16th century, but was redeveloped in the 18th century to become an imperial residence to rival the magnificence of Versailles and the Winter Palace. After touring the palace and its extensive gardens, we break for lunch, and then travel to Klosterneuberg monastery. The monastery, founded in the 12th century, and expanded and renovated in subsequent centuries, is home to the extraordinary altarpiece by Nicholas of Verdun, the greatest goldsmith of the Middle Ages. In the evening we will enjoy a performance at either the State Opera, Musikverein or the Konzerthaus. (B)

Saturday 29 September Kunsthistorisches and the Liechtenstein Garden Palace

Vienna’s art collections are among the finest in the world, rivalling Paris, London and New York for their scope and quality. We explore two of the city’s premier collections today. After a talk in the hotel, we visit the Kunsthistorisches Museum, with its collections of antiquities, Old Masters – including masterpieces by Caravaggio, Jan van Eyck, Durer, Vermeer, Velazquez and an exceptional collection of Pieter Brueghel the Elder – and Kunstkammer, where extraordinary works of goldsmithing, ivory and gem carving, and decorative arts are displayed. In the later afternoon, we enjoy a private tour of the Liechtenstein Garden Palace. This beautifully restored 18th-century palace and its collections remain in the hands of the House of Liechtenstein, and our tour allows us to see their Renaissance and baroque collections as they were intended: free from crowds, in frescoed and stuccoed rooms, side by side with Neoclassical and Biedermeier furnishings. In the evening, we enjoy a farewell dinner at one of Vienna’s excellent restaurants. Overnight Vienna. (B, D)

Sunday 30 September Departure

The tour ends in the hotel this morning. Please consult your individual travel plans. (B)

Above: Klimt’s ceiling in the Secession Building, Vienna Below: “Summer” by Giuseppe Arcimboldo, a favourite of the Renaissance Emperor Rudolph I, in the Kunsthistorisches Museum

Hotels Throughout the tour, we stay in central 4* hotels. Prague, Hilton Old Town (3 nights)

www.hiltonprague.com/praha-hotely-stare-mesto.html

Bratislava, Hotel Carlton (2 nights)

www.carlton.sk/ Budapest, Hotel K+K Opera (3 nights)

www.kkhotels.com/en/budapest/hotel-opera Vienna, Derag Livinghotel an der Oper (5 nights)

www.deraghotels.de/hotel-an-der-oper-wien/en/

The Astronomical Clock in Prague. It was installed in 1410, making it one of the oldest in the world.

Tour Price The tour price is $8,780 per person, twin share (land content only). The supplement for a single room is $2,090 per person. A non-refundable deposit of $500 per person is required to secure a place on the tour.

Tour Inclusions Included in the tour price

Services of an Australian tour leader throughout All accommodation in selected hotels All breakfasts and selected lunches and dinners as

indicated by (B), (L) or (D) in the detailed itinerary Travel during the tour by private coach as detailed in

the itinerary All entrance fees to sights mentioned in the itinerary Qualified local guides at selected sites Background talks and tour notes All tipping to local guides, drivers and restaurants Portage of one piece of luggage at all hotels

Not included

International air fares, taxes and surcharges (see below) Travel insurance Meals not mentioned in itinerary Expenses of a personal nature

Air travel OPTIONS The tour price quoted is for land content only. For this tour we recommend Qatar Airlines which offers flights into Prague and out of Vienna from most Australian cities. Please contact us for further information on competitive Economy, Business and First Class airfares. Transfers between airport and hotel are included for all passengers booking their flights through Academy Travel. These may be group or individual transfers.

Enquiries & bookings For further information and to secure a place on this tour please contact Frederick Steyn at Academy Travel on 9235 0023 or 1800 639 699 (outside Sydney) or email frederick@academytravel.com.au

Weather on Tour September is a good time to travel through this region, with the heat of summer long past and the beginnings of winter yet to stir. Average day time highs are in the low 20s, and average night time lows are 10-14. Some rain can be expected. We recommend dressing in layers, bringing a waterproof jacket and a good quality coat for the evenings.

Fitness Requirements of THIS tour

GRADE TWO

It is important both for you and for your fellow travellers that you are fit enough to be able to enjoy all the activities on this tour. To give you an indication of the level of physical fitness required to participate on our tours, we have given them a star grading. Academy Travel’s tours tend to feature extended walking tours and site visits, which require greater fitness than coach touring. We ask you to carefully consider your ability to meet the physical demands of the tour.

Participation criteria for this tour

This Grade Two tour is designed for people who lead active lives and can comfortably participate in up to five hours of physical activity per day on most days, including longer walking tours, challenging archaeological sites, climbing stairs, embarking and disembarking trains and/or boats, and a more demanding tour schedule with one night stops or several internal flights. You should be able to: keep up with the group at all times walk for 4-5 kilometres at a moderate pace with only

short breaks stand for a reasonable length of time in galleries and

museums tolerate uncomfortable climatic conditions such as cold,

humidity and heat walk up and down slopes negotiate steps and slopes on archaeological sites,

which are often uneven and unstable get on and off a large coach with steep stairs, train or

boat unassisted, possibly with luggage move your luggage a short distance if required

A note for older travellers

If you are more than 80 years old, or have restricted mobility, it is highly likely that you will find this itinerary challenging. You will have to miss several activities and will not get the full value of the tour. Your booking will not be accepted until after you have contacted Academy Travel to discuss your situation and the exact physical requirements of this tour. While we will do our best to reasonably accommodate the physical needs of all group members, we reserve the right to refuse bookings if we feel that the requirements of the tour are too demanding for you and/or if local conditions mean we cannot reasonably accommodate your condition.