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The leading specialists in cultural walking tours
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We specialise in guided cultural walking tours with music festivals, opera, art & architecture, birdwatching, wildlife and gourmet food & wine.
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Music in Lepzig & Dresden with Walks in Saxony
We begin our explorations in Leipzig, a city exhibiting a delightful blend of
mediaeval and Art Deco architecture whose history is inextricably linked with
the lives and music of Bach, Mendelssohn and Schumann.
After attending a performance of a Bach Cantata by the St Thomas’ Boys Choir - founded in 1212 - in St Thomas’s Church (where Bach was cantor for 27 years), we travel southeast, deeper into
Saxony, and spend 3 days exploring this picturesque sandstone mountain area on
foot. A vintage paddle steamer takes us along the river Elbe to Dresden, an 800
year-old treasure trove of architecture and art, now superbly restored to its
former glory.
As befits cities at the centre of European cultural life for centuries, Leipzig
and Dresden’s opera and concert houses enjoy an international reputation. During our visit
we attend the following performances:
LEIPZIG GEWANDHAUS ORCHESTRA
conductor Riccardo Chailly
violin Leonidas Kavakos
Shostakovich: Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in A minor
Brahms: Symphony no. 3 in F major
SEMPER OPERA HOUSE, DRESDEN
Mozart: ‘DON GIOVANNI’
TRIP ITINERARY
DAY 1
D included
After meeting at Dresden airport mid afternoon, we transfer by private vehicle
(1.5 hours) to our 4 star hotel in historic Leipzig, perfectly located for
exploring on foot. We take an introductory stroll through the narrow lanes
before a dinner of Saxon specialities in one of the city’s excellent traditional restaurants.
DAY 2
B, L, D included
We set off on foot through the largely traffic-free historic centre, seeing the
splendid Renaissance Old City Hall, the Marketplace (site of Leipzig Fairs
since 1190) and some appealingly eccentric Art Deco buildings. A statue of
Johann Sebastian Bach greets us beside the church of St. Thomas for which he
composed many of his greatest works, including the St. Matthew Passion, the
Christmas Oratorio and the B Minor Mass. We visit the church and the Bach
Archive Museum, then have lunch before the performance of a Bach Cantata by the
St. Thomas Boys Choir. There is some free time to relax in our hotel before the
concert in the Leipzig Gewandhaus, followed by a late dinner in a dramatic
setting.
DAY 3
B, L, D included
We visit the Biedermeier apartment housing the Mendelssohn Museum, then the Fine
Arts Museum which contains an important collection of early German and Flemish
paintings. After lunch in Germany’s oldest coffee house, little changed since 1694, private transport takes us
into the heart of ‘Saxon Switzerland’. Our traditional, well-appointed, 3 star inn has a mediaeval cellar restaurant
and a good selection of Saxon regional wines.
DAY 4
B, L, D included
A short road transfer whisks us up to the impressive fortress of Königstein, which was visited and admired for its military strength by Tsar Peter
the Great and later used to store art treasures from Dresden during World War
II. We explore the historic buildings and grounds and admire the marvellous
view of the extraordinary rock formations in the Elbe valley. A four hour walk
takes us through villages and woods back to the hotel, with a pause for lunch
en route in a traditional inn at the ‘fresh-air spa’ town of Gorisch.
DAY 5
B, L, D included
We take a ferry across the Elbe to Bad Schandau and visit the Gothic
Johanniskirche (with a notable Renaissance altarpiece) and the informative
Saxon Switzerland National Park visitors centre. Proceeding by local train to
Wehlen, we walk to the Bastei (1.5 hrs), an extraordinary natural rock
belvedere with splendid views, a famously photographed viaduct and the ruins of
a 13C castle. After lunch with a view we descend to the river level on foot.
There is time to relax in the hotel sauna before we walk to a riverside
restaurant where asparagus is bound to feature for dinner.
DAY 6
B, L, D included
A private road transfer brings us to Schloss Pillnitz, inspired by Moghul India,
where we have a guided tour of the delightful park, designed in both English
and Chinese styles. Boarding a paddle steamer operated by the Saxon Steam
Shipping Company, we proceed into the heart of Dresden, passing vineyards and
palaces en route. We alight for a 10 minute walk to our 4 star historic hotel,
ideally set on the Neumarkt. We dine this evening with views of the restored,
beautifully floodlit Frauenkirche.
DAY 7
B, L, D included
This morning we have a guided walking tour of Dresden, including the exuberant
Baroque Zwinger Palace, the Old Market Square, the Cathedral and the Theatre
Square, before dispersing to pursue individual interests. The possibilities
include the recently reopened Green Vault (Princely treasure chamber of
Augustus the Strong, considered one of the most dazzling collections in the
world), the Old Masters collection of the Saxon Electors (including works by
Raphael, Correggio, Titian, Botticelli, Van Dyck, Rembrandt and Vermeer), or
the specialist museums devoted to porcelain, globes and historic clocks. An
early dinner precedes the performance of
Mozart’s ‘Don Giovanni’ in the celebrated Semper Opera House (where ‘The Flying Dutchman’ and ‘Tannhäuser’ were both premiered).
DAY 8
B included
Following a leisurely start to the morning we transfer to Dresden airport for
flights home.
Price includes:
All accommodation for Days 1 through 8 on a double shared basis
All meals with wine at lunches and dinners, other than those excepted in the
daily notation
All land transportation in a private vehicle as described except during free
periods
All entrance and sightseeing fees except during free periods
Tickets for two performances: opera in the Semperoper and an orchestral concert
in the Leipzig Gewandhaus, as described in the itinerary
Paddle steamer trip on the river Elbe
Tickets for all ferry and train rides as described
Gratuities for hotel and restaurant staff
Visa and Health Requirements
Visitors from the EU and the US currently require a valid passport, but not a
visa, for entry to Germany. If you are a national of any other country, please
check visa regulations with your nearest Embassy of Germany.
At present there are no specific and compulsory health requirements for entry to
Germany. Residents of countries in the EU can only claim free (emergency)
medical treatment in Germany by presenting their European Health Insurance Card
(EHIC), which is issued in the UK by the Department of Health. You may also wish to check the advice given to travellers by the FCO.
Insurance
It is essential, and a condition of booking, that you protect yourself with a
suitable travel insurance policy as soon as you book a trip. Follow this link
for a quote for a policy available to UK residents.
If you are already insured, or a non-UK resident, please inform us of your
policy at the time of booking.
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Kudu Travel Limited
Teffont Manor
Teffont Ewyas
Salisbury SP3 5RJ
Phone: 01722 716167
Registered in England
No. 03854049
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