Music & Empire: Vienna & Salzburg Cultural Journey

Today you explore the imperial and musical heart of Vienna with an expert cultural guide. You tour the vast Hofburg, the Habsburgs' winter palace, with its imperial apartments and treasury of crown jewels, and perhaps glimpse the famous white Lipizzaner horses of the Spanish Riding School. You take a guided visit to the magnificent State Opera, one of the world's greatest opera houses, going behind the scenes into its glittering interior, and walk in the footsteps of the great composers, past memorials, houses and the grand Musikverein concert hall. You linger in a legendary coffee house over cake and a melange. The music and grandeur are glorious. This evening, you attend a carefully chosen opera or concert, a magical night of music in a historic hall. Rest well, savouring the living musical tradition of Vienna.

Today you discover more of Vienna's imperial and artistic splendour. You visit the glorious Schonbrunn Palace, the Habsburgs' vast summer residence, touring its opulent state rooms, where a young Mozart once performed for the empress, and strolling its magnificent baroque gardens rising to the Gloriette. In the afternoon you visit the beautiful Belvedere, a pair of baroque palaces set in formal gardens, home to Austria's greatest art, including Gustav Klimt's shimmering golden masterpiece The Kiss. You explore the city's rich artistic heritage, from the treasures of its great museums to the elegant streets around the cathedral. The grandeur, art and music are captivating. This evening is free to savour Vienna at your own pace, perhaps another concert, a wine tavern or a grand cafe. Rest well, immersed in the culture of the imperial city.

Today you delve deeper into Vienna's musical and cafe heritage, at a gracious cultural pace. With your guide you visit composers' houses and memorials, perhaps Beethoven's or Mozart's Vienna apartments, and the atmospheric places where the great works were written and first heard, tracing the extraordinary flowering of music that made the city the capital of the classical world. You explore the gracious coffee house culture that nourished it, lingering in a grand, wood-panelled cafe where artists, writers and composers once gathered, over cake and a melange. You might visit the House of Music, an interactive museum, or wander the elegant old city. The heritage and atmosphere are delightful. This evening is yours to enjoy, perhaps a final concert or a cosy Viennese dinner. Rest well, for tomorrow you journey to Mozart's Salzburg.

This morning you board a comfortable, scenic first-class train westward across beautiful Austria to Salzburg, the baroque birthplace of Mozart, where you are met and settled into your hotel near the enchanting Old Town. Salzburg is one of the most beautiful and musical cities in Europe, a masterpiece of domes and spires crowned by its mighty fortress. With your guide, you begin to follow Mozart through the city of his birth, visiting his birthplace on the elegant Getreidegasse, exploring the grand Cathedral where he was baptised and played, and wandering the beautiful squares and lanes of the Old Town and the Mirabell Gardens. The baroque beauty and musical heritage are enchanting. This evening, you attend an intimate Mozart concert in a historic hall, hearing his music in the city that formed him. Rest well, savouring musical Salzburg.

Today you delve deeper into beautiful, musical Salzburg. You ride the funicular up to the mighty Hohensalzburg fortress, one of the largest medieval castles in Europe, exploring its ramparts, chambers and the historic apartments, and drinking in sweeping views over the city's domes and spires to the Alps, perhaps enjoying a concert or recital within its walls. You continue to follow Mozart, visiting his family home and the places bound up with his life, and explore more of the enchanting Old Town, its churches, squares and the abbey of St Peter. You might trace beloved Sound of Music locations amid the gardens and hills. The music, history and beauty are enchanting. This evening you enjoy a final cultural dinner, reflecting on the rich journey of music and empire you have made. Rest well, savouring your last night in Austria.

After a final leisurely morning in musical Salzburg, perhaps a last coffee in a sunlit square, a stroll through the Mirabell Gardens or a final Mozart memory, you are transferred to the airport for your onward departure. You leave having immersed yourself in the music and imperial splendour of Austria, the palaces, opera, concerts and coffee houses of Vienna, and the baroque beauty and Mozart heritage of Salzburg, guided by expert cultural guides and enriched by unforgettable musical evenings. The images and melodies stay vivid long after you land, the glittering State Opera, the golden shimmer of Klimt's Kiss, Mozart's birthplace on the Getreidegasse, and a concert heard in a historic hall. Austria has given you glorious music, imperial grandeur, baroque beauty and gracious culture in abundance, and you depart already dreaming of a return to the country that gave the world so much of its greatest music.