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Escorted VIENNA Tour in May
Music, Art, Culinary and Wine, 2010

Please explore the wonderful city of VIENNA, Austria!
Enjoy great food, wine, art and music
with your personal Tour Escort Karin Mayer from California, an Austrian native and Personal Chef.

PLEASE NOTE: Tours are limited to 6 (six) participants only to assure each participant the best possible attention of your tour host.
Experience luxury VIP treatment at an affordable price and make your reservations now!

$2,995 per person.

Dates of this 9 days Tour:
Monday, May 24th, to Wednesday, June 1st, 2010.

~~~As of today: , this tour has open spaces!~~~

Interested in a similar tour?

For more information call our office in California at (760) 366-2414 or:

Join your personal Tour Host Karin on a unique Music, Culinary, Art and Wine Vienna Tour, the capital of Austria, one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Vienna is a city with a long cultural tradition. This tour will also focus on Imperial sights to see: From Gothic St. Stephen's Cathedral to the Imperial Palace to the Art Nouveau splendor of the Secession, from the magnificent baroque palace Schoenbrunn to the Museum of Fine Arts. We will walk in the footsteps of the Habsburgs, stroll along the magnificent Ring Boulevard and visit the heart of the former vast Habsburg empire, the Imperial Palace. You will get a sense of the luster and glory of the old empire by visiting St. Stephen's Cathedral, the Spanish Riding School, the Giant Ferris Wheel at the Prater, as well as the sarcophagi in the Imperial Vault.

Vienna is the world's capital of music, more famous composers have lived here than in any other city. In Vienna, music is literally in the air: Waltzes and operettas have their home here and have conquered international audiences.

For several years, Viennese wine has been expanding increasingly beyond the confines of traditional wine taverns and conquering the city. It is now "in" to drink Viennese wine! Enjoy your dinners with top class "Lagenweine" (single vineyard wines), mature Riesling and Pinot Blanc, but also Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, robust "Gruene Veltliner" and red wines such as the Pinot Noir and the St. Laurent. They are outstanding and all-purpose meal accompaniments, which perfectly round-off many of the dishes of the extremely delicious Viennese cuisine.

Further our tour will visit the famous farmer's market to experience that everyday life has its habitual Viennese rhythm: colorful and creative as well as leisurely, the old, exotic Naschmarkt astonishes visitors with colorful activities.

Experience the Vienna Prater: An amusement park for many, place of nostalgic dreams for some, oasis of greenery for almost everyone with the location of the Giant Ferris Wheel, one of Vienna's most famous symbols. There the culinary opportunities are as varied as its many offerings for entertainment. They range from a simple Kaiser roll with sausage at the snack stand to opulent culinary delights for connoisseurs. Let yourself be surprised.

And let's not forget the Coffeehouses: The Viennese coffeehouse goes back a long, long way. And yet despite its age - or perhaps because of it - the coffeehouse is more alive and diverse than ever before. We will find many of traditional cafes in Vienna's Old City. Here you will encounter Viennese coffee house culture in it's most original form, including wonderful pastries.

Your tour host Karin is a native of Salzburg, Austria and works as a Personal Chef in Joshua Tree (near Palm Springs), California. Karin is specializing in Austrian cuisine and she will take pride in showing you true Viennese adventures!

Summary of our Tour: We have created a very special tour for you - full of culture and art, food and drink, and even more adventures. Be one of only SIX participants of this tour to Vienna escorted by Austrian native and Personal Chef Karin, who will open your senses to the beautiful city of Vienna. A very special highlight of this tour will also be an exciting tramway ride to the outskirts of Vienna, where you will taste great Viennese wine at a "Heurigen".
Furthermore this Vienna Tour will feature a concert of the world famous "Viennese Boys Choir" and you will enjoy watching the morning exercise of the Lipizzan horses at the Spanish Riding School. Our Vienna Tour itinerary has lots more to offer - visiting the Imperial Palace, castle Schoenbrunn and other historically significant places, more dining in beautiful restaurants, sightseeing with visit of the St. Stephen's Cathedral and important museums, with some off-time to relax in the lovely and comfortable 4**** hotel, where you will stay. Our Vienna Tour also includes an afternoon at the Vienna Prater, classical concerts, ample time for shopping and enjoying traditional coffee and pastries in beautiful old coffee houses to take full advantage of the incredible surroundings.

VIENNA TOUR ITINERARY

Monday, May 24th:

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

Tuesday, May 25th:

• If you fly to our recommended airport Vienna, Karin will pick you up and transfer you to your nice FOUR**** star hotel in the center (old town) of the Imperial city of Vienna.
• 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 "Johann" restaurant at the "Kursalon" Vienna with one of their wonderful wines to select from their extensive wine list.
• Then in the following experience your first concert, the "Salonorchester Alt Wien" in the beautiful "Kursalon". You will experience Viennese ballet soloists and opera vocalists, performing works by J. Strauss and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
  The Kursalon built from 1865 - 1867 in Renaissance style, is one of the most splendid buildings in Vienna. The Strauss brothers celebrated their greatest triumphs in this historical building, next to the famous golden Strauss statue. "Sound of Vienna" keeps the lovely tradition with "Strauss & Mozart" concerts alive.
  The "Salonorchester Alt Wien" presents an evening full of Viennese charm with the lilting sound of waltzes, polkas, arias and duets, as well as operetta and piano concerto melodies.
• Transfer to the hotel.

Wednesday, May 26th:

• Breakfast at the hotel.
• At 9:30 a.m. transfer to the "Spanish Riding School" at the "Hofburg" palace.
  Experience the "Morning Exercise" with music. This is the Lipizzans' horses public training with music. The Spanish Riding School is the only institution in the world that has been maintaining and cultivating classical equestrian skills in the tradition of the Renaissance "High School" for more than 430 years.
  It is the aim of the morning exercise to train the horses and to strengthen their various muscles around the neck and shoulder, the back, the croup and the hindquarters. During morning exercise, the horses are made supple, their muscles are loosened and all lessons right up to the "High School" are being taught, exercised, refreshed and perfected.
  While attending the morning exercise, visitors may observe and study the basic principles of training acording to the rules of classical equestrianism. The horses' natural movements are encouraged and the Lipizzans' various talents are promoted depending on the specific lessons.
• Have a nice lunch of your choice.
• After lunch visit of the Imperial Hofburg Palace.
  For more than seven centuries, the great empire of the Habsburgs was ruled from the Imperial Palace. Today, the Gothic Imperial Chapel, where the Vienna Boys' Choir performs during High Mass on Sunday, is a remnant of the Imperial Palace during the Middle Ages.
  At the Hofburg palace visit of the Treasury:
  The most important treasury in the world is reason indeed to be amazed: Here, in the oldest part of the Imperial Palace (13th century), you find not only the Emperor's Crown of the Holy Roman Empire (circa 962) and the Austrian Emperor's Crown (1602), but also the Burgundian Treasure from the fifteenth century and the Treasure of the Order of the Golden Fleece, besides the Treasures of the Mexican Emperor Maximilian who was the brother of the Austrian Emperor Franz Josef.
• Transfer to the hotel to fresehen up.
• Enjoy a wonderful dinner of your choice, maybe at your 4**** hotel restaurant.

Thursday, May 27th:

• Breakfast at the hotel.
• In the morning visit of the St. Stephen's Cathedral (German: Stephansdom) and it's surrounding area.
  St. Stephen's Cathedral is the mother church of the Archdiocese of Vienna and the seat of the Archbishop of Vienna. It's current Romanesque and Gothic form seen today, situated at the heart of Vienna, Austria in the Stephansplatz, was largely initiated by Rudolf IV and stands on the ruins of two earlier churches, the first being a parish church consecrated in 1147. As the most important religious building in Austria's capital, the cathedral has born witness to many important events in that nation's history and has, with its multi-colored tile roof, became one of the city's most recognizable symbols.
• Have a wonderful lunch of your choice in one of the nice little restaurants near the Cathedral.
• In the early afternoon visit of the exhibit "A Feast for the Eyes - Food in Still Life" at the "Bank Austria Kunstforum".
  This "culinary" exhibition focuses its attention on the age-old and ever-changing everyday culture of eating and drinking, a theme which receives it's most extensive treatment in the -so to speak- "marginal" genre of still life.
  Around a hundred exemplary works from different art landscapes and epochs will be on show, tracing in various narrative lines the history and status of food in still life from the sixteenth to the twentieth century. The exhibition presents still life as a changing system of signifiers, positioned in direct relationship to the changes in society and its cultural manners. The question is addressed here as to what extent still life is merely imitation of nature, symbol, or, indeed, construction of reality. A concise juxtaposition of modern and contemporary art works helps to place the spotlight for the first time ever on the continuity, difference and range of still life in its creaturely and symbolic relation to life.
• Transfer to the hotel to freshen up.
• In the evening at 6:30 p.m. enjoy the "Gerstner Art & Delight" event at the Domed Hall of the "Kunsthistorisches Museum" (Museum of Fine Arts). Here you will enjoy an exclusive buffet dinner with several courses including a selection of the famous Gerstner sweets between rounds of the collections of the museum. Your table is reserved for you for the entire evening.
• At about 10:00 p.m. transfer to the hotel.

Friday, May 28th:

• Breakfast at the hotel.
• Transfer to the Vienna "Naschmarkt". Enjoy a beautiful morning at Vienna's largest and best known market, which offers a mixture of Viennese and international specialities.
• There have a wonderful lunch of your choice.
• In the early afternoon visit of the "Secession".
  In 1897 a number of artists broke their ties with Kuenstlerhaus, the association and gallery of Vienna's art establishment which they considered intolerably conservative, seceded and formed a new art association with the name of Secession and the motto, "To the Age, its Art. To Art, its Freedom."
  In 1898, Joseph Maria Olbrich, a student of Otto Wagner, erected an Art Nouveau gallery building for the new association.
  In 1985-86, the cupola of the Secession was gilded anew and the Secession was renovated and adapted.
  The 112-foot Beethoven Frieze, a virtuoso pictorial interpretation of the 9th Symphony, created by Gustav Klimt for the Beethoven Exhibition of 1902, is on permanent display in a new room on the basement level.
• In the afternoon at 4:00 p.m. listen to the "Vienna Boys' Choir" Concert at the Musikverein.
  The probably most famous boys' choir of the world joined by the Chorus Viennensis and the Vienna Chamber Orchestra invites you to a concert presenting the works of W.A. Mozart, Strauss, Haydn and more. This event will be most beautiful.
• In the evening enjoy a wonderful dinner at the great Viennese restaurant "Listaurant". This is the restaurant of the Austrian Chef "Gerhard List" who is cooking new Viennese cuisine with his wife Maja.
  Enjoy one of their beautiful Austrian wines from their well-stocked wine cellar.
  Savour culinary culture in an atmospheric setting.
• Transfer to the hotel.

Saturday, May 29th:

• Breakfast at the hotel.
• In the morning visit of the "Schoenbrunn Palace".
  We will visit Empress Sisi's former summer residence. This baroque palace contains an enchanting park, the Palm House, the Gloriette and a zoo. We will spend the entire morning at Schoenbrunn: visit the show rooms with a "Grand Tour with Audio Guide".
  Schoenbrunn, the former summer residence of the Imperial Family, is considered one of the most beautiful baroque palaces in Europe. The Habsburgs resided here the better part of the year in numerous rooms for the large Imperial Family in addition to representational rooms.
  Emperor Franz Joseph, who later married the enchanting Sisi and reigned from 1848 to 1916, was born here in 1830. The monarch spent his last years entirely in the palace, which became the property of the new Republic of Austria only two years after his death. Today, the palace is part of UNESCO's cultural heritage due to its historic importance, its unique grounds and its splendid furnishings.

• In the afternoon get ready for a wonderful adventure ahead:
  Go where the Viennese go: The Vienna Prater.
  An amusement park for many, place of nostalgic dreams for some, oasis of greenery for almost everyone: and the location of the Giant Ferris Wheel, one of Vienna's most famous symbols.
  The Vienna Prater is entertaining and exciting, but it can also be relaxing and quiet. One part of it contains attractions ranging from a nostalgic merry-go-round to an ultra-modern roller coaster. In the other area, known as the "Green Prater", one finds widespread meadows to lie on, shady trees, and quiet paths. The motto is to have fun and enjoy yourself...
  About 250 attractions entertain you at the Vienna Prater, from casino automats to auto-drome rinks, ball toss and shooting booths, exciting roller coasters and ghost trains to flight simulators.
  This varied entertainment program is complemented by more than sixty cafes and restaurants, and ice cream and snack stands. The Viennese call this part of the Prater the "Wurstelprater" (literally: Clown's Prater, the equivalent of an old-fashioned amusement park).
  Right next to the amusement park area, one finds the "Green Prater" the spacious forest and meadow area which was once an imperial hunting ground and was opened by Emperor Joseph II to the public. As a consequence, the first coffeehouses and restaurants opened their doors.
  Today, the Green Prater is a paradise for walkers, runners, bicyclists and horseback riders, and is highly appreciated as a large leisure area within the city limits. To get an overview of this green oasis in the city of Vienna, one best takes the Liliputbahn, a miniature railway spanning more than three miles.
• After this wonderful day of leisure, fun and excitement, transfer to the hotel.

Sunday, May 30th:

• Breakfast at the hotel.
• At 10:00 a.m. transfer to the "Liechtensteinmuseum", where you will experience the Baroque with ART, MUSIC AND FINE FOOD.
  The Liechtenstein Museum is named after the princely House of Liechtenstein, one of Europe's oldest noble families. The museum includes the Princely Collections containing important European works of art, forming one of the world's leading private art collections. The Princely Collections embrace major European works of art spanning five centuries and are among the world's most important private collections of art today. The holdings date back to the 17th century. Like many other collections of this period, it is rooted in the baroque ideal of engaged princely patronage of the arts. For generations, the House of Liechtenstein has remained true to this ideal and systematically extended its collections. An active purchasing policy results in a number of spectacular new acquisitions, thereby making an impressive statement.
  At 11:00 a.m. experience the concert "Baroque Lute Music" with the Ensemble "Klingekunst".
  After the concert enjoy a gourmet lunch at the museum.
• Transfer to your hotel.
• Free afternoon and evening, enjoy a great dinner of your choice in one of the wonderful Viennese restaurants near your hotel.

Monday, May 31st:

• Breakfast at the hotel.
• We will dedicate this day fully to the adventure of discovering delicate Viennese wines.
  We will take Viennese Tramway #60 from the old town of Vienna to the outskirts to "Mauer" in "Bisamberg", where we will visit a renowned Viennese wine ("Heurigen") tavern.
  "For me, it is mainly about harmony," says vintner Richard Zahel. "Our wines exist in a steady dialogue between the new and the traditional, between motion and stillness."
• At the tavern we will have lunch at the Heurigen.
• After lunch we will ride back to old town Vienna with the tramway.
• Freshen up at the hotel.
• In the evening at 8:00 p.m. you will enjoy your last concert of the tour, the "Vienna Waltz Concert" at the Palais Palffy.
  The concert takes place at the Figaro Hall of the Palais Palffy which was built in the 14th century and where Mozart already performed in 1762.
• Transfer to the hotel.

Tuesday, June 1st:

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

NOTE:
We can customize this tour to your specific needs (a minimum of three participants is needed), please contact us.

Cost of this 9 days VIENNA in May - Music, Art, Culinary and Wine Tour:
$ 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 beautiful FOUR star hotel in the city of Vienna.
• Eight breakfasts at the hotel.
• Three pre-arranged restaurant dinners (three course menus, drinks not included), including an exclusive buffet dinner at the "Museum of Fine Arts".
• Two pre-arranged restaurant lunches (drinks not included), including a gourmet lunch at the "Liechtensteinmuseum".
• Tramway ride to the outskirts of Vienna.
• Visit of the Spanish Riding School" morning exercise, visit of the Imperial Hofburg Palace, visit of the St. Stephen's Cathedral", visit of the "Kunstforum", visit of the "Museum of Fine Arts", visit of the Vienna "Naschmarkt", visit of the "Secession", visit of the Schoenbrunn Palace", visit of the "Vienna Prater", visit of the "Liechtensteinmuseum".
• All private guided tours and admissions to points of interest as scheduled.
• Admissions to four classical concerts, including the Vienna Boys' Choir.
• 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.

Vienna:

Vienna (German: Wien) is the capital of the Republic of Austria and also one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.7 million (2.3 million within the metropolitan area, which means more than 25% of Austria's population), and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre. It is the 10th largest city by population in the European Union. Vienna is host to many major international organizations such as the United Nations and OPEC. Vienna lies in the east of Austria and is close to the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary. In 2001, the city centre was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site and in 2005 an Economist Intelligence Unit study of 127 world cities ranked it first equal with Vancouver for the quality of life. This assessment was mirrored by the Mercer Survey in 2009.

Vienna has been an important center of musical innovation. 18th and 19th century composers were drawn to the city due to the patronage of the Habsburgs, and made Vienna the European capital of classical music. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Ludwig van Beethoven and Johann Strauss II, among others, were associated with the city. During the Baroque period, Slavic and Hungarian folk forms influenced Austrian music. Vienna's status began its rise as a cultural center in the early 1500s, and was focused around instruments including the lute.

Vienna is well known for Wiener Schnitzel, a cutlet of veal that is pounded flat, coated in flour, egg and breadcrumbs, and fried in clarified butter. It is available in almost every restaurant that serves Viennese cuisine. Other examples of Viennese cuisine include Tafelspitz (very lean boiled beef), which is traditionally served with Geroestete Erdaepfel (boiled potatoes mashed with a fork and subsequently fried) and horseradish sauce, Apfelkren (a mixture of horseradish, cream and apple) and Schnittlauchsauce (a chives sauce made with mayonnaise and old bread).
Sachertorte: Vienna has a long tradition of producing the finest cakes and desserts. These include Apfelstrudel (hot apple strudel), Palatschinken (sweet pancakes), and Knoedel (dumplings) often filled with fruit such as apricots (Marillenknoedel). Sachertorte, a dry chocolate cake with apricot jam created by the Sacher Hotel, is world famous. In winter, small street stands sell traditional Maroni (hot chestnuts) and potato fritters. Sausages are popular and available from street vendors (Wuerstelstand) throughout the day and into the night. The sausage known as Wiener (German for Viennese) in the USA and Germany is, however, called Frankfurter. Other popular sausages are Burenwurst (a coarse beef and pork sausage, generally boiled), Kaesekrainer (spicy pork with small chunks of cheese), and Bratwurst (a white pork sausage). Most can be ordered "mit Brot" (with bread) or as a "hot dog" (stuffed inside a long roll). Mustard is the traditional condiment and usually offered in two varieties: "suess" (sweet) or "scharf" (spicy). The Naschmarkt is a permanent market for fruit, vegetables, spices, fish, meat, etc. from around the world. The city centre has many delicatessen stores.

Vienna, along with Paris, Prague, Bratislava and London is one of the few remaining world capital cities with its own vineyards. The wine is served in small Viennese pubs known as Heuriger, which are especially numerous in the wine growing areas of Doebling (Grinzing, Neustift am Walde, Nussdorf, Salmannsdorf, Sievering) and Floridsdorf (Stammersdorf, Strebersdorf). The wine is often drunk as a spritzer ("G'spritzter") with sparkling water. The Gruener Veltliner, a dry white wine, is the most widely cultivated wine in Austria. Beer is next in importance to wine. Vienna has a single large brewery, Ottakringer, and more than ten microbreweries. A "Beisl" is a typical small Austrian pub, of which Vienna has many.

Text courtesy of: Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia