Join Karin on a unique traditional Christmas culinary and music tour in Salzburg, truly one of the most beautiful regions of Austria, Europe and the world - enjoy Mozart music performances and the festive atmosphere. Aromas of roasting chestnuts, fresh baked goods and sausages are in the air, as you stroll the beautifully decorated Altstadt (old city). Salzburg during Christmas season is an unforgettable experience. The Christkindlmaerkte (Christmas markets) are in full swing and there's a good chance that snow will decorate the gorgeous old buildings. Best of all, the city is far less crowded than it is during the summer tourist season, and the streets are filled with Salzburgerland natives wearing their traditional Trachten clothing and Loden coats.
Your tour host Karin is a Personal Chef, who lives and works in Joshua Tree (near Palm Springs), California. Karin is specializing in Austrian cuisine and she will take pride in showing you true culinary Salzburg adventures as well as preparing a special traditional Salzburg Christmas dinner for you in a private home amidst candles, fruit, handmade ornaments and a traditionally decorated Salzburg Christmas tree. A lovely surprise Christmas gift will await you there!

The city of Salzburg - and especially its historic city center - is in fact one of the loveliest places in Europe, winning international acclaim in 1997 when it was designated a world heritage site by UNESCO.
The Salzach River, flowing from the Prealps in the south, winds through the city as its historic lifeline and separates it into two halves.
The Old City is picturesquely surrounded by the Moenchsberg, crowned by the Fortress which is visible for miles, and the mighty Capuchin Mountain on the right banks of the river.
The Old City with its variety of building styles is a true architectural delight. A walk through the countless narrow streets features buildings from the Middle Ages, Romanesque, Baroque and Renaissance periods.
The city's most famous squares include Residence Square with its splendid fountain, the neighboring Old Market, University Square, as well as Mozart Square with the memorial of the city's genius loci.
There are many imposing buildings, the most striking of which include the Cathedral, Hohensalzburg Fortress, the Residenz, St. Peter's Monastery with its impressive cemetery, the Franciscan church and Collegiate church as well as the Large and Small Festival Halls and the Summer Riding School in the Festival District.
On the right banks of the Salzach is the Mirabell Palace with the romantic Mirabell Gardens or St. Sebastian's church with its charming cemetery.
Hellbrunn Palace with its trick fountains and the zoo is situated just outside of the city gates.
Salzburg has an abundance of attractive venues and charming facets.

Text courtesy of: Tourismus Salzburg GmbH, Auerspergstrasse 6, A-5020 Salzburg

Summary of our Tour:
We have created a very special tour for you - full of cultural, culinary and more fun adventures. In addition to having this tour hosted by Salzburg native and Personal Chef Karin, who will also cook a special traditional Christmas dinner in a private home for you, and to open your eyes to the beautiful city of Salzburg, you will also stroll through the famous Salzburg Christkindlmaerkte.
A very special highlight of this tour will also be a beautiful sleigh ride through the mountains of Austria.
Furthermore you will enjoy a romantic historical train ride to the country village Oberndorf where the song Silent Night - Holy Night was written.
Our itinerary has lots of more adventures - visiting the fortress, castles and other historically significant places, more dining in beautiful selected restaurants, sightseeing with visiting churches and museums, with some time to relax in the lovely and comfortable 700 year old family owned 4**** hotel, where you will stay. Our tour furthermore includes classical concerts, sacred music concerts, masses, ample time for shopping and enjoying traditional coffee and pastries in beautiful old coffee houses to take full advantage of the incredible surroundings.

ITINERARY

Thursday, December 17th:

• Recommended departure from your airport of choice to airport Salzburg, Austria.
• You will be in the new "old" world Friday.

Friday, December 18th:

• If you fly to our recommended airport Salzburg, Karin will pick you up and transfer you to your nice, quiet, over 700 years old (since 1353) family owned FOUR**** star hotel in the center (Altstadt) of the city of Salzburg.
• If you wish to arrive earlier than Friday, we will advise you on how to meet up with your tour host at your hotel.
• Freshen up in your room.
• Enjoy a gourmet dinner at the famous restaurant "Goldener Hirsch" at the Getreidegasse.
• Then in the following experience your first concert, the "Advent Concert" in the beautiful "Gothic Hall" above the St. Blaise church.
• Transfer to the hotel.

Saturday, December 19th:

• Breakfast at the hotel.
• Transfer to the palace Hellbrunn at the outskirts of the city. Visit of the Hellbrunn palace gardens and Christkindlmarkt with some free time to shop.
• Transfer back to the old town.
• Escorted tour of the famous Getreidegasse and Mozart's birthplace.
• Transfer to the hotel to fresehen up.
• Dinner at the cafe/restaurant Mozarthaus.
• In the evening at 7:30 enjoy the concert "Gustav-Kuhn-Delirium" by the Haydn Orchester Bozen-Trient, Conductor: Gustav Kuhn; they will perform Mozart "Symphonies 39 - 41" at the "Mozarteum".
• Transfer to the hotel.

Sunday, December 20th:

• Breakfast at the hotel.
• At 10 a.m. listen to the Missa Noe, Noe by J. Arcadelt at the cathedral.
• Visit of the Christmas market in the Sterngarten.
• For lunch Karin recommends the famous Bosna (sausages) in the Getreidegasse.
• Transfer to the train station.
• At 2:15 p.m. transfer by the romantic historical train to the country village Oberndorf, where the famous song "Silent Night - Holy Night" was written. Visit of the Silent Night - Holy Night museum.
• Transfer back by train to Salzburg, freshen up at the hotel.

• In the evening transfer to the restaurant "Stiftskeller St. Peter", which is the oldest restaurant in Europe.

There you will enjoy the famous Mozart Dinner Concert:

Since more than 10 years the Mozart Dinner Concert at Stiftskeller St. Peter became a fixed and famous part of Salzburg's musical events. This success has a very good reason: The Mozart Dinner Concert is more than just a concert - it is real and authentic. The visitor feels like being taken back to Mozart's time - he enjoys an evening like in the year 1780: with candlelight, a dinner based on historical recipes, period costumes and instruments and - last but not least - the music of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

Mozart Dinner Concert Menu:
~ Small piece of typical Salzburg bread with butter
~ Cream soup with the fine taste of lemons and cinnamon
~ Breast of roastet Capon (special kind of chicken) on truffled cream of sage with polenta, potatoe stuffed pear and vegetables from Pater Prior's garden.
~ Semi frozen parfait of honey with two kinds of fruit sauces


First Part: "Don Giovanni" KV 527

Instrumental
"Notte giorno" (Leporello)
"Madamina, il catalogo..."; (Leporello), 1st part
"Batti, batti o bel Masetto" (Zerlina)
"Deh vieni alla finestra..." (Don Giovanni)
Menuett from "Don Giovanni"
"La ci darem la mano..." (Duett Don Giovanni/Zerlina)

Second Part: "Le Nozze di Figaro" KV 492

Instrumental
"Se vuol ballare, Signor contino..." (Figaro)
"Non so piu cosa son..." (Cherubino)
Instrumental
"Non piu andrai..." (Figaro)
"Deh vieni non tardar..." (Susanna)
"Cinque, dieci, venti..." (Duett Figaro/Susanna)

Third Part: "Die Zauberfloete" KV 620

Serenade "Eine kleine Nachtmusik" G-Dur KV 525 1. Satz ~ 1st part, Allegro
"Ein Maedchen oder Weibchen..." (Papageno)
"Bei Maennern welche Liebe fuehlen!" (Duett Pamina/Papageno)
"Klinget Gloeckchen, klinget..." (Papageno)
"Pa-pa-pa" (Duett Papageno/Papagena)


Amadeus Consort
The ensemble "AMADEUS CONSORT SALZBURG", consisting of two singers and five musicians concentrates particularly on the works of Salzburg's "genius loci", W. A. Mozart.
The program comprises popular compositions from "The Magic Flute", "Don Giovanni" and "Le Nozze di Figaro" as well as divertimenti and serenades like "A Little Night Music".
Of their first CD "Zu Gast bei Mozart" ("A guest of Mozart") 30,000 copies were produced. The ensemble regularly gives performances abroad and participates in numerous TV-productions.

Transfer to the hotel

Monday, December 21st:

• Breakfast at the hotel.
• Transfer to the Mirabell place in the city.
• Visit the Christmas Market at the Mirabell Place.
• Transfer to the "old city".
• Lunch of your choice.
• Transfer the Archbishop's Residence and Gallery. On a tour through the Residence you will experience two centuries of cultural history and discover in the sumptuous state rooms a harmonious architectural unity of Renaissance, Baroque and Classical styles. Masterpieces of handicraft, construction - and ceiling paintings, frescoes, stuccos, antique furniture, embroidery, marquetry, marble portals, numerous valuable clocks and paintings permit one a glimpse into the richness of earlier eras.
  The Residence Gallery Salzburg, housing the State of Salzburg's painting collection, presents European paintings from the 16th to 19th century. (The magnificent ambiance is the ideal setting for Salzburg's state collection and reflects the city's baroque character.) The collections focus on Dutch paintings from the 17th century, Italian, French and Austrian baroque paintings from the 17th and 18th centuries and Austrian paintings from the 19th century. In addition to its own changing exhibitions, special exhibitions are offered regularly, providing an interesting juxtaposition between historic and contemporary art.
• At 5:00 p.m. listen to the "singing in front of the cathedral", a choir concert featuring a choir from the Province of Salzburg.
• Transfer to the hotel. Freshen up.
• Dinner at the Hotel Sacher Restaurant "Salzachgrill".
• Transfer to the hotel.

Tuesday, December 22nd:

• Breakfast at the hotel.
• Get ready for a wonderful adventure ahead: "A Sleigh Ride Through the Mountains of Austria".
• Transfer to the Salzburg country side along the Salzach river valley past many of Austria's beautiful ski resorts to the town of "Filzmoos", where your Christmas Time Horse Drawn Sleigh Ride will begin.
  In the village there is time for a stroll in the frosty fresh air.
• Lunch in the local country restaurant (Gasthaus) "Kirchenwirt".
• Then you will hear the "yodling" of your driver and your winter sleigh ride begins! A stop for refreshments is made along the way where the horses rest and you have the opportunity to try some Austrian specialties.
• Please visit our tour guest Dona Sauerburger's Website (it opens in a new window) where she shows photos of her and her husband's sleigh ride from our Christmas Tour 2008.
• Rosy cheeks and happy expressions are proof that it was a successful day - one that you will remember long afterwards.
• Transfer back to the city of Salzburg.
• Have a wonderful free evening and enjoy a dinner of your choice in one of the great restaurants in Salzburg.

Wednesday, December 23rd:

• Breakfast at the hotel.
• Enjoy a wonderful free day in Salzburg on your own with shopping, enjoying the cafes and pastries, strolling through the city, etc.
• At 5:15 p.m. enjoy the Advent music at the castle Mirabell's Christmas market at Mirabell Square.
• After that stroll the Mirabell Christmas market and then have dinner at the wonderful restaurant Stadtkrug at your hotel.

Thursday, December 24th:

• Breakfast at the hotel.
• Enjoy a wonderful free morning.
• Lunch of your choice.
• At 2:00 p.m. enjoy the classical Christmas concert at the fortress "Hohensalzburg", you will hear classical music performed by the Salzburg Mozart Ensemble.
• In the following (later afternoon) Karin will transfer with you to a lovely private home near the castle Klessheim. There you will enjoy a festive traditional Austrian Christmas dinner prepared by Karin from the freshest ingredients she will be able to get at the Farmers Market. Be delighted by the traditionally decorated Salzburg Christmas tree with candles, fruits and handmade ornaments. A lovely surprise Christmas gift will await you under the tree!
• At about 9:30 p.m. transfer to the Franciscan church, where you will watch the Christmette (Christ service) and listen to J. Haydn: "Nicolai-Messe" and F.X. Gruber: Silent Night, Holy Night.
• Then at 11:00 p.m. escorted walk over to the St. Peter's church where you will watch their Holy Mass and listen to Joseph Haydn's "Youth Mass".
• These events in Salzburg are truly unforgettable!
• Transfer to the hotel.

Friday, December 25th:

• Breakfast at the hotel.
• Transfer to the "old city".
• At 10 a.m. listen to the "Pastoral Mass in F" by A. Diabelli at the Cathedral.
• Lunch of your choice and some free time in the afternoon.
• Freshen up at the hotel.
• At 4:30 p.m. transfer to the "Mozarteum" where you will listen to the Festliches Weihnachtskonzert (festive Christmas concert), where the Salzburg cathedral orchester with the cathedral boys and girls choir and the choir Salisburgensis will perform with soloists. Conductor: Janos Czifra and Gerrit Stadlbauer. They will perform works by G.F. Haendel, W.A. Mozart, A. Vivaldi, M. Haydn and others.
• Transfer to the restaurant "K & K" for a special Christmas Day dinner.
• Transfer to the hotel.

Saturday, December 26th:

• Breakfast at the hotel.
• If you fly from our recommended airport Salzburg that day, Karin will transfer you to the airport.
• Recommended departure from airport Salzburg to the airport of your choice. You will arrive in the United States the same day.
• If you choose to leave later than Saturday we can advise you as to prolong your stay to make your extended visit enjoyable.

NOTE:
If you would like to have a similar tour customized for you and a companion, your family, friends, employees, etc. (a minimum of two participants is needed), please contact us and we can organize this tour to your needs.

Cost of this Christmas Tour 2009:
$ 2,995 per person.

This price does NOT include:
• Airfare from the United States to Austria and back.
• All personal arrangements and expenses.

This price INCLUDES:
• Personal tour assistance and escort of your tour by your Tour Host Karin.
• All transfers as scheduled.
• Eight nights in a historical FOUR star hotel in the city of Salzburg.
• Eight breakfasts at the hotel.
• One traditional five course Christmas dinner in a private home prepared by Personal Chef Karin (wine and soft drinks included).
• Lovely surprise gift.
• One lunch in the country.
• Six selected restaurant dinners (drinks not included), including a special Mozart dinner and Christmas Day dinner.
• Train ride to the country village Oberndorf where the song Silent Night - Holy Night was composed.
• Trip to the country village Filzmoos with a sleigh ride through the mountains.
• All private guided tours and admissions to points of interest as scheduled.
• Admission and train ride to the Fortress Hohensalzburg.
• Admissions to five classical concerts, six sacred music concerts.
• All service charges & taxes (gratuities not included).

This itinerary is subject of change at any time and/or the sites included, should it be deemed necessary due to local conditions, time restrictions, or other circumstances.

Christmas tradition in Austria

It starts with the "Advent" season. Advent starts four weeks prior to Christmas Eve. On four subsequent Sundays the family joins around the traditional advent wreath (Adventkranz) which holds four candles. The first Sunday of Advent the first candle on the Adventkranz is lit and each following Sunday one more candle is lit to mark the advent of Christmas. Often this time is used for singing Christmas carols, reading stories, drinking tea or hot wine punch, baking cookies, making Christmas ornaments, etc.
An advent calendar (Adventkalender) features 24 little bags or windows that you can open one by one starting at the 1st of December. The bags contain little presents; the windows contain either images or chocolate. When you open the last window or bag Christmas Eve (December 24th) has arrived.
Children are asked to compose a list of wishes addressed to the 'Christkindl', which fetches all lists from the windowsill and leaves a small surprise present. During the Advent season Christkindlmaerkte (markets) are open for shopping all over Austria.

December 5th and 6th are the days of "Krampus" and "Nikolaus". Krampus is the survivor of a pagan tradition that preceded Christianity and the word Krampus originates from the Old High German word for claw (Krampen). Traditionally, young men dress up as the Krampus and roam the streets frightening children (and adults) with rusty chains and bells. St. Nicholas (Nikolaus - Santa Claus) is the patron saint of children and he is widely honored throughout the country. He traditionally wears clothes like a bishop with a tall stick and a thick book in which the good and bad deeds of the children are recorded.

Most families in Austria also have a Krippe (nativity scene). Often these are hundreds of years old, treasured heirlooms handed down from one generation to the other. The Krippe may be set up before Christmas Eve, especially if it is an elaborate one.

Traditionally, on the 24th of December (Christmas Eve) - after Christmas Eve dinner is served, the Christkindl is the one that brings the children their presents. The "Christkindl also decorates the tree. The door to the room where the tree is decorated is locked and the window to this room is wide open so that the Christkindl can fly in and decorate the tree and leave the presents under the tree. For that a bowl with cookies is placed into the window so that the Christkindl can nibble on them while working. Austrian children do not see the decorated tree until the "Christkindl will ring a small bell on top of the tree and then departs through the open window again. The children wait anxiously for the bell to ring and then the door opens to the room and they see the beautifully decorated Christmas tree with all it's wax candles burning, sparklers, silver ornaments and candy and the beautifully wrapped gifts for everyone underneath. Each year's tree seems to be the most magical ever.
For every child this is such a wonderful surprise and the excitement is almost unbearable!
All the family gathers around the Tannenbaum and sings Christmas carols, especially "Silent Night, Holy Night", which was written and composed in Austria.

Baked carp or pork sausages with Sauerkraut are served for the traditional Christmas Eve dinner, but many other dishes are available too.

As midnight approaches, the family goes to the traditional Mitternachtsmette, the Midnight High Mass. In many churches, trumpeters climb up the church towers and trumpet forth Christmas music to call the faithful to worship.

Christmas Day, December 25th, is one of quiet celebration and happy reunions with relatives and friends and - as the fasting has officially ended - food is very important.

Here would be a sample of a typical Christmas Day menu:

Christmas Ham cornucopias filled with ham mousse (gefuellte Weihnachtsschinkenrollen), served with poppy seed breads (Mohnweckerln).

Clear broth with soup noodles (Nudelsuppe).

Viennese Style Pork Cutlets (Schweinsschnitzel Wiener Art), which are breaded pork cutlets, fried to golden perfection. They are the ne plus ultra of the Viennese cuisine.

Parsley potatoes, cranberry jelly and lemon wedges (Petersilkartoffeln, Cranberry Gelee und Zitronenspalten).

Red cabbage with chestnuts (Blaukraut mit Kastanien).

Viennese cucumber salad (Wiener Gurkensalat).

Viennese Christmas stollen (Wiener Weihnachtsstollen), which is a buttery cake with fruits, nuts and marzipan.

The rest of the day is happily spent with enjoyment of the presents.

After that, festivities do not really stop till New Year's Eve.

December 26, St. Stephen's Day, is a legal holiday from work and school and is a day set aside for visiting and vacationing.

Many Austrian families keep their Christmas tree until Epiphany, January 6. Epiphany remembers the Three Wise Men from the East who were looking for the newly-born Christ. Boys and girls in oriental costumes, the Sternsinger, move from house to house, singing traditional songs and receiving small gifts and money.

The History of Salzburg

Salzburg has a proud heritage as the capital and residential city of an ecclesiastical principality. Prehistoric findings have revealed that it is situated on ancient settlement soil whose civilization dates from the New Stone Age. The Romans founded a town they called Juvavum as the seat of a major administrative district located along an important military road which crossed the Salzach River. Foundations, mosaics and numerous artifacts were found throughout the old city districts.

After the chaotic mass migrations, a bishop named St. Rupert came to the area at the end of the seventh century and revived a monastic order, founded a convent on Nonnberg and became the founder of today's Salzburg. Under Charlemagne Salzburg became an archbishopric, sovereign over all of the Bavarian dioceses. The first cathedral erected by St. Virgil was one of the largest in the mighty Franconian Empire. The archbishops used their privileged positions as papal legates and primas germaniae to expand the archiepiscopal territory, ending in the 13th century, and had a decisive influence on the history of the Empire. The extension of the Cathedral, revealed by recent excavations, was a sign of their religious and secular power.

Many of the townspeople became quite wealthy as a result of the flourishing trade between Italy and Germany, the town, however, remained under the archbishop's rule. Whereas the archbishops of the Middle Ages were primarily involved in politics, their successors during the 17th and 18th centuries were mainly preoccupied with beautifying their residence. Wolf Dietrich von Raitenau, Markus Sittikus and Paris Lodron gave Salzburg the appearance it has today. Through Paris Lodron's clever diplomacy, the city was able to escape most of the hardships of the Thirty Years' War.

The city was further perfected through buildings designed by Fisher von Erlach. The turmoils of the Napoleonic Wars abruptly ended the long line of prince archbishops and Salzburg was secularized. After being passed back and forth, the city was finally given over to Austria in 1816. This not only resulted in complete political irrelevance but also in the loss of the most valuable objects of art. After emerging from a lengthy Rip van Winkle sleep, Romantic painters discovered the beauty of the city and its environs and made the city known throughout the world through their works. On a political basis Salzburg succeeded in regaining a certain independence in 1850 as a province of the monarchy with its own government and administration. This independence was to continue through the First and Second Republics. The establishment of the Salzburg Festival in 1920 was a decisive step towards the burgeoning of the city.

Above text courtesy of: Tourismus Salzburg GmbH, Auerspergstrasse 6, A-5020 Salzburg